The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1886-06-25
CHAPTER XIX.

The next morning Lady Gladys Palliser
sends telegram to her brother. It is as
short as it is peremptory. It finds him at
his club, and he obeys perforce.
He does not reach Kingscourt till the fol-
lowing night Every one has gone to bed
but Lady Gladys. She sits up to receive
him. The story of Hereward's arrest is a Sc
cret no longer it is the talk of the neigh
borhood Every one is willing to believe in
his guilt Many are, in fact glad to have
suspicion removed from themselves and
their friends, and fastened upon this man,
about whom nobody cares-who is O stranger
in the place.
The night is wild one great gusts shake
Kingscourt to its very foundations, rattle
the windows, moan in the chimneys. Lady
Gladys, alone in the library, hears the wind
sweeping down over the roaring woods,
round the house. against the window-panes.
The heaviest gusts are laden with a wild
dash of rain. She shivers over the fire in
her scarlet dressing-gown, and almost wishes
she had allowed Bah to sit up with her.
Ghostly footsteps seem to cross the echoing
hall, ghostly fingers to tap against the panes,
ghostly voices to whisper in the corners.
And surely the ghosts of dead Pallisers
might we'll be restless tonight, when the
guilt of blood is about to be brought homo
to one of their racer Lady Gladys looks
round at the dusky portraits hanging on the
walls, and fancies she can see them frown
and move their portentous eyes.
The clock ticks on monotonously, the wind
howls, the faggots snap and crackle, the rain
beats against the panes more steadily now.
1t is q fearful night. Every sound adds to
the irritation and impotence in Lady
,,,;ol EIaya,, o'oInoly noa
and yet he does not come. He would not
come by train, he would probably post
down, she thinks, with shivering remem-
brance of the dark road from Kingsleigh, of
the sobbs-l black woods about the mill
Surely he will avoid that route if he pos
sibly can
Lady Gladys cannot remain stu in her
chair by the fire. There is vague, norrl-
BILE anxiety gnawing at her heart, high
strung neavous feeling that makes the very
ticking of the clock irritate her almost be-
yond bearing. She looks worn and pale,
though tho scarlet cashmere of her wrapper
throws q warm tinge into her cheeks. She
walks aimlessly up and down the room, just
rs its late occupant used to walk. She finds
some well-read of science on table, and
opens one of them absently. A names stares
ct her from the hy-leaf-Harold Holman
Hereward. 1t does not bring her thoughts
to him suddenly-shey had been with him
all the time. He is indeed the one predomi-
mating idea in her mind. All the rest are
vague, restless, horrible, compared with this.
His love is one thing that shines out like n
calm beautiful star III a tempest-wracked sky
like strain of soft, sweet unearthly
music heard above tho storm.
Sue listens to the wind and rain, and tries to
distinguish above them the sound of wheels.
Oace she thinks she hears it, louder than the
roar of the wind, but it does not come on.
The wind dies away, and there is nothing.
Then the blast sweeps down again and shakes
tho windows like the hands of demons, and
sways even the heavy curtains to and fro.
At last, just as tho clock strikes two. the
sound Of wheels is really plainly distinguish
able above the storm. 1t stops at some dis
TANGO. and then seems to recede again. Lady
Gladys knows that tina traveller has got out
of the carriage and sent it round to the stable
yard. He does not wish the Countess to be
disturbed Then Purcell opens the hall
door softly, and Lord Heriot walks in.
'All well, Purcsu1'