Waterbury evening Democrat., 1889-01-14
CHAPTER XXVI.
MIR. QUEST HAS HIS INNINGS,

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 MIR. QUEST HAS HIS INNINGS.
 All that afternoon and far into the evening Mr. Quest was employed in drafting, and with his own hand expressing on parchment certain deeds, to the proper execution of which he seemed to find constant reference necessary to a tin box of papers labeled ''Honham Castle Estates"
 By Il that night everything was finish ed, and, having carefully collected and docketed his papers, be put the tin box away and went home to bed.
 Next morning, about 10 o'clock, Edward Cossey was sitting at breakfast in no happy frame of mind. He had gone up to the castle to dinner on the previous evening, but it can not be said that he had enjoyed himself. Ida was there, looking very handsome in her evening dress, but she was cold as a stone and unapproachable as statue. She scarcely spoke to him, indeed, except in answer to some direct remark, reserving all her con- versation for her father, who seemed to have caught the contagion of restraint, and was, for him, unusually silent and depressed
 But once or twice he found her looking at him, and then there was upon her face a min gled expression of contempt and irrepressible aversion which chilled him to the marrow
 These qualities toward him were indeed so much more plainly developed than they had been before, that at last a conviction which he had at first rejected as incredible, forced itself into his mind. That conviction was, that Belle must have disbelieved his denial of the engagement, and in her eagerness for re- venge have told Ida the whole story The thought made him feel faint, but there was but one thing to be done, and that was to face it out. Once when the sQuires back was turned he ventured to attempt some little tenderness in which the word ''dear" oc- cured but Ida did not seem to hear it. and looked straight over his head into space, and this he felt was trying. So trying did he find the whole entertainment indeed, that about half past he rose and came away, say ing that he had some bank papers which must be attended to that night.
 Now most men would in all human proba- biity have been dismayed by this state of affairs into relinquishing an attempt at mat rimony which it was evident could only be carried through in tho face of the quiet but none the less vigorous dislike and contempt ot the other contracting party. But this was notso with Edward Cossey. Ida's coldness exercised upon his tenacious and obstinate mind much the same effect that may be sup posed to be produced upon the benighted seeker for the north pole by frozen ocean of icebergs Like the explorer, ho was con- vinced that if he could get over those cold and drowning heights he would find smiling and sunny land beyond, and perchance many other delights, and like the explorer again, he was, metaphortcally, ready to die in tho effort For to tell the truth, he loved her more every day, till now his passion domi- mated his physical being and his mental judg- ment, so that whatever loss was entailed whatever obstacles arose, he was determined to endure and overcome them if by so doing he might gain his end.
 He was rehecting upon all this on the morn ing in question, when Mr. Quest looking very cool and composed and gentleman like, was shown into his room, much as Col Quaritch had been shown in two mornings before.
 'How do you do, Quests" he said, in from high to low kind of tone, which be was in the habit of adopting toward his official subor- dinates. "Sit down. What is it2"
 "1t is some business, MT. Cossey," the law yer answered ill his usual quiet tones
 'Honham castle mortgages again, sup pose," growled he. II only hope you don't want any more money on that account at present, that's all, because can't raise an- other cent while the governor lives, for they don't entail cash and bank shares, you know; and, though my credits pretty good, I am not far from the bottom of it."
 "Well," said MT. Quest, with faint smile,
 
 gages, but as I have good deal to say per- haps we had better wait till the things are cleared away"
 ''An right. Just ring the bell, will you, and take cigaretteF'
 MT. Quest smiled again and rang the bell, but did not take the cigarette. When the breakfast things had been removed he took chair, and, placing it on the further side of the table in such a position that the light, which was to his back, struck full upon Ed ward Cossey's face, commenced to deliber- ately unite and sort his bundle of papers. Presently he came to the one he wanted-a letter. It was not an original letter, but a copy.
 ''Win you kindly read this, Mr. Cosseyr' he said quietly, as he pushed the letter toward him across the table.
 Edward finished lighting his cigarette, and then took the letter up and glanced at it care lessly. At the first line, however, his expres- sion changed to one of absolute horror, bis face blanched, the precipitation sprang out upon his forehead, and the cigarette dropped from his fingers to the carpet, where it lay smoldering. And no wonder, for the letter was a copy of one of Belle's most passionate epistles to himself He had never been able to restrain her from writing these compro- missing letters. Indeed, this one was the very same that, some time before, Mr. Quest had ----------- -