The morning call., 1891-05-17
CHAPTER Y.

a few days after this conversation the
postman delivered letter TO John Long
den, Audit Office. He dropped the letter into
his pocket and went on with his auditing.
When the clock struck / the other clerks
made haste TO leave their work. Longden
fingered When they were all gone he drew
out the letter and looked at it.
Il knew her writing" he said. what
has she 10 say? She can know nothing"
lie opened the letter.
Dear Jack" it began, in the most
friendly manner possible. Dear jack"
aud from Lady Dunkeld, the Queen Of the
colony, sole cOnsOrt Of King David. Why
had she not written " Dear Jonathan ?"
4 have Just heard that you are in the
colony. l know and appreciate the reason
why you have not come to see me. Yet, |
must see you. if not In my own drawing
room in the presence of the aid de-camp
then alone | must see You. Come TO the
private gardens Of Government House on
Sunday morning at half-past II. when the
Governor and everybody are at church. [
will meet you behind the basin. For the
sake of old times when we were all innocent
and hopeful together. Do not fail. Your
old friend, Eva"
a. wonder what she means?" Jack fin
ished the letter, which did not require a
second reading, and replaced it in his
pocket. "What can she mean? She did not
recognize me. though he did. People don't
talk about me at Government House. Who
tod her? If David the King told her,
David the King must have felt prickings.
| viii go"
soon after II o'clock, when the Governor,
his daughter, his daughters goyeTness and
his abide camp were in their long pew at
the Cathedral, and the Bishop was in his
seat. ana the civil chaplain was reading the
service Jack L0ngden found himself in the
private grounds of Government House. No
one at all. not even the Indian gardener, was
in the gardens.
He found bench in the shade and sat
down.
He had not long to wait. He heard a foot
step, and rose to meet a lady, who walked
quickly along one OF the paths. She was
{" Thank you, Jack" she said, giving him
al am here. Lady Dunkeld," he began
but he broke down. . Eva" he cried, you
have not forgotten me-the man who dis
graced himself!'
" No, no; you are here; l learned it only
the other day, and you are quite low down
in the service; He told me. 1T is horrible!
1t is dreadful
"Nay-some must rise and some must
fall. And, after that ugly business
Jack. | know all"
"What do you know? There was a
row about it aud my father wouldn't have
he in the house, and my brOther-you re-
member my brother, he was always an
awful pTlp lie surpassed himself ana
made reconciliation impossible and every
thing else; so they found me a place out
here and | suppose my brother kindly told
them at the Colonial Office, and so the story
came out here and-thaTs all. OF course
promotion is impossible for man with such
a story rs that behind him. Well, Eva
Lady Dunkeld-that is all. What does il
matter now" For his old friend was look
ing strangely at him and the tears were in
her eyes.
OR, she repeated, cit is horrible! 1t
is DREADFUL!
No, not so dreadful as you think. There
is enough to live upon, and what more can
a man desire, man with such a story as
that behind him?"
She sat down on the bench beside him and
bowed her head and wept aloud.
Nay he said, it is too much that 1
"Jackp' she sprang to her feet again.
You tear my very heart. You tear inc to
pieces-for l know all-all-all-I tell you
that ] know all"
you cannot know ALL 1t Is impossible"
g l have known 1t for ten years. He fell
i'll and was on the point Of death and con-
fessed 1t all to me. / promised, thinking he
was on his deathbed, to carry his message
OF remorse. He did not die, but the message
remains Take IT, His prayer for for
giyeness.
uIylgs OO ITO bulu 9Uu, ulu lb r IL was
not well done. 1t was breach of conf
dence. Why, it was in the thought that
you would never know"
"And l do know. Jack, nothing that he
can do or say could destroy the wrong of all
these years."
Nothing. And yet you see took the
consequences, whatever they might be-
They did turn out rather more unpleasant
than | thought, but have not complained"
III you were to stand up tomorrow and
read aloud the confession which he gave
you, that would not give you back these lost
and ruined years.
NO." said Jack. 1T might astonish
people more than a bit. But ii wouldn't
help me-"
" Have you ever thought that-about this
Sublime self-sacrifice of your common youth