The sun., 1894-03-22
againr' lie mentally exclaimed.

Bravo! now Gertrude Is your own"
''Great heavens! at what terrible price
! shall purchase her smiles, if such ever
become miner
There now you are growing senti-
mental" half laughed Warrington.
What is to be done nOw?"
'Tet us enter the house by the way
we quilted it, and leave the rest to
fate"
He will be missed by his friends"
said the young baronet, shudderinGly
pointing to the lake.
"Of course he Will"
And then he will be inquired after?"
"Certainly!'
What story can we tell?
Il will instruct you how to act; fol-
low my advice, and all will be we'll"
BE well, Warrington" repeated Sir
Basil, striking his forehead with his
open palm. Alas! nothing will ever be
well with me again! Pelham" he add
ed, with a sudden burst of frantic sOr-
row, II would give all the wealth l
possess that had not thrust yon poor
fellow into the lake!"
"Hush!" cried the creole, putting his
hand over his companions mouth.
would you put your neck into a hal
ter?" he continued, in whisper.
Sir Basil Dovetree Shuddered, and
hastily turning away, rushed onward
in the direction of the house.
Are you mad Basil? said Warrington
laying his hand on the baronets shOul-
der, and arresting his steps. We must
regain the room we left by stealth, else
you are lost man."
Sir Basil stood quaking, scarcely
cOmprehending the others words He
fancied the air was filled with passing
furies, and that kissing sounds We're
proceeding from every point around
him. He was fairly sick with terror.
Warrington, perceiving the baronet's
state seized his arm. and dragging him
onward towards the window of the
dining room, which window they found
wide open, just as they had left it.
Scarcely had they entered the apart
ment, when Sir Basil flew to the bran
dy. and half-flling goblet with the
fiery fluid, drank it at single draught.
Il feel like a very child" he said as
he laid the empty goblet down; land
would give wQrlds-Worlds. could |
but recall the last two hours Of my life"
lie added with an agOnized moan. For
oh! dare not think upon what / have
dCne-darc not contemplate my dread
full guilt
You will undo yourself if you con-
tinue to act after this foolish fashion,"
the creole observed. Bless my heart
after all, what have you done about
which you should make all this dreadful
ado? You have put a rival into a cold
bath. out of which, being too full of
wine, he could not extricate himself
That is the simple fact, even as it hap
pened. You have nothing at all to re-
proach yourself about
Nothing to reprOach myself abOut?"
Oh, Warrington. WarringtOn!'
by heavens! do you but continue
thus, and I'll leave you, never to re-
turn"
Leave me Pelham! Oh in the name
of mercy. leave me not to myself; I
shall go distracted if you dO.'
Then act as becomes a man, Basil,
and drop all those whining ways! What
you have done you have done, and
there's an end ont
True, but"
sect to bed, and sleep yourself into
a more sensible state of mind"
"Sleep, Warrington! Do you think
shall ever sleep again?"
go to your bed and try; I'll war
rant the trial will prove successful"
Sir Basil shook his head, and beat
his palms together. Il dare not re-
main alone through the night, Warning
ton; 1 am afraid that my victim will
haunt my pillow. and scare me to death!
Merciful powers, what a coward l am
become! and that, too, i'll the space of
one little hour
"Pshaw! You view the affair far too
seriously. Look at the case IN its prop
er light. This Roger Baldrick was
standing in your way, and you put him
out of it. Very well; kings do the self
same thing every day of the year, and
never once heave sigh about the mat
| ter"
At this Sir Basil's face grew some
what brighter.
Don't let your conscience be trOub-
led at ALL" proceeded the creole. Pre-
sllming, upon his own confession, you
have only put miserable man out of
his misery. You know Roger was dOlt
whom pretty Gertrude will feel quite
rejOiced to be freed from"
IF 1 could but think as you think,
Pelham" said Sir Basil.
1T is easy enough to do. if you'll only
set about it," was the cold rejoinder.
During the whole of that night the
young barOnet tossed in SleeplesS an
guish of mind, unable to WOO a single
moments repOse. Never since he was
born had he endured such mental tor
ments as now were his. If the case
ment creaked, or the wind sighed down
the wide chimney, he would start and
tremble, his teeth chattering and his
brow covered with a dense, clammy
perspiration. all the while keeping his
eyes closed, lest the apparitiOn of Roger
Baldrick should appear to frighten and
upbraid him.
Sir Basil presented sorry aspect on
the following morning when he met the
creole at the breakfast table, to which
habit more than appetite had brought
him.
You had better have kept your cham
Der, my friend, than left it with such a
doleful visage as yours" Warrington
observed, with sarcastic laugh.
Il have not had wink of sleep all
night, Pelham" returned the baronet.
with q shiver. Il have been thinking
of the terrible act 1 have committed,
and my brain has been half distracted
| with the recollection of it! Oh, that
lake! that lake! I'd rather that I had
found the bottom Of it than this Roger
Baldrickv'
II told you last night, Basil, that if
you persisted in making an absurd
ado about this trifling affair, I should
start off at once, and leave you to your
self entirely"
Sir Basil looked scared and helpless.
Great heavens, Warrington, twas
you who tempted me to the commission
of this awful act! You have been a sol
der, you say, and can look on the
quenching of human life without the
quiver of Il muscle. 'Tis not so with
me, therefore have some mercy on me.'
First let me see you have mercy on
yourself" answered the creole. ':By
and-by you will have need of all your
-possessiOn-all your nerve! Then
exert your strength, crush back all