Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1894-05-04
CHAPTER VII.

covering LuB lOSb GldIuONu, anu NHcu
/ told Sir Edmund my reasons
for despairing, he did not attempt to
conceal his satisfaction with regard
to my determination
"A man should never be dependent
on his wife. Ii must necessarily be
a source of humiliation to him; and
no man suffers humiliation without
in time loosing his own self-respect.
That will never, i hope, be your loss,
Bernard. Poor girl. it will be u
great grief to her; for though she
has known you but a little while,
she has found in you great deal to
admire and love. and her affection is
so tenacious that / doubt If she will
ever cease TO love you"
/ have purposely abstained from
dwelling upon my love affairs, for II
/ entered into them at all, my feelings
would lead me to dilate upon the
delights OF nay brief wooing, to the
exclusion of graver matters which
form the subject OF this story. For
the same reason ! shall pass over the
bitter grief of our parting. i will
only say that Edith's last words
awakened courage in my sinking
| heart
/ could form no satisfactory theory
with regard to Their Geat Hesper rob-
berry, but / was disposed to regard
Van Hoeck as the least culpable
agent concerned in it.
II is impossible TO tell how the
robbery affected this mysterious
man. AS / have said, during the IN
vestigation he sat perfectly motion
less and perfectly silent. His face
wore the inscrutable expression of a
death-mask.
Sir Edmund had no sympathy with
him after learning from me the par
ticulars relating to the adventures
of the morning.
When we entered the library from
the dining-room, where our inter
view had taken place, we found Van
Hoeck sitting where we had left him.
II have ordered the carriage to be
at the door in half an hour Mr.. Van
Hoeck," said the baronet "Be good
enough to make your arrangement
for departure by that time.
Van Hoeck inclined his head.
IL shall be glad If you will redeem
your o L at an early date" the
baronet added ster1tH
Van Hoeck put his hand in his
pocket, drew out purse, and ex-
tended it. i took it, seeing the
baronets repugnance, and placed it
on the table.
l accompanied Van Hoeck to
Southampton. Neither OF us spoke
on the way-indeed, had not heard
a word pass his lips since we parted
in the early morning
took room for him at a hotel,
and when the servant who lead US to
it was gone, said
IL am going to leave you, Van
Hoeck."
A gesture of Indifference was his
only reply.
Have you nothing to say-no ex-
plantation TO offer?" | asked.
What do you mean?-speak plain
ly," he said.
Il saw you discussing with Pracc
what should be done with the case that
held the diamond before he secreted
it,"
"If you know that we were discuss
ing that. you know all. 1t is useless
to make an explanation that you
would not believe. / have nothing
to say"
He CROPPED his way to a chair and
threw himself into it.
/ put a packet of notes on the table
and told him that if he had need OF
further help he might write to me
addressing his letters to the care o.
Sir Edmund. Then left him.
l had vague idea of purchasing
partnership in some business where
could find active employment, and
with that view l took lod gings in
London, and began to look about me
l had been engaged in this pursuit
about week when / received let.
ter from Sir Edmund.
II enclose" he wrote, "a cutting
from one of the weekly papers Vine
growing, as it is here described
seems to be the very thing that
should suit man of your disposition
and taste; it would suit me, if | were
Thirty years younger than l am. As
it is, nothing would please me better
than to see you a prosperous frui
, farmer
That Edith might have some.
! thing to look forward to. have pro
posed that our next summer holiday
trip should be TO San Diego Sh,
, thinks she would find California no
tells insupportable. Perhaps yol
will be able to Offer something more
acceptable than hotel accommoda
tions. In any case, my dear fellow
you can give me no more acceptable
testimony of your affection than il
, awaiting yourself freely ana fully o
my pecuniary assistance.
( The cutting referred TO vine grow
ing and Horticulture in Southern
California; but before | read lin,
t OF it had made up M mind TO b.
; at San Diego to receive Edith ant
her father in the summer.
, CHAPTER XIII.
Fortune favored me; before ha.