The Press., 1895-01-24

"What was I, sir? I would have you know, sir, that I yFas3 a barrister, sir, and queens counsel, sir. What do you think of that?''
 '"You were barrister and queens counsel? Then why are you no longer either? What did you do?' asked again. ~
 He shook his head no longer, but sprang to his feet, with fierce gesture, and for moment thought he would have made for me.
 '.Why, 7 I said, looking him steadily in the face, If you are no longer a q. C., what Is 1t that you have done?"
 He made no reply, but actually fled from the room. He ran ont of it and down the street, and saw him no more.
 At II Paul came home. He was evi- dently in state of high excitement. II sent for you,' he said, because must tell some one, and know can trust you. Sit down and listen to me without speaking one word. ;
 As for the substance of his tale, it was what one might have expected. He was in love, madly ill love, and with the very girl-the beautiful creature whom had seen on the river. Her name was Isabel. The largest and finest house in the place belonged to her father, who was, it ap- peared, a man of considerable wealth. So far all seemed plain and easy sailing.
 ''You love her, Paul, "I said. "No oc- casion to repeat it. And-if one may have the impertinence to ask-does the young lady''-
 "She refuses me, he replied. All this time he had been walking about the room in 8 violent agitation. "She refuses me.
 Refuses you?"
 Refuses me. Mind, there is req son. The dear girl owned today that if it were not for this reason-she-she"- "- Here he choked.
 ''Is the reason insurmountable?"
 "Oh!' he replied. "The reason is un- reasonable; it is mere trick of tho brain; it matters really nothing. 1 can not tell you, though sine has told me the whole, God bless her! Yet can- l not tell you all of it-only this, there is upon her past cloud. Yes, l admit it is very dreadful cloud. Through no fault of her own-none, mind. No one can blame her in the least; no one would dare throw it in her teeth. By heaven, would kill such man where he stood! It is on account of this cloud that she refuses. She says that she will never consent to bring her burden of shame to weigh down the life of Q man she loves. Oh, Isabel, my dear" Here again he choked.
 "Yet, Paul, if you would take her even with this-this" "--
 "Even with. this?'' he said solemnly. E.Why, it would be nothing in the world to me. Less than nothing; just 8 secret between husband and wife; just painful reminiscence of the past, nev' CT to be mentioned between us. "
 ''Is there,'' I asked, 'any one who knows the secret?'' .p
 ''Her brother knows, of course, pool fellowI We'll for him if he did not know, because the knowledge of it will poison his life wherever he goes. an sorry, truly sorry for the boy. But, ai for Isabel, I can take her away from all of it. '''
 "And does no one else know?"
 s@There is dreadful man who live' here-a most horrible beast. I threaten ed to cowhide him last week because h' threw out hints that he knew something about the previous history of this fami ly not altogether to their credit. He il a man named Brundish; he was former l ly in very good practice at the bar, wa l o. 0. and a bencher of Lincoln' Inn and was then found to have ap propriated, embedded or made ava. with certain trust moneys. This was horrible scandal, and they disbenchet and disbarred him. He is man of in famous private character and drinks, believe. Probably he will drink himsel into the grave before long. am afrai' he knows something, but do not knov how much. What does that creatur signify?'
 thought it unnecessary to tell Pau of my experience with Mir. Brundish but I felt relieved. to think that he ha' s not told me more. We went on talzin 3 of the young lady's perfection. In fact we talked half through the night.
 Tbe next morning he took me to tn house. It was beautiful villa. fur