The herald., 1896-06-28


gun wasn't by his side? He shot himself
firmly believe"
"And his own?"
LEFT it behind here somewhere. I've
searched the gunroom, and can find no
trace of it,
"Ah!' 1t is the simplest ejaculation,
and means only regret on the part of Yer
lington, but it is as matchwood to the
flame of the younger mans passionate in
dignation against fate-against the world
against the woman he loves, but already
begins to doubt.
las have told you" cries he fercely
II have no proofs. l don't ask you to be-
lieve in me. We parted in the gunroom
He told me he was going to the Warren
was going to Uplands. I have only my
own word fer all this--a poor thing in the
eyes of an expectant world. Give me up,
my lord, and"
"Now! Now! Now," says the old man,
lifting his thin and pale forefnger. What
is the good of your going on like that? I'm
your friend, George. and one bit of advice
! give you. Don't lose your temper over
this sad affair."
"a man who has lost everything as l
have lost" says Meredyth, may well lose
his temper too.''
He Is silent for a full moment, then:
There is one thing Lord Verlington"-
he pauses. II should like you to know
that Dick and l were not such bad friends
as you may have been led to believe. Poor
old Dick and I've his voice sinks very
low-"had dispute yesterday over that
dog. You heard of it, l see. But" he
stops altogether, and turning to the win
dow, covers his eyes with his hands. 81
declare to heaven" says he in a choked
voice. II would gladly be lying where he
is now, if
Eyes. yes, yes says the old lord heavi-
ly. "However, take heart, boy. He is not
dead yet. DR.. Ration is even of opinion
that there is faint hope ro- him."
'Has he" eagerly, recovered conscious
ness?"
mo, but he nay!"
'My life is in his dying hands" says the
young man slowly. IF he recovers-if he
even grows conscious, the suspicion of this
hideous guilt will be lifted from my shoul-
ders. If he dies-dies-" miserably, with
out speaking
Il know--it will go very hard with YOU.
A'oe nv 81 Aoi " lily dtttt ItllON. II is QlI-
ficult to convict the innocent person. The
law is tremendously clever George" anx-
iously, "did no one see you in the Up-
lands?''
mot soul At least" dejectedly, 81
saw no one
1T was unfortunate--that quarrel yester-
day! l am told you took each other by
the throat and
And, as have told you, everything has
been terribly exaggerated. It was by no
means so bad as that with a dismal
smile. 'He lost his temper, and so did I.
We were always a bit violent, you know.
and we had a tussle, and ended by Dicks
pushing me against the water barrel and
telling me to go to the deuce or -
or something like that. Nothing more, 1
swear. And this morning-to-day-" he
pauses, chow long-how awfully long IL
seems-he came up here, and apologized.
oh. poor old Dick! I didn't want that-and, -
hoarsely, made it up with me. He rode
over here on purpose"
"And no one saw the reconciliation q"
Lord Verlington's voice is sad.
"Not one. Truly the stars in their
courses fight against me-
Meredith" says the old peer, laying his
hand on his arm, sis it true that last year
in town, there was a rivalry between you
about-about the young lady you are going
to marry?"
"Dick," reluctantly, admired her very
much, know. But / asked her if he had
proposed-or IL she had ever cared for
him, and she said mo-"
"Ah," said the old lord again.
But this time Meredyth forgets to resent
It. He is lost in a reverie, in which the
young lady appears to him in very unde-
sirable light Does she really love him?
Had she ever loved him?
Ever since Dick came so unexpectedly in
for the title and estates of Dorham, had
not her manner grown a little cold? And
to-day-why in all his awful grief and hor-
ror has she kept away from him? Would
not one who loved him come TO him, to