The Portland daily press., 1897-11-27
(Chapter III continued. }

fumbIing with the revolver.
"What do you want me to do?' he
asked in a faint voice. and he passed his
tongue along and across his dried lips
''To send Sir Joseph home to his
daughter, at once, and without any fur
ther palaver about ransoms"
sit may not be quite SO easy as you
think" Mascall said with smile which
was as CHASTITY as if it had suddenly con-
torted the lips of a disentombed corpse.
Lawrence remember the words after
wards, but he did not pay much heed TO
them then, even although he heard them
eand replied to them.
r. You can do it," he said carelessly,
land it Won't cost you much. If it costs
you anything, we can settle that after
wards, you and /. !"
Suppose refuse; suppose L say / can
do nothings in the matter-that I know
nothing about it-what then, Mr.. Tryon,
what then?
''Then 1 ring this bell; you 1see [ have
my hand still on it. And my landlord
comes up, and Task him to send for the
police, and I giYe.you in charge"
''In charge for whatP" Mascall asked,
scoFnfully.
"Too late, Mr.. Mascall-too late to give
yourself these airs of defiance! They
might have come in we'll enough when I
first accused you; they are out OF date
now."
''StiIl, you have not told me on what
charge you propose to hand me over to
the police.
"Have. Isnot? 1 thought had,told you
plainly enough. L shall charge you with
being one of tthis gang -of murder-con-
spirators, and then we shall have it all
out in open court; and Sir Joseph will
know at last-at last-what kind of man
he has for confidential secretary"
Masoall almost staggered. Once again
r., tod md coid with
And suppose Sir Joseph's t;lroat is cut
in the meantime; how will his daughter
like that?'
"sir Josephsis quite. safe,' Lawrence
said, ,tcomposedly. "You will not force
me to any unpleasant measures. You
will go and take care that he is released.
Go-the door, see lis opened by me
for you'll Go and save your benefaotor, if
he is really in danger. Send me a noteLto
tell me that he is safe; and then, so far
as am concerned, you are safe too. Then
I shall believe that you are sorry for your
past life and your evil deeds, and I shall
believe that Heaven has forgiven you;
and she, / am sure, will forgive you as
well.,'
He held the door open, and Mascall went
out.
AS may be readily believed poor Clarissa
had not much inclination for sleep that
night. She did not go to bed, she did not
know at what moment some news might
not come from Lawrence, or whether
Lawrence might not himself eome-the
bearer of intelligence to relieve her, or
sink her in despair. About midnight she
heard q loud sharp ring at the door. Her
heart seemed to stand still at the sound.
"Lawrencel" She could not keep from
speaking his name aloud.
"Mr. Mascall wishes particularly to see
you, miss" the sedate but sssympathetic
Benson said. Benson knew wen enough
that something was going on but he
had not thought it becoming on his part
to ask a question.
Clarissa only motioned in panic
stricken way that Mascall was to be ad-
Tnitted. She thought it boded ominously
that Lawrence should not have come
that the very man should come with
whom she had pledged herself not to act
She rose TO receive him in as composed
way as she could, but he could hardly
have failed to see that she was tremb-
ling.
"Miss Carnaway, he began. in tone
of intense emotion, 81 am going to save
your father
"YouP' she could not help tone of
utter surprise. He understood her mean
ing only too we'll
II, even l., he said. "The task has
been given to me. You shall have your
father safe home by the morning. What
his safety will cost me, you Will learn
soon after. I shall save him at any sacri-
fce--for you"
"Mr. Mascall, don't understand you,
you are speaking in riddles, and this is
not quite time for riddles. How can
the safety of my father be any harm to
your"
LET it be riddle for little longer
Tie whole truth will probably never be
known but to me-and I-we1l, I shan't
reveal it. Forgive me-, I ask you as the
last request l shall ever make of y0u-for-
give me-
tossave my fateher. if you are trying to
save him." She could not keep down
these words, although the moment she
had spoken them they seemed to hsr un-
generous and cruel.
81 see how you distrust me-" he said
with savage smile, land / know where
the distrust comes from. Well, l can't
blame you; have not deserved your con.
tidence or the confidence of any human
creature. Still, once more, I ask you to
forgive me''
''And still once more, Mr.. Mascall, I
ask you, forgive you for WHAT"
For many things that you don't know,
thatiyou will never know perhaps, and
for one thing that you shall know-for-
give me for having loved you-for loving
you still-in life and in death I love
youl''
Even in all the fearsome anxiety and
anguish of the hour this was new shock
to Clarissa. She had never thought of
this-she had never thought of the love
of her fathers secretary! Yet she could
not doubt the sincerity of his impassioned
words and tones, and a rush of pity and
womanly sympathy flooded her heart
with tender feeling.
81 never knew of this, Mr.. Mascall, -
she began Gremulously. 81 hope. am
sure, l never gave you any reason to
think
''Oh, no, nop' he exclaimed with re-
newed passion. "It was all my own
fault, my own doing. 1 spoke with your
fathsr today-this very day about you.
Stay, don't intsrrupt me yet, let me say
what was going to say!''
oh, Eyes, she said with kindness and
compassion in her looks and her voice.
He told me he had long had vision
for You, and | had the audacity to tell
him that perhaps it was lying vision?
1t was vision that led him to resolve
that no one but AMMAN of rank and title
should ever marry you.'
DID my father talk to you about me
in that way?''
''Yes, he did, because I forced him to