The Saint Paul globe., 1899-04-30
CHAPTER VIII.
In Honor Bound.

It was the third day of the trial in which
Philip Castlemaine stood accused of the at
teEipted murder of the infant son of the
Duke and Duchess of Craymore, and the
dreary, dingy police court was crowded with
the idle and fashionable throng, that listened
with breathless interest to the case that had
caused such a stir in the circle to which they
belonged and in which the accused so often
moved.
Little cause, indeed had Castlemaine' to
complain Of the lack of sympathy evinced
towards him, even by those who We're hon
estly obliged to own that the case looked
black against him from the first, case that
the mysterious disa ppearance of his valet
who would have been an important witness
for the prosecution-in no wise tended to
tighten; for it was whispered that Giulo
Mazetti would not be the first witness skill
fully kept out of court; while the evidence
of Lord Kenton evidently reluctantly glven),
who had on the afternoon Of the attempted
murder ordered him at once to st. Peters
burg-a journey that on that day was never
undertaken-was the most damning evidence
against him, the rest a mere bagatelle.
The first days proceedings had been but a
mere repetition of the inquest, the evidence
of the butler and nurse already stated,
that the most severe cross examination Of
Castlemane's counsel had no power to shake
then that of the grea. statesman, and lastly,
the bereaved duchess.
With these witnesses against them, Castle
maine was himself practically undefended
Of the four persons who could have at once
removed the imputaton of his having re-
manned in town with some mysterious
tive and proved that he had undertaken the
jourpey-the duchess, Giulio Mazetti and the
waiter and porter of the Lord Warden'-
he could not bring forward MaZetti because
he was an abscondng thief and traitor; the
rest because the reputation of a woman lay
at stake, while Of themselves he knew they
would never speak, his knowledge of the
world told him that they had already been
heavily bribed by Trevanion, who evidently
-.I0
abe CCnding only to his diScredt, and which
would make him the laughing stock of the
whole regiment. A silence that, while it
cleared the way for the duchess, and saved
her from the consequences of a revelation
that might have been the first act of a cause
celebre in the divorce court, made the case
against Castlemaine black indeed; and he
wondered would she clear him, as he watched
her stand up in her deep mourning the Gym
osure of hundred curious eyes; this woman
whose love turned to hate had robbed him of
his inheritance, whose weakness had we'll
nigh ruined him, whose honor he had pre-
served at the risk Of his worldly success and
happiness.
His freedom, his good name, love all Law in
her hands. Instinctively, with the thought
he leaned forward, and looked earnestly into
her pale, insipid face, as she stood in the
witness box not far from him. What there
was in that lock only she knew, but her male
face flushed, and then grew deathly and she
shivered involuntariiy.
He withdrew his eyes, and for the fret
time they fell on Kitty, who, accompanied
nv her father sat within sight Since tbe
morning of his arrest no words had passed
between them, further than the ordinarv
ccmmonplaces of everyday life. He had made
no attempt to gain a second hearing. the
nride of the CaStlemaineS stood him in eood
stead then; and now, SIS he watched the
settled coldness of her lovely piquant face
the wthering scoIn IN her dark Irish evas
his pride and his determination grew rooted