Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-09-22

lou ASK me 10 20 tIis. ne CTieu III Woh-
oe Eyes"
You are treating me very Strangely
The girl. on her part, wondered that he
could have failed to see the necessity which
was so plain to her.
How can you tell mother now that you
are not her r. SOM. she asked, with some
/ think it will kill her"
He laughed. and the girl flushed with in
dignation at the sound. But 1t was not
callousness that made him do 50; 1t was
not even that he was amused: it was the
almost unconscious laugh of perpiexity
which man gives when circumstances
have driven him Unexpectedly into corner
from which he sees no chance or escape.
What the girl said was true. II 1t had been
difficult to undeceive Lady Holland on that
first night, II was impossible now And yet
she would have to know the truth some
time!
II told you that 1 refused to regret" he
said to Mary. II retract that! am regret
ting most sincerely now. What is to be
doDe?"
what 1 say. There is no other course
possible"
And even this one can only be tenn
porary expedient! You recognize that we
are certain to be found out soon?"
"Oh, yes" she admitted YEARLY.
"Then what is the good" he began;
but before he had finished his sentence, a
new thought came to him. and he added
gently: do you mean that perhaps we
may never need to tell her, because" he
paused again; 1t was hard to say-"be-
cause of what the doctor said?"
Mary lookd up with a grave face.
YES" she said, II mean that"
When he saw the look of suffering In her
eyes, he blamed himself because he had not
borne even her scorn with patience. He had
met resentment with resentment He had
retaltated when he should have comforted.
and he cursed himself now in his own
thoughts for brute. But no! she had de-
MED him the right to comfort! Then at any
rate he might have held his tongue.
II will do what you think best" he said
simply.
She thanked him with look, and then
she said:
"And If we are found out, what will you
do?'
"Oh, Just what I should have done If 1
had been found out before, 1 SUPPOSED" he
answered lightly. The risk is the same one
that I've been running ever since I came.
Pm getting used to it now, you know"
She shook her head.
The risk is not the same" she said ut
is many times greater, because my brothers
wife knows who you are"
He answered her with a laugh:
"Oh, well, it's what I've let myself in for!
If there are kicks coming instead of ha'-
pence, l dare say / deserve kick or two.
That's all right. Don't you bother about
me!'
There was another brief pause, and then
she did a thing which surprised him; for he
did not know how nearly he had earned his
forgiveness. She came close to him, and
with blush held out her hand.
Mr.. Wortiey,, she said, with little
nervous rush, Il am sorry. You have re-
tracted part of what you said-and want
to retract something, too! Good night"
He bent over her hand and kissed it. No
OTHER word was said between them. He
opened the door for her. and she left him.
AMI returned to her mothers room.
For while after Mary had left Wortley
sat and smoked. The long day was over at
last; the fourth duel had been fought and
victory or a defeat. He had told his tale,
and he had not been hidden to go; he had
told his love, and he had been spurned, and
then allowed to kiss her hand! Did that
mean that she did not despise him so ut
terly as she had said? Or did it mean no
more than that she was grateful because
he had consented to do what she had ask
ed? He did not know.
But, at any rate, he was deceiving her no
longer; in that. at least, there was salts
faction. Even his loXe-which he had
meant to keep hidden until he could come,
openly wearing his own name before all the
world, to ask for hers in return-even that
had been toldi He had allowed himself to
be carried away and had spoken when he
should have kept silence; but he could not
be sorry now even for that. If she had
left him without having spoken that last
little, broken sentence he would have de-
SPARED; for UP till then there had been no
sign that she thought of him in any way
but meanly; but those hating words Il
am sorry. /, TOO, want TO retract some
thing! had made the whole difference.
But. though the deception between these
two was at an end, she had commanded
him to keep it up before the rest of the
world. There was still conspiracy, but 1t
made vast difference that she was now a
fellow conspirator. The thing would not
be easy, but he had no scruples about obey
ing her. He had put scruples aside before;
it would be absurd to profess them now.
But there was another difference which
counted. He had taken his part In the play
before with the confident belief that he
could carry it on for so long within rea-
sonable limits as he considered 1t neces-
sary for his purpose, and in the expectation
of being able to choose his own time for
dropping the curtain; but now the proba
bilities were exactly reversed. Discovery
was likely to be prompt, and it was not his
will. but that of the widow from Oporto,
which would give the signal for the ending.
He had told her that his play was over;
when she discovered that he was still act
ing it she would be likely to want to re-
sumo her part, too. He was going to see
her off at Elgln tomorrow, and he had said
that he would take her ticket for London
himself. He had not the remotest belief
that she would stay there.
He knocked out his pipe and yawned
Il suppose it's no good to bother" he
said; land I've promised Mary will stick
to it. But If 1 am publicly piloried by
and by the fraudulent claimant to the
Holland Abbey estates, the consequences
will be more awkward than the dear girl
dreams of! George Armitage would think
me plain mailman If he knew what am
doing and would probably consider the
advisabilty of removing me from the
county of Morayshire by force! Heigho!
what day it has been!'
He yawned again and went to bed for
there was another hard day coming to-
morrow.
A few minutes before five the next
morning he let himself out at the front
door and went round to the coach house.
The pink blush of sunrise was over all the
sky to the east. but the CLEAN Of the re-
volving light on Tarbat Ness was still
visible across the waters of the Moray
FIRTH He was heavily clad in furs for
there was September frost upon the
grass. and the forty mile spin to Grantcwn
and breakfast would be cold work. He
found the chauffeur giving a final rub to
bit of brass here, or an extra drop of Oil
to a bearing there. and generally attending
to the morning toilet of his darling The
little man, also, was ready in his heavy
driving coat
''Oh, shan't want you. SIMS this trip"
said his master. You can have your sleep
out; Expect me back about midday, or
early afternoon"
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