The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1906-11-16
CHAPTER Xxx.

Alexis bTduSWyu sat lOu6 dAu AAA0
erably alone, but Lillian did not re-
turn. He removed the traces OF his
tears and stole away from the house.
So far as he knew he was unper-
ceived except by an under-gardener
who was wheeling barrowload OF
mould to the Conservatives, and who
surrendered his burden for an instant
to salute him as he passed. He felt
himself dismissed, and was less hurt
by the belief than he could have i'm
agined If he had conceived it before
hand as possible. But life seemed al
together broken to him and he had
no interest in things.
1t had not been in Lilian's mind to
wound him, but he had suffered a
great fall in her esteem. What was
the actual shadow which had darken-
ed his cousins life she had not known.
She had always thought him too
courageous and too self-sustained to
care for the base conjectures of those
| who had limited at the advantages he
had reaped from his uncle's death.
Something more than these were
needed to account for the shadow
which had fallen on him, and it
seemed now as if the detection from
loyalty on the part of one who had
been his dearest comrade and COM
panion might be taken to explain it.
| She excused herself from luncheon
and sat in her own room, and the day
which had begun SO brightly seemed
all dark and vacant. She made many
attempts to write to Alexis, but she
was dissatisfied with each of them,
and the plain truth was that she was
uncertain OF what she wished to say.
| His wrong was patent and open
enough, but SO was his repentance for
It. There had been something terri
BILE in the passion and paroxysm OF
his grief, but such a surrender was
unmanly, and it followed on confess
sion of cowardice which she found it
hard to pardon.
Suddenly she took her resolution in
her hands, and addressed herself not
to Alexis but to Aloysius.
my dear Aloysius,' she wrote.
"Will you give me an hour tomorrow?
I have something Of the utmost inn
portance to say to you, and | will keep
any appointment you may name"
She signed and sealed this and dis
patched 1t by mounted messenger.
] She was barely surprised when three
/ hours later she was told that Aloysius
had returned. She took pains to re-
move all signs of the disorder into
which she had been thrown and went
down to meet him.
II knew you were alone" he said.
II saw your visitor of this morning
take the London train. Why should l
trouble you to come to me? My time
Is at your disposal now if you wish it.
"It was like you to come" she an
swered. "Be seated and let us talk
together. And first I want you to
promise that you will hear me out be-
fore you answer what I have to ask
you"
"Yes," he said, gravely: Il promise
that"
II have had q dreadful interview
with poor Alexis since you left us this
morning, and find 1t difficult to speak
LOT 1t. left him in such grief and
LANCER as have never felt before. and
IL must tell you that he himself made
Ito me full confession of the wrong
he did you.
Aloysius turned his melancholy re-
gard upon her, and singular smile
f1ickered on his face for a moment
land went out, leaving it more somber
in expression than before. The look
Isurprised and puzzled her. She
thought there was something of an
amused contempt in it, but she was
not certain, and now his face had
grown as impervious as mask.
"Aloysius," she said, 81 have never
I have not seen a man shed tears
since the day on which my mother
died, when I was quite a child, and
my father broke down under the blow.
) It was very terrible, Aloysius. 1t was
) more terrible than ! can say. 1t was
as If his whole soul broke in agony"
"And he made full confession?'
Aloysius asked It was like dead
man speaking-so impersonal. so cold,
SO far from all sign OF interest or
care.
"He told me the reason for the d.
: vision between you. He said quite
plainly that he had dealt you an un-
pardonable wrong. and that you did
well to be implacable. He said that
II the offense had been yours, and he
had been the sufferer, he would not
have forgiven you upon your death
bed. He has no hope that you will
pardon him, and he owns that he
dare not ask 1t"
what was the wrong that he did
me?" said Aloysius, In the same
strange, remote. uninterested way.
"Oh!" cried Lillian, twining her
i hands together and sobbing little in