Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-09-18
CHAPTER vi.
A Voice in the Dark.

Vera turned away and walked quietly
from the room, leaving the two men face
to face Lord Ravenspur the first to
speak.
II am sorry for this" he said: more
sorry than l can tell you Strange how one
should be so wilfully blind Strange how
frequently even the cleverest man will over
look the inevitable. But l suppose thought
that you two had come to regard one an
other as brother nd sister. Oh. I am not
disputing your taste There Is not a more
beautiful and fascinating girl in London
than Vera. 1t Is only natural that you
should fall In love with her But she knows
the views I have for you. She knows to
what an extent she is indebted to me. That
being 1t Is her plain duty"
My dear uncle" Walter broke In eagerly.
III there is anybody to blame. 1t Is 1. Vera
knows her duty plainly enough. and she
would have acted upon 1t but for me.
When l came In here tonight was struck
by the unhappiness of her face. and. nat
urally. l began to ask questions. 1t seems
an egotistcaI thing to say. but Vera Is
that was the source Of her trouble. She had
made up her mind to go away. She had
made up her mind to get her own living.
And why? Simply because she knew that
you had other views for me, and that she
stood in the way o. your plans. 1t was only
by mere accident that the whole thing
came out. But / have spoken the words
now that are beyond recall, even II wished
to recall them, which 1 do not. There will
never be another woman In the world for
me-
But the thing is impossible" Lord
Ravenspur broke out harshly. TT IS abso-
luteiy out of the question. I had other
views for you but I certainly should not
have pressed them against your wishes But
all that Is as nothing compared to this
this tragedy. l blame myself bitterly for
Of i0ht Nv hos haay
almost criminal But, be that 1t may.
there must be no engagement between Vera
and yourself. Don't press me to tell you
why. because my lips are sealed. and dare
not speak. But, as you value your future.
| l fmplore you to carry this thing no further
/ know this sounds an outra geous request,
but | am speaking from the bottom of my
heart 1t is the fashion of the world to re-
gard me as one of the most fortunate and
enviabfe of men. l tell you, with all the
| force at my command. that I would cheer
fully change places with the humblest la
bOrer my estate | have never dropped
the mask before and | probably never shall
again. l am only doing 1t now so that you
may be warned in time. back to Vera
| and tell her what say. Tell her that there
are urgent reasons why a marriage between
you is utterly out of the question. And II
you will persist In having your own way
then let me ask you one final favor. Let the
engagement be kept a secret. And now I
have no more to say. Perhaps have said
too much it Is. only If you were aware
what the last twentyfour hours has
brought FORTH
of saying too much. HIS whole attitude had
changed his features quivered with an al
most uncomfortable emotion. Then he turn
ed on his heel and strobe down the corridor
In the direction OF the studio. Walter could
hear the latch Of the door click as 1t closed
behind him.
Ravenspur was alone with his own
troubled thoughts For a long time he
paced and down the he
up the photograph which had excited so
much attention among his guests earlier in
the evening. He laid It down on a little
table, and gazed at the face there long and
sadly.
"Amazing!' Ravenspur muttered to him
self. Absolutely inexplicable. 1 could have
sworn that had the photograph still under
lock and key. When did take 1t from the
safe. and why? Beyond all question it was
not on the table yesterday. Is this a mere
coincidence. or is it a menace and warning
Of the old trouble which has never ceased to
be with me night and day the last twenty
years? And how the whole thing works to-
gether! First of ALL poor Delahay is found
murdered in his studio. and now something
like the same thing happens to one OF my
guests who was unquestionably mistaken
for me In the darkness. And If that was
not enough. those two young fools must
take 1t into their heads to fancy that they
are In love with one another. Heaven only
knows how l shall make my way out of this
terrible coil. even If I have the good luck
to escape the consequences or my folly. The
most fortunate man In London, The most
popular and most soug. { for, What a bit
ter travesty upon the truth II is! If they
only knew! II there were only some power
to lift the roof off of every house In London
what tragedies would be revealed And how
many friends would be left to me?'
Time was going on. A dozen clocks in
different parts of the house struck twelve.
AS Ravenspur stood by the table, his moody
eyes still bent upon the photographs there
was sudden click and snap. and-the whole
place was plunged In darkness. The thing
was so quick and unexpected that some
thing like cry of alarm broke from Raven
spurs lips. 1t all come to HIM In flash
that the tragedy OF FitzJohn Square was
role of the victim This Is Just what had
happened the previous evening. only there