Evening star., 1907-07-28
CHAPTER K.

In the Towers four desperate souls fought
their battle. and to none Of them did the
dawn bring comfort In her room Lady
Elizabeth sat motonIess before her open
window. and, like Agr!ppina, saw the long
line of destruction that the child she had
borne had brought to her and to her house.
Shortly before the end of the evenings en-
terta.nment che had received a message
from Henry. begging to be excused, as a
matter Of great Importance had arisen
which prevented him from remaining with
his guests.
Once she thought of venturing to 20 to
him, as she listened to his restless pacing
above her. but fear OF his d!spleasure and a
physical shrinking from a painful scene
forced her to keep her watch alone. To-
nights confession of his use of the fund
was the gravest Of his many offenses: she
could not shake herself free of ts grave
consequences. Along with 1t came the mem
ory OF the faces of Jim and Diana as she
had last seen them at midnight The guests
had departed; Diana was entering her own
apartments, while from the landing Lady
Elizabeth could see Jim below her
as he started for the garden.
Both their faces were stamped
with new. vital truth which. in it's
immensity. they seemed TO find difficult to
grasp. She recalled the wlstful inquring
expression Of Diana's look as she turned
TO call her goodnight to jim Even more
vividly she recalled the answer OF his eyes.
The mute, unspoken thoughts that lay
there were haunting her now with their
tragic possibilities. A numb fear possessed
her.
Above her. Henry's monotonous steps con-
tinued: her Imagination began TO play tricks
with her. The steady tread above seemed
to change Into the tentative. faltering tod
die OF baby boy; she remembered that
the room over her was the old nursery now
used by Henry for his own apartment
How often She and his father had listened
tf.E a Lot \
they could hear in the early morning, The
terrible sympathy OF q mothers sorrowing
womb, that can reach the most poignant OF
ali human anguish, caused her suddenly TO
start TO her feet; "A physical craving to
hold again the tiny body firm against her
own. and this suffering. overpowered
her She could hear the broken steps of the
long ago, she could see only the naked.
mottled body OF the sturdy chap that she
had so often clasped close and smothered
with her kisses She stretched out her
arms as II in search of It. The longing
to touch again the soft warm flesh of her
own creation became intense. from her
wildly beating heart to the tightly con-
tracted throat that grew a spaSm OF pain
that ended in a long. broken sob. She for
got all the years OF suffering. the disap-
polntments and tOnighrs crowning tragedy
OF Henry willful treachery to her and his
house.
She was the young mother again The
half shy. inquiring face OF the babe with Its
tight cOrkscrew curls, as she had seen him
first walk across the long nursery to fall
into her arms at the open doorway, was all
that she could remember. Other ghosts
crowded into the room, the husband OF
her love-days-for Elizabeth kerhill had
passionately loved her boys father-stood
as he often had stood. close behind her al
the nursery door and joyed with her al
the beauty OF Its tiny occupant. The old
wound, which nature merclfully in the
passage OF years had alleviated. agar
ached as II had in the first hours OF hei
great sorrow al his death.
Suddenly the pacing above ceased She
became conscious of terrible anxiety tC
know Why; she feared the stiffness; the
steady beat had been unconscious com
fort. Her tired brain grew more fanciful
Did she imagine OF did she really zee the
pale specter Of her husband at the farther
end OF the room beckoning her to follow
him? He seemed 10 open the door into ths
corridor and disappear into the gloom