The Tupelo journal., 1910-04-29
the least that ought to happen

Thank you. / like to hear you talk
like that. Capt. Brown will do his
level best. / think. And now, tell me"
he lowered his voice a little more.
lis that man Leven. or not?"
Il am sure he is" Lady Maud an
swered, "and yet / feel as il there ought
to be a little doubt still. don't know
how to express it, for it's rather an
odd sensation"
II should think 1t might be! Is
there anything | can say or do? Ill
ask the man any question you sug-
gest. I'm certain he's not old Levi
Longlegs, and if he's not Leven, who
on earth is he? That's what l should
like to know"
Il shall find out, never fear! l
know | shall, because l must, if am
ever to have any peace again. I'm not
a very nervous person, you know, am
I? But it's more than l a bear long,
to sit opposite a man at table. again
and again, as / shall have to, and not
be sure whether he's my husband,
come back from the dead, or some
one else!" She paused, and her nos
trils dilated a little, but Van Torp
only nodded slowly and sympathetic
ally. Il mean to know before | go to
bed tonight" she said, with a little
desperation in her voice. Il shall talk
to him till l am sure of one thing or
the other. At table, | cannot tell, but
ii we are alone together I know l car
settle the question. II you see that
we are talking at the other end OF
the deck, try to keep Mrs. Rushmore
and Margaret from coming near us.
Will your"
To Mrs. Rushmore's amazement
and Margaret's surprise, Lady Maud
made a dead set at Kralinsky all that
day, an attention which he seemed
to appreciate as it deserved. Before
breakfast was over, Van Torp had re-
peated to her what Kralinsky had
said about having formerly been in
took this statement as a basis of OPP
erations for finding out just how much
he knew of her W life; she judged
that if he were not Leven himself, he
must soon betray the fact by his igno-
rance.
That was the strangest day she had
ever passed. She found it very easy
to talk to Kralinsky, as it always is
when there has been long familiarity,
even if 1t has been only the familiar
s%1co,,cao re l0nanofip dioonrd Ho
knew many details of her life in Lon
don. That was clear after half an
hours conversation. She alluded to
the idle talk there had been about her
and Van Torp; Kralinsky knew all
about that and had heard, as he said,
some silly story about Leven having
found her with the American in GER
tain rooms in the Temple, and about
an envelope which was said to have
contained over four thousand and n
hundred pounds in bank-notes. He
politely secuted the story as o
sense, but he had heard it. and Lady
Maud knew that every word of it was
true. He knew of Leven's unsuccess-
full attempt to divorce her on that
ground, too, and he knew the num-
Der of her house in Charles street,
Berkeley square.
On the other hand, there were
many things of which he knew moth
ing, or pretended to be ignorant, such
as the names of her brothers and sis
tiers, her fathers favorite pursuits
80 49, I'LL, Dat cha ,ndnrctnnd uaru
well that if he thought she suspected
his identity under the disguise of his
beard, and if he wished to avoid re-
cognition, he was just the man to pre-
tend blank ignorance of some vital
matters, after admitting his acquaint-
ance with many others. He had been
very intimate with Leven, to the last,
he said; Leven had always written
to him very fully about his life, very
wittily sometimes, but always without
balance! That was it; he had no bal
ance.' Yes, he himself had been in
Petersburg when Leven was killed
and had seen him on the previous
day. Within a week he had made a
rapid trip to New York, whence he
had now just returned. He had
crossed on ive-day boats both going
and coming, and he named them.
II am naturally interested in meet
ing any one who knew my husband SO
WE'LL" Lady Maud said, making a bold
dash at a possibility. I'VE had many
differences, as you seem to know, but
l dare say that if he could come back
to life and know the real truth, We
should forgive each other"
She looked up to him with a gentle
smile as she said this, for she had
often felt it.; and in that instant a
flash of light came into his usually
rather uncertain eyes. Her heart stood
still; she looked at the sea again df-
rectly, for she was leaning against the
rail; then she drew breath, as il from
an effort. She had seen a look that
could only mean recognition. Leven
was alive and was standing beside
her. But she had the Courage to go
on talking, after a moment, n she
tried to change the subject, though
not very adroitly.
During the afternoon Mr.. Van Torp
had a revelation, sudden and clear,
for he had watched Lady Maud and
Kralinsky all day and had thought
about them a good deal, considering
how his mind was occupied with other
matters even nearer to his heart than
his best friends welfare. As soon as
the revelation came upon him he rang
for his own man.