Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-09-25

woman. There had been a duel; one man
was seriously injured; the other, she had
heard, was also receiving medical attention
in another hotel; and here was the woman
who had caused the quarrel!
Well, such was the will of Providence!
These things had been since man and woman
were expelled from ParadlSe-for the nurse,
though a deVOut Catholic, suspected that
Genesis had suppressed certain details of the
first fratriCide- and would continue, she sup
posed until the millennium.
She nodded cheerfuly. There is every
reason to hope; but he must not be dis
turbed-not excited, that is she added,
seeing the wan agony in Cynthia S face
The girl tiptoed to the side of the bed.
Medenham's eyes were closed; but he was
muttering something. She bent and kissed
his forehead, and strange smile broke
through the tense lines of pain. Even in his
semiconsciouS state he felt the touch of those
exquisite lips.
MY Lady Alice!" he said.
She choked back a sob He was dreaming
of "Comus standing with her in the
ruined banqueting hall of Ludlow Castle!
Eyes, your Lady Alice" she breathed.
slight shiver shook him. Don't tell
never know! All, if hadn't slipped, l should
have quoted his viperish tongue! But Gym
thia must not know!"
"Oh, my dear, my dear, Cynthia does
know 1t is you who know not. Kind Heav-
en-, let him live! Grant that l may tell him
all l know"
She could not help it; the words welled
forth of their own accord; but the nurse
touched her arm gently.
1t is little lever, she whispered with
ready sympathy. "Soon it will pass. He
Il H. - =.
permissible that you should speak to him."
WELL, it was permissible. The age of
miracles had not passed for those two.
Even the experienced doctor marveled at the
strength of man who at four o clock in the
morning could have sword driven through
the tissues in perilous proximity to the right
lung, and yet, at nine o'clock on that same
night, was able to announce an unalterable
resolution to get up and dress for breakfast
next day. That, of course, was a pleasing
fiction intended for Cynthias benefit 1t
served its purpose admirably. The kindly
nurse displayed unexpected firmness in lead
ing her to her own room, to eat and sleep.
For Cynthia had an ordeal to face. Many
things had been said in the car during that
mad rush to Folkestone, and on board the
steamer that ferried Dale and herself to Bou-
logne she had wrung from the taciturn chauf-
feur full, true, and particular account of
Medenham, his family, and his doings
throughout as much of his life as Dale either
knew or guessed. By the time they reached
Boulogne she had made up her mind with
characteristic decision. One long telegram
to her father, another to Lord Fairholme,
caused heart burning and dismay not alone
in certain apartments of the Savoy Hotel,
but in the aristocratic aloofness of Caven-
dish Square and Curzon-st. AS result, two
elderly men, a younger one in the person of
the Marquis of Scarland, and two fearful
women, Lady St. Maur and Mrs. Leland.
met at Charing Cross about one o'clock in
the morning, to travel by special train and
steamer. Another woman telegraphed from
Shropshire saying that Baby was better and
she would follow by the first steamer on Sun
day. Mrs. Devar did not await develop
ments. She fed, dinnerless, to some burrow
in Bayswater.
These alarms and excursions were accom-
panied by the ringing of telephones and the
flight of carriages back and forth through
muddy London, and Cynthia was called on
to deal with a whole sheaf of kilograms
which demanded replies either to Dover or
to Scarland Towers in Shropshire.
With a man like Vanrenen at one end.