Evening star., 1924-04-14
tcontinued from Yesterdays star)

You shall be enlightened If you
WIN do as I request" wilding insist
CO. and Vallancey, with a lift of the
brows, snort, and a shrug, turned
away to comply. t~T
DO you mean" Quoth Trenchard
bursting with indignation. that you
will let live a man who has struck
you?''
Wilding took his friend affection
ately by the arm. 'It is a whim of
mine" said he. DO you think, Nick,
s6at,,1 shat it is is more than l can afford to
Il say not so,'' was the ready an
81 thought you'd not" said Mr.
Wilding. interrupting. "And il any
coes-why. I shall be glad to. prove
isuebps@dh dp@h ham and mat atonns he LES He ne
though he was, was forced to laugh
with him. Then Nick set himself to
urge the thing that last night had
plagued his mind; that this Richard
might prove a danger to the cause;
that in the dukes. interest, if not
TO safeguard his own person from
some vindictive betrayal. Wilding
would be better advised in imposing
D reliable silence upon him, -
But why vindictive?' Mr.. wiIding
demonstrated. Rather must he have
cause for gratitude"
MI Trenchard laughed short and
contemptuoUsly. There is" said he
no rancor more bitter than that of
the mean man who has offended you
and whom you have spared. / beg
youIl ponder it" He lowered his
voice as he ended his admonition, for
NalIancey and Westmacott were
coming up, followed by Sir Row
land Blake
been sinking lower and lower in a
measure as he had grown more and
more sober with the approach of the
moment for engaging. came forward
giant mien; for Vallancey had given
him more than a hint of what was
toward His heart had leapt, not
only at the deliverance that was
promised him, but o1t of satisfaction
at the reflection of how accurately
last night he had gauged what Mr..
Wilding would endure. 1t had dis
mayed him then. as we have seen,
that this man who, he thought. must
stomach any affront from him out of
consideration for his sister, should
have ended by calling him TO account.
He concluded now tina. upon reflec-
tion Wilding had seen his error. and
was prepared to make amends that
he might extricate himself from an
impossible situation, and Richard
blamed himself for having overlooked
this inevitable solution and given way
to idle panic s-,r..- .-.-...
Nallancey and Blake. watchiag g him
and the sudden neutrality-suspicious. that
was wrought in him, despised him
heartily, and yet were glad-for the
sake OF their association with him
that things were as they were.
Mr.. Westmacott." said WildinG
quietly, his eyes steadily set upon
Richards own arrogant gaze. his lips
smiling a little, Il am here not to
fight, but to apologize"
Richards sneer was audible to all
Oh, he was gathering courage fast
now that there no longer was the
need for it. 1t urged him to lengths
OF daring possible only to a fool
IF you can take a blow, MIR. Wild
ing" said he ofensively, that is your
own affair"
And his friends grasped at his
temerity and tremb!ed for him, not
knowing what grounds he had for
counting himself unassailable.
Just so,'' said Mr.. Wiiding, as
meek and humble as q nun, and
Trenchard, who had" expected some
thing very different from him, swore
aloud and with some circumstance of
oaths. THE fact is" continued Mr..
Wilding, that what / did last night
! did in the heat of wine, and I am
sorry for it. | recognize that this
quarrel is OF my provoking: that it
was unwarrantable in me to intro