The Weekly Journal. — 1902-07-04 (Hartlepool, Cleveland, England)

XIV. Caosa Fizz.  "What cloth smile to hare a princely place, • name of honour, and a high degree, To come by kindred of a noble race, Except we princely worthy noble bee? Tha mitt declares the goodneesee of the tree." Next day Berridge, with a heavy heart, set himself to put his papers in order in preparation for leaving. Iffe had not seen Lilian, and Tressingham had given him no hint as to the change in his views. But beyond the pain of leaving Lilian there was the anxiety arising from the feeling that a black cloud was hanging over the house, a presentiment of evil to which his thoughts dared not give shape. The secret, though unspoken, seemed clear enough in his mind. kie prayed that he might be wrong, but, try to &amiss it as he would, there remained the - terrible misgiving that a dark fate was threatening to cloud the end of Tressingham's splendidly successful career; that the sunshine was to give place to a storm he hardlT dared to contemplate. This doubt had come upon him in a moment, in that one look of the stern amazement in the woman's hard face. "Who is that man ?" she had cried, and the words were ever running in his mind. He felt that he could make a shrewd guess at the secret of Treasingham's life, and the knowledge brought with it pain, which made him shrink from probing the mystery further. The situation was to him, however, lightened by one ray of brightness, and that was in the thought that misfortune and dishonour to the house he had served would surely bring with them, if they were to come, an opportunity for him Co show his devotion, to return to Lilian and protect her. In the midst of his heavy task, Lord Rufford looked in. "Au, Mr. Rerridge," he said, with off- , hand nod, and with his usual suggestion of arrogance, which in a wove-bred man would have been offensive, "perhaps you can tell me when Mr. Tressingham or Miss Lilian will be at home ?" "Mr. Tressingham may be in at any moment," lie answered quietly. "I know nothing of Miss Tressingham's movements." " Ah !"—Lord Rufford looked round the _ _ _ . .  room—"what are you doing? Packing away to make room for the coming deluge of red tape and official rubbish?" "No," lierridge returned simply; "I am  going." The visitor raised his eyebrows. "Leaving Tressingham ?" "Yea; he has been kind enough to say he will get me an official berth." The news seemed to rouse Rufford's curiosity. "Oh, but surely," he said, seating himself familiarly on a corner of the great writing. table, "now that he is likely to take an official position himself, you would do well to remain with him." "lie seems to think otherwise," Herra:ge replied guardedly. "His tenure of office might be uncertain." Lord Rufford became thoughtful. "His particularly so ?" he asked suspiciously. "No. Why should it be?" The other gave a shrug. "You know better than I, my dear fellow. What do you think?" Hemdge at the moment was thinking that be would like to have the power of ringing the bell and ordering his noble cress-examiner out of the house. But he merely ren.arked 4. I am no prophet.' "Of course you are going of your own accord?" Rufford continued with his refined insolence. "No," Hemdge answered simply,ignoring She offensiveness of the remark; "I have fallen in with my chief's views." The other leaned back, supported by his hand on the table, and looked at him searchingly. "I don't understand his caring to part with you," lie said with an assumption of interest intensely galhng to Herridge. "lie is always loud in your praise." "it is scarcely worth speculating about." "You are sorry to go ? ' " N atu rally." Rufford saw that the other's manwr was getting shorter, and so changed his line. "Yes," he said emphatically; " Tressingbans is a good fellow." "And a man of surpassing power and intellect," Herridge added, relieved that the subject had veered from himself. "It has been a tine school for me." Rulford'a enthusiasm was as shallow as use other's was deep-seated. The film of heartiness evaporated, leaving a sneer as he observed:  "A an must indeea be a wonder to be * hero to bis private secretary. By the way, Berridge," he added suddenly, "that was a mysterious affair here the other night." "You mean the suicide of that man Wilson?"  " Yes. What do you suppose brought the lellow here?" Herridge met his inquisitive stare unlinehingly. "Impossible to tell. Criminals, one his always heard, are liable to curious impulses." " Hardly impossible," Rufford objected significantly. "There must be an explanation."  "I have none," the other replied shortly. I think you have, Mr. Herridge." The questioner was loaning forward watching the secretary intently as he made Ike shot, for it was nothing more; a chance question prompted with little warrant by a saturally suspicious mind. "What do you mean, Lord Rufford ?" Rerridge demanded indignantly. The other man had to justify himself, and peeceded, disingenuously enough, to do so. "I will be frank with you," he said with s deprecating smile. "tour chief is suturally a much-canvassed man just now ; his antecedents are vague. He has a host of friends, but he—what public man has not? —he has enemies, evon, as I have reason to know, among those who pus as his warmest admirers and enjoy his hospitality. Now, between ourselves, people's ignorance of his earlier career makes them ready to put an unfavourable construction upon the least suspicious eireumstance. The man in the street is, we know, u fickle as he is stupid, but he is a factor in public opinion; be representa majority of Carlyle's