Year: 1873

or two the news seemed TO stun him. There
was a great beating at his heart and a
strange, dizzy noise In his brain. Then he
sprang to his feet, with his face, strangely
flushed, turned up toward the sky, and he
said, "Amy freef Thank God, thank Godp'
Then came the thought of what he had
done, of what he had said, of what he had
told her he thought of her, of the taunts
he had flung at her and then he sat down
and covered his face with his hands, and
gave groan rs Of unuttersble pain. Mr..
Gaisford looked on too astonished to speak.
Then slowly an inkling Of the truth dawn
ed upon him; he remembered now having
heard some rumor of some one-yes his
name was Holmes, now he thought of it
who was supposed to have treated Amy
badly, and this was how 1t had come about.
Presently Rupert looked up; he was quiet
now, but pale as death.


"Will you do me favor 2' he asked.


"Certainly," Mr.. Gaisford said "willing-
ly."


"Will you go to Miss Turner and say
that you have told mef Will you say these
wordsf That ] know now how mad 1
have been that no thoughts she can have
of me are one 1.-THE so bitter and contempt
uous as those l have Of myself; that do
not plead for forgiveness, for know do
not deserve IL, know that have forfeited
all hope of it. Still, if-if in pity for what
I have suffered, If in pity for my great sin,
If in pity for the life that will be wretched
without her, she can yet find It in her heart
to forgive me, will she come out into the
balcony of the hotel 1t is empty now, and
the lights In the drawing room are turned
low. If she does not come, 1 shall know
that, though she will pity, she cannot for
give-that the offence has been too great.
In that case, please give her my farewell,
and say that 1 shall never in thought blame
her that she cannot forgive me, and that
shall always pray for her happiness. Tell
her my life will not be 40 hard to bear rs
had thought; that shall be happier know
ing that have lost her through my own
fault than through any fault of hers. Will
you say all that to her, please ?"


Mr.. Gaisford said "Yes," very gruffiy,
and crossed toward the hotel. Slowly, very
slowly, Rupert followed him, went up
stairs, through the half-lighted drawing
room, and out into the balcony, There he
stood, looking out again on the lake, and
thinking over what he had said as he had
last looked at it. Minute after minute
passed at last he said, "God help me, it
is too much to expect; I have lost her for
everr and so he turned to go. Then he
paused, with a sound that was half sob,
half-cry, for at the window behind him
stood slight figure, timid and yet loving.
Her arms we're stretched out, and, with a
little cry of 80 Rupert p she fell into the
arms that were to hold her everp ore.


There was one passenger less by the ear
ly boat for Althorp, one more by the train
for Paris, and the Indian bar lost prom
isng recruit. Ten days afterward Rupert
Holmes appeared in court as usual, to the
surprise and disgust of many young bar
risters, who had heard from members of
their body, who had met him abroad, that
something or other had gone wrong with
him, and that he was going to India. A
CLEAN of hope came across them a month
later, when he was again absent from his
place; but this was shortly and forever dis
PEELED by brief announcement in the first
column of the Times, under the head
"Marriages."