Double Harness

the matter and with the attitude which she took up. These accidental circumstances gave added force to what was the natural outcome of he

and by its innate propriety, enough to inspire her mind and to decide her will. It was but to accumulate reasons beyond need when she reminded herself that even before the accident all her weal had hung on the child, every chance that remained of overcoming certain failure, of achieving still the splendid success of which she had dreamed, in her life and marriage. The specialist was to arrive the next morning; she was reluctant to wait even for that. Old Gardiner was fo

had looked for; and, beyond the puzzle, gradually a sense of bitter hurt and soreness grew up in his mind. He did not know of the secret connection in her thoughts between the child and an ideal perfecting of the love between her and him; she was at once too centred on her own desire to make him see, and too persuaded that such hopes must be secret if they were to remain hopes at all. He saw only that when he persuaded, cajoled, flattered, and caressed as a lover he failed. His power seemed gone. Her appeal was to him in another character, and that very fact seemed to put him on a lower plane. He had not doubted,

the table. Jeremy was there, trying to read, eyeing the supper ravenously, yet ashamed of being hungry. He fell on the beef with avidity when Grantley observed that anyhow starving themselves could serve no useful purpose. Grantley was worried, but not anx

verely for anything she did, but she's mortally anxious to be thumped more, and very angry with me because I won't allow it. Upon my word, I belie

uld; but there's

if he's old Gardiner-and he seems quite sure of it." Grantley drank and s

ed-and she was the one person in the world whom he deeply loved. That fear was off him now, but the memory of it softened him towards her-e

a most awful disap

that-and to me to

ing in and for th

his time; a shade of anno

time-with her that one thing was always the whole hog, a

them much apparent welcome. They came too near to confirming his suspicions; they harmonised too well with the soreness w

l from the rectory came up-you know, Dora Hutting-to ask after Sibylla

ope you told her so, an

y fond of Sibylla, Grantley. By Jove, when we

at the unaccustomed note of p

f her, wasn't it

Did you co

ould say! Besides I didn't feel very

e always seems to come here when I'm

ight; and I-I liked the w

k her for it. Is she ge

call her bad-lookin

a bit spotty,"

ink she's s

ow!" said Grantley piously. "I ha

tell you," said Jerem

and there had been nothing in the circumstances or chances of his life to quicken the process thus naturally very gradual. To-day something had come. He had been violently snatched from his quiet and his isolation, confronted with a crisis that commanded feeling, probed to the heart of his being by love and fear. Under this call from life nascent feelings grew to birth and suppressed impulses struggled for liberty and for power. He was not now resis

eged about it, though he had the continuance of it. But he resented its mention even as he questioned the propriety of Grantley's sleeping. The reference assorted ill with his appreciation of Dora's brimming eyes and over-brimming sympathies. That he could not truthfully have denied the fact increased his annoyance. It seemed mean to remember the spots that had been on t

ond question, Mumples was idiotic. Reason was alarmed in him, since it was threatened. He told himself that Grantley was ve

ilence because Grantley slept. He watched Mrs. Mumple as she turned her eyes on the peacefully reposing for

eep?" she

for him to do, too." His

id Mrs. Mumple; "and she

itably as he rose and touched Grantley's sho

swer. She raised and d

nd easily, almost uncons

Oh, yes, Dora Hutting! Why,

n hour," said Jeremy,

mple; a slight air of impatienc

g wrong, Mr

for you agai

er said she shou

t she'll not rest without se

bout it and excite herself? Have

alking about it?"

I must go to her, I suppose." He turned to Jeremy. "It'll be better if

" said Mrs. Mumple, threateni

ut of the room, m

eason through her love. He used his affection now, not in appeal, but as an argumentative point. He found in her a hard opposition; she seemed to look at him with a sort of dislike, a mingling of fear and wonder. Thus she listened in silence to his cold

he murderess of m

exaggeration drove hi

the smallest risk of being party to

weary, she pronounced the accusation

given the same thing back to me, Grantley. I don't know whether you've got it to give to anybody, but at any rate you haven't given it to me. I haven't become part of you, as I was ready to become-as I've already become of my little unborn c

do you get such no

ou take as little as you can of the troublesome ones. I suppose a lot of people are-are like that. Only it's a-a little unfortunate that you should have happened on me, because I-I can't understand being like that. To me it seems somehow rather cruel. So, knowing you're like that, I can't believe you when you tell

ed desperately, utterly puzzl

nswer that. What have I been doing these five months but learning the answer to that? I'

ght a suspicio

you? She's been repeating something I said? Wel

at Mumples has repeated

idiot!" he gru

as conscious of no shortcomings; the accusation infuriated the more for its entire failure to convince. "When two women put their heads together and begin to talk nonsense, there's no end to it; bring a baby, bor

y at present. We'll say no more now; we shall only be still

it's like that, I think that, whatever happens

ha

ld composure which he had ach

in a low tired voice,

have any more chi

w what you'

" she answered, w

yes on her face in a long sombre contemplation. The faint smile persisted on her lips as she

o you," he said as he

es, please,

m she could. "All right," he rep

behind him before

bade her good-night not unkindly, although absently; she needed no bidding to s

med irritably, but affectionately too. "Wha

ut by the garden." He opened the window which led on to the la

the garden with him,

t, Grantley? Is Sib

Grantley's innermost th

agree to what you

right. She's

in the window. Jeremy saw the paleness of his cheeks and the hard set

for that much, any

agreed, pressing his arm in a friend

with the new impulses and the new sympathies that were alive and astir within him, to follow, or even to conjecture, what had been happening that night. Yet as he went down the hill it was plain even