Poppy

had flown after her to her bedroom with water and brandy. The old woman had taken the girl in her arms bodily, and placing her on the

his vigorous treatment, Poppy foun

you want to choke me? Stop

in," responded Kykie with asperity; "you

garden for some two hours or more after her return fro

dinner, and everything in the world to aggravate a gracious

Poppy vaguely. "Wha

-past nine it is, indeed, and me not in bed yet, when you know what I suffer if I don'

ed!" said Po

e eaten some dinner. Do you think I want all the trouble of a funeral in the house? You oug

nificant intention, but Poppy only

ur peace, Kykie, for

began to coax. "I'll bring you some nice hot soup, lovey, and a little chicken ma

ie ... only lea

rself upon the side of the bed w

then ... anything ... why

nts she was back again, with half a pint of champagne and a little pile of caviare sandwiches, which she warranted to put life into a corpse if she

mpty plate and glass, and as she went she t

mean by this Poppy neither knew nor cared. Revived a little by the wine and food, but

le had burnt far down from their scarlet shades, Poppy awakened to the fact that someo

gently between his hands, and the snapping of them was like the snapping of little bones. He then tore up some photographs, and a black-and-white etching of the Bay of Naples, and piled the pieces into two little heaps. As he walked away from the writing-table towards the lighted dressing-table

he took up her two beautiful ivory brushes with her name written in silver across their backs, and bending them in his hands, snapped off their handles, laying the broken bits down. Then carefully and methodically he broke every one of the silver articles on the table. The sound

om her fainting mistress and placed in a little heap upon th

tered to the walls, from which he stripped the wonderful chalk drawings and fl

k a ringing blow upon the beautiful ivory face, shattering it. Again and again he struck until it lay in a hundred tiny splinters on the ground. Poppy's eye had sought the door an

one will hear my calls," she thought

entle cracking and crunching of bones; but he had now awakened to the charm of breakin

leaden-jawed Jewe

ed on the wall in its frame; and though the mouth was full of splintered glass, the eyes

d shelf, which Abinger caught up and flung with a calm, sure aim at the long gil

eir places and dropped upon the floor. The

d tore them across, but the sound of their tearing was tame and had no charm for him after so much exciting noise. Leisurely he left them at last and came to the f

sk, and his eyes resembled the eyes of a gargoyle. He was in full evening-dress and very

ith continual and un

extraordinary rages: the worst she had ever witnessed. It did not occur to her that she could in any way be the cause of his anger, and she felt wearily indignant that it should be obtruded upon her at this time. She did not mind much about all her beautiful

ter of course. So she stared back calmly at him from her pillows, not knowing what a strange picture she presented, lying there. Her arms wide from her, revealing the long, curved line of her boyish young form; her subtle face, pale, with strong ivory tints in it against the whiteness of the pillows, the blue scornful light of her eyes, and her drowned black hair lying like gorgon ropes about her. Passion-racked and pale as Magdalene, she was a sight to kindle the f

the word leapt from his lips like a shriv

softly. "Tell me the

dol in that secret grove of her heart, before whose altar she had slain her girlhood-and his honour? How could he know of that sweet shameful secret that she shared with a mad or drunken man-but mad or drunk, the man she loved? Had she not buried the secret deep and sworn that n

enched and shrank as though little flickering flames or drops of corrosive a

come Abinger, for his grasp grew loose on the girl's hands, h

t, and, walking unevenly and vag

leapt from the bed to the d

ll Miss Chard how sorry I am. As soon as she feels well enough, I shall

ime yet," was Miss Cornell's answer. "She is very di

e her a sea

ood doctor in. I'll ask Ferrand to call

hie hastily; "we've called a

ave yo

er calling," said Sophi

osed, and Bramham was left to pick his way

ah, softly opened the front door and walked in upon Miss Cornell, who was in the act of mixi

her voice fell into a whisper. She stared with genuine horror at the wraith-like face before her: Rosalind Ch

art (f

he Colonial girl. "Has someo

y. "And I've come here for safe

A man, I'll bet-or has you

austed into a chair and Sophie stood staring at her with a long face. It would not suit her book at all, she reflected, if Rosalind Chard wanted to be shut up

proceed