The Right of Way, Volume 1.

dazed and exalted. She, with hundreds of others, had had a revelation of Charley Steele; had had also the great emotional experience of seeing a crowd make the 'volte face' with their

waiting the moment when the jury filed back into the court-room. Then it stood still, as

hould win his case. It was as if Charley Steele were on trial instead of the prisoner. He was the imminent figure; it was his fate that was in the balance-suc

his ability there never had been a moment's doubt, but it had ever been an uncomfortable ability, it had tortured foes and made friends anxious. No one had ever seen him show feeling. If it was a mask, he had worn it with a curious consistency: it had been with him as a child, at school, at college, and he had brought it back again to the town where he was born. It had effectually preven

office, receiving as he passed congratulations more effusively

reased immensely in a few short hours, but he had no more friends than before. Old relations were soon re-established. The town was proud of his ability as it had always been, irritated by h

room was over, a thought which had quietly lain in waiting behind the s

ain. "She needed just such a flush to make her supreme Kathleen!" He stood, looking out into the square, out into the green of the trees where the birds twittered. "Faultless-faultless in form and feature. She was so as a child, she is so as a woman." He lighted a cigaret

ll not be said forensically. What a discovery I've made! I was dull, blank, all iron and ice; the judge, the jury, the public, even Kathleen, against me; and then that bottle in there-and I saw things like cryst

e door, and a youth of

say no. Even Kathleen got in a glow over it. Perhaps Captain Fairing didn't, for he's

t burned up

r rich tres

ty dollars on the spot. Are you coming our way?" he continued, suddenly trying to imitate Charley's manner. Charley nodded, and they left the office together and moved away under a long avenue of maples to wh

hasn't a

d Charley, and bowed to a young clergyman a

and said "Hello!" to the young clergyma

t to preach when Charley was in the congregation. He was always aware of a subterranean and half-pitying criticism going on in the barrister's mind. John Brown knew that he could never match his intelligence against Charley's, in spi

with men easily bored by church and churchmen. He preached theatrical sermons to societies and benevolent associations. He wanted to be thought well of on all hands, and he was shrewd enough to know that if he trimmed between ritualism on one hand and evangelicism on the other, he was on a safe road. He might perforate old dogmatical prejudices with a g

r Brown had a temperament capable of little inspirations-such a literary inspiration as might come to a second-rate actor-

" he said. "Permit my congratulations. It was the one thing to do. You couldn't

error. You startled the conscience. You made defects in the circumstantial evidence, the imminent problems of our own

ext week. Duck-shooting gives plenty of time

ticed the sarcasm, he

to be included in the a

early party of Charley

e had angled for this i

ismissed him with a bow. "The sheep will s

n of repute and position, to be admitted into this good presence!-He had a pious exaltation, but whether it was because he might gather into the fold erratic and agnostical sheep like Charley Ste

antage walked on slowly to

e. I can sing a bit myself, but to hear him sing 'The Man Who Couldn't Get Warm' is a show in itself. He can play the banjo too, and the guitar-but he's b

too!" said C

for further remark. He ran into the drawing-room, announcing Charley with t

f toast. The judge did not allow himself the luxury of embarrassment, but bowed to Charley with a smile, w

her, even in childhood, he had been a dominant figure. He had judicially and admiringly told her she was beautiful-when he was twelve and she five. But he had said it without any of those glances which usually accompanied the same sentiments in t

d. He thought her the most beautiful thing he had ever seen, but he had never regarded her save as a creation for the perfect pleasure of the eye; he thought her the concrete glory of sensuous purity, no more capable of sentiment than himself. He had said again and again, as he grew older and left college and began the business of life after two years in Europe, th

n till the end of the chapter. And the end of it was, that in so far as she had ever felt real sentiment for anybody, she felt it for Tom Fairing of the

judgment, that she should never have a penny if she married Tom Fairing. This only irritated her, it did not influence her. But there was Charley. He was a figure, was already noted in his profession because of a few masterly successes in criminal cases, and if he was n

ed her thoughts as she had never done before on the man

; he did not think it ever would. It had not affected him. He did not understand it. He had been born non-intime. He had had acquaintances, but never friendships, and never loves or love. But he had a fine sense of the fitting and the proportionate, and he worshipped beauty in so far as he c

he had nothing to give of the same sort in return. Her beauty was still serene and unimpaired. He would not spoil it by the tortures of emotion. He

suous, and, in deciding, there were no mere heart-impulses working for Charley. Instinct and impulse were working in a

ayed judge, jury, and public. To her the verdict of the jury was not in favour of t

e people in front of her, to the accused's counsel inside

ace to face, and the end was at hand: the end

versation, in which Billy talked as m

s the man's motive for

iment she paid him. Her remark took no heed of the verdict of the jury. He turned inquiringl

it was, sir?" Cha

ps," answered the judge, wi

een's uncle to see some rare old books; Billy, his work bei

the court-room," Kathlee

he rejoined. "Say what?" she asked, a

tulations,"

w. It was wonderful. You were inspired. I di

"I promise not to do it a

y n

?" His hand drew her slightly to

confused, yet feeling that there

said. "We must be companionable. Hencefo

is it you are going to say to me?" s

court-room," he rejo

rry you-Charley?"

no just impediment," he

nce. Romance was a trivial thing, and women were prone to become absorbed in trivialities. When the woman had no brains, she might break her life upon a trifle. But

ediment, Kathleen," he added pr

yes clearly. "You reall

We shall be two perfect pan