The Yellow House

und no letter from him upon the breakfast table, the vague disquiet of the day before as

ice said, holding her cup to her lips with shaking hands.

course. It is absurd to feel nervous. But it is too bad of him. He ought

n address of some sort," Alice declared. "No doubt he wi

e nearest railway station-three miles away-at six o'clock. At eight o'clock he had not returned. More than an hour ago a fly with luggage

d no one to help," she moaned. "He must b

e might be prosecuting his search. Mr. Berdenstein had denied that he had met him. Without a doubt he would deny it again if I went to him. As he had told me plainly that we were on opposite sides, to look for help from him was utterly futile. We girls were helpless. Alice, whose instincts were largely conventional, was feeling chiefly the scandal which must accrue when his place in the pulpit to-morrow remained empty and service had to be abandoned. For my part, my anxieties were deeper. Cha

easier than to confront him alone at the Court. I threw a cloak over my shoulders and went bareheaded down the drive. The thing which I was proposing to myself to do was simple enough in ef

uld see through a chink in the drawn curtains a rose-shaded lamp burning in the drawing room, I should have feared that after all Adelaide Fortress had not returned. But in a few minutes the trim lit

o Mrs. Fortress,"

d into the hall. She moved towards the drawing room door. I kept

peared to have been reading aloud. At my entrance he rose to his feet at once with a little exclamation of surprise. Adelaide Fortress, whose

rplexed. Something had come between us. Perhaps it was my father's stern words to her, perhaps it was some shadow from those former days concerning which they certainly had some common knowledge. But from whatever cause it arose there was certainly a change. The frank sympathy which seemed to have sprung up between us on that delightful afternoon wa

w him cross the park on his way here, so I followed

d mantelpiece, his brows contract

iot," he said. "I cannot conceive any way in wh

nterrupted. "You dropped a letter from your pocket on Wednesday mo

th which she had been playing. She did not even glance towards the pieces at her feet. She was bending slightly towards me, her lips half par

er which one it was that you were good enough to restore to me. In any case, how are you intereste

did not come, and he sent no message. All to-day we have had no word from him. The last train from London to-night is in, and he has not come. We do not know where he is, or what has becom

he said. "If I could help you I would be glad

e face. The words seemed to die away upon hi

exclaimed. "The handwriting upon the letter which you dropped

d upon me. The man and the women looked at one another; Bruce Deville walked over to the window without answering or add

sufferings were, those two persons, with their pale, p

ried. "Who wrote

my promise to the man at Naselton Hall. I forgot everything except my desire to

ica, and his name is Berdenstein. He is at Naselton Hall. I

hought he would have struck me. But the woman's was pale as death, and a drop of red blood marked t

tter go to him and discover the rest. You will find h

! N

nd came over to my side. She laid her hands softly upon my shoulders. Her face amaze

is, but we know perhaps a little more than you do. He is in London somewhere seeking for that person whom you have just mentioned. He will not find him, but he will not give up searching for him till the last moment. But, child, whatever you do,

Her words had had a powerful effect upon me. She was terribly in earnest.

ad. Her eyes wer

d. It is one of those things which

ossed all my thoughts. They would tell me nothing, those two. I dared not go to Berdenstein. Already I was afraid of him. I remembered his smile when I spoke of my father, and I shuddered. Supposing they had met. Supposing they had come together face to face in some lonely house. Perhaps his letter had been

he said, "I think you will see something which wi

His shoulders were bent, and his pale face downcast. His whole appearance was that of a weary and dejected wanderer. These things I realized

d his hand very softly upon my shoulder. I could not h

path through the plantation home, and don't let your father see you

ooked

e said. "Do you mind? You wil

ave been offered. What was this secret shared between these three of which I was ignorant? I declared to myself that I would know as soon as my father and I were

"perhaps you are right, I

ned the front door for me, and hesitated

e," I said. "It

e answered, shor

d turned round with the swift, eager movement of a young man. His hand fumbled for a moment in the pocket of his long clerical coat, and reappeared clutching something which flashed like steel in the dull light. He held it at arm's length, looking eagerly around, peering forward in my direction, but unable to see me owing to the da

white hill towards the Vicarage. He must have walked quickly, for although I hurried, and my way back was the shorter, he was already at our gate when I emerged from the plantation. As he stooped to adjust the fastening I heard him groan, and bending forward I caught a glimpse of his face. I must have cried out, only my lips seemed palsied as t