Denzil Quarrier

distinguished townsfolk. A walk along the Rickstead Bead was a familiar form of exercise with the less-favoured people who had their homes in narrow streets; for on either side of th

r night. Denzil felt his boyhood revive as he got clear of the new houses, and began to recognize gates, trees, banks, and stiles; he could not say whether he enjoyed the sensation, but it served to combat certain troublesome thoughts which had beset hi

elling; the intellectual lady had quite slipped out of his thoughts, and with amusement he stopped to examine the cottage as well as dusk permitted. The front was overgrown with some creeper; the low roof made an irregular line against the sky one window on the ground-floor

landlord had received notice that two gentlemen would dine under his roof, and the unwonted event was making quite a stir in the hostelry. Quarrier walked in at about a quarter-past s

two; and the table, not too large, was laid with the best service the house could afford-nothing very grand, to be sure, in

s he rubbed his hands before the great he

d over old Grammar School days, old acquaintances long since dead or lost to sight, boyish ambitions and achievements. Dinner dismissed, a b

y to fell you," said

urmured the other,

encounter at Kew. But I'm not sorry. I think, Glazzard, you a

nt his head. His fea

but-well, in a way, as I said, the necessity is forced upon me. I can't help doing many things just now that I should avoid if I had my choice. I have un

red and nodded

her from the first. She was very still and grave,-the kind of thing that takes me in a woman, provided she has good features. I managed to get a word or two with her, and I liked her way of speaking. Well, I was sufficiently interested to say to myself that I might as well spend a week or two at Stockholm and keep up the acquaintance of these people; Becket, their name was. I'm not exactly the kind of fellow who goes about falling in love with nursery governesses, and at t

was listening with

ily arrangements. Miss Allen, I learnt from her, was an uncommonly good girl-everything I imagined her. Mrs. Becket didn't know her family, but she had engaged her on the strength of excellent testimonials, which didn't seem exaggerated. Yet after that I was floored-told that the thing c

" remarked Glazzard, knoc

m. Forgive me

relit h

ame of the Jotuns didn't you tell me so before?' I was brutal (as I often am), and the poor girl began to cry. Then there was a scene-positive stage business. I wouldn't take her refusal. 'This other man, you don't really care for him-you are going to sacrifice yourself! I won't have it! She wept and moaned, and threatened hysterics; and at last, when I was losing patience (I can't stand women's idiotic way of flinging themselves about and making a disturbance, instead of d

He was now tremulous with the excitement of his reminiscences; he f

s to go and see her at an hotel in the West End. Go, I did, punctually enough; I believe I would have gone to Yokohama for half an hour of her society. I found her

ker and stirred

irls very strictly (their mother died when they were children)-would scarcely let them go out of his sight, preached to them a sort of mixture of Christianity and Pantheism, forbade all pleasures except those of home, didn't like them to make acquaintances. Their mother's sister kept the house; a feeble, very pious creature

y came of age, or when they married. The will had been carefully drawn up, and provided against all sorts of real and imagina

o a place called Weston-super-Mare-excursion steamers, and so on. Well, the girls and their aunt went to spend a day at Weston, and on the boat they somehow made acquaintance with a young man named Northw

it slipped from his nervous fi

e found to be satisfactory enough, a great talker, and of course a consummate liar. His special interest was the condition of the lower classes; he made speeches here and there, went slumming, called himself a Chris

the money?" in

day came; they were married; and-just as they came out of the church, up walks

! I

, been in the hands of the police in London. It came out now that he was keeping a mistress; on the eve of marriage he had dispensed with her serv

red Glazzard. "About

eady restored to societ

ed the other, "which maintains t

violent oaths, remi

once to Sweden?"

tand that it wasn't only the forgery that revolted her; that, I suppose, could have been pardoned. In a few days she had learnt more of herself and of the world than in all the previous years. She understood that Northway was really nothing to her. She accepted him because he was the first man who interested her and

ed Glazzard, "when you pers

brow and looked gl

desperately in love, and-well, I thought of emigration some day. You know me too well to doubt my honesty. Lili

loose from the

London. The tragedy excuses her from visiting them. Aunt and sister are sworn to secr

ur pardon, the question escaped me.

ther's will. I'm afraid she gives away a lot of it in indiscriminate charity. I needn't say

pau

patient. In fact, what virtue hasn't she, except that of a strong will? Whatever happens, she and I stand together; nothing on earth would induce me to part from her! I want you to understand that. In what I am now going to do, I am led solely and absolutely by desire for our common good. You see, we are face to face with the w

as fully lighted by the fire; his friend's received the shadow of an old-fashioned screen which Glazzard, finding the heat oppressive, had pulled forward a

hat no one can be trusted. I decline to be levelled with the unthinking multitude. You and I can be a law to ourselves. What I shall do is this: On returning to town next week, I

made no motion, an

ional things. Again and again Mary has heard me rail against the idiocies of ordinary weddings; this private marriage will be quite in character. I shall state that Lili

a new cigar, which he scrutinized closely from tip to end-eve

ible-but d

ry dangerou

pends greatly on yo

m Denzil. "She is my wife, in every sense of the word

but I am af

. I have never told a deliberate lie since I was old enough to understand the obligation of truth! But we have to

sible for her, unde

o speak to her, but I know

le flitted over

fear discovery by-wha

people that she has determined on a step which makes it impossible for her to communicate with them henceforth. I don't think this will be a great sacrifice; her aunt and her

assured

ns and conventionalities. To her, as to me, the lies we shall have to te

pon a lifetime of dissimulation. Ten, twenty years hence you will have to act as c

!" cried the ot

hy have you taken up this politi

ith a low earnest voice. Denz

lian abroad, and live a life of quiet ha

draw back now, an

re willing to become

red in ast

beral ca

s,

t, his voice indistinct, his eyes furtive. When the burst of merriment made answer to

g, old fellow!

if you

the point, but the other

ished to save me from its dangers. I understand. Hearty thanks, but I have made up my mind. I won't stunt my life out of regard fo

ceased to smoke, and when, a few minutes later, he threw away his cigar, it w

Come, one more glass of whisky, and I will tell them to get our cab ready. I say, Glazzard, from this evening forth never a word between us about the secret. That is understood,

nd they were drivin