Eve's Ransom

tinctly enough to leave the watcher in no doubt. A latchkey admitted her to the house. Presently there appeared a light at an upper w

proved intolerable. All day long he kept his post of observation. Other persons he saw leave and enter the house, but Miss Madeley did not come forth. That he could h

of a street organ startled him. His eyes turned in the wonted direction-and instantly he sprang up. To clutch his hat, to rush from the room and from the house, occupied but a moment. There, walkin

rds him; he let her pass by and followed closely. She entered the booking-office o

ies; thir

he had seen in Paris. As soon as Eve had passed on he obtained a like ticket and hastened down the

e him! A difference not to be accounted for by mere lapse of time. She could not, he thought, have changed greatly in the last two or three years, for her age at the time of sitting for the photograph must have been at least one-and-twenty. She did not look older than he had expected: it was st

to the portrait came out more distinctly. Her lips shaped themselves to that

dered past him with a look of cold if not defiant reserve; the lips lost all their sweetness. He was chilled wit

ast evening. Towards the end of the journey a nervous restlessness began to appear in her looks and movements. Hilliard felt that he had annoyed her by the persistency

girl drew him irresistibly to follow and watch her. Among the crowd entering the Exhibition he could easily keep her in sight without risk of his esp

had she passed the turnstile than a man stepped forward, salut

from head to foot. A meeting of this kind was precis

for the occasion. He was plain of feature, but wore a pleasant, honest look, and his demeanour to the girl showed not only good breedin

ly turned her face to him while he spoke, and seemed to make only the

ve a hope; perhaps Eve would be quit ere long of the detested companionship. They came at length to where a band was playing, and sat down on chairs; the pursuer succeeded in obtaining a seat behind them, but the

upon Eve's companion ag

ng." He was audible now. "I

in readiness to take leave o

kely you will me

he listener could n

orry. If there

excusing himself in fervent tones for the necessity of departure. Then they both rose and w

ast down. With fiercely throbbing heart, thinking and desiring and hoping he knew not what, Hilliard once more followed her. Night had now fallen; the grounds

waiters who hurried hither and thither. Eve, after a show of hesitation, took a seat by a little round table which stood apart; her purs

bottle of ale: he wa

d himself. "Is it possible? An

ognition of her. But for that, he mig

ell upon him, and for a moment rested. With a courage not his

Made

led before he could add another syllable. Eve drew

managed to say. "But I come from Du

coherence. At the name "Du

d at my lodgings the

I have lived for a long time. She wished me to call and to give y

dn't leave

at his ease, it was s

the time I mentioned. I sh

dded, without waiting for a reply, "that I have

the train th

was You kne

opposite, and we walked almost together to Gower Street station. I must explain that I have taken rooms i

t perfect ease of manner. "I am not the only person living in that

seat himself; he stood before

er's I saw yo

eyes

really could recog

ill you allow m

e who it was had called and wanted to see me. But there's another thing. I didn'

ught to have mentioned that: it escaped my m

Eve. "The people there couldn

e parcel for you to Gower Pl

y acting a part. That she should be able to carry it off so well, therein lay the marvel. Of course, London had done much for her. Possessing no common gifts, she must have developed remarkably under changed conditions, and must, indeed, have become a very different person

arms on the lit

asked you to c

my meals in Mrs. Brewer's parlour, and to amuse myself I looked over her album. There

imself; he spoke with simple dir

d Eve, with averted ey

was the evasive answer. Eve seemed to accept

rth speaking of, that I have known for a good many years. At Dudley my business

going bac

n in France, and I may go

ure?" Eve asked

quite express what I mea

terpretation of these words, then looked

on for a year or two. At the end of it I may find myself in the old position, and have t

in tent eyes, as though his speech ha

sense in that?" h

ink I unde

expression of her portrait than he had yet discovered. Her soft tone was

s lived at Dudl

ased speaking he saw that Eve's look was directed towards something at a distance behind him; she smiled,

I have been hunting

before yesterday, with whom she had started for the theatre. The girl evidently felt some surprise at discover

art of the world-from Dudley

a bow of formal dignity, jerked out her hand, gave

lly come fr

ngrose. Why does it s

ut Eve-Miss Madeley-gave me the idea that Dudley people must be great, rough, sooty men. Don't laugh at me, please. You know very well, Eve, that you always tal

ence to boast of, she yet redeemed herself from the charge of commonness by a certain vivacity of feature and an agreeable suggestion of

isappoint you,

lace is Dudley? Is it true that

ve. "Mr. Hilliard will tell you a

here and there a man in evening dress, generally conscious of his white tie and starched shirt, and a sprinkling of unattached young women with roving eyes. Hilliard, excited by the success of his advances, and by companionship after long solitude, became very unlike himself, talk

eclared that it w

iend. "It's nothing like ten o'

onger. Of course you needn'

disappointment, Eve answered his request to be allowed to do so

u will let me

wered, "we are pretty sure to mee

se I shall g

Eve, with Patty Ringrose as cordially as if they were ol