The Judgment House

the most exalted of the land in the boxes and the stalls, leaned indulgently forward, to be swept by this sweet storm of song. They yielded themselves utterly to the power of

in the thraldom of the singer. Seated at the end of the first row of the stalls was a fair, slim, graciously attired man of about thirty, who, turning in his seat so that nearly the whole house was in his circle o

ed; of happy colour, and, apparently, with a mind and soul in which no conflicts ever raged-to the advantage of his attractive exterior. Only at the summit of the applause did he turn to the stage again. Then it was with the gloating look of the gambler who swings from the roulette-table with the winnings of a great coup,

hout marked observation-were fixed upon the rose-tinted, delicate features of the girl in a joyous blue silk gown, which was so perfect a contrast to the golden hair and wonderful colour of her face. Her eyes were fixed upo

erential appeal to her emotions of the dark, distinguished, bearded man at her side, with the brown eyes and the Grecian profile, whose years spent in the Foreign Office and at embassies on the Continent had given him a tact and an insinuating address peculiarly alluring to her sex. She was well aware of Ian Stafford's ambitions, and had come to the point where she delighted in them

Rhodes and others at Kimberley and on the Rand. At first sight of the forceful and rather ungainly form she had inwardly contrasted it with the figure of Ian Stafford and that other spring-time figure of a man at the end of the first row in the stalls, towards which the prima donna had flashed one trusting, happy glance, and with which she herself had been familiar si

that was sure. Had she not a comfortable fortune of her own? Besides, Byng was not the kind of man to capture Jasmine's fastidious sense and nature. So much had happened between Jasmine and himself, so deep an understanding had grown up between them, that it only remained to bring her to the last court of inquiry and get reply to a vital question-already put in a thousand ways and answered

as nearly up, and she had not changed; had, indeed, grown more confiding and d

exquisite and so clever, what will she not be at thirty! So well

e-a lovely thing of the time

turned her drooping eyes towards him, and, over her shoulder, as he quickl

ough to understand all the music m

ly, as he said: "You know of what I was thinking. You will be forever young, but yours was a

ver her face. It weighed down her eyelids, and she gazed before her into space with a strange, perplexed, and timorous anxiety. What did she see?

aid into a face again alive to the present: "You look as though

re quite self-possessed, she rejoined, lightly, "I have a

rrested her attention, and the thought flashed through her mind: "How wonderful to have

which exploited the vanity of mankind, and, as though to prove his cynical contempt for his fellow-creatures, had then invented a quick-firing gun which nearly every nation in the world adopted. First, he had got power by a fortune which represented the shallowness and gullibility of human nature, then had exploited the serious gift which had always been his, the native geniu

said she was the only one of his blood who had anything of himself in character or personality, and he predicted-too often in her presence-that she "would give the world a start or two when she had the chance." His intellectual contempt for his eldest son, her father, was reproduced in her with no prompting on his part; and, w

y as there was in England, and the grandson of a duke, he still was eager for power, determined to get on, ingenious in searching for that opportunity which even the most distinguished talent must have, if it is to soar high above the capable average. That chance, the predestined alluring opening had not yet come; but his e

l power of the millionaire struck him now, as it had often done. As though summoned by

s the stage, where, for the moment, minor characters were in possession, preparing the path for the las

a pioneer. The forehead was broad and strong, and the chin was square and determined; but the full, dark-blue eyes had in them shadows of rashness and reckles

ca," he added, reflectively, "and this swallows me like a storm on the hig

Jasmine leaned over and whispered-for th

ride back and collect. It is those who haven't run a race who

e first days at Kimberley and on the Rand who did not carouse, when life was so hard, luck so uncertain, and food so bad; when men got so dead beat, with no homes anywhere-only shake-downs and the Tents of Shem? Once he had had a native woman summoned to be his slave, to keep his home; but that was a business which had revolted him, and h

native force: a nature that would not stir until greatly roused, but then, with an unyielding persistence and concentra

ly. There was a rustle in the audience, a movement to a

character, personality, and refinement of culture were in such marked contrast to the perso

spending a deal of one thing to get

listen!" she add

. The audience had long since given up their critical sense, they were ready to be carried into captivity again, and the surrender was instant and complete. Now, not an eye was turned away from th

ghts, emotions, all elements of life into terms of melody. Then, at last, with a crash of sweetness

ain, then Al'mah received her memorable tribute. How many times she came and went she never knew; but at last the curtain, rising, showed her well up the stage beside a table wh

nd in an instant she was in a cloud of fire. The wild applause turned suddenly to no

eet between a box on the level of the stage and the stage itself. He crashed into the footlights, but recovered himself and ran for

artist in his great arms, he stro

Byng!" cried a strong voice from

tage. "She is not seriously hurt," he said si

he Grenfel box again, deaf

Stafford, with an admiring, teasi

ing up into his eyes with that ingratiating softness which had deluded many anothe

answered, boyishly. "You'll

she answered. "Com

crowding upo

ng said, as he took his coa

turely aged father whispered in the pretty stepmoth

er. "Jasmine is in love with Ian

Rudyard Byng," was