The Trespasser, Volume 2

en rallied. She remembered the events of the painful night, and often asked after Gaston. Somehow, her horror of her son's death at his hands was met by the injury d

Mr. Gasgoyne and Sir William arrived at the same time, but Gaston was unconscious again. Jacques, however, told them what his master's wishes were, and they were c

be installed as nurse, that her wish was granted, and she was with him night and day. Now she shook her head at him sadly, now talked in broken sentences to herself, now bustled about silently, a tyrant to the other servants sent down from t

apers could do no more than speak of "A vicious assault upon the heir of Ridley Court." It had become the custom n

emoved to the Court, Mr

was gaunt and hollow-ey

The woman made her resp

He looked up wit

me?" he asked. "

d his ban

voice, "but I can forgi'e the man. 'Twere done i' madness-there beant

him how dreadful a thing it was-so used had he been to dea

Jock would have been; but I can do for you in one w

mind can only understand an objective emotion, and the counters for these are this world's goods. Here was a balm in Gilead.

be fittin' the shore l

ee. I be sore frette

missed the grateful peasant, who fondled the deed and c

set the country talking? Here you were, in the dead of night, telling ghost stories, and raking up your sins, with no cause whatever, instead of in your bed. You were to have lunched with us the

er the guise of banter, was always grateful to

went

ll do what your godfather and

on him l

g. Who are my godfa

ly, warmly in the eye

asgoyne had objected. He knew that behind her playful treatment of the subject there was real scepticism of him

his hand, a

es," he said, "but I will try

up your minds, see that you treat her well. And you are to come, just as soon as you are able, to

But now he was on the way to marriage, and it was as well that there should be no new situations. The girl could not wish the thing known. There would be left him, in this case, to befriend her should it ever be needed. He remembered the spring of pleasure he felt when he

miled more with her eyes than her lips, and told him how sorry she had been to hear of his illness. Some months before Gaston had met Cluny Vosse, who at once was his admirer. Gaston liked the youth. He was fresh, high- minded, extravagant, idle; but he had no vices, and no partic

the crown of his hat, looke

cracker, d

nodded,

s. Of course it was rot. We were all cut up though and hoped you'd pull through.

berless tragical adventures which, if told,

t shell- proof, Vosse, and it was rather a narrow squeak, I'm

sometimes, that a chap doesn't know what to think. You oug

waved his hand pleasantly towards his grandf

ned on Si

is it, sir? He gets

s occasional

plate, the pictures, and the title; but

scious irony, and the boy, vaguely knowing tha

can have fun enough w

iring about Gaston's illness, and showing

dn't go out to dinner that night at Lord Dunfolly's, and, of course, I didn't

tly she said that they were to be at their villa in France during the late summer, and if he chanced to be abroad would he co

nished. "With y

show me art-lif

He saw that she wis

y Dargan?

th flutterin

ver needed a friend. I do not wait for t

hy

te social artifice and worl

may trust a woman's instinct; and I know that ma

must keep m

re reading?" she said,

iam was

t, and smil

to feel that it was incorrect, and my mind kept wandering away into patches of things-incide

Cluny, "that's

kingham." He read it. "Now here is the scene as I picture it." In qu

on was still talking. He gave the keys to Falby with a whispered word. In a few moments Falby placed a small lea

ow that I ev

father tel

mber so, thoug

ever see

r bef

t know wha

n the

ve never se

my kno

of Sir Gaston Belward, more than two hundred years old, found almost fi

rom the faded manuscrip

or twice Cluny gave a dr

said was here in stately

in point t

id, 'As your grace

o a sitting postur

t, w

swords that were crossed

y foot, for he was uncommon swift and dexterous. He pinched me sorely once under the knee, and I returned him one upon the wrist, which sent a devilish fire into his eyes. At that his play became so delicate and confusing that I felt I should go dizzy if it stayed; so I tried the one great trick cousin Secord taught me, making to run him through, as a

intness, and Cluny caught him, saving him from a fall. Cluny's colour was all

iam was alone with Gaston,

tand this faculty of memory, or whatever i

a how life comes

t. I confess

oo; but I sometimes fancy that I'

nds fan

manuscript, and here is a letter I w

lliam

ting is sing

that I am Sir Gaston Belward, Baronet, who is thought to

iam smil

carce enough to es

evious holder of the title isn't dead:

ching Sir William's face closely, out of curiosity chief

in the hands of a younger branch of the

" said Gaston

rases in a manuscript whic

apers came from there

s eyebrows ironically

im to take the thing at all s

property went with the title

eet and said testily: "T

ive

rse not

e bull, and laughe

each other

licitor's office all the sa