The Two Vanrevels

nt; therefore, let the curtain of mercy descend. Without a word, he turned and dragged the nozzle to the eastern eaves, whence, after a warning gesture

faces, every eye still strained to watch the roof; none of the harrowed spectators comprehending the appearance of the girl's figure there, nor able t

rushed for the heroes with wide-open, welcoming arms. Jefferson Bareaud and Frank Chenoweth and General Trumble dashed at Tom Vanrevel w

in through the door!" He brushed the rejoicing friends off abruptly, and went on in a queer, hollow voice: "There are

rner of the building. And somehow, through what inspiration, or through what knowledge of his partner's "temperament," heaven knows, the prophetic soul of the chief was unhappily assured that Crailey would offer himself as escort to her home, and find acceptance. But why not? Was it Crailey who had publicly called

lowed him as he made a quick detour round the next building. A minute or two later they fou

sly, "for taking your hand. I th

cept that it was seriously questioning; but whether the interrogation was ad

I believe it must have been becaus

lines may be utilized otherwise than as adjuncts of performances on the high trapeze!" They were standing by a picket-fence, and he leaned against it, overcome by mirth in which she did not join. Her gravity reacted upon him at

" he returned, with a craft

bs (as the elder Chenoweth might have said) rested somewhere dangerously near his chin, which worried him, for, though his chin made no retreat

so easy a matter for me as you seem to think. You have not been introduced

ld you?" The question es

come when they liked, b

oulders drooped, and his voice indicated supreme annoyance. "I might

your quarrel

t with an elated surprise; his shoulders straightened. He to

-disliked, and whom I must not meet; and, remembering

oltaire would have trusted him; a smile alto-gether rose-leaves. "Then I lose you," he said,

ved you had the right of the difference, I could believe it no sin that you should speak to me,

at it might; and, in the very action, his lurking pleasure in doing it hopped out in the fl

political in the beginning, but became personal afterward; and it is now a quarrel which can never be patched

han Crailey Gray, for it was his great accomplishment that he could adjust his emotion, his

I do not feel it so, now. You did a very brave thing tonight to save him from

cond meeting. For he believed there were more strange things in heaven and earth than Horatio wot; and one of the strangest was that whenever he was near an attractive woman during a silence such as this, something not to be defined, but as effective as i

o fall in love with him. (That they were apt to remain in love with him-he understood perfectly-was another matter.) And he knew when they were doing it; could have told th

od's arrows, and his heart warm with the rise of the old emotion that he knew so well, he was neverthele

linking them together; every second fixing another slender, precious fetter, binding them closer, drawing her nearer. He waited until

he said, in a low, tremulous tone,

ht of him in her garden. There was a long pause before she re

tle ones we acted at the convent," she said, "b

staken, and yet it was with a thrill of delight that he recog

ft with restrained forgivenes

she repeated,

seeming theatrical, and yet you have learned

as in whimsical indulgenc

you mean when you sa

gan, hastily, "to stand

rrupting him. "My room was on the fourth floor at St. Mary

t. "I know I have gone too fast, have said things I should have waited to say; but, ah! remember the small chance I have again

I have thought about you since that evening in the garden, and I have wished I could know you. I can't be quite clear how it happened, but even those few minutes left a number of strong impressions about you. And the strongest was that you were one with whom I could talk of a great many things, if you would only be real with me. I believe-though I'm not sure why I do-that it is very dif

is at the convent

ink a little world might hold as much as the largest, if you thought it all out hard enough, and your experience might be just as broad and deep in a small corner of the

witching silence was nothing to what stirred him now. A singular exaltation rose in him, together with

orehead with the fingers of his long and slender hand. "We sigh and strain our eyes and stretch out our arms in the dark, groping always for the strange blessing that is just bey

The western glow had faded, and she was gazing at him through the darkness, leaning fo

eagerly. "You are ri

like that? It is really death that makes us think. You are a good Catholic: you go to mass; but you wish to know. Does God reign, or did it all happen? Sometimes it seems so deadly probable that

ck his head, and his face, uplifted to the jewelled sky of the moonless night, wa

excellent measure, and to a finer rhythm, than the most delicate clockwork man ever made? The great ocean-lines mark our seas with their paths through the water; the fine brains of the earth are behind the ships that sail from port to port, yet how awry the system goes! When does a ship come to her harbor at an hour determined when she sailed? What is a ship beside the smallest moon of the smallest world? But, there above us, moons, worlds, suns, all the infinite cluster of colossi, move into pl

ard-ridden horse came galloping down the street. As it dashed by, though the rider looked neither to right nor l

ot see you. You must never come here. Perhaps-" She paused, then

intly, bent his head in humble acquiescence, and made a slight gesture of his hand for her to leave him. She set her eyes upon his once more, then turned swift

ll, and ran into the garden, both

lays queer spells; breathes so eerie an intoxication through the dusk; h

ore like a gasp than a word. A long time she paced the vigil with her stirring heart, her skirts sweeping the dew from the leaning flowers. Her lips moved often, but only the confused, vehe

d, "I take your beautiful stars! I

enrapt, her eyes resplenden

tars, stars!"

s Betty, waking at daybreak, saw the motes dancing in the sun at her window, and watched them with a placid, unremembering eye. She began to stare at them in

that was