Father Stafford

ttle o

senior on his unwonted zeal and activity. Ayre accepted his friend's jocosity and his own excitement with equal placidity. Reproaches had never stirred him to exertion; ridicule would not stop him now. He took leave to add himself to the materials for slightly contemptuous amusement that the world had hitherto afforded him, and he found his own absurd actions a very sensible addition to his resources. He realized why pe

seven? And in solitude? For Haddington's devotion was not allowed by him to interfere with that early ride which is so often a mark of legislators, and an assertion, I suppose, of the strain on their minds that might be ignored or doubted i

wardly good terms; and she had no suspicion of his shameless conduct the night before. Ayre directed their walk to the very same seat on which she and Haddington had sat. As they passed, either romance or laziness sug

l that good may come?" he

k, what a curious que

did evil last night, a

. There's no telling what men will say when they become

ncerns

ense! How

friend, I did a-wel

was p

od, Sir Roderick. Do you

I am, with your kind perm

to offer me m

that liberty. You see

wn one anoth

at the impli

ect to plai

peaker. If he has a ri

should hav

don't see on

hoped to be allowed to rank myself, I a

r. Lane to

ld frien

em to forget that Mr. Lane is ev

no doubt," sa

. No old friendship excuses

really something to say, an

at if I

You are at perfect liberty. Only,

hen, with a la

oo gravely. What is this

cably. It's merely this: you must r

affect surprise. She k

d you to te

ow he d

Ah! perhaps you are Claudia

ave had no communication with Lady Claudia-a f

at do yo

must relea

he calmly, but with a calm

seems to me usage is right-it is not usual for

solent. I will wis

ation. Explanations are so tedious.

om

must tel

ou like." But sh

engaged t

cour

ngaged to Spenc

ou an old woman, to think a girl can't sp

ou credit for it. But you know it isn't untrue. You are under a promise to give Hadding

not a hap

to be conditional. He understood, and you meant

accuse me of

olute knowledge would

te know

last n

d her away. She tu

liste

I list

hat a gent

ule, it

mean dastard! I have

us be reasonable. We are

uld listen to such a ta

might not. But

uld you

eping him dangling on till you have arranged the othe

already tried to the uttermo

l allow me the metaphor-b

fess how you got

lind man's eyes he doesn't ask after your moral character. You m

on the battle. She had fury, but n

se fault was it?" she sobbed. "Di

you had flirted a little with Haddington, I should have

unhappy gir

cared twopence for

id Kate, unwisely yi

And you will

t, what wi

our aunt. I shall tell them all that I know, and how I know it. Com

u're all fighting in that l

ani

if I can help it, Eugen

anothe

tafford will have to

rift into that.

wh

Euge

t him with a

dington he needn't wai

now!" she broke out. "First eavesd

elf, and I am, if you'd beli

let your friends kno

. Have I your promise? Is it any use struggling

u give me

a d

elf up with a

gene Lane, and Claudia Territon, and al

ou pro

se. There! No

on one side, holding it in his hand and bow

go through it all again, and it's damnably fatiguing. She's not a bad sort-fought well when she

clined to do one jot more than fulfill the letter of her bond-whereby it came to pass that Eugene did not receive the letter for nearly two months and did not know of his recovered liberty all that time. For Haddington, in his joy, easily promised silence for a little while; it seemed only decent; and even Ayre coul

e straightway fled from Baden. He was a harde

left of the autumn, he carried locked in his heart the news of the fresh development. On the whole he observed the injunction of silence urgently laid upon him by Ayre with tolerable faithfulness. But there are limits to these things, and it never entered Rickmansworth's head that his sister was included amon

u've heard th

s obvious troubles-Lady Claudia was in a state which, if it manif

ny news," she a

replied the Earl, grinning. "

e started and colo

nd I wasn't!" said Rickmansworth, with pondero

hat do y

I'm always making some beastly blunder-eh, Bob?"

course!" said Bob, enter

pursued the Earl, who was greatly amused with hims

ed. Brothers are

any fun in th

beer (beer was the Territon

eer and the other impedimenta, and put on dessert. The

her brother's chair. He was osten

r, won't y

it's all nonse

audia again, with her

jest a little further, when

u look as if y

she said quickly.

cepted Haddington. But it's a secret, you know, till they've

reall

urse i

m, and suddenly r

s looked at

right?" said the

nger. "But, you see, you don't

here to have hi

r hoof out of it, old

n of thought, Ric

rather a queer g

d Claudia and the parson, and old A

e for that; an

it is, only you don't know where to

it about him. But she

by any means," said Bob; "an

n't tak

Lord

oposed to prevent

ne'll wri

t to, ri

irl, ain

uce

you should have seen th

with

other b

e character of that most respectable, middle-aged gentleman, Sir Roderick Ayre. The historian hastens to add