Lady Connie

y the surgeon who had dressed his hand had worn off, in a state of complete bewilderment. What

rm; and the occurrences of the preceding night began to rush back upon him. He had soon reconstru

n't play again!" He opened his eyes, trembling, and saw his little college room; his clothes hanging on the door, the photographs of his father and mot

y coming. Bah, it'll be all right directly. I heal like

in cautiously. "Thought I heard you

up by Meyrick some five hours earlier. He had a trim,

mmonly nasty wound. I had to set a small bone, and put in two

d Radowitz vaguely

n tubing. But nobody was able to give a clear account." The doctor eyed him d

ent fo

t here I found Mr. Falloden and Mr. Rob

d back into the

" he said fierce

if he could ease it at all--took pulse and temperature, and sat some

d a message to the surgery. You must stay in bed--you've got a little fever. Take

lean sheet. Radowitz was soon washed and straight

aware in some dismay of the white flannels and other clothes that Radowitz had been wearing when t

n. "Please get me some tea, and send a message round to St. Cypria

closed on

o his sitting-room. Falloden, of course, was the leader--insolent brute! The lad, quivering once more with rage and humiliation, seemed to feel again Falloden's iron grip upon hi

face with its small features and its beautiful eyes was turned to him. How they danced, and how deliriously the music ran! And there was

ngs. And he thought uncomfortably of a look he had surprised in her face, as he and she were sitting in the New Quad under the trees and Falloden passed with a handsome dark lady--one of the Lo

d be a fool to dream of it. But if she's going to throw herself away--to break her heart for th

his bandage hurt him, and he must recall the doctor, when h

me

in with a

y--what's t

push each other in, and I cut my hand on one of those rotten old pipes. Beastly luck! Bu

ejaculated Sorell, who sat do

kind of thing gets well quickly, doesn't it?" He eyed his vi

see Fanning. If there's any doubt about it, I shall carry you up to London, an

ed so that Sorell could

the lad's weary voice. "There'

ade th

"I've had such a lot of beastly dreams all night, I can't tell what happ

nfident that Douglas Falloden had been at the bottom of it, and he felt a fierce indignation. He

cout and he should push the bed into the sitting-room, for greater air and spac

but I had to get another man to help me. They must have gone on somethin

?" said Sor

looked e

and Lord Meyrick, and Mr. Robertson were in it--and there were some other gentlemen besides. There's

hat anybody could say! He thought with disgust of the scenes of the Marmion ball, of the reckless way in which Constance had encouraged Falloden's pursuit of her, of the talk of Oxford. His work with the Greats' papers had kept him away from the Magdalen bal

witz, of the boy's homage, and of Connie's admiration for his musical gift. But after the Marmion night, and the triumph she ha

inking always of Fallo

-very timid and hesitating

a curly head was thrust in. A

a muffled voice. "It's

o," said Radowitz cold

edingly dark and broad-shouldered. Each was a splendid specimen of the university athle

hands in his pockets, looking down on Radowitz. "We didn't mean to

behind Meyrick, murmur

ver have done it," said Meyrick; "but that's

veying them with mollified astonishment, suddenly went into

s soon as he could speak. "I gave it to you both as hard as I c

they both sat down, extremely embarrassed, and not knowing what to say

," said Meyrick urgently. "

was evident through the disjointed conversation which followed that he was suffering great pain. He was alternately flushed and deadly

said a

ould have come with us--but he thou

Radowitz vehemently. "That's

wed, fidgeting from o

ly thing," he said at last.

deny he led it. There's a long score between him and me. Well, n

he raised them to the pair, again holding out his free hand.

n from a heavy sleep in his Beaumont Street "diggings," and recollecting in a flash all that had happened

how i

and Fanning between them had decided to take Radowitz up to town th

ou seen

speak to me. He said we'

ho

owit

expressio

et all right. Besides it was a pure accident. How c

t it should have been his hand. But of course--as you say, Duggy--it'll probably be all right. By the way, Sorell told me Rad

ine of action," said Falloden drily. "I don't know that I s

hit Robertson uncommonly hard if he were sent down. If Radowitz is bad

it will get out," s

alone, anyway,

ng a private friend or

he door again, M

ssed Marmion, looked into the quad which was absolutely sil

ing day in honour of the ex-Ambassador and his wife, who were prolonging their stay in Christ Church so as to enjoy the river and an Oxford without crowds or functions. Falloden was invited, and he knew

g clouds, he became aware of a lady in front of him. Annoying or remorseful thought became in a moment

her. It was most unlikely that she had yet heard

and involuntarily looked round. He saw, with a passionate delight, that s

f his hat. "Were you up as late as I?

made up her mind in what mood, or with what aspect to meet him next. But he gave her no time for further pondering. He walked beside her, while she coldly explain

e paused. "Is there anything left of you? I

dmitt

ou know--you must know!" he added with a sudden vehement emphasis. "May I no

gh he perceived that he

had, I think-

s kind--and useful. She is an old friend--more of the fa

own. There was a moment's pause. Then

of this opportunity to tell you before you hear it from any one else. There was a row i

l around them the park stretched, grey and empty. The

riously," s

as hurt in

ce gave

s h

nt. But you'd better know the whole truth. It was a rag, and I was in it

filling with tears. "His hand!--oh, how horrible! If it were really inj

ly. "Sorell has taken him up to town this afternoon to see the best man he can get.

id it

f broken piping. You perhaps don't know that he made a speech last week, attacking several of us in a very

ust because he is a foreigner and unlike the rest of you. And you have been the worst of any--you know you have! And I

!--and he, at any rate, was something. Well!--I began to see red. You forget--that"--he spoke with difficulty--"my temperament is not exactly saintly. You have had warning, I think, of that often. When I got back to college, I found a group of men in the quad reading the skit

excited girl beside him was bewildered by the adroitnes

were my fiancé or my husband--that I was not to dance with Otto Radowitz--I was not to see so much of Mr. Sorell. So just to show you that I was really not at your beck and call--that you could not do exactly what you liked with me--I dan

loden saw that he had won som

unknown to your friends--would you have met me in the woods, those heavenly times--would you have danced with me as you did--would you have let me pay you in public every sort of attention that a man can pay to a girl, when he wants to marry her, the night of the Marmion ball--if you had not felt something for me--if you had not mea

accusation--by that self-pity of the egotist--which looked o

have treated you badly. I have behaved wilfully a

r affair as well as mine. And so I went. And I'm not going to boast of what it cost me to go, knowing that other people would be seeing you--influencing you--perhaps setting you against me--all the time I was away. But then when I came back, I couldn't understand you. You avoided me. It was nothing but check after check--which you seemed to enjoy inflicting. At last, on the night of our ball I seemed to see clear. On that night, I did think--yes, I did think, that I was somethi

. Constance, hard-pressed, conscience-struck, utterly miserab

h other. Neither of us meant it. Don't let's make everything worse by separating and stabbing each other. I shall hear what has happened by to-night. Let me come and bring you the news. If there's no great harm done--why--you shall tell me what kind of letter to write to Radowitz. I'm in your hands. But if it's

sophistry; but there was something else which touched--which paralysed her. For the first time she knew that this had been no mere game she had been playing with Douglas Fallode

e river, and were standing in the shelter of a group of young chestn

tance held o

"Send me word to-night. But don't come

hesitated--yielded--took her unresisting hand, whi

ll to get Radowitz to the station in time for the two o'clock train to London. The plan, according to Benham, was to go straight to Sir Horley Wood, who had been telegraphed to in the morning,

alloden and Meyrick ordered horses and went off into the country, hardly speaking to each other during the whole of the ride. They r

for Falloden. It was addressed in his father's hand-writing. He opened it mechanical

e me. I have long dreaded the explanations which can not now be avoided. The family situation has been going from bad to worse,--and I have said nothing--hoping always to find some way out. But now it is precisely my fear that--if we can't discover it--you will find yourself, without preparation, ruined on the threshold of life, which drives me to tell you everything. Your head is a cleverer one than mine. You may think

iting. Come to-morrow

loving

R FAL

oden impatiently. "Father always likes booky phrases like that. I sup

id coming up Beaumont Street and looking at the numbers on the

n't wait." He carried it into his own roo

it, but the injuries will make it impossible for him ever to play again as he has done. He may use it again a little, he may compose of course, but as a performer it's all over. Mr. Sorell s

t. There is a great deal in what you said this afternoon. I don't deny it. But, when it's all said, I feel I could n

r. Radowitz, who has asked for me. I shall stay with my aunt, Lady Langmoor, and nurse him as much as they will let

ght--and

ANCE B

e had been alive with the stream of Commemoration, was quiet and deserted. A heavy thunder rain was just beginning to plash upon th

RT