Master of His Fate

enes in Cu

pletely divorced from anxious speculation about Julius Courtney and "M. Dolaro," his attention was suddenly and in unexpected fashion hurried again to the mystery. The doctor had not seen Julius since the day he

is probable, under the circumstances, that Lefevre would not have remarked the absence of Julius from the dinner-table, had it not been for Nora. He was painfully struck with her appearance and demeanour. She seemed to have lost much of

d Lefevre of his mother when th

e noticed something, have you? Do

much c

She seems scarcely to live when he is not with her. She sits like that always when he is gon

id her son with concern. "I had better h

Lady Mary, and for the time Lefevre forgot his sister, so engrossed was he with the altered aspect of his friend. He loo

rd work? You're not looking well,

his cheek, but it sank

l. And you have not seen me because I have bough

fevre. "I did not know

hing!" So saying, he laid his hand on Lefevre's arm. The act was not remarkable, but

eighbours; now they seemed as constrained and belittled as is a crowd of courtiers when a royal personage appears in their midst. In truth, Julius at all times had a grace, an ease, and a distinction of manner not unworthy of a prince; but on this occasion he had an added something, an indefinable attracti

These, Lefevre observed, she went through half-absently, still turni

of a twinge of jealousy, "what do you think, no

withdrew herself from abstraction,-"I-I don't know. He is very in

ng he instinctively felt that a passionate scene was being silently enacted between them. They sat markedly apart. Nora's bosom heaved with suppressed emotion, and her look, when ra

iano, Julius, a

gesture which plainly meant

on one hand, sunshine and beauty and joy, and all the pride of life; and on the other, darkness and cruelty, despair, and defiance, and death. It might have been, on the one hand, the music with which Orpheus tamed the beasts; and on the other, that which ?schylus arranged to accompany the last act of his tragedy of "Prometheus Bound." There was, however, no clear distinction between the joyous airs and the sombre: all were wrought and mingled into an exciting and bewildering atmosphere of melody, which thrilled the heart and maddened the brain. But as the music continued, its joyous strains died out; the instrument cr

m all, laid its captive before Julius Courtney. The music ceased with a dissonant crash. With a cry Julius rose and laid his hand on the cat's neck: to the general amazem

done?" cried Nora, sweeping up

r swiftly from the room (he was near the door) and into a little conservatory that opened upon the staircase, casting his eyes upon Lefevre as he went, and saying, "Come! come quick!" Lefevre

ra, and looking white and terror-stricken. "Res

, while the doctor applied the remedies usual in hysterical

Do not leave me! Come near me! O

g out his hands to her, but approaching no nearer.

"Are you afraid of m

You would not harm me, but I would harm

er eyes again, she sa

will live!-live! But I must be cut off-though not for ever-from the

ser scrutiny. He raised her eyelid and looked at her eye; he p

d he, "what d

that I am of all living things the most accurst!" Then with a cr

returned, and said, in answer to a look from her son, "He snat

is sister, and in half an hour she was well eno

in the Fane carriage. Lord Rivercourt and he talked of the strange events of the evening, while Lady Mary leaned back and

in the Park! I am sure of it

tney?-and where could he be going but to Julius's chambers? Julius, therefore (whose own conduct had been that night so extraordinary), must be familiar with his whole mysterious course, and consequently with the peril he was in. Before Lefevre could out of his perplexity snatch a resoluti

him. You'd better get Mary home; she's not ver

s friendship for Julius, without considering whether in the event of an arre

r Julius. The events of the evening had forced him to the conclusion that Julius possessed the same singular, magnetic, baleful influence on men and women as his putative father Hernando; but Julius's burst of agony, when Nora lay overcome, had declared to him that till then he had scarcely been aware of

was to be seen or heard in front of him. He came to the letter which marked Julius's abode. He looked into the gloomy doorway, and resolved he would see and speak to Julius in any case. He passed into the gloom and

Lefevre, in the half hope that Jen

kins in his flurried voice,

Jenkins? You d

t at home, but perhaps he will see you, sir! I ho

is engaged,

s. "It means anything or nothing. Will you step into the draw

" said the doctor; "

is very sorry he cannot see you to-night. It is a pity, sir," he added, in a burst of confidence, "

, then?" ask

wered Jenkins, in

n to see him si

id Jenkins, in wider

e discovery he had that night made of himself. His heart, therefore, urged hi

Jenkins, "I'll try and

the study. He tapped at the door, and then tu

voice within, which scarce sou

ng Jenkins aside. "May not I come i

voice, "that I do not let you

" said Lefevre,

There was a melting note of sadness in t

know what's troubling you. Don't you

orm of speech to come from Julius.) "I shall come to

the moment completely satisf

he would return to him. Yet he had not gone many steps before an unworthy suspicion shot up and arrested him: Suppose Julius had got rid of him to have the opportunity of sending a mysterious companion away unseen? But Jenkins had said he had let no one in, and it was shameful to suspect both master and man of lying. Yet Lady Mary Fane had distinctl