The Blotting Book

without flinching, but meets it with the higher courage of cheerfulness, serenity and ordinary behaviour. He spent the rest of the day in fact in his usual manner, enjoying his bathe befor

nd the illustrated papers, or if more energetically disposed, in the airy gymnasium adjoining the reading-room, where they could indulge in friendly rivalry with boxing gloves or single-stick, or feed the appetites of their growing muscles with dumb-bells and elastic contrivances. Mr. Taynton had spent a couple of hours

he leisurely perusal of the evening paper, he had merely given it one glance, observing that copper was strong and that Boston Copper in

bathe, for this hot genial June was marching on its sunny way uninterrupted by winds or r

f you were disengaged, and could hardly restrain him from coming in with me

him in," sai

orris. High colour flamed in his face, his black eyes sparkled with

easant business," he said

ason he had done so he could not guess; after his experience of yesterday it might have been from pure devilry, or again he might have feared that in desperation, Taynton would take that extreme step of

ether. You are out of your own control. Sit down, please, and b

as told, but the calmne

you be calm in my circ

old me what they ar

said. "I met her privately by appoi

ook place in his brain. A moment before he had known, he thought, for certain that his own utter ruin was imminent. Now he knew that it was not

. You say I should not be calm in your circumstances. Perhaps I should not

ality of Mr. Taynton, had an extraordinary effect o

on yet, and I have been behaving as if it was proved truth. God! if it is prove

ped the table wi

he said. "I will not listen to you for

an's authority asserted itself. Morris again sat

was there. Do you remember my asking her if I might come to se

r perfectly," s

he lawn. I stopped the motor and watched. She sat there for nearly an hour, and the

ou mean on the road, where you can see the lawn, but it's half a mile o

shook h

m her, saying she had posted it secretly, but that she must see me, th

ejaculated

tside on the downs beyond the park gate and saw her. Somebody has bee

on held u

ll me first not what you guess, but what happened. Arrange

paused

r lunch she and her father went out riding, and when they returned they found that your partner Mills, had come to call. He stayed for tea, and after tea had a talk alone with Sir Richard, while she and her mother sat out on the lawn. Soon after he had gone, Sir Richard sent for Lady Templeton, and it was nearly dressing-time when she left him again.

pause

y and well, my dear boy," said th

things about me which made them think it better not to see any more of me. What they were, she was not told, but, I was not, it appeared, the sort of per

as attending

said, in order to tell me all this. We talked over, too, who it could have been who had said these vile things to her father. There was only one person who c

nd was walking up and down

il it is proved, you really must not let yourself believe that to be possible. You can't believe such wickedness against a man, one, too, whom I hav

ris. "But I am told he is away. So

right. And

should tell me what he has heard against me, and who told him. I don't think he will

d this in all its bearings.

tor of these scandalous tales, tales which I know from my knowledge of you are impossible to be true. From what I know of him, however, it is impossible he could have said such things. I cannot

ave been?" cried Morris,

ve been he," sai

ng silence; th

f course, I know will be cleared up, and I shall be competent to deal with the offender. But-but Madge

trouble, the anxiet

on's

for telling me. I am delighted, overjoyed, and indeed, as you say, that is far m

shook h

is cleared up. It is her birthday the day after to

r

can to keep my mind off accusing him, until

ted his shoulde

o think about, which would make it easy for you to

stractions I can get," s

*

t at for such things, a branch of Asprey's, was only a few yards farther on, and he turned in to make inquiries as to whether she had ordered it. It appeared that she had been in that very morning, but the parcel had not been sent yet. So Morris, taking the responsibility on himself, counterordered the plain red morocco book she had chosen, and chose another, wi

*

that he was able to fulfill, and in spite of the bandages the blood stained and soaked its way through. In the afternoon he took out the motor, but his joy in it for the time was dead, and it was only because in the sense of pace and swift movement he hoped to find a narcotic to thought, that he went out at all. But there was no narcotic there, nor even in the thought of this huge joy of love that had dawned on him was there forgetfulness for all else, joy and sorrow and love, were for the present separated from

erely a wild beast let loose. He felt he would be no longer responsible for what he did, something had to happen; something more than mere apology or retraction of words. To lie and slander like that was a crime, an insult against human and divine justice. It would be nothing for the criminal to say he was sorry; he had to be punished. A man who did that was not fit to live; he was a man no longer, he was a biting, poisonous reptile

had gone alone. Directly after lunch he had taken the motor out, and had whirled along the coast road, past Rottingdean through Newhaven and Seaford, and ten miles farther until the suburbs of Eastbourne had begun. There he turned, his thoughts still running a mill-rac

sea below him whispered and crawled, above the sun was the sole tenant of the sky, and east and west the

y, and told him all the circumstances of this attack on him. But supposing she had been just a shade less brave, supposing her filial obedience had weighed an ounce heavier? Then he would never have known anything about it. The result would simply have been, as it was meant to be, that the Templetons were out when he called.

he world only says, if a man justifies himself by the only legal means in his power, "There must have been something in it, since it was said!" No legal remedy, no fines or even imprisonment, far less apology and retraction satisfied justice. There were o

servant and would do his pleasure. He wanted to smash the jaw bone that had formed these lies, and he wanted the world to know he had done so. Yet that was not enough, he wanted to throttle the throat from

d defamer was, that gentleman would be wise to keep out of his way with him in s