The Devil's Garden

een caught, and is now loose and free-a squirrel that has escaped from the trap, and, whisking and bounding through sunlight and shadow, understands that its four pa

from joining her there. A broad grin spread across his face. What was that learned saying that his old schoolmaster, M

him, and he went chuckling into the Cannon St

once. Shall expect you t

sently ordered his dinner in the gri

famous lager beer.... Oh, bottle or draught's all one to me;" and he snapped his

. The grilled steak and the fried potatoes could not have been better done at the Buckingham Palace kitchens.

tisfied and digestion

eepenny cigar, I can do with it. But don't fob me off

iter. He could not help talking; he could not help laughing. After so much silence it was a

untry, sir," said t

ood-humor. "Hand him out a cokernut. But may I

w, sir. Haven't had you

through a brick wall. Yes, I'm from the country-but I'm beginning to

ven? N

heaths and downs and woods that lie

holiday there. Take the four-horse sharrybank from Rodhaven pier-and when you get

s,

, though his neighbors say he's a bit of a Tartar. I give you my word he'll receive you, decently, an

ence with the grand word "Gentleman," and he was gratifie

sir. Much ob

gave the waiter

els; the glossy coats of mettlesome, prancing horses; the extravagant dresses of fine ladies mincingly walking on the common public pavement; the stolid grandeur of huge policemen, and the infinite audacity of small newspaper boys; the life, the color, the noise. It seemed as if the busy city and the pleasure-loving West-end alike unf

honest, well-paid toil that had gone to the raising of the grapes and peaches at a Piccadilly fruiterer's. "Live, and let live"-that's a good motto all the world over. When he saw babies in perambulators, he would have liked to kiss them. When he saw an elderly man with a pretty

ay a ceremonious call for the purpose of expressing his thanks, and he felt that he should do this immediately; but for the life of him he could not remember whether the great man's London house was situated in Grosvenor Square or Grosvenor Place

al, the hall was untenanted, with no servant to answer questions. He searched the dark recesses of a dirty letter-rack, on the chance that he might find a telegram from his

muttered. "

a valise on the floor by the chest of drawers. Turning, he gave

voice, scrambled down, and

Will. My de

theart. But how have you c

t be

paroxysm of pleasure, almost suffocating himself and her in the ardor of t

impossible. I on'y wired two-forty-th

couldn't stay there any longer without news. So I just

nd palpitating in his arms, her dear body so delicate and fragile and yet so round and fir

e o'clock train? How long h

me. I'm nothing. It's yo

with his arm firmly clasped round her waist, and she n

n. I've bin just a lost dog without you. Di

es

to pick with you, young lady. What d'ye mean by not writing to me m

as too anxious while it

me. I was thinking of you off and on all yesterday. I can tell you it wa

ns about me-when I'm dying

iss the fragrant coil of hair above her forehea

to come out of it as I honestly believe he deserves.' They couldn't stand up against him half a minute. But, mind you, Mav;" and Dale stopped moving, and spoke solemnly, "he's aged surprising these last few years. He's more feeble like than ever one would think, seeing him on his horse. I mean, his bodily frame. The int'lect's more powerful, I should make the guess, than ever it was.... And mind you, here's another thing, Mav;" and he spoke even more solemnly. "All this is going to be a lesson t

band-I'm so glad to think

e face was shining with happiness; and she pressed both her hands against him, and raised her lips to

You and I are going to have the best treat this evening that London can provide. But I think that, now you

e add

arradi

n? His address

e

1, Grosven

t I couldn't feel sure it wasn't the S

er married couple's bedroom in lieu of this bachelor's crib. Mavis, however, thought that Dale was mistaken in supposing the ceremonious call necessary or even advisable, and she gently tried to dissuade him from carrying out his purpose. She consid

nted to do at the G.P.O. was a leaf out of the Roman history-that is, to kneel down to him and say, 'Put your hand on William Dale's head, sir, for sign and token, and take his service from this day forward as your bondsman and your sl

ews to Mrs. Petherick at North Ride Cottage, and he became almost

e for belittling everything. I'm not going to spare sixp

side street; and from the glimpse that Dale obtained of its hall, its staircase, and its vast d

ty of admitting him. They said their master was at ho

nfidently. "Tell him it's Mr. Dale of Rod

l servant gravely. "But I can'

hether convenient to me or not." Then they led him down a passage, past a

rt of notepaper, trays full of pens, and little candles to be lighted when one desired to affix seals. On a roundabout conveniently near there were books of reference that included the current volume of the London Post Office Directory. The sofas and chairs were upholstered in dark green leather, the chi

g and cheeky ones, too, that he guessed were actresses and not nieces or cousins. He smiled tolerantly. These photographs brought to his mind a nearly forgotten fancy of his own, together with echoes of the local gossip. Round Rodchurch the talk ran that the Right H

r. Barradine had come in, and Dale fired off his brief set speeches. But instinct almost immediately told him

oldness in his tone that quite froze the visitor. He seemed to be saying really: "Now look

thank you-and-

l the majesty and the force, as well as the generous friendliness, had disappeared. The face, the voice, the whole bearing belonged to another man. The tired eyes had not a spark of fire in them; those puffy bags of loose flesh, that hung between the outer corners of the cheekbones and the thin birdlike nose, were so ugly as to be disfigu

thanks-and I'll say

ast words ringingly, and now grasping Mr. Barradi

tted a squeal of pain. "Confound it-my good fellow-w

hes here and there, and slight glistening protuberances at the knuckle joints-an old man's hand, so feeble that it could not bear the least pressure, and yet decorated with a young man's fopperies. Dale noticed

e, and what he said now appeared to be an implied excuse for the sharpness of his

fflicted that way, sir

a bell, and a servant w

r. Dale. You're goi

a fortnig

le by a few polite sentences of small talk, and thus show him that his offense had been pardoned. "Yes, I soon begin

apparent success. If only he could have fought them and beaten them alone, as a strong man fighting unaided, instead of being pulled

to the lodging-house, and found hi