The Lamp in the Desert

tion!" Carelessly Ralph Dacre sauntered forth again into the mo

the deep abasement of the other. Dacre was of large build and inclined to stoutness. He had the

of humanity, might have been a being from another sphere-some und

ground. "His most noble excellency is pleased to be gracious," he murmured. "If he will deign to follow his

owards the path indicated. "Well, lead on! I'm not coming far-no, not for untold

nt. "Only a little way, most noble!" he said i

the winding of the torrent far below. In places the hillside was precipitous and the roar of the stream rose louder as it dashed among its roc

was nothing to him, and the other's halting progress brought a smile of contemptuous p

atural platform in the shoulder of the hill was reached, and

ted them. But he did not speak even after the careless saunter of the Englishman had ceased at his side. The dash of the stream f

is eyes upon the gleaming caps of the snow-hills far away. But very soon the

on up and down. "Well?" he said. "Have you brought me here to admire the

t curiosity arose within him mingling with his strong contempt. He p

at may this valuable piece

ed some savage impulse to violence. He moved back a pace, and

contorted limbs became lithe and strong. The cringing humility slipped from him l

I am concerned, it has cost a damned uncomfortable j

piter!" s

n his life he was utterly and completely at a loss. Only as he gazed at the man before him, there came upon him, sudden as a blow, the memory of a certain hot day more than a year before when he and Everard Monck had wrestled together in the Club gymnasium for the benefit of a little crowd of subalterns who had eagerly

stern, accusing eyes and wholly merciless attitude-what had he come to say? An odd sensation stirred at Da

igar through in his astonishment, and he tossed it away as he spoke with a gesture of returning confidence. He silenced the uneasy foreboding within and met the hard

not always effectual,

g back the heavy folds of the chuddah that enveloped his head as he did so.

in the tone of one

had considerable trouble in following you here. I shoul

imself to be at a disadvantage. "If you want to know my opinion, I regard such condu

he resented Monck's presence. Moreover, an unpleasant sense of inferiority had begun to make itself felt. There was someth

It was as if he held him in a grip of iron intention from

ment. "I believe you have heard me speak of my broth

who writes to you every

folded a letter. "You had better read

hung back as if un

t all the fuss is abou

t you had better see for yourself too. It concerns you very nearly. It was written in Charthurst Prison nearl

ment he recovered himself, and uttered a quivering laugh. "Man alive! You are not fool enough to believe such a cock

"You had better see for yourself," he re

an on this earth who has any claim on me-except Stella. Why should I read it? I

ever been through any form of ma

ositive fool to imagine such a thing. It's preposterous, unheard of!

he said. "Her name is-or was-Madelina Belleville. Do you te

y. "You don't imagine that I would marr

to my question,"

il are you to enquire into my private affairs? Do you thin

y determination in his words. "It's a choice of evils, and if you ar

rth a hand not wholly steady and took the sheet held out to him. Monck stood beside him in utter im

from the page. But it fluttered in his hold, though t

spell. He uttered a bitter oath and tore the sheet of paper passionate

er!" he raved. "She has

curious. "I thought so," he said, and in his voice was an odd

re. "That brother of yours is an artist. He has sketched her to the life-the she-devil!"

cold and unyielding. "How long is it sinc

sperately Dacre sought to recover lo

Monck observed in his even judi

hat of the hunted animal trapped and hel

at she holds proof of the marriage, and she will pr

was low and sullen. There was that in the other man's attitude that

"You are not the only person concerned. But the fact remains-this woman i

long to find it out. I could have divorced her several times over, only the marriage was a secret and I didn't want my people to know. The last I heard of her was that her name was among the drowned on a wrecked liner goi

seeking sympathy; but Monck's face was masklike i

s nothing but a passing fancy. Heaven knows why I was fool enough to marry her, except that I had high-flown ideas of honour in those days, a

altered somewhat," observed

mistake." He was beginning to recover his balance, and there was even a hint of his customary complacence audible in his voice as he made the declaration. "But there is no reason to believe she will," he added. "She knows very well that she has nothing whatever to gai

disturbance about the affair at this stage. Matters had gone so far that silence was the only course-silence on his part, a judicious lie or two on the part of Monck. He d

stion was received was disquieting. He hastened to break it, divining

a comrade in a tight corner! I'd do the same for you and more. And remember, it

te, cuttingly distinct. "Yes," he said. "And her honour is worth about as much to you, apparently, as your

suasion dissolved into insolence. "And I am to

osed his fist under the other man's eyes. "You w

elf. "What do you mean? You would never

that concerns me is how to protect a woman's honour that you have dared to jeopardize, how to save her from open shame. It won't be an easy matter, but it can be done, and it shall be done. Now l

m in startled increduli

ng the mastery. "But if you imagine her safety can be secured without a sacrifice, you are wrong. Do you think I am going to stand tamely by and see an innocent woman dragg

to hush it up, and it will die a natural death. That she-devil will never take the trouble to follow me out here. Why shou

, she shall have it. That is why you will do this thing-disappear to-night, go out of her life for good, and let her think you dead. I will undertake then that

ght their eyes met as the eyes of men

s more terrible than words.

't do it. There is too much involved. Besides, it wou

ways and means, I have provided for them. It won't be difficult in this wilderness to cov

tioner. The paralysing spell was upon him again, constricting as a rope about his neck. But sacrif

o do it. Matters have gone too far. To all intents and purposes, Stella is my wife,

e realized the hopelessness of the venture. Monck made a single, swift movement, and in a moment the m

her-the sanctuary of widowhood-I will! After al

ce. "Going to murder

a terrible smile. "You

apprehension. "And-as you have foreseen-I shall not refuse under those circ

speaking between his teeth, but the revolver was concealed again in the folds of his g

about Monck at that moment a force that restrained him, compelled instinctive respect. Though he hated the man for his mastery, he could not despise him. For he knew that

y more weight than more personal championship. Monck was the one man of his acquaintance who had never displayed the smallest desire to compete for any woman's favour, who had never indeed shown himself to be drawn by any feminine attractions, and his sudden assumption of authority was the

d something more ardent, more living. Moreover, his nature demanded a certain meed of homage from the object of his desire, and undeniably this had been conspicuously lacking. Stella was evidently one to accept rather than to give, and there had been moments when this had slightly galled him. She seemed to him fundamentally incapable of any deep f

at might happen if he took the risk and remained. Emphatically he had no desire to face a personal reckoning at some future date with the she-devil who had been the bane of his existence. It was an unlikely contingency but undoubtedly it existed, and he hated unpleasantness of all kinds. So, phi

dly narrowed-a measuring, speculative look that comprehended his strength and registered the infallibility thereof wi

impenetrability. But he spoke no word in answer. He had said his say. Like a mantle he gathered his reserve abo