The Red Redmaynes

literature in the world. It comprised all that interested him most in this life, and all that he needed to reconcile him to the approach of death and the

's snug aloft and below; then turn in. Leave only the light in the hall and

s. Pendean thought upon

ked up a clay pipe, wh

? You would not like me to lie in rea

son to the poor fellow. I reckon it's going to be all right. We know that he's had s

irst that she had come to give him up. But her eyes showed him that s

shoulders and pushed his

you are after very well. But it's up to her, I reckon, not me. She's gone her ow

Brendon must hear every word about to

d to her in the place of parent. Is it not so? She cannot live alone. She was not meant by God to be a single woman, or a widow

an heiress and claim the title and the

left with a great gesture, as tho

nd leisure to love. But now all is changed. The arrow has sped. There has come the spirit simpatica instead of the necessary rich woman. Now I do not want the rich woman but only she who

about her,

there is that in her eye

hat ab

ve been very good to me and Madonna loves you. It is certain that if the very best

try as well as mine, there's a right and a wrong way to approach a woman; and seeing my girl's a widow-made so und

en the fire in my eyes. I only d

all his dough-five hundred a year perhaps. But there's much more to her than that in the long run. My brother Albert and I are both old bachelors with nobody so near us as Jenny. In fact you may say that if all goes right

ng else weighs a mustard seed in the balance against it. If she were a pauper, or if she owned millions, my attitude of heart is not changed. I worship her with the whole of myself-so that there is not a cra

n on me," replied Redmayne. "But you've heard me now. You can sit on the safety valve for six months anyway; and it will probab

and be exquisitely cautious. Her sorrow shall be respected-from no

have a good deal more fire knea

alf sternly, half curiously at Bendigo. Then he

no reason why you should do otherwise. No more of

e tower room broke the silence; then Brendon emerged from his hiding-place and stret

d lies," he said. "

ent hi

think t

in your experience hit up against a m

not try to make the runni

I can answer that. Of course he'll make the ru

s. Pendean for many years; and no Englishman worthy of

whatever the amount of grief she feels, she's devili

sonal objection or distrust. Jenny's uncle did not apparently anticipate that she would live to regret such a second husband; while Mark, from a standpoint quite independent, honestly felt that one so volatile and strangely handsome might sooner or later cloud the young woman's life with tribulation. He knew the quality of his own l

ing, beyond and above any selfish and purely personal desire for happiness. Even Doria admitted that much probably, thou

returned to the subject of Robert Redmayne. The elder spoke the last word

order to save his own, then I stick by him and don't give him up while I can fight on his side. You'll tell me that I'll be in reach o

just lighted another pipe when there came the sound of feet ascending the stair; but it was no doubtful or cautious footfall that they heard. The ascending man neither hesitated

wiped the hair away from his forehead. He had evidently been o

k," he said. "I ha

pty tumbler across his table and th

s the matter? He'll be her

have seen and spoken with

ry sparingly to some sp

t roof of natural stone; and seeing me he remembered me and came and spoke a little. He was full of new fear and dread. He said that people had been hunting him and that even now men were hidden not far off to take him. I assured him it was not so and swore to him that you were alone and desired only to succour him. I used my best words and prayed him to come in swiftly and let me shut the outer gate and

s change in the situation. Then he lifted his voic

ight as you've heard. Doria has seen Bob, and he's frighten

nishment. His mind evidently ran backwa

e. "Then you heard my con

I wanted him to know what passed-and your love affairs are neither here nor there. He'l

peak, then shut it again, looked first at Bre

. "Shall I go out to t

"I'm here for one reason only, and that you know. You and

Italian appeared to

n be approached by boat. But there is a way also inside, that enables him to creep down into the cave from the cliffs behind it. He will be in this place until his brother comes, to-morrow night after twelve o'clock. But the way down from the land is hidden very carefully and he will not speak of that. You must go to him from the sea, my master. He thought it

ke a sane man?"

last gasp. He must have had mighty strength

discovered his presence in the great cupboard and then warned Robert Redmayne that he would not meet his brother alone? He dismissed the suspicion, ho

igo

I'm sorry we must wait till another night. We'll fetch out i

turned t

until I've seen the poor c

e done now until you have seen him and reported. It m

il with the unfortunate man I'll bring him off in the launch. Then we'll t

elf up to suppose that will be a possible line of defence. We're far more likely to get him off by proving a homicidal act under the influence of shell shock-and the

now," declared Doria. "He will come to

spare bunk in the spare room and you'll find all you want, barring a razor, in the bathroo

ng morning; then he retired and Bendigo, who found that he was hungry, des

lt moved at a situation so painful, but was glad enough to know that a few more hours would determine it. In his own mind he felt satisfied of the issue

e future she might be rich and possessed of far larger means than he could ever attain. He looked forward and perceived that opportunity would lie with him to enjoy some pr

ck." He only cared to see Jenny, who spent some time with him. It was from Brendon that she heard the facts in the morning when, much to her surprise, he appeare

ow no necessity for the contemplated man hunt and he let Inspector Damarell learn that the fugitive had been found and would probably surrender within four-and-twenty hours. He telephoned t

make a few mental notes of distances for the coming night. The raised beach, on which Robert Redmayne had been first spoken,

ur before the dusk had fallen. But he had nothing to report. He had found no cave where he expe

tinkled on the little beaches that here and there broke the cliff line. The tide was just making and midnight had struck when Bendigo Redmayne, in rough-weather kit, stum

an spok

rrible suspense," she said. "It has bee

Mrs. Pendean, and admired

en I can say that. There are worse things than death, Mr. Brendon, and you will presentl

so easily struck unreasoning regret into the he

lls you? Is he regarded here

sm

y a great gentleman and a man of natural fine feeling. Breeding and education are different

terest

owe him something, for he has a wonderful ar

portunities," said

o be kind, but he has no imagination and could rise to nothing higher than reading me passages f

hated feminine

sesses a quick sympathy and a sort of intuitio

nt and she as

is there antipathetic in his nature to you, and in yours to him? He doesn't like you either. Yet you both seem to me suc

no real reason existed-no reason, at any rate, that he might fairly declare. And yet he

r, Mrs. Pendean: I'm je

Brendon-what have

for many a long day to come. And yet to envy him is natural; and when you ask what I envy, I will be honest and tell you. Fate has given him the privilege of lightening the cruel burden placed upon your shoulders. His sympathy and intui

bert Redmayne. And, after all, what would success have amounted to? Only the capture of the unfortunate man a few months sooner. Now,

d for the Italian might easily ripen into love. He assured himself that he dreaded this for her, yet suspected all

g. Less than half an hour had passed, and Brendon hoped that Robert Redmayne had yielded to his brother's entreaty a

g just outside a small cave on the little beach before it. He cried out a strange welcome. He said, 'If any other lands but you, Ben, I will shoot him!' So the master shouted that he wa

the positio

s are to be found," he said. "I took Madonna there on an occasion

s of wonderful ornaments out

had gone to sea once more, while Jenny bade Mark good night and retired. She fel