The Shadow of the Rope

your faith to the

truth and be done with proud pretence. And indeed the pride had gone out of Rachel at sight of him; a delicious sense of safety filled her heart instead. She was as one drowning, and here was a strong swimmer come

in my faith to

f he turns round-if any one of them turns

hird and a fourth followed like shots

come away!" he wh

yards before a flicker o

udden tears of mortification and of weaknes

in these parts; and if you fall into their hands-well, it would be better f

ll with reluctance and irresolution; and once round the nearest corner, and out o

o?" she cried. "But

Steel, "can you not

as fate itself, and surely kinder than any fate which Rachel Minchin had yet met with in th

with the words one reason occurred to her.

particle of shame. My dear lady, I was

why

pride sit upon your common sense. Do you hear them now? That means the police, and when they're dispersed the

and widened in the night, then with a clatter the horse was pulled

g; in a hansom you can speak to the driver or attract the attention of any decent per

asked the cabman

is man's hands; resistance was at an end, and a reckless indifference to her fate the n

uringly as the trap-door slammed, "and you will find everything ready for you, beginning with something to eat. I, at all events, anticipated the

e," said Rac

otels. Your rooms are your castle-regular self-contained flat-and you needn't see another soul if you don't like

hel, roused a little from her apath

ou feel equal to it then, I shall crave an audience, and you shall hear what I have g

herself: "they can't know who I am, or they n

s also prepared and equipped for your emergency. As to their not knowing who you are at the

chel, "I ought to know w

d all the fascination of sharp contrasts-that very fascination which was Mr. Steel's. Rachel already discovered it in his face, and divined it in his character, without admitting to herself that there was any fascination at all. Yet otherwise she would have dropped rather than have done what she wa

d out neither; and to say the truth, even if she had not been friend

still new and dear to her; she had come back to the world with a vengeance, to a world o

realize her strange fortune at this stage, and she had to put

but I thought it would be time enough for us to quarrel about them in the morning. To-night you need rest and sustenance, but no excitement; of that God knows you have had enough! No one will come near you but the maid of whom I spoke; n

hel, "and I will

ll not suffer; nothing shall vex or trouble you, if I can help it, while you remain at this hotel. And this I guarantee-whether you like it or not-unless you tell them, not a single soul in the place shal

another moment Rachel was receiving the bows of powdered footmen in crimson plush, while

a table tastefully laid. Rachel remembered the dazzle of silver and the glare of napery, the hot plates, the sparkling wine, the hot-house fruit, and the deep embarrassment of sitting down to all this in solitary state. Mr. Steel had but peeped in to see that all was in accordance with his o

n, with a hot bottle at her feet, and a fire burning so brightly in the room that the brass bedstead seemed here and there red-hot, then the sound sleep that she sorely needed seemed further off than ever, for always she dreamt she was in prison and co

ection was so slow to come. Rachel might have been ill for days. She experienced the peace that is left by illness of sufficient gravity. But all she ailed was a slight headache, quickly removed by an inimitable cup of tea, that fortified her against the perplexing

all her things," cooed the girl, a

l owned, beginning to wond

sing your life, madame!" t

ould be something to have received so much kindness and attention, even though bought and paid for, from one of her own

ere drowned!" said she. And

outer door, which the maid answered

?" asked Rac

waiting for an answer. I think there i

turn away suspicion of one sort or another, and there was obvious design in the absence of an envelope.

the time,

see, m

glided ou

el

r to ten,

t, and let Mr. Steele be told that I shall