A Knight of the Nineteenth Century

fe came to the door and found it locked. To her appeal

and to her friend, his mother. She feared that the latter would blame her somewhat for his miserable fiasco, and she fully believed

r husband in his present mood, or to hope that he could be

ad merely learned, the previous evening, that Haldane had been sent to New York upon some errand. Acting upon the supposition that her husband

wit with Laura concerning her "magnificent offer," and asserted that if she had been "like his wife, she would have jumped at the chance of getting hold of such a crude, unreformed specimen of h

that came to hand thrown at her with heedless, inconsiderate force. It is due Mr. Arnot to say that he gave so little thought and attention to the wounds and bruises he caused, as to be unaware that a

ar worse, there had been a most serious irregularity in the business routine. While, therefore, he resolved that Haldane should receiv

etermined not to see her until he had carried out his plan of securing repayment of the money, and of strik

pt watch and guard during the remainder of the night, taking o

arrangement the windows of Haldane's apartment and every entrance of the house were under the surveillance of police officers in citizen's dress. Mr. Arnot's own personal pride, as well as some regard for his wife's feelings, led him to arrange that the arrest should not be made at the

er the influence of stupor. He now returned the key to the door, and unlocked it so that Haldane could pass out as soon as he was able. Then, after taking a little refreshment in the dining-room, he went directly to the residence of a police justice of his acquaintance, who, on hearin

the "best policy" in their relations with him, Mr. Arnot walked leisurely to one of his factories in the suburbs, partly to see that all was right, and

save Pat M'Cabe, who had just finished putting the place in order for the business of the day. His factotum was in mortal trepidation, for in coming across town he had eagerly bought the morn

ck to the spalpeen, and worse luck to meself! 'Intilligent Irishman,' am I? Then what kind o' a crather would one be as had no sinse a' tall? Here I've bin thr

ot reading the paper with a darkening scowl; but for

a policeman, who was summoned to the inner office, a

een the morning paper was speedily called to the ominous paragraph. But the routine and discipline of the office prevailed

s over, and march him off, with Haldane, to jail; and he was in such a state of nervous apprehensi

luded everything which would suggest morbid or gloomy thoughts. It was Mrs. Arnot's philosophy that outward surroundings impart their coloring to the mind, and are a help or a hindrance. She was a disciple of the light, and was well aware that she must resolutely dwell in its full effulgence in order to escape from the blighting shadow of a life-long disappointment.

night, age, or sorrow-rested upon him. His hair hung in disorder over a brow which was contracted into a frown. His naturally fine features had a heavy, bloated, sen

by starts, strong shudderings, and muttered words-were ineffectual. At last, in desperation, as it were, the tortured soul, poisoned even in its imaginings by the

later the fighting ground of all the vile vermin of the night with their uncanny noises-as when, the doors and windows having been at last opened, the light struggles in through stale tobacco-smoke, revealing dimly a discolored, reeking place, whose sights and odors are more in harmony wit

as only a dream, but while his waking banished the uncouth shapes of the imagination, hi

dreary obscurity of suffering, distinct causes of trouble and fear began to shape themselves. There was a mingled sense of misf

ught, at some hour during the night, to the house of his stern and exacting employer. Haldane dismissed the thought of him with a reckless oath; but his face d

r, at least, must kno

ed out a little water. Having bathed his hot, feverish fac

d both himself and what she regarded as "his disgusting vices," and so disgusting did his ev

ars of his employer's funds intrusted to his care. He remembered that he was introduced to two fascinating strangers, that they drank and lunched together, that they missed the train, that t

ecome of t

searched his pockets. Both the

and felt the ground crumbling beneath him. First came a mad impulse to fly, to escape and hide himself; and he h

his employer, tell the whole truth, and make such reparation as was within his power. He kne

he wretched affair might be so arranged as to be kept hidden from the world. As f

oor from shame under their reproachful eyes. Would they be up yet? He looked at his watch; it had run down, and its mot

o human beings whom he dreaded more than the whole mocking w

n that seems to be watchi

of guilt which led him to suspect

teeth; and, opening the door, he hastened from the hou