For the Term of His Natural Life

med him at the door. Two naval gentlemen came out of the coffee-room to stare at him. "Have you any more luggage, Mr. Devine?" asked the landlord, as he fl

beneath the marble mantelshelf. The latest evening paper lay upon a chair; and, brushing it c

said she, "you did not expec

aborate speech wherewith to greet her, this unnatura

sure." He advanced to the table mechanically. "But how fat you are!" she continued. "Too good living, I suppose. You were not so fat at Port Ar--Oh, I forgot, my dear! Come and sit do

a constable. Let us understand one another, my dear. You may be a very great man to other people, but to me you a

ant to desert you. Upon my word. I

yet, Jack-I mean Richard. Have your

s from her hand, drank the contents, and then, as though warmed by the spirit

ain," said she, with sudden passi

, Sa

compliment seemed to soothe her, for her tone changed somewhat. "It was a wicked, cruel act,

you no shame then? Have you no pity for me

ppose you c

Rex-bah! the door is shut close enough-that I have spent a fortune in hunt

ut uneasily. "How d

ng-case, which was on the side table, and took from it a newspaper. "By one of those strange accidents whic

t represented a broad-shouldered, bearded man, dressed in the fashion affected by turfites and lovers of horse-flesh, standing

INE, THE LEVIAT

recogni

nd that Mr. Richard Devine had suddenly returned from a mysterious absence of fourteen

n finding me out; I giv

ut of my house until now. I know your continental trips, your journeyings here and there in search of a lost clue. I pieced together the puzz

Rex. "Since when have you

ow, Jack. I have communicated with the woman whose son's fortune y

d when y

he fortune at the pr

o! Wil

t come back and live with me qu

ve you, idiot?" he cried. "I'll hav

oke, "that you have already acknowledged me as your wife before the landlord and the servants. It is too

. "Listen, Sarah. What is the use of fight

escaped you if I could, I admit. You have found me out. I accept the position. You claim me as your husband. You say you are Mrs. Richard Devine. Very well, I admit it. You have all your life wanted to be a great lady. Now is your chance!" Much as she had cause to hate him, well as she knew his treacherous and ungrateful character, little as she had reason to trust him, her strange and distempered affection for the scoundrel came upon her again with gathering strength. As she sat beside him, listening to the familiar tones of the voice she had learned to love, greedily drinking in the promise of a future fidelity which she was well aware was made but to be broken, her memory recalled the past days of trust and happiness, and her woman's fancy once more invested the selfish villain she had recla

"I wish I had," said he; "it would have saved me many re

meal was concluded, and the two sat down to consider their im

w s

ed me; and I fear I have not played my cards well with Lady Devine. When they find I have a mysterious wife their di

d all these years. Really," she added, with a laugh, "the male intellect is very dull. You have a

do you

t? I am the daughter of a poor clergyman of the Church of England; name-anything you please-and you met me-where shall we say? Baden, Aix, Brussels? Cross the Alps

a laugh, which her anxious glance at him belied. "

he impatiently

inaries, you take me up to London and int

ed. "A b

st do it; I have arranged for your doing it. The waiters here all know me as your wife. There is not

er woman while you were alive-had I even seen one I would have ca

e 'something' would have been a letter from me telling her who you really are. Now you have proved obedient, the 'something' will be a begging letter o

in genuine admiration. "By Jove, this is something l

recalling her honeymoon. "That was an unlucky name, wasn't it, dear? You should have taken my advice there." And immersed in

by you, then," he

at time you must turn into cash as much property as you dare. We will then go abroad for the 'season'-and stop there. After a year or so on the Continent you can write to our agent to sell more property; and, finally, when we are rega

cellent plan. I like the idea of th

particulars of this man's life. He w

s weren't numerous, and if the old lady had been half sharp she would have bowled me out. But the fact was she wanted to find the fellow alive, and was will

ed that you follo

es

on the bell. "What are you go

your servants to have the house in London prepared for yo

angry gesture. "This is all devilish

ot go on with this business at all, un

euce am I t

d a year. Come back to Australia with me, and let these poor people enjoy their own ag

p half a million of money, and go

tele

my d

ere's th

ugh he had succeeded in recalling her affecti