The Making of a Soul

es. Then Owen sprang from his seat and crossing the intervening spac

n, Barry! Say

shook the other man violently; and Barry

ink you're doing? What do you m

a lie!" His tone was dangerous. "How dare you say that

in kind. Any other man who calls me a liar has to go through it, and that's a fact. But as it's you, and as I know I'

r man turn cold; and when he replie

n't have understood rightly what you were trying to tell me. You said something just

he spoke made it still more di

ly with a cigarette as he spoke. "Miss Rees was

away?" Owen's voice was studiously self-controlled, but his hand sh

hat's t

false, has she? Married another fellow without troubling to let me know. Well, there's no more to be said, I suppose. I must make up my mind to be the l

en resumed in

men take to it, isn't it? They won't steal, as a rule-draw the line at murder, but they

erly; and his e

end. "A sixpenny wire-even a cable wouldn't have ruined her, would it? And it would have been

ather lamely. "Although it was kept pretty quiet here there were paragr

e off, and his eyes blazed suddenly "... look here, Barry, you know, and I know, that this woman has played a low-down trick on me. I thought her-well, no matter wh

chap, I'm aw

no further, for the other rai

ch person as Miss Rees-I mean Lady Saxonby-exists for me; and

a tactlessness born of mental discomfort, he asked a blundering question. "Wha

be very pleasant for a bit? Well, I daresay it won't, but thank God no one will dare to say much to me!" His jaw squared itself rather agg

d and faced him,

? But-

use one woman's turned me down no one else will care to risk her happiness with me! Well, of course my value is considerably d

s looked rather stern. "You don't want a girl to take you out of pi

ible. Oh, I daresay I'm taking it the wrong way, but it seems to me that there's only one thing for a man in my po

irl you meet, irrespective of love, or what are you going to do? I can understand your f

small, or she'd not have done this thing. If she'd asked me to release her, I'd have done it, and never have uttered a reproach. It's the heartlessness, the unnecessary cruelty of this that hurts me so. I loved her,

of revenge, as it w

ere'll be no revenge about it! Mayn't I marry and settle down like another man? I'll guarantee that the f

her?" Barry could not under

restlessly. "There's always some woman ready to enter a man's life when he throws the d

, won't you? I mean, you won't let any twopenny-halfpenny little chorus-girl, or .

ny," Owen reminded him quietly, "and I daresay a girl out of a shop woul

sented Barry hastil

n he had yet spoken. "All right, old man, I understand. You must fo

e off a

apter's started." He yawned ostentatiously. "Barry, I shall call upon your

awkwardly. "You see, she is so young-only just eighteen

door. "I must be off now, Barry-it's late, and I'

you won't stay here to-night?

rather get home. I've heaps of thin

rossed the hall, and Barry u

en you again." He gripped the younger man's ha

Owen. See y

and Barry went slowly back into his sitting-room, feeling curiously ti

ly, that his dislike was justified. "But I hope to goodness he doesn't go and do anything rash.

ressing-table stood a silver frame holding a photograph; an

would you! My God, I hope you don't! It would j

sful certainty that the original of the photograph was as true and straightforward as the pictur