The Man Who Rose Again

e had promised to go. They spoke but little on these occasions, nevertheless it was evident that each found the other very interesting. It was noticed, moreover, that Leicester was less

emed to be little interested in the society of others, there cou

nded to do. True to their promise, they said nothing about the compact which they had made, and while some of Leicester's friends thought he would be a suitor for Miss Castlemaine's hand, others were just as certain tha

ked at them in a way that, to say the least, did not encourage them. When he happened to meet Olive Castlemaine, he w

received no invitation, neither did he know whether he would find her in the house. Nevertheless he went. During his journey there, he seemed in deep thought. At the railway stat

to The Beeches, and then he rose in the carriage and walked betwe

e miserable--? No, no-not that!" He set his teeth firmly together as he spoke. "No, no-not

ot be refused. If she says no a hundred times, I'll ask

ly Radford Leicester was in a stern mood, and

nd looked around him. Only a very few people had come by the train; the time was yet too early for

e said to himself, "and if she

passing. He did not realise that, instead of busy streets and tall buildings, there were lanes and quiet meadows. He did not notice that the speculating builder had not been allowed to ruin a pleasant neighbourhood, and that although he was not many miles distant from the heart of London, the district was suggestive of a country village. Yet so it was. J

name. Once inside the lodge gates, it was difficult to believe that London, with its surging life, lay in the near distance. An atmosphere of res

to see anything. Now, however, all was different. It was true the time was late autumn, and many of the trees were denuded of leaves; but the sun shone brilliantly, and the autumn flowers gleamed in the sunlight. He noticed, too, the air of stately repose which characterised the house; he was impressed by the extensive lawns, and the gnarled old trees

e Beeches, that the man had treated him with marked respect.

. He was not sure whether the one he had come to see might be disposed to see him

emaine at hom

, s

ss Castlema

s,

m again, and took his car

and then Leicester, having dismissed the c

much of his time. When the servant left him, and he looked around the room into which he had been shown, he felt like a man in a dream. It seemed to him as though he had entered a new world. The air o

had seen her on other occasions, more girlish, more than ever a child of nature. He preferred to see her in this way. It had always seemed to him that women appeared at their worst in the attire which society demands for evening functions. It gave the impression of

stlemaine," he said. "I have called this afternoon on

ct that Leicester's mocking, cynical manner was gone. The flash of h

with a laugh. "I hope you h

you will regard it," he said, "bu

t to give a subscription to some charity whi

e to ask you to listen to me

her feel somewhat uncomfortable. She realised that it was some

d, "and, what is more, I am at a loss to co

ill hear me o

have I?" she said

," he said. "I want to speak ab

fluttering; but s

had better sit

ontinued standing. He laid his hat and gloves on a

years," he said, "but when I have been, I have

e and earnest eyes gave no suggestion of the cynical faithlessness which characterised him at their first meeting. She felt as

a man without faith in man, or in God, and what you have heard is in the main true. Not altogether, but in the main. I am not what i

icester," she said, "I am not a believer in confession

se. Believe me, I did not come here lightly, neither am I speaking meaningless words. This afternoo

he did not know it, bending her will to his. On the other hand, she was exerc

of life as a whole; but that is not often. That is no wonder. I was brought up to believe that there was no God. I was trained to distrust every one, and to look for evil

ile there, my father's training was confirmed, accentuated. I suppose I had abilities, and was informed when I took my degree

ster," said Olive,

I might not be brought into contact with them. You will naturally ask, if you are interested in me at all, what I have lived for, I quite realise that every man must have some motive power in life, some driving-force, and I have had mine. It is very poor, very mean in your eyes, no doubt; but I will tell the truth. My driving-power has been ambition. Rightly or wrongly, many who know me believe I have gifts above the ordinary; they have told me th

ds the window; then he returned and, leaning

have wanted to believe that we are not the playthings of a blind chance, and that what we call disorder and discord are but the preludes to a divine Harmony. With that longing has come another and this is a selfish longing. It is to play something like a worthy part on the st

the only person worth talking about; so please forgive me. But do not mistake me. I do not pose as a good man, or a worthy man. I still doubt whether such exists; but there are time

Olive Castlemaine sat, scarcely realising the true condition of affairs,

the reason for this," he went on, "nevert

ed up like

. Leic

in your goodness. I have not learnt to believe in women, but I believe

ice, but his face was, if possible, paler than usua

nk that I shall ever become a pattern man. Even now I have no stron

indow and looked out over the stretch of lawn and park-land. But he did not remain there. When he came back aga

nes which she had never heard before. "I love you so, that-that with you by my side, I feel I could

did not know why she did this, only it see

ter took a ste

must, you must! You must not withhold it. Good God! you do not know what th

come pale, and although the look in her ey

a hardened man, a hardened sinner, if you like. I make no boasts, no

ble kind of women that could be carried away by wild assault. She looked up at him steadi

all that, and I have realised my madness in coming to you; but I am a desperate man. No, no, do not think I have been simply attracted by a beautiful face. I have been seeing beautiful faces any time these last ten years; it's not that. It's you, you. I love you, I tell you, and if you cannot love me I shall go into a blacker hell than I have yet known, and I shall go th

d effeminate beside him. His very cynicism, his faithlessness seemed to her but as an expression of a strong nature, which was dissatisfied with conventions and a weak assent to commonly accepted beliefs. It is true she had seen his weakness, she had heard him express the purposelessness of his life

w. He was a strong man, and she instinctively felt that in him were the possibilities of greatness and of goodness. She believed, too, that she could be the means of translating those

you have heard about me,

rha

ould know. Even then he determined that if either of the men who were parties to the shameful compact, should divulge the secret he would make their lives a hell. For Radford Leicester was not making love to gain a wager. A passion to which he had hitherto been a strang

re for that

care f

what you call a g

not

ould infl

influence

in all you

even if I loved a bad man, I would crush that

d him like a poisoned arrow. This woman had disproved his creed by a single sentence. For he knew that she meant it. There was no weak, faltering hesitancy in her words. The flash of her

s slipping under his feet,

, "there is something el