The Slave of Silence

ty of the people there. Of course nobody in that brilliant throng had the least idea of the bride's feelings in the matter, most of them were privileged guests for the reception

a strange uneasiness that might have been taken for disappointment rather than regret. Perhaps it partook of both. Somebody a little more thoughtful t

altar steps in the direction of Mark, who advanced now without further opposition. Beatrice stood there wi

t my father was

as been dead for hours. I came on here as

going to say that he had hurried there in the hopes of being in time to stop the ceremony. And Beatrice had divined it, for she flushed slightly. It seemed a terrible thing, but already she had asked herself the same question. The shock of her father's death had n

e ought to do some

por. She was ready for action. It was as if a

t is wrong to stand here.

es, whilst Beatrice, with all her wedding finery about her, clutched Mark by the arm and hurried him down the aisle. The

d exclaimed. "Surely

to the Royal Palace Hotel. The story had got about by this time; people stopped to stare at the man in

ee my father, after

-day when I awoke to find Sir Charles had not left his room. I ventured to suggest that he had better be roused o

suffered so terribly, lately, that she could not cry. The horrible doubt as to whether she

sleep, I suppose

ed. Nobody seems to have been in the bedroom, though the sitting-room adjoini

ar thing, Mark! Do you mean to say it was the sa

ve not told anybody but you, and it seems to me th

e. She must have been known to Sir Charles or she would never have ventured into his sitting-room. If she was still staying in the hotel, Beatrice made up her mind to seek her out. There

ough the stained-glass windows, and shone upon the silver and glass and red glow of wine, and on the gold foil of the champagne bottles. In the centre of the table stood a great white tower that

ed Beatrice to the soul. No guests were here now-they were not likely to be. A

u," Mark said. "He wants to

ly. "I should like to see the doctor. I suppos

ice to take. To her great surprise she found that she was hungry. Breakfast she had had none; now that the crisis had passed

the unfortunate occasion, but when he had been called in, Sir Charle

n to be quite sure of

t. Sir Charles was quite stiff and cold. I should say that he

doctor hesitated and his

death was caused by natural means, at least I see no reason at present to believe anything to the contrary. Indeed, if any d

tleman was not actually concealing something, he

my father, if I may,"

he door softly behind the girl. His face was a lit

about the case which frankly I don't like. There was no occasion to lacerate Miss Darryll's feelings und

had been overcome with a sudden illness or fatigue. The handsome boyish features were quite composed; there was a smile on the lips, and yet the expression on the face was one of pain. Sir Charles appeared to have died as he had lived-gay, careless, and easy

een a good father to her in the days before he had dissipated his fortune and started out with

d, but there was no mistaking the grey paper. If there was anything wrong here, perhaps the telegram would throw a light on it. Beatrice picked up the message

d have known? And yet the date and the day! W

tly left the room. Some time had elapsed since Beatrice entered the hotel, but as yet the man she called her husband had not

ead upstairs. Mark, my woman is here somewhere. Will you try and find her and send her to Lady Rashborough for something black

ntered before Stephen Richford drove up. He looked anxious and white and sullen withal, and he favoured Mark with a

this fashion," he said hoarsely. It seemed to Mark that he had found time to drink s

k said. "This is a very unfor

with an assumption of indiffer

ry great attention to the question of his health. In fact, Sir Charles had gone it steadily.

r is satisfied," Mark said sign

red. "Nothing more than a twinge of