Part 39 (1/2)

”Not if it's left to you, old man You'd turn it into a tomb at once

Here, I've left you a drop Tip it off, and see if it'll put some pluck into you There, I've tried fair play and quiet; now it's got to be foul play and noise Give e'll do”

”Hist! What's that?”

Arthur needed no telling to be silent snatching the light from his companion, he reached over to the portmanteau and took out the two small revolvers, handed one to his companion, and whispered to hi Don't fire without you're obliged

I'll try the hammer first”

As he spoke he blew out the little la the door with his hand raised, ready to strike down the first who entered

Some minutes must have elapsed without further alarm, and the two men were ready to believe that the sharp snap they had heard must have co back after being strained by the application of the wedges that had been driven in

All at once, just as an attack was about to be made once more upon the way by which they had entered, and Arthur had taken a fresh rew rapidly, and dazzled their eyes, as they strove to make out whence it came, and stood ready once e door, but froreat safe, and as thewith fear and excitereat iron safe, a dull concussion, and the foot upward, his face ashy grey in the soft light, as the s bulk, there was a second spurt of smoke, and concussion, the wretched rew di out into utter darkness, while the silence was as that of the tomb

CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN

UNDER THE BEECHES

It was a lovelyMrs Ja-room, Marion took her sunshade and a book, to wander away across the lawn to the gate in the ring fence, and then along the path at the edge of the beech wood, ostensibly to find a seat in the shade of one of the great spreading trees, and have a calone a couple of hundred yards the fever in her blood and the throbbing of her temples told her that the idea of calm and rest was the entlemen for Paris, as they had said, as a relief froh, who rarely spoke but on the most commonplace topics, and was always coldly polite; but there were h that his intentions were unaltered, and that sooner of later he would again begin to make protestations of his love

Her position seemed harder than she could bear His wife hated her with a bitter, jealous hatred, but she was too much crushed down and afraid of her fierce lord to show her dislike h there were times when she seemed ready to break out into open reproach

”Oh, if I could only end it all!” thought Marion again and again ”Will Rob never break with thely; ”they would never let hih, and soht find peace

”No, he would never settle down to another life It is fate There is neither peace nor happiness now for me”

She had wandered on for quite ahot and wearied, she seated herself on one of the great gnarled mossy buttresses of a beech and leaned her head upon her hand, thinking of hihts, but still only in despair Then her thoughts turned once h, and, brave and firh her at the dread which oppressed her and set her heart throbbing wildly

What if this Parisian journey was only a ruse and Jaain awith her while her brother was not by her side?

The thought was horrible, and it grew hastly white from her eht ”He would have been watching for me, and be ready to read it as an invitation”

She looked round wildly, and started as a sharp tap was heard close at hand