Part 12 (1/2)
Luckily, the happy moment has not yet comeand I do not think it is like to We appear to have arrived”
They were standing outside one of the tall houses where Fortescue lodged He turned and grasped his friend's shoulders
”Tracy, give up this mad life you lead! Give up the wo; for one day, believe me, you will overstep yourself and be ruined!”
The Duke disengaged hi man-handled in the street,” he complained ”I suppose you still mean well You should strive to conquer the tendency”
”I wonder if you kno insolent is your tone, Belmanoir?” asked Fortescue steadily
”Naturally I should not have attained such perfection in the art else But pray accept ive me an I do not avail myself of it, I ahed the other ”If you will not try the straight and narroay, I can only hope that you will fall very deeply and very honestly in love; and that the lady will save you from yourself”
”I will inform you of it when it coht!”
”Good-night!” Frank returned the loith a curt nod ”I shall see you to-at the Baths?”
”Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof,” was the s rejoinder ”Sleep soundly, Frank!” He waved an ironic farewell and crossed the road to his own lodgings, which stood almost directly opposite
”And I suppose you will sleep as soundly as if you had not a stain on your conscience and had not tried your utterard of the only friend you possess,”
remarked Frank bitterly to the darkness ”damn you, Tracy, for the villain you are!” He walked up the steps to his own front door and turned the key in the lock He looked over his shoulder as a door slammed across the street ”Poor Devil!” he said ”Oh, you poor Devil!”
CHAPTER VIII
THE BITER BIT
WITH John Carstares the winter had passed quite uneventfully He continued his highway robbery, but he made two bad blundersnot froentle chariot, which he found to contain two ladies, their maid and their jewels, and the second when the occupant of a large travelling coach chanced to be an old gentleth On the first occasion my lord's dismay had been ludicrous, and he had hastily retired after tendering a nive apology The old gentleallantly that he had impulsively offered him the butt end of one of his pistols The old man was so surprised that he allowed the weapon to fall to the ground, where it exploded quite har up a cloud of dust and sed his pardon most humbly, assisted him back into his coach, and rode off before the astonished Mr
Dunbar had ti was not carried out in a very scientifichimself to terrorise wo and the ht for the possession of his jewels His challenge was pro sense of hus in the offer He had been speedily worsted, but Carstares was so pleased with a particularly neat thrust which he had executed, that he forwent half the booty, and the pair of them divided the contents of the jewel-box by the roadside, the sporting gentle Jack the surplus They parted on the very best of terot out of the episode was a little sword practice and a few trinkets
When day ca the west side of Sussex, beyond Midhurst, not because he thought it a profitable part, but because he knew and loved the country One late afternoon towards the end of the es that nestle ast the Downs, and e Inn, where he drew rein and dised ostler hobbled out of a side door, chewing an inevitable straw, and after eyeing the newcoth of time, evidently decided that they orthy of his attention, for he ca that it had been a pleasant day
Carstares agreed with him, and volunteered the information that it would be another fine day to-morrow, if the sunset were to be trusted To this the ostler replied that he, for one, never trusted to no red sunsets, and added darkly that there warn't nothing so deceitful to hisHe'd known it be such a red sunset as never was, and yet be a-pouring with rain all next dayShould he take the mare?
Carstares shook his head
”No, I thank you I reheh, Jenny?”
”Water, sir?”
”For her, yes For myself I fancy a tankard of your home-brewed ale Stand, Jenny!” He turned away and walked up the steps to the inn door
”Be you a-going to leave her there, sira-standing all by herself?” inquired the h”
”Well! See to leave a hossand a skittish hoss at thata-standing loose in the road Ye won't be tying her to a post, master?”
Carstares leaned his arms on the balustrade and looked down at them
”I will not She'd be very hurt at such treatment, wouldn't you, lass?”
Jenny tossed her head playfully, as if in agree from her to my lord: ”A' to her, sir!”
”Of course she understands! Don't I tell you 'tis a clever little lady? If I call her now she'll come up these steps to me, and not all the ostlers in Christendoed the old”She must be uncommon fond o' ye?”
”She'd be a deal fonder of you if you'd fetch her a drink,” hinted Jack broadly
”Ay, sir! I be a-going this werry instant!” And with lance over his shoulder at the perfectly quiet h an open doorway into the yard
When Carstares, tankard of ale in hand, eed from the inn and sat hiainst the wall, thethirstily from a bucket which the ancient one held for her
”'Tis a wunnerful fine th, after a careful inspection of her points
Carstares nodded pleasantly, and surveyed Jenny through half-shut eyes
”I think so every tiet a bit of a pace on her, sir? Mebbe ye've tried her racing?”
”No, she wasn't brought up to that But she's fast enough”
”Ay, sir No vices?”
”Lord, no!”
”Don't kick neither?”
”Not with me”
”Ah! they allus knoho'll stand it and on't”