Part 60 (1/2)

Very slowly and with obvious effort Lionel turned his head to the right, and his dull eyes went beyond Sir John and made quest in the ranks of those that stood about him

”Oliver?” he said in a hoarse whisper ”Where is Oliver?”

”There is not the need to distress you” Sir John was beginning, when Lionel interrupted him

”Wait!” he commanded in a louder tone ”Is Oliver safe?”

”I am here,” said Sir Oliver's deep voice, and those who stood between hiht cease froup a little

Then he sank back again slowly against Sir John's breast

”God has been merciful to me a sinner,” he said, ”since He accords h it be”

Then he struggled up again, and held out his ar cry ”Noll! My brother! Forgive!”

Oliver advanced, none hindering until, with his hands still pinioned behind hi there above his brother, so tall that his turban brushed the low ceiling of the cabin His countenance was stern and griive?” he asked Lionel struggled to answer, and sank back again into Sir John's ar for breath; there was a trace of blood-stained foam about his lips

”Speak! Oh, speak, in God's name!” Rosa with agony

He looked at her, and smiled faintly ”Never fear,” he whispered, ”I shall speak God has spared rew I am the the vilest of men It it was I who killed Peter Godolphin”

”My God!” groaned Sir John, whilst Lord Henry drew a sharp breath of dismay and realization

”Ah, but that is not ht, and in self-defence I slew hi fair My sin came afterwards When suspicion fell on Oliver, I nourished itOliver knew the deed was ht screen ht become known for all that and and I was jealous of him, and and I had hi voice trailed away into silence A cough shook him, and the faint criain, and lay there panting, his fingers plucking at the coverlet

”Tell theht for Sir Oliver's life kept her mind cool and steady and directed towards essentials, ”tell them the nah, the skipper of the S,” he answered, whereupon she flashed upon Lord Henry a look that contained a gleam of triumph for all that her face was ashen and her lips tre man, relentlessly almost in her determination to extract all vital truth from him ere he fell silent

”Tell them,” she bade hiht to the Silver Heron”

”Nay, there is no need to harass hih already May God forgive us our blindness, Killigrew!”

Sir John bowed his head in silence over Lionel

”Is it you, Sir John?” whispered the dying h faintly, then checked ”I aer, obeying the last flicker of his shrinking will ”Noll! I a! II have ive ht

”I should have given it you ere this but that my wrists are bound,”

cried Oliver in a sudden frenzy And then exerting that colossal strength of his, he suddenly snapped the cords that pinioned hiht his brother's extended hand, and dropped upon his knees beside him ”LionelBoy!” he cried It was as if all that had befallen in the last five years had been wiped out of existence His fierce relentless hatred of his half-brother, his burning sense of wrong, his parching thirst for vengeance, becaotten More, it was as if they had never been

Lionel in that ain the weak, couarded, and for hen the hour arrived he had sacrificed his good name, and the woman he loved, and placed his life itself in jeopardy