CHAPTER XXI.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 13575, 6 December 1907, Page 6

CHAPTER XXI.

At Her Gates. Ralph was left after the departure of Dick to liis own troubled thoughts, and to his own devices. He was glad enough to see B&rea's back in the morning, and sincerely hopod that he would never see the fellow again. Nevertheless, he did not forget Dick's prophecy that Barca would return once more and that he was probably to be looked for that evening. It was getting towards dinner time when a somewhat mysterious telegram arrived from Cluirteris warning him that Barca was returning a little later, and that he was to be met in any way tbat Dick desired. In other words, whatever proposition, however audacious, be made to Ralph, was to bo acquiesced in without the slightest murmur. There was only one thing for it, ami that was to obey. If anybody could save him, Dick could. But it seemed a work if superfluous energy. What did anything matter ao long as Ralph was estranged from Enid ? She would never see him again, hor trust in him was gor.e for ever. In that respoct, Enid was a true Chartoris, with all tho strange fantastic jealousy of her race. Perhaps if Ralph had confessed to the Lingen episode in the beginning, all might have been well. "And yet it is a proper ending," Ralph told himself as he sat oxer a solitary dinner. "To think that if I had told Enid there would have been no tragedy. Still, I have to thank God that I shall not have to explain my despair to Enid. The more idea is terrible. Fancy her my wife! How could I have gono on day by day protending to be happy with this awful cloud banging over me? She woxilcl have found it out sooner or later, and then things would have been worse than ever." Ralph was seated alone in the din-ing-room. Ho had made some pretence of eating dinner and had come to tho wine ami fruit stage. He could not eat the fruit, without the sense of suffocation that more solid food gave him. Only two days before and ho had joyously revelled in tho artistic beauty of the old

room. Everything there had been a pride ami a glad delight to him. 1 Ho bad pictured it as perfect with the figure ot Enirl smiling at him from tho othor end of the table. And now it was as so much Dead Sea fruit. He pushed his plate away with a bitter sigh and reached for his cigarette case. Just for an instant he hesitated as to whether lie should take a further glass of wine, but he averted his eyes from the decanter. A certain solace lay in that direction; it was possible to drown sorrow and remorse there, but Ralph resolved he would not play the coward's part as yet. Sooner or later the crime would be discovered; at any moment old Joicey might enter with the news that the body of the murdered man had been found in the grounds. Then all the fuss and the bother and the ceaseless questions would bogin. And Ralph would not be able to deny that tlie corpse was unknown to him ; that would be too dangerous. If some enemy had planned the thing with a view to breaking down his reason, why the. scheme gave every promise of ultimate'success. Ralph pitched his cigarette aside and wan'dored restlessly from one ropm to another. The house was singularly quiet; outside hardly a breath of wind disturbed the serenity of tho perfect night. Tho .servants had finished their day's work and were relaxing in their own quarters ; Ualph had the house apparently to himself. lie stood in the great hall undecided what next to do; the full light of the moon shone through the latticed^wmdows. It looked vory cool and restful and inviting outside. To be out in the open air was better than this, Ralph decided. He looked for a cap, but none was to bo seen in the hall. There was one in Ralph's cliningrooin. He passed up the stairs;, the moon flooded the corridor with light. How wonderfully still and silent it was ! And then the silence was broken by a long-drawn groan. • Ralph started, his heart beating violently. He could not credit the note of pain to his heated imagination. The groan. came once more, followed by a kind of yawn, and then it stopped altogether, not to be heard again. Ralph wondered where the sound came from ; it was so difficult to locate sound in the dark. Finally, he decided that it came from the attics at the top of the house. On an old oak chest stood a pair of silver candlesticks. Ralph lighted one of them, and proceeded to investigate. Most of the attics were empty save the largest one, which seemed to be crammed with furniture. Barca had declared that there were enough treasures of sorts here to furnish the house over again, and he appeared not to have exaggerated. Scores of carpets lay neatly folded, even from the backs of them Ralph could guess at their value. He must thoroughly overhaul this when he had time. Meanwhile, it was quite certain that that strange moan of pain had not come from here. Perhaps it had been imagination after all ; perhaps Ralph's heated brain had magnified the \belated bleat of a lamb outside into something eloquent of tragedy. With an impatient intolerance of his own fancy, -he put down the candle and walkqd int© the garden. It was still quite eaj#, no.fe mnci. past nine, and he walked qn and ion until he came to the gate of Charteris Park. He wondered what Enid was doing now, what she was thinking of him- Did she care much, or had she already succeeded in putting him out of her mind ? A desire to know possessed Ralph; he turned into the drive until he came to the house. Beyond the lawn he could see the line of shaded lamps in the drawing-room. | Enid was playing some dreamy melody, i He could just catch the flutter of her white dress as she sat at the piano. What a picture of refined domestic English life it was! how suggestive of happiness! Ralph was still debating over this point when a hand gripped his arm. (To be continue<l.)