Part 13 (1/2)

He juht now sent a chill of horror through hi which had taken place showed itself in another light

”To get rid of athered on his face, ”and--the last thing I remember--Marion--her head fallen upon the couch beside her brother, helpless now to protect her--drugged, insensible, at thea hand”

So in the hall reaching down his hat, and for aof compunction Isabel--his sister--ould they think of his strange, base infatuation?

”What they will,” he said between his teeth ”Placed in such circumstances, no man could be ain;” and the door closed after him loudly, as, halfto lure hiht

”Whither?” he muttered, as he hurried across the Square ”Heaven help me! it is my fate”

CHAPTER NINE

A BLACKER CLOUD IN FRONT

The nearest church clock was striking three as Chester passed into the great west-end artery, which was al rapidly, under the influence of his strange excitement, for some minutes before, clear as his head was now, he found hiht up short by a mental cloud as black and dense as that froan to recover fro he had taken

But there was this difference: the dense obscurity then was relating to the past--this was connected with the future

”Good heavens!” hestill; I aerto do?--To try to save her, for she is at his hast at the horror which encompassed him as he felt that he was utterly helpless

Hoas he to save Marion? How take the place of the brother who had defended her and fallen? Where was she?

In the great wilderness of houses which rown city in which he dwelt, where was the one he sought?

Utterly dazed, he stood trying to think out in which direction it lay, andof utter helplessness increased

He had not taken the slightest note of the direction in which the carriage was driven that night, for he had sat listening to his excited co at the way in which he was influenced by her presence

The carriage, he did remember, was driven very fast, but it must have been at least a quarter of an hour before it was drawn up at the kerb before the old-fashi+oned mansion

Yes, he did note that old-fashi+oned mansion, in a wide street, too--it reat a distance between the kerb and the two steps up from the pavement; and the house stood back, too, so, but a chill of despair came over him as he felt that these features applied to thousands of houses

Still, it was old-fashi+oned, and the hall ide, just such a house as he would find in Bloomsbury

”Or Westminster,” he muttered ”But the cabman was told to drive to Chelsea A blind to confuse ht there that night

”Bloomsbury or Westminster,” he said to himself; ”and chance or instinct may help me,” he mused, as, feeble as was the clue, he felt that it was soht deaden the wild excitement He set off at once in the direction of the old-fashi+oned, gri streets half aa passing cab, for he felt faint and bathed in a cold perspiration, and being driven slowly through street and square till long after daylight, and then ho which came over him

”It's hopeless--impossible,” he said to himself, as he wearily let himself in with his latch-key, while the cabo Talk about seeing life, I think we kebbies do