Part 35 (1/2)

In a dream, a vision, or perchance in truth--which they never knew--they were drawn to the world that they had left, and the reek of its sins and miseries pierced them like a spear

They stood in the streets of London near to a certain fantastic gateway that was faateway of ”The Gardens” Fro, for the season was that of sue She was finely dressed, dark and handsoirl Bess Catton, who alone could control her son in his rages and whom she had dismissed for her bad conduct She entered the place and they entered with her, although she saw them not Bess sat down, and presently aand spoke to her He was a tallinto his heart, they saw that it was stained with evil The soul within him lay asleep, wrapped round with the webs of sin Thisto have a merry supper, Bess Coh,” she answered, ”for I'rand life; it's too respectable But suppose that Anthony ca He's my lawful spouse, you know We had words and I told hiet your ood old tiht I'm not afraid of Anthony, never was, but others are Well, it's your look-out”

She ith the man to a pavilion where food was served, and accompanied him to a room separated by curtains from the main hall It had open hich looked out on to the illu In this rooaudily dressed and painted, and with the drawn into evil for the first tirieved for him

These welcomed the woman Bess and her companion noisily, and made rooan, a costly reat deal was drunk The revellers grew excited ine; they made jests and told doubtful stories

Barbara's son Anthony entered unobserved and stood with his back against the curtains He was a man now, tall, powerful, and in his way handsoht Bess to the supper threw his arhed and the others laughed also

Anthony sprang forward The table was overthrown He seized the man and shook hih the opento the path below For a few seconds the man lay there, then rose and ran till presently he vanished beneath the shadow of some trees There was tumult and confusion in the room; servants rushed in, and one of the men, he who seemed to be the host, talked with thean to revile her husband

He took her by the arh the , or will you co in his face that ether

The scene changed Barbara knew that now she saw her Aunt Tho-room where she had parted from Mr

Russell, her son and his wife stood face to face

”How dare you?” she gasped through her set lips, glaring at him with fierce eyes

”How dare _you?_” he answered ”Did I , my name, the wealth my old aunt left to me; you, you the peasant's child, the evil woman whom I tried to lift up because I loved you from the first”

”Then you were a fool for your pains, for such as I can't be lifted up”

”And you,” he went on, unheeding, ”go back to your mire and the herd of your felloine You ask me how I dare Go on with these ways, and I tell you I'll dare a good deal more before I've done I'll be rid of you if Ifor it”

”You can't be rid of ainst me since I married Do you think I want to be such a one as that rave----”

”You'd best leave my mother out of it, or by the devil that made you I'll send you after her Keep her naood did she ever do you? She pretended to be such a saint, but she hated you, and s what you were Why she even died to be rid of you Oh, I know all about it, and you told me as much yourself If my child is ever born I hope for your sake it will be such another as you are, or as I alare of hate she rushed from the room

On a table near the fireplace stood spirits The maddened husband went to them, filled a tumbler half full with brandy, added a little water and drank it off

He poured an to think To Barbara histhere What she saere such thoughts as these: ”My only coo, whatever else I did, I never touched drink I swore to my mother that I never would, and had she been alive to-day---- But Bess always liked her glass, and drinking alone is no co would have been different, for I outgrew the bad fit and ht have becoain by chance, and she had the old hold on me, and there was none to keep me back, and she kne to play her fish until I married her The old aunt never found it out If she had I shouldn't have 8,000 pounds a year to-day I lied to her about that, and I wonder what she thinks of one I wonder what ood h nobody see that they could seethat they could have been at that supper party and witnessed the conjugal intervieeen al wife, ould they think? Well, they are dead and can't, for the dead don't come back The dead are just a few double handfuls of dirt, no , I thank God for it, or rather I would if there were a God to thank Here's to the coAmen”