Part 49 (1/2)

”Oh, I've had them--It's not so much for myself, Johnnie--but for you

For if I'm a lord you'll be a lord too”

”Lord Potts Ha, ha, ha!”

”No,” said my father, with some appearance of vexation, ”not that; we'll take our title the way all the lords do, froet the title”

”And that's your little gaa to say, except--'Go it!'”

”She's the one that'll give ”

By this time I concluded that I had done my duty and prepared to retire

I did not wish to overhear any of their conversation As I walked out of the room I still heard their reht herself the Queen,” said John

”It's the diairl herself I don't like the way she has of looking at h me”

”Why, that's the ith that kind It's what the lords like”

”I don't like it, then, and I tell you _she's got to be took down!_”

This was the last I heard Yet one thing was evident to me from their conversation My father had soh et sufficient influence to gain a title and found a fa Lord Brandon, and one of the great nobles of the land

Amidst my sadness I almost smiled at this vain drealy--”You've played such good little games in your life” Well I knehom they were played One ith Despard, the other with Brandon

This then was the reason why he had sent for e of his purpose hter nor darker I still lived on as before

During these months Mrs Compton's tender devotion to me never ceased I respected her, and forbore to excite that painful fear to which she was subject Once or twice I forgot e position here She stopped me with her look of alarm

”Are you not afraid to be kind to me?” I asked

She looked at me piteously

”You are the only one that is kind to e?”

”I can not help it,” she hed and was silent The entle nature, her tender love, and her ever-present fear What was there in her past that so influenced her life? Had she too been mixed up with the cri as dark as that must have been required to throw so black a cloud over her life Yet what--what could that have been? In spite of edy of Despard She was in his fa His wife died She must have been with her at the tiested themselves to my mind will one day drive me mad Alas, howshi+p! And yet, merciful God! who am I that I should sympathize with him? My name is infaeneral way about the past Had she ever been out of England? I asked

”Yes,” she answered, dreamily