Part 74 (1/2)

Frank went on reading his letters, looking up from time to time At last he put down the last one

”Louis!” said he

Louis looked up

”You caht that I haven't had a chance to speak about any thing yet I want to tell you sohetti is alive”

”I know it”

”You knew it! When? Why did you not tell ht distract you from your purpose”

”I aht to be worthy of your confidence”

”That's not the point, Frank,” said Louis; ”but I know your affection for the ive up all to find hiht it would be better to let nothing interpose noeen us and our purpose No,” he continued, with a stern tone, ”no, no one however dear, however loved, and therefore I said nothing about Langhetti I thought that your generous heart would only be distressed

You would feel like giving up every thing to find him out and see him, and, therefore, I did not wish you even to know it Yet I have kept an account of his movements, and knohere he is now”

”He is here in London,” said Frank, with deep emotion

”Yes, thank God!” said Louis ”You will see him, and we all will be able to meet sohetti is a man to be trusted?”

”That is not the point,” replied Louis ”I believe Langhetti is one of the noblest men that ever lived It must be so from what I have heard

All my life I will cherish his name and try to assist him in every possible way I believe also that if we requested it he ht perhaps keep our secret But that is not the point, Frank This is the way I look at it: We are dead Our deaths have been recorded Louis Brandon and Frank Brandon have perished I am Wheeler, or Smithers, or Forsyth, or any body else; you are Henderson We keep our secret because we have a purpose before us Our father calls us from his tomb to its accomplishment Our rave of horror unutterable, calls us All personal feeling must stand aside, Frank--yours and mine--whatever they be, till we have done our duty”

”You are right, Louis,” said Frank, sternly

”Langhetti is in London,” continued Louis ”You will not see hioing to hire an opera-house to bring out an opera; I saw that in the papers It is a thing full of risk, but he perhaps does not think of that Let us enable hiain the desire of his heart Let us fill the house for hients to furnish tickets to people who may make the audience; or you can send around those who can praise him sufficiently

I don't knohat his opera may be worth I knoever, froenius; and I think if we give hiratitude, Frank”

”I'll arrange all that!” said Frank ”The house shall be crowded I'll send an agent to him--I can easily find out where he is, I suppose--and make him an offer of Covent Garden theatre on his own tere a plan to enforce success”

”Do so, and you will keep him permanently in London till the time comes e can arise fro tihts of his own, excited by the letter which he had received, and these thoughts he did not care to utter One thing was a secret even from Frank

And what could he do? That Beatrice had fallen a friends he well knew He had found this out when, after receiving a letter froht, he had hurried there and learned the result Then he had hione to Holby, and found that she was at Mrs Thornton's He had watched till she had recovered He had seen her as she took a drive in Thornton's carriage He had left an agent there to write him about her when he left

What was he to do now? He read the letter over again He paused at that sentence: ”They have been talking it over, and have coet a detective, and keep hi her back”