Part 19 (2/2)

She had listened with bent head; indeed, so deeply rapt by her discovery, that she had but heard the half of what he said Now, of a sudden, she looked up, and lance:

”Is--is it a woman's fault that you are as you are?”

”No, it is not But how does that concern the case of Kenneth?”

”It does not I was but curious I was not thinking of Kenneth”

He stared at her, du of Kenneth to her with such eloquence and such fervour, that she should calmly tell him as he paused that it was not of Kenneth she had been thinking?

”You will think of hied ”You will bethink you too of what I have said, and by being kinder and row into a man you may take pride in Deal fairly with him, child, and if anon you find you cannot truly love him, then tell hi hi”

She was silent a s went very near to anger Presently:

”I would, Sir Crispin, you could hear him talk of you,” said she

”He talks ill, not a doubt of it, and like enough he has good cause”

”Yet you saved his life”

The words awoke Crispin, the philosopher of love, to realities He recalled the circu Kenneth, and the price the boy was to pay for that service; and it suddenly came to him that it asted breath to plead Kenneth's cause with Cynthia, when by his own future actions he was, himself,her The irony of his attitude s now a round, red globe upon the very brink of the sea

”Hereafter he may have little cause to thank rows late”

She rose in ether they retraced their steps in silence, save for the stray word exchanged at intervals touching matters of no moment

But he had not advocated Kenneth's cause in vain, for all that he little recked what his real argue her to make her peace with the lad A melancholy listlessness of mind possessed her now Crispin did not see, never would see, as in her heart, and it nified was not to be lived, and since that was so it seemed to matter little what befell

It was thus that when on the morrow her father returned to the subject, she showed herself tractable and docile out of her indifference, and to Gregory she appeared not averse to listen to what he had to advance in the boy's favour Anon Kenneth's own hu, allied to his contrite and sorrowful appearance, were received by her with that same indifference, as also with indifference did she allow hi belief that he was rehabilitated in her favour

But pale grew Mistress Cynthia's cheeks, and sad her soul Wistful she waxed, sighing at every turn, until it seemed to her--as haply it hath seemed to hs over a ht to her

CHAPTER XV JOSEPH'S RETURN

On his side Kenneth strove hard during the days that followed to right hi was he in the atteuided, that presently he overshot hisCrispin, whereby he attributed to the Tavern Knight's influence and exaht in hirew hard as he spoke, and had he been wise he had better served his cause by talking in another vein But love and jealousy had so addled what poor brains the Lord had bestowed upon hi that took not the blunt shape of words At length, however, she stemmed the flow of invective that his lips poured forth

”Have I not told you already, Kenneth, that it better becoentleman not to slander the entleman would scorn such an action?”

As he had protested before, so did he protest now, that what he had uttered was no slander And in his rage and mortification at the way she used him, and for which he now bitterly upbraided her, he was very near the point of tears, like the blubbering schoolboy that at heart he was