Part 23 (2/2)

Joseph opened his lips to answer, then closed theerness he had almost parted with the information which he now proposed to ained confidence at Crispin's tone and questions, gathering fro to believe if proof were set before him He rose to his feet, and when next he spoke his voice had won back much of its habitual calm deliberateness

”That,” said he, ”I will tell you when you have proory and me unharmed I will supply you hat ive you a letter to those people, so couched that what they tell you by virtue of it shall be a corroboration ofupon the table, and his hand to his brow so that it shaded his eyes, sat Crispin long in thought, swayed by emotions and doubts, the like of which he had never yet known in the whole of his chequered life Was Joseph lying to him?

That was the question that repeatedly arose, and oddly enough, for all hisof his words Joseph watched hith Crispin withdrew his hands froard, and rose

”Let us see the letter that you rite,” said he ”There you have pen, ink, and paper Write”

”You promise?” asked Joseph

”I will tell you when you have written”

In a hand that shook somewhat, Joseph wrote a few lines, then handed Crispin the sheet, whereon he read:

The bearer of this is Sir Crispin Galliard, who is intimately interested in the matter that lies betwixt us, and whom I pray you answer fully and accurately the questions he may put you in that connexion

”I understand,” said Crispin slowly ”Yes, it will serve Now the superscription” And he returned the paper

Ashburn was hiained, and he would not easily relinquish it

”I shall add the superscription,” said he cal us”

Crispin paused athe position well in his mind If Joseph lied to him now, he would find means to return, he told himself, and so he took the oath demanded

Joseph dipped his pen, and paused meditatively to watch a drop of ink, ith it was overladen, fall back into the horn The briefest of pauses was it, yet it was not the accident it appeared to be Hitherto Joseph had been as sincere as he had been earnest, intent alone upon saving his life at all costs, and forgetting in his fear of the present the dangers that the future e But in that second of dipping his quill, assured that the peril of the o forth as he said, the devil whispered in his ear a cunning and vile suggestion

As he watched the drop of ink roll from his pen-point, he ren of the Anchor, in Thames Street, one Colonel Pride, whose son this Galliard had slain, and who, did he once lay hands upon hiht conceived and the determination taken, and as he folded the letter and set upon it the superscription, Joseph felt that he could have cried out in his exultation at the cunninghis enee, and read thereon:

This is to Mr Henry Lane, at the sign of the Anchor, Thames Street, London

The name was a fictitious one--one that Joseph had set down upon the spur of the er that should outstrip Sir Crispin, and warn Colonel Pride of his co

”It is well,” was Crispin's only coain and fully master of himself He placed the letter carefully within the breast of his doublet

”If you have lied to me, if this is but a shi+ft to win your miserable life, rest assured, Master Ashburn, that you have but put off the day for a very little while”

It was on Joseph's lips to answer that none of us are iht be ill-timed, and bowed in silence

Galliard took his hat and cloak fro that evening Then he turned again to Joseph

”You spoke ofwhat is his own the tones of a gentle to his steward ”I will take two hundred Caroluses More I cannot carry in coasped at the amount For a second it even entered his mind to resist the demand Then he remembered that there was a brace of pistols in his study; if he could get those he would settle matters there and then without the aid of Colonel Pride

”I will fetch thehis purpose by his alacrity

”By your leave, Master Ashburn, I will come with you”