Part 32 (2/2)

A wild fear took Gregory in its grip How could he die with such a load as that which he now carried upon his soul? And the leech, seeing how the matter preyed upon his patient's mind, made shi+ft--but too late--to tranquillize him with assurances that he was not really like to die, and that he had but ory in any case should be prepared

The storm once raised, however, was not so easily to be allayed, and the conviction reh run, and that the end could be but aas he did how richly he had earned damnation, a frantic terror was upon hi, now praying, noeeping His life had been indeed one protracted course of wrong-doing, and ory's evil ways--many a man and many a woman But as the stars pale and fade when the sun s that e of sin rendered pale or blotted into insignificance by the greater wrong he had done Ronald Marleigh--a wrong which was not ended yet, but whose co to effect If only he could save Crispin even now in the eleventh hour; if by son of the Anchor in Thames Street His disordered mind took no account of the fact that in the tiht should already have reached London

And so it came about that, consumed at once by the desire to ht be, and the wish to atte he was partly guilty inasory called for his daughter She ca for exactly that which was about to take place, yet fearing sorely that her hopes would suffer frustration, and that she would learn nothing froled dread and sorrow, ”Cynthia, my child, I am about to die”

She knew both fro his condition Nevertheless her filial piety was at that entle grace that was in itself a soothing caress, even as her soft sympathetic voice was a caress She took his hand, and spoke to hi to relieve the so hier was none so imminent, and that with quiet and a little care he would be up and about again ere ory rejected hopelessly all efforts at consolation

”I aone I know not whom there may be to cheer and comfort your lot in life Your lover is away on an errand of Joseph's, and it ain cross the threshold of Castle Marleigh Unnatural though Iwish is that this may be so”

She looked up in sorieves you, I can reassure you I do not love Kenneth”

”You apprehend me amiss,” said he tartly ”Do you recall the story of Sir Crispin Galliard's life that you had froht of Joseph's return?” His voice shook as he put the question

”Why, yes I ahtly do I pray,” she went on, her tongue outrunning discretion and betraying her feelings for Galliard, ”that God may punish those irl,” he whispered in a quavering voice ”You know not what you say”

”Indeed I do; and as there is a just God my prayer shall be answered”

”Cynthia,” he wailed His eyes ild, and the hand that rested in hers treainst your father and your father's brother that you invoke God's vengeance?”

She had been kneeling at his bedside; but nohen he pronounced those words, she rose slowly and stood silent for a spell, her eyes seeking his with an awful look that he dared not meet At last:

”Oh, you rave,” she protested, ”it is the fever”

”Nay, child, my mind is clear, and what I have said is true”

”True?” she echoed, no louder than a whisper, and her eyes grew round with horror ”True that you and my uncle are the butchers who slew their cousin, thishi kinshi+p by virtue of that veryall these years, whilst he himself went an outcast, homeless and destitute? Is that what you ask me to believe?”

”Even so,” he assented, with a feeble sob

Her face was pale--white to the very lips, and her blue eyes s lids She put her hand to her breast, then to her brow, pushi+ng back the brown hair by a esture that was pathetic in the tale of pain it told For support she was leaning now against the wall by the head of his couch In silence she stood so while youthe passion of anger and grief that swayed her:

”Why,” she cried, ”why in God's name do you tell me this?”

”Why?” His utterance was thick, and his eyes, that were grown dull as a snake's, stared straight before hilance ”I tell it you,” he said, ”because I a man” And he hoped that the consideration of that ht by pity win her back to him--that she was lost to hi man,” he repeated ”I tell it you because in such an hour I fain would make confession and repent, that God may have edy begun eighteen years ago is not yet played out, and it may yet be mine to avert the end we had prepared--Joseph and I Thus perhaps a merciful God will place it in my power to ainst us, as you will have guessed, that Galliard enlisted Kenneth's services, and here on the night of Joseph's return he called upon the boy to fulfil him what he had sworn The lad had no choice but to obey; indeed, I forced hi him to drahich is how I came by this wound

”Crispin had of a certainty killed Joseph but that your uncle bethought hi him that his son lived”