down and drew a long, deep breath. "You only really appre

a brandy and soda is, especially after a rather hot night, I should hardly think it was worth whil

uldn't eat a scrap of breakfast, but that's made me absolutely hungry. The bacon's cold, of course, but there's a nice bit of tongue and some braw

ith pleasure; but I'm afraid hot coffee on the top of brandy and soda at this time of the morning would produce

k towards Vane, saying, "and if you'll take my advice you'll

the breakfast things and began to carve. "The hot plates are cold, so th

, and you'll be able to face your most reverend Chancellor with as much confidence as though you were his fat

laugh that sounded rather strangely in his own ears

y into Vane's glass than he had done into his own, and

about right," he said, p

I think," he said, without even noticing the strength of the mixture. And then, with the unnatural appetite which the unaccustomed spirit ha

and more communicative and Garthorne more and more cordial. He quickly learnt the truth of many things which so far he had only susp

ht at the Empire when we had a bit of a row, Boat-race night, you k

a very pretty girl, and, if I may say so without paying you a compliment, very like your nobl

lass down with a thump on the table. "Yes, that's it, my sister, or at least not quite my siste

he could get any farther, there was a quick knock

me

nshaw entered, followed

s voice, as he saw Vane sitting at the table in his shirt-sleeves-the friend with whom he had sat in this

ying on its side in the saucer; a dish of bacon containing a couple of rashers and two eggs c

able; but what startled Ernshaw more than anything else was the sight of the empty glass beside his friend's

on't; let me introduce you-very good fellow-old rival of mine in love-you know who with, the fellow I had a fight with on the steamer-both kids-first man to come and congratulate me this morning. Admits that I licked him then as a boy, and have licked him since as a man-took better degree than he did. Still, nice of him to come, wasn't it? Come

he end of it all would be, as he had many a time said to Enid's father, that the hard study, the strenuous mental discipline, and the stress of healthy emulation, would utterly destroy the germs of that morbid feeling which, for a time at least, had poisoned t

cking, dancing flame which he had now a doubly terrible reason to remember, and to see it there in his eyes now on the morning of the crow

years since a well-remembered night among the Indian Hills, the room swam round him and the light grew dark. He made a c

instantaneously, thou

Ernshaw, what is it? Tell me, what is it-what hav

. The corner of it caught his thigh. He lurched sideways

to which he had lifted Sir Arthur's head and s

orning has been a bit too much for him. If we're going to get them round

that's about the best thing to do, since the crime which you have committed i

do you mean?" cried Gartho

what I know of Maxwell that this could not possibly have occurred unless he had been deliberately t

een friends with ever since we punched each other's heads as boys. Well, you've been a good chum to Maxwell, so for his sake I'll pa

et and going towards the bell. "Nothing on earth cou

in practical form; but as you don't seem to be quite yourself, and as there is so much physica

droom and brought o

that,"

smell of brandy rising from the dregs was unmistakable. The

er?" he exclaimed, looking at Sir Arthur's pros

well to his room. Then you'd better undress him and get him to bed. I suppose you

er served a better master than Mr. Max

loose-jointed form from the floor and carrie

o tell Mr. Ernshaw whether I came here af

er past eight, and he was up then and half dressed. He must have drunk it soon after, because he never will drink coffee unless

ou remember whether the decanters in the

hing this morning myself, thinking that Mr. Maxwell woul

hat'll do, I think. Now you'd b

Sir Arthur? Surely we ought to get

n find one. I have given him a spoonful of brandy, and I'm going to give him anoth

ok up the decanter Garthorne went on, holding up the bra

ll me that I could have drunk even half of that since nine o'

let a few drops trickle between his lips. Sir Arthur, who had been gradually regaining co

ter? Where am I

o gentle and kindly that Ernshaw started at it. "Vane has been taken

head back on the cushion a

find Maxwell's doctor I'll go and send him, and then I'll go on and tell Sir Godfrey, not what has r

e doctor on the back of an envelope and gave

must confess that you've taken it as very few men would have done. But if you only knew

ood-humouredly. "I know enough of poor Vane's story to see exactly