ecovered consciousness, but was still feeling faint and ill. He told him as much of the truth about Vane as he knew,

as he might well be on a morning like this, he's taken a drop too much on an empty stomach, and that led him to drink brandy and soda with his breakfast instead of

of strong ammonia, which Vane had got for

ur. Then I'll make him some strong coffee, and he'll be as right as a trivet. Only you mustn't let him take any more

ve heard of it before. Do the

"Thank you, sir," and proc

ctly sober, and wondering dimly what had happened during the last hour or two-or was it weeks, or months, or what? He felt horribly sick and ill, and he was trembling in e

now you've got that down, you just lay back and keep quiet, and I'll go and make your coffee, and before an hour'

y, did as he was told and lay back upon the pillows, and J

ay too, but if I know anything about him and Sir Arthur, and I can get him to the Theatre dressed and compos menti

s pulse, asked him in a kindly tone why he had made such a fool of himself on such a day, then he said that he couldn't improve on Jep

n the matter with him this morning. He's been drunk, dead drunk, by about half-past nine in the morning. At the same time we must remember that when a man has been in hard training for a boat race, or anything of that sort, or if he has been reading hard on tea, which is almost as vicious a habit as alcoholism, he can get drunk on very little

, we needn't go into that now. There can't be any idea of that, and I think when he's had his coffee, and you've had a mild brandy and soda, Sir Arthur, and kept quiet for half

hen you came in, the same man who went for you, Doctor, said that he would go on and tell Sir Godfrey that Vane had been t

he'll take his place and play his part with the rest of them. Mr. Ernshaw, I know your friendship for my son; I know what you have done for him, and how you have helped him. Now, will you do me another favour and take my compliments to Sir Godfrey Raleigh, and s

e to do it, and then get to my rooms and dress. Au revoir, then, until after the ceremony

d Ernshaw, ascetic as he was, had still too strong an artistic vein in his temperament to be insensible to her beauty. In fact, as she rose to greet the closest friend of the man who had been her lover, and who, as she fondly hoped, would be so on

have to surrender to another man. As the thought crossed his mind, he looked at Garthorne, and he saw the possibi

Garthorne had, superficially at least, rebutted the charges he had made against him in Vane's rooms; but though he had apologised for what he had said, th

get drunk again; but he also knew that, after what had happened that morning, Vane's determination to give her up would be tenfold strengthened, and that, when once he had definitely done so, the psych

but good. I hope you have come to tell me that Vane is better and also that you will tell me what has really been the matter with him. Mr. Garthorne, here, has been ve

ity to be unworthy of anyone who held the truth as sacred, and yet for the life of him he could not look this lovely girl in the face and tell her that the man whom she had love

with you, it is not a subject upon which I should care to touch even at your request, simply because I think that it is a matter which

sible way of putting it. Enid, if you'll take my advice you'll

g really serious, surely I have a right to know. However, I suppose I must control my feminine impatience, at any rate it can't be anythin

"and now, if you will excuse me, I must be off to my rooms to

trifle stiffly. "That reminds me how rude I

comparison with what Vane has done. You'll see the difference i

ned to Enid and went on: "He's a thundering good fellow that Ernshaw. Quite a character, I believe, enth

from what papa tells me, this Mr. Ernshaw has been making or trying to make Vane a great deal too good for me. I even hear that he has been trying to make

ill, think of the test of constancy and the delig

n, not altogether to Garthorne's satisfaction, and so

ed any message either from Vane or Sir Arthur. She had expected that Vane, at least, would have come to her before the beginning of the ceremonies, or that, at least, Sir Arthur would

red Garthorne, as his name and h

eemed as utterly lost upon him as if he had been stone deaf and blind. He listened to the Chancellor's address with as little emotion as though it concerned some one else. Then he knelt down, the hood, the outward and visible sign of his intellectual triumph, was put over his shoulders; the Chancellor spoke the magic wor

her of them until just before tea-time Jepson presented himself with two letters, one addressed to Si

ear R

of our absence from you this afternoon and evening. I find it necessary t

fully

ur Ma

rey, as he handed the note to Enid. "Maxwell wouldn't write like that

ays. It's too bad, too cruel-and after leaving me alone for two years-it's miserable!" And with

e table where she had flung it. There

to me. Now I am convinced that it would be absolute infamy to do so. I dare not even face you to tell you this, so utterly unworthy and contemptible am I in my own sight. Whatever you hear to the contrary, remember that what has happened this morning is no fault o

an