A Butterfly on the Wheel

the hotel could not have startled Lord El

Admas

struck him, while his face grew absolutely white and the

n walked slowl

e for abstraction, but which is anything but that. They had the expression of one who thinks often and much. The finely chiselled mouth was set somewhat grimly, and there was grea

" he said. "What a

informed with weight and grav

d the room. It might have been thoug

the look of a startled hare. "Here?" he gasped out. "Oh!" His eyes fell upon the breakfast-ta

he big man, looking the wretched

ord Ellerdine replied.

Admaston a

d what he had done. He looked hopele

Attwill gone

d standing in the middle of the room without adv

llerdine. "She's here. I

's my

ing her gown. She's

went to Switzerland

ingratiating affability, though his hands were shaking, his mouth w

sistent voice: "Yes. That

. But we all got o

a new note in his voice made the

the wrong train

are

wood and

did you and Lady

. Stupid mista

Admaston

was carrying things very well now. "Yes," he sai

Admaston

ers pockets. "Oh yes! all," he said. "The prop

r of the Lower House instead of the Upper, which he never entered, he would have know

he said. "But what the deuce

a w

us here," the wretched

going towards the window and talking as h

rdine said. "Aut

at the window. "Oh!

onds and sapphires flashed and sparkled in the brilliant light of the sun

ered, just taking her hand and no more.

We changed our minds

he wrong train?" Admaston

own upon a chair, heard this, and was about to lay his head in the bacon di

f the room; "we all got on the wrong train, but we

did it before

she asked in

before you could change

by the way, I saw an old frien

s that?" Ad

Stoke," s

on the right train. He was goin

ied, "I met hi

ke again Admaston's voice grew col

te to me from Amiens, where he has been staying for the past week, that he was joi

almost whispe

express doesn't

Ellerdine that he was being

e said

turned ro

here the Swiss express does stop, he sh

ed that things were going better, be

of him, wasn't it

ing traffic, the tooting of motor horns, and all the gay welter of things which marks a Pa

miserable of aspect, in his chair at the breakfast table. Lady Attwill stood quite still where she

ery full?" he said

replied; "so we were

the big

ayed the night

very fine old parr

gave a little toss of her head. "

ed, I hope

d. Alive a

nd the door of Collingwood's room

his manner immediately became easy an

him gravely, showin

nd distinctly, "I thought I would just run

that we were here?

end," Admas

hat's very funny, Admaston," he

n't you know you were

't know," Lady Att

uld your friend know?

him, and then back and round to each other's. He stood there, however, calm and imperturbable, radiating, as it were,

aintive bleat, repeating his former sentence

said Admaston. "But why on e

he seemed now to be definitely on the defensive, ready for the attack. What he said w

other with a slow movement that ended in a little "click" of noise. "Mrs.?" he

ed dangerous, su

hortly. "I thought perh

, and full of purpose that it chilled them all as it echoed ou

id Lord Ellerdine i

at an idea!" Alice

, "you ought not to sit up so late. You look very shaky thi

, old man? That

Admaston s

es, to

reflective eyes as a mastiff regards some terrified s

sked the foo

suppers?" Lady A

gain a mome

with, with the cold ferocity of a cat with a mouse. They were brave still. They preser

efore he had finished hi

llerdine

," Admaston

id. "Why, he didn't have

said Lord Ellerdine, sha

emarked, "that you had just finis

a whopper," sa

w," Ellerdine

aston said. "But you all

s informed by a momentary greyness. It was only early spring, after all, and summer with its perpetual radiance, its perpetu

accusing voice which could not be silenced, which continued remorselessly. "But you all sta

cal contralto of Lady Attwill mingled with the more anx

e all here," th

no su

," Ellerdine said

nd Jacques of Ecc

"Your man, my lord, to see you," h

ly cropped to his head, and dressed in a decorous

ous, and at the s

to Chalons, my

up as if he had sudden

?" he

ey put your dispatch-box on the

k. If his mouth had been larger it would have f

ep, his arms shot out in amazeme

rd!" h

t o

hing very wrong. It was a situation he could only deal

ice from which he vainly tried t

ned sharply

r dispatch-box got on the wrong trai

a horrible silen

n by a sudde

n them all standing there-like figures in a

e!" sh

ar change of poise among the tens

t and beautiful, str

lingwood bent forward, almost in th

Going out?"

who have been upon the brink of crime or misbehaviour-even though they may have escaped it-the suspicion, when they are confronted with it, has much the sa

g out," Peg

ment," Adm

st drooped

d by a sharp, cold wind-and all gardeners will tell one h

," the gir

while he was looking at her, grave and st

t you all got on the wr

ers, wondering what they had been saying, longing to be adequate, conscious o

ed him-saw the way her loo

e said in a

tal thing; she

continued, "that he and Lady A

as also a thorough gentleman, flushed up and spoke in a

n," he barked. "Why the de

e; the resolute, ic

all at suppe

and if ever there was pain and yearning in

answered, "and Ellerdine says he didn't have any sup

u believe Colling?" Peggy

," Admaston

d upon the carpet

ton!"

and his face became, for the f

med into a single accusation. The voice, at last, was directly accusing.

d I have heard since I have c

p towards the Minister. "

o Lord Ellerdine and

e said in a frightened

lied to me on the t

ood glar

turning to Collingwood. "Did Admaston s

llingwood

istressed. "My dear fellow," he

t on to the wrong train? Collingwood lied to me. You h

ook two steps

ing us?" he said to Admaston,

his face, still preserved his absolute calm of poise. His hands were clasped behind h

pring at the other. He was a little younger, infinitely more débonnaire-probably no

"Oh! don't!" she cried, spreading out her arms-in front of Collin

ion showed her knowledge of the stronger man, her wish to protect

then, turning rapidly to Lord El

iness. It would have suited him very well. He knew that he had cut a sorry figure on this occasion-and he was not accustomed to cutting

not alter in expression at all, but she caught hold

o departed was the plaintive voice of t

closed, and then he turned to Colli

to do?" Collingwoo

ion. "What the devil has that go

wife as I love her you would unde

Admaston answered, and even in his passi

id you know she was here unless you had her watched? Loved and trusted he

u wanted her!" Adm

ploy, and I have failed. What fight have you made for her? It was her own purity that kept her sweet. It was that purity that I wanted, but I ha

s of a gentleman, you hav

do you

ere trembling, gave

you canno

ook no not

e," he said with biting scorn: "to b

say a word against her. We were great friends. I loved her,

an said. "I have finishe

y from the trembling woman

You mean to cast her off?" he said-"to break her spirit? No-no-you da

ourt to decide,"

o him, but he motioned h

e, not that! I have done nothin

ore four o'clock. It told me everything you intended to do-everything you have done

?" she whispered to herself, wit

tel. He was here last night. He is in the hotel now. He has g

at you have done, or what letters or reports you have received. I am your wife.

are playing my game, not your own. I have tried to win, I have treated her pretty badly, but I don't want t

l in the court to break her win

er sneer, "I see-and you don't seem

ly at his throat. He restrained himself, however, with a tremendous ef

husband. "George, you are not g

you lied to me," he said in a broken voice. "A lie-a lie

I did; but only that, only that! I a

believe you? How am I to tell

shrill with pain. "I swear it! I am as muc

she sank down upon the

gossip. The ridicule only made my trust in you the greater. I worshipped you, adored you! My whole life was a prayer to you, my ambition to make yo

to you. I am humble, not you. I am struck down, crushed.

"You love Collingwood," he

as a time when I

d! When did you thi

ew that last night, if I never kn

red coldly. "You and he were to

as he," he asked-"was he with you

ing well what the admission

her from ten

, still more fa

r from the tim

!-not after tha

you say," he replied, and there was a

made up his mind-t

ou say," he repeated. "You were alon

ooked up through a mist of

as left