Katharine Frensham

his boy. The Thorntons lived in Surrey, in a beautiful house standing with fifteen acres of untouched heather around it, not far from Farnham. It was called

noticed that there was something unusually strained in the boy's manner. She herself was in a state of great mental excitement, having been urged

en controlled by any one. But this evening, something tugged at her heart when she saw that her boy, whom she loved in her turbulent way, was in trouble; a

" he said shyly, as he played with the spoon in his teacup.

Alan. It had never entered her head for one moment that Clifford, who, so she knew in her heart of hearts, had borne with h

your father? So he has been speaking to you about me,

he boy answered, in a low voice. "He on

on the sofa angrily, and l

be happy with your father-a man of no heart, no emot

"Father is always good and kind. I never once heard him say an unkind wor

ther aroused all the anger

m the sofa and

st like him. Make your lives together, and find your

s, swept through the hall, through the study and

s work. Marianne's sudden entry made him jerk the bottom of the flask containing it against the ring of t

nd would not have car

g to the boy?" she asked,

looked at her, and lea

are not happy, and that w

rose to her lips, but she did not speak them. She went towards the door, and there she paused and turned towards him. He was still leaning against the bench, and his whole bearing den

Thornton's absence. It was tacitly understood by them both that she was in one

evelop some photographs in the dark room, which adjoined the laboratory. They were not

y student days under Bayer in Munich, and Hofmann in Berlin, when everything seemed possible to him because his mind was free from harassment. He glanced at Hofmann's portrait, which was hanging over the mantelpiece, and he heard once more the man's genial voice, and felt the charm of his genial presence. A thrill of pleasure and enthusiasm passed through him. For three years he had studied with Hofmann, and had finally become his private assistant, only leaving him to take over the Professorship of Chemistry at Aberystwith College, a post which he held for two years. Then his father, a mining engineer, died, leaving him a considerable fortune; and he was thus able to devote himself entirely to research work, his subjects being the study of stereo-isomeric compou

ugh. I can and w

at he was telling his wife all his locked inmost thoughts of her. He had kept them cont

ament; that your atmosphere is an insult to me, and that I long and thirst and am starved to be free from the pressure of your daily presence. You have been merciless to me with your uncontrolled rages, your insane jealousies of me, my work, my ambitions, and my friends. I can bear it all no longer. The day on which we go our own ways, will be the day of my re-birth. And that day shall be to-morrow-now-even now. No, no, don't begin to argue

ooked around h

as a dream. I am glad that I did not say those things to her in reality. The

hudd

anne! You must not know the truth which kills. Poor M

ent upstairs. His wife's door was ope

she cried, as though

oom, her hair dishevelled, her eyes transfixed, and her face bearing the

cried. "What is

ered your spirit, and crushed out all the best in you. Tell me, tell me, it was only a dream. I know we have not been happy, but-but-it could not have been as bad as that.

ook like that. It is more than I can bear. You must forget about it, and we will begin all over again to-morrow. I

s tongue out after he h

ied, with a ring of

eld responsible for our dreams. You know how it is with our restless, wayward fancies: one little passing discord in real life becomes magnified and expa

It must have been born of your inmost thoughts, bred up and strengthened through these long years of our misunderstandings,

e others have failed, let us make a triumph. It is not our hearts which are at war, Marian

"I have ruined your life, murdered you

d passionately. "Let it g

ook he

e said, "and to-morrow will

s," he said, as he passed,

with your dream

ppy," he said, as he p

said, "ve

closed h

out. It was a still September night, so that even the branches of the trees were not move

of everything," he said to h

intimate companionship which they two had enjoyed together, all the secret understanding so precious to both of them. These memories, which might have comforted him, and eloquently too, were silent; and because he was gentle and generous-hearted, he had to pay the uttermost price

his kennel. Jinny, the brown mare, was asleep at the time; but she woke up and neighed softly when she heard her master's voice, and was eager enough to be saddled for a midnight ride. It was not

g himself on his bed, fell asleep, and only awoke to the sound of some commotion in the h

he cried.

face, and rushed to Marianne's room. The door stood o