Katharine Frensham

to have a defender. She had loved Marianne always, and she had disliked him always. She was of limited understanding-like all bigots. She knew nothing, and wished to know nothing about his s

rament, it was as though a blacksmith were working at a goldsmith's goblet: as though a ropemaker were working at a spider's web. She honestly believed that Marianne had been sacrificed to him. She could not realise that Marianne was made of coarser fibre than Clifford Thornton. She knew nothing about Marianne's birth, antecedents, and environmen

nd should carry in his mind a tender memory of his mother. His father will tell

is young thoughts, and his young birthright of forgetfulness. She did not stop to imagine that Marianne he

him be-what does it all matter now?

poison ready to put to his lips at the first

he said to herself. "Marianne shall not h

ts she paused before

raight to St. James's Mansions?" she asked herse

the borders were gay with flowers. A young boy came along, whistling softly. He stopped to look at some of the beds, and then went on again. After all, he thought, it was not so bad going for this jou

p and saw M

ad always jarred on him. His face clouded ove

of you this very moment. I was by your mother's grave yest

rest bench. He disengaged his hand, and shran

mother's grave yesterday. It is a be

ttle nervously. "We-we went there to say g

going away then? Are yo

or a few months. F

se, and then sh

sad, sad way-it breaks one's heart to think of it-doesn't it?-all alone-with

s. Something pulled

rly for yourself-see it with your own eyes, not with any one else's eyes, and then you will know how unhappy she was, and how sad she was all-all the days of her married life. Poor darling, she was lonel

s face w

e from loving mother,"

ou will understand it all only too well. And m

d him deeply. He said nothing, but Mrs Stanhope realised that his silence was charged with gr

ad some terrible illness, one might be comforted a little by her release; but to be cut off like this-suddenly-and in this sad, sad way-ah, how your poor father must

ore than she intended. Alan turned his face to h

he said, in a strained tone of voice. "You

he said soothingly; and again she put her

you ever knew. But I knew. I knew all her hopes and fears and ambitions for you; and I knew, too, how she yearned for the time when you would love her

t torn and his young spirit troubled. He stood there loo

ave a friend in me. Come to me in trouble, and

ound with his stick. Then he went on his way to the Langham.

aid angrily. "Dreaming, I suppose. Boys didn't dream

he could. She had been thinking of him all the time, of him and his father and that metallic woman; and she could not rest until she was back again at the Langham, mounting

rom her, and locked h