The Crack of Doom

ng eyes, which cried pity when her base heart knew no mercy. Surely now I had solved the maddening puzzle which the character of this girl had,

s to lure me out of the silence which was certainly more eloquent

ard to e

harshly. "No expla

half-suppressed sob shook her slight figure. Her gri

I stopped and s

not com

d emphasis in the questio

surprised myself, and assuredly

ced in that direction even for me. This is your second startling departure from us. I trust y

I thought you of good report. Give me an hour-only an hour-to say whether I will stand by my promise, now that you yourself have claimed that your

that. Take an hour, or a year-an hou

ll take the hour. Discr

coming night. For an hour leave me to my thoughts. Her unworthiness was now more than suspected. It was admitted. My misery was complete. But I would not part with her;

It was simply an invitation to a public meeting of the Society, which was to be held on that day week in the hall in Hanover Square, and the special feature in the letter-seeing that it did not vanish like the telegram, but remaine

ecoming wearisome. It was too much for me

rande, that I would never desert her. But how should my action be directed in order that by its conduct I might prevail upon the girl herself to surrender her evil associates? I knew that

! That

he problem! No wonder that she was wounded by my unworthy doubts. And she had tried to explain, but I would not listen! I threw myself back and commenced to weave all manner of pleasant fancies round the salvation of this g

onsequence, most exasperating-rational costume. When I entered the room she pushed a chair towards me, in a way

id somewhat shamefa

apolo

eous mistake. I have suffered fo

med surprise. And that curious light of pity, which I had so often wondered at, came in

I was to suppose for one moment that you app

her face

or. What opinion have you formed

llingly learned the secret of your brother's S

at pur

estro

ikely to at

sible, and the effort

do not like to lose your esteem. You know already that I wi

ts act

s natural, considering your knowledge-or, pardon me for saying so, your want of knowledge. I shall be glad to see you after the lecture to whi

sand times worse! I said farewell to Brande, as his guest, for the last time. Thenceforward I would meet him as his enem

rande had written the Woking address, and on reading it over once more, a thought occurred to me which I acted on as soon as possible. I could go to Woking and find out something about the man Delany.

nt Anne's Chapel as my base, I made short excursions hither and thither, and stood before a tombstone erected to the memory of George Delany, late of the Crimi

attached to this in the department. It could not have been done in the way of business, although Delany pretended that it was. He had dropped dead in the street as he was leaving his cab to enter the office with information which must have appeared

as finally convinced that the Societ