The Slave of Silence

osed to do on the eve of execution. She felt well and vigorous in herself, a brilliant sunshine was pouring into her room, and all around her lay evidences of h

g. And if there's any truth in the saying that '

before she caught sight of

m to be envied?" Beatric

be dressed in those lovely clothes, to be decked in those jewels and to marry a man

ould change places with you at this moment I woul

p. Some day he hopes to have

ried. You love him very d

orough himself had breakfasted and gone out long before. Beatrice was moodily contemplating her presents in the library when Mr. Stephen Richford was announced. He came in with an easy smile, though Beatrice could see that his hands were shaking and there was just a suggestion

ook as if you had had some great shock, like a man

d features in a large Venetian mirror opposite. He was not a pretty o

red. "Saw a-a nasty street a

or anybody else, in fact he had no feeling of human kindness, as Beatrice had once seen for herself. There had been a fatal accident at a polo match under their very

nything of that kind would affect you. You are concealing somet

e could not hold himself in now. His white face took on

re is no rooting it out again. Your father is all right; nothing ever happens to men of that class. I saw him to his room la

ther, something sufficiently serious to postpone to-day's ceremony. It was a dreadfully unworthy thought and Beatrice

me?" she asked. "I have n

l have so much time together later on when the happy knot is tied. Has it o

d a stream of living fire flashed out. There were diamonds of all kinds in old settings, the finest dia

diamonds. Forty thousand pounds I gave for them. They are the famous Rockmartin gems

ely lovely," Beatrice stamme

at is all you have to say? Ain

t kiss this man. Never had his lips touched hers yet

care for you; that I sold myself to save my father's good name. I know the situation is not a new one; I know that such marriages, strange to say, have before now turned out to be something like success. But

is indifference as nothing else could. But he was going to have his revenge. The time was near at hand when Be

understand one another.

ice put the diamonds away from her as if they had been so many deadly snakes.

ds; in her opinion, Beatrice was the luckiest girl in London. Her ladyship was a pretty little blue-eyed thing adored by her husband,

er, my dear," she said sapiently.

nterest in the proceedings; whether she looked ill or well mattered nothing. But though her own natural beauty was not

ouch on your cheeks. Your face is like snow, and yo

I have no doubt about it, Adeline. But all the s

haps he would join the party at the church, seeing that the head of the family and not himself was going to give the bride away. Lord Rashborough, a lit

tual. Of course that father of yours has not turned u

ion had gone, she was feeling quite cool and tranquil. If anybody had asked her, she would

leave a message, and he can follow to the church in a ha

r of bays, Lord Rashborough handed Beatrice. They drove along the familiar streets that seemed to Beatrice as though she was seeing them for the last time. She felt like a doomed woman with the deadly virus of consumpt

of women! What a lot of flowers! Why anybody wants to make

s the bride swept up the aisle, and the organ boomed out. There was a little delay at the altar, for the father of the

r late. One can never tell. And I've got a most impo

altar, and a clergyman was saying something that conveyed absolutely nothing to her intelligence. Presently somebody was fumbling unsteadily at her left

was practically finished. A policeman appeared out of somewhere and seemed to be expostulat

a moment it seemed to Beatrice that she was listening to th

lowers. Did she dream, or was that really the pale face of Mark that she saw?

re was a nameless horror in his white face. "I-I feel tha

tragedy reflected in the ghastly face of her groom. And ye

asked. "Tell me. I co

s door. Sir Charles was found in his bed quite dead.