Her terror, causeless though it was, began
to seize me.

"Hush! yes—it is so! It is my husband's
step. Thank God!"

She was right. The door opened, and
Garston entered the room.

CHAPTER THE SECOND.

WHEN Mr. Garston opened the door and
admitted himself, he closed it after him in
the manner of one who fears that somebody
is pursuing him. Whether by accident or
design I know not, but he shot the small
bolt under the lock. He then made a few
paces into the room, and stood still. I could
see through the deepening twilight his white
hands at his breast, revolving round each
other. At length he took a seat.

There was a silence which appeared to me
unusually protracted, although perhaps two
minutes could not have passed before I
broke it.

"And so, sir, you have returned from the
sale? " I observed.

He made no answer. I was perplexed.

"Did you make any purchases?"

Still no reply; although a sound proceeded
from his lips which I can find no word for.

Astonished, and a little frightened, I arose,
rang the bell for candles, drew a chair and
sat down by the side of Garston. I touched
him gently on the arm. He seized my hand
and held it tightly; but, in a minute, it was
needful that I should disengage myself; for
the servant could not enter the room, the
door being fastened. Foreseeing something,
although I knew not what, I took the candles
from the man, and bade him retire. The
light I brought with me fell upon Garston.
My mother checked a scream.

"That face at the window! Look at him!
He is ill. Go to him, Arthur."

It was with no readiness that I did my
mother's bidding. That face might have
stayed the impulse of his dearest friend to
fly to his assistance. It was not disturbed;
but the look was unalterably fixed, as though
all the human emotions—joy, grief, anger,
compassion, and the rest—were never again
to find a place there.

"What is the matter? " I exclaimed.
" And what, in the name of Heaven, has
happened ? "

"Ill—very ill—wine—some wine," he
gasped, pointing to the sideboard.

It did not occur to me until after I had
poured two glasses down his throat, that he
never drank wine. This, however, did him
good, and awakened him to a consciousness
of his condition. He rubbed, or rather
chafed his hands, and endeavoured to bring
a smile to his lips.

"Foolish! absurd! " he said. " I have
terrified your mother, Arthur; and really
without a cause—no cause whatever, I assure
you."

"There must be some cause for so much
agitation," said my mother, with assumed
coldness ; " you would not frighten us
heedlessly."

"The cause having passed away," he
replied, "I heed it not, save as it has given
rise to alarm on my account, which I regret.
This is excellent wine. It may be that,
unaccustomed to stimulants, I exaggerate its
excellence."

He now began to speak of the sale, and to
enlarge upon some incidents that had
occurred there, with a rapidity and a flippancy
that surprised my mother; who secretly
motioned me to withdraw the decanter. As
I leaned forward to do this, he laid his hand
upon mine. " Nay! " said he.

"Forgive me," I replied, laughing. " I was
about to obey my mother, who evidently
suspects that the praise you were just now
bestowing upon the wine was a tribute to its
excellence, as compared with a bottle or two
of some other vintage recently tasted. Come
now, confess, Mr. Garston, that you have for
once been betrayed into a slight excess. Your
late appearance and manner are now
explained. Had I noticed the disorder of your
cravat when you came in, I should have
needed no further proof."

He hastened to arrange that portion of
his dress, but with trembling hands. His
face blanched before he had completed the
task.

"You have found me out, Mr. Arthur,"
he said, with a ghastly leer, intended to pass
for an arch glance. " Not that I have
sinned to any great extent. But, delicately
organised as I am, anything like a scene
deranges my nerves. There was a dispute
at the sale between me and a gentleman
as ardent as myself. We were both in the
wrong. In the fracas which ensued, of course
I came off the worst."

"The fracas! " exclaimed my mother.
"You were not hurt ? "

"Shaken a little."

"No further consequences are likely to
arise?"

"None whatever. All proper explanations
were given on both sides. We parted very
good friends."

It was impossible not to perceive, whilst
my mother questioned him concerning all
the particulars of this rencontre, how she
loved the man. It was equally clear that
there was something on her mind in relation
to him: something she was afraid to
communicate, or that she wished should be withheld
from him. I do not believe, however, that
Garston noticed this. He seemed too intent
on keeping watch upon the motions of his
own mind; answering everything that was
demanded of him as if he were upon oath.

On my part, I began to see how the case
stood. Anna was gone. Had she been
dismissed, or had she parted of her own accord?
In either event, Garston was the cause of
her leaving. Probably he anticipated some