am tolerably certain. It is hard to put
looks into words, and to make account of
trifles that, after all, are matters of feeling
more than matters of fact; but others saw
the change as well as myself, and no one
could help observing that he grew to be
more silent and unsociable than. ever. He
kept away from home as much as possible.
He spent all his Sundays out, starting away
the first thing after breakfast, and not
coming back again till close upon midnight.
He even put an end to our old friendly
custom of walking home together after our
night's work was over, and joined a sort of
tap-room club that was kept up by a dozen
or so of idle fellows, belonging to the theatre.
Worse than this, he scarcely exchanged a
word with me from morning till night, even
when we were at meals. He watched me
about the room as if I had been a thief.
And sometimes, though I am sure I never
wronged him willingly in my life, I caught
him looking at me from under those black
brows of his as if he hated me.

More than once I laid my hand upon his
sleeve as he was hurrying away on Sundays,
or turning off towards the club-room at
night, and said, "Griffiths, have you got
anything against me?" — or, "Griffiths, won't
you come home to a friendly glass with me
to-night? " But he either shook me off
without a word, or muttered some sulky
denial that sounded more like a curse than
a civil answer; so I got tired of peace-making
at last, and let him go his own way, and
choose his own company.

The summer was already far advanced, and
our engagement at the Belvidere had well-
nigh ended, when I began to buy the furniture,
and Ally to prepare her wedding things.
Matters continued the same with John
Griffiths ; but, when the day was fixed, I made up
my mind to try him once again, and invite him
to the church and the dinner. The
circumstances of that invitation are as clear in my
memory as if the whole affair had taken
place this morning.

It was on the twenty-ninth of July (I am
particular about dates), and there had been a
general call to rehearsal at one o'clock that
day. The weather was warm and hazy, and
I started early that I might not go in late or
tired; for I knew that, what with the rehearsal and the new piece, and the Terrific
Descent, I should have enough to do before
my day's work was over. The consequence
was that I arrived about twenty minutes too
soon. The gardens had a dreary look by
daylight; but they were pleasanter, anyhow,
than the theatre; so I loitered up and down
among the smoky trees, and watched the
waiters polishing the stains off the tables in
the summer-houses, and thought how shabby
the fountains looked when they were not
playing, and what miserable gim-crack concerns
were the Stalactite Caves and the
Cosmoramic Grottoes, and all the other
attractions which looked so fine by the light
of coloured lamps and fireworks.

Well, just as I was sauntering on, turning
these things over in my mind, whom should I
see in one of the summer-houses but John
Griffiths. He was lying forward upon the
table with his face resting upon his clasped
hands, sound asleep. An empty ale-bottle and
glass stood close beside him, and his stick
had fallen near his chair. I could not be
mistaken in him, though his face was
hidden; so I went up and touched him
smartly on the shoulder.

"A fine morning, John? " says I. " I thought I
was here early; but it seems that you were
before me, after all."

He sprang to his feet at the sound of my
voice, as if he had been struck, and then
turned impatiently away.

"What did you wake me for ? " he said,
sullenly.

"Because I have news to tell you. You
know that the sixth of August will be
our last night here. . . . Well, mate, on the
seventh, please God, I'm going to be married,
and —- "

"Curse you! " he interrupted, turning a
livid face upon me, and an eye that glared
like a tiger's. " Curse you! How dare you
come to me with that tale, you smooth-
faced hound ?— to me, of all men living?"

I was so little prepared for this burst of
passion, that I had nothing to say; and so
he went on:

"Why can't you let me alone? Why do
you tempt me for ? I've kept my hands off of
you till now . . . ."

He paused and bit his lip, and I saw that
he was trembling from head to foot. I am
no coward—it's not likely that I should be a
Patagonian Brother if I was — but the sight
of his hatred seemed to turn me, for the
moment, quite sick and giddy.

"My God! " said I, leaning up against
the table, " what do you mean? Are you mad? '

He made no answer; but looked straight at me,
and then walked away. I don't know how it was;
but from that moment I knew all. It was written,
somehow, in his face.

"Oh, Ally dear! " I said to myself with
a kind of groan, and sat down on the nearest
bench; I believe that, at that moment, I
scarcely knew where I was, or what I was doing.

I did not see him again till we met on the stage,
about an hour afterwards, to go through our
scene in the rehearsal. It was a grand
Easter piece with a great deal
of firing, and real water, and a live camel
in the last act ; and Griffiths and I were
Mozambique slaves, performing before the
Rajah in the Hall of Candelabras. Excepting
that it cost a great deal of money, that
is all I ever knew about the plot ; and,
upon my word, I don't believe that anybody