The Amateur Gentleman

"Yes, it's very dark," said Barnabas, "but it isn't far to the

landing--shall we go up?"

"Yes, but--" my lady hesitated a moment as one who takes breath for

some great effort, and, in that moment, he felt her bosom heave

beneath his hand. "Oh, Barnabas," she whispered, "won't you--kiss

me--first?"

Then Barnabas trembled in his turn, the arm about her grew suddenly

rigid and, when he spoke, his voice was harsh and strained.

"Madam," said he, "can the mere kiss of an--inn-keeper's son restore

your dead faith?"

Now when he had said this, Cleone shrank in his embrace and uttered

a loud cry as if he had offered her some great wrong, and, breaking

from him, was gone before him up the stair, running in the dark.

Oh, Youth! Oh, Pride!

So Barnabas hurried after her and thus, as she threw open

Barrymaine's door he entered with her and, in his sudden abasement,

would have knelt to her, but Ronald Barrymaine had sprung up from

the couch and now leaned there, staring with dazed eyes like one new

wakened from sleep.

"Ronald," she cried, running to him, "I came as soon as I could, but

I didn't understand your letter. You wrote of some great danger. Oh,

Ronald dear, what is it--this time?"

"D-danger!" he repeated, and with the word, turned to stare over his

shoulder into the dingiest corner: "d-danger, yes, so I am,--but

t-tell me who it is--behind me, in the corner?"

"No one, Ronald."

"Yes--yes there is, I tell you," he whispered, "look again--now,

d-don't you see him?"

"No, oh no!" answered Cleone, clasping her hands, and shrinking

before Barrymaine's wild and haggard look. "Oh, Ronald, there's--no

one there!"

"Yes there is, he's always there now--always just behind me. Last

night he began to talk to me--ah, no, no--what am I saying? never

heed me, Clo. I--I asked you to come because I'm g-going away, soon,

very s-soon, Clo, and I know I shall n-never see you again. I suppose

you thought it was m-money I wanted, but no--it's not that, I wanted

to say good-by because you see I'm g-going away--to-night!"

"Going away, Ronald?" she repeated, sinking to her knees beside the

rickety couch, for he had fallen back there as though overcome by

sudden weakness. "Dear boy, where are you going--and why?"

"I'm g-going far away--because I must--the s-sooner the better!" he

whispered, struggling to his elbow to peer into the corner again.

"Yes, the s-sooner the better. But, before I go I want you to

promise--to swear, Clo--to s-swear to me--" Barrymaine sat up

suddenly and, laying his nervous hands upon her shoulders, leaned

down to her in fierce eagerness, "You must s-swear to me n-never to

see or have anything to do with that d-devil, Chichester, d' ye hear

me, Clo, d' ye hear me?"