Such a life could not be lived except at frightful and generally ruinous

expense. Hyde was soon embarrassed. His pay was small and uncertain and

the allowance which his brother William added to it, in order that the

heir-apparent to the earldom might live in becoming style, had not been

calculated on the squandering basis of Hyde's expenditures. Toward

Christmas bills began to pour in, creditors became importunate, and, for

the first time in his life, creditors really troubled him. Lady Capel

was not likely to pay his debts any more. The earl, in settling Hyde's

American obligations, had warned him against incurring others, and had

frankly told him he would permit him to go to jail rather than pay such

wicked and foolish bills for him again. The income from Hyde Manor had

never been more than was required for the expenses of the place; and the

interest on Katherine's money had gone, though he could not tell how. He

was destitute of ready cash, and he foresaw that he would have to borrow

some from Lady Capel or some other accommodating friend.

He returned to barracks one Sunday afternoon, and was moodily thinking

over these things, when his orderly brought him a letter which had

arrived during his absence. It was from Katherine. His face flushed with

delight as he read it, so sweet and tender and pure was the neat

epistle. He compared it mentally with some of the shameless scented

billet-doux he was in the habit of receiving; and he felt as if his

hands were unworthy to touch the white wings of his Katherine's most

womanly, wifely message. "She wants to see me. Oh, the dear one! Not

more than I want to see her. Fool, villain, that I am! I will go to her.

Katherine! Kate! My dear little Kate!" So he ejaculated as he paced his

narrow quarters, and tried to arrange his plans for a Christmas visit

to his wife and child.

First he went to his colonel's lodging, and easily obtained two weeks'

absence; then he dressed carefully, and went to his club for dinner. He

had determined to ask Lady Capel for a hundred pounds; and he thought it

would be the best plan to make his request when she was surrounded by

company, and under the pleasurable excitement of a winning rubber. And

if the circumstances proved adverse, then he could try his fortune in

the hours of her morning retirement.

The mansion in Berkeley Square was brilliantly lighted when he

approached it. Chairs and coaches were waiting in lines of three deep;

coachmen and footmen quarrelling, shouting, talking; link-boys running

here and there in search of lost articles or missing servants. But the

hubbub did not at that time make his blood run quicker, or give any

light of expectation to his countenance; for his heart and thoughts were

near a hundred miles away.




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