ou why presently."

CHAPTER XXVI

REVELATIONS

"Yes, I believe he really loved her. He gave up drink, and although to
his acquaintances he seemed as cynical and faithless as ever, I saw a
change had come over him. He chose me for his best man at the wedding.
Well, on the eve of the wedding-day Miss Castlemaine got a letter,
telling her the whole story. Personally, I believe Sprague wrote it. I
suppose the letter seemed to prove up to the hilt that Leicester was
simply playing the game to win his bet, and that although he was
prepared to marry her, he was doing so because she was one of the
richest heiresses in London."

"Well?"

"The wedding never came off. When he went to see her, she drove him from
the house. I was there, and I saw and heard everything. I shall never
forget Leicester's look as long as I live. I did my best for him, but in
vain. She went abroad, and he--went to the devil."

"Tell me how, my friend."

"He flew to whisky; he gave himself over to the devil. Then the General
Election came off, and he went to his constituency, only to fall down on
the platform, at a public meeting, in a state of maudlin drunkenness.
He was hooted out of the constituency. Where he went, God only knows.
But a few weeks later his body was found washed on the steps by
Blackfriars Bridge."

"Ecco! that is almost a tragedy, eh?" and Ricordo laughed almost
merrily.

"It was tragedy to me; for, to tell the truth, I liked him. I had seen
more of him than perhaps any other."

"And she, my friend--did she grieve?"

"I don't know. I should think not. I heard that a few weeks later her
father had bought Vale Linden and that she was making merry with her
friends."

"Just like a woman," said Ricordo quietly; "but there is one thing which
is not quite clear to me. Why, if she did not care, has she not married
some one else?"

"Well, I am not quite sure if that is the reason, but she made a vow to
Leicester the night before the day fixed for the wedding that she would
never marry another man, no matter what might happen."

"And you think she is keeping the vow?"

"Possibly; I don't know."

"A very interesting story, Mr. Winfield. I think I could tell you one
quite as interesting. And you say the man committed suicide?"

"Yes," said Winfield with a sigh.

"Why?"

"Well, I suppose he had nothing to live for. He was disgraced, he was
hooted out of his constituency, he had alienated friends, and he had
neithe