lic affairs, even if I loved greatly either the Prince of Orange
or King James. I could not honestly draw my sword for either. I
have no estate to manage, my child's inheritance is all in money,
and it would drive me mad, or worse, to go home to be idle. No; I
will fight against the common enemy till I have made me a name, and
won reputation and standing; or if I should not come back, there's
the babe at home to carry on the line."

"Oh, sir! your father and mother--Lucy--all that love you. What
will they say?"

"It would only put them to needless pain to ask them. I shall not.
I shall write explaining all my motives--all except one, and that
you alone know, Anne."

She shuddered a little, and felt him press her arm tightly. They
had fallen a good deal behind the marquis and his cousin, and were
descending as twilight fell into a narrow, dark, lonely street, with
all the houses shut up. "No one has guessed, have they?" she
faltered.

"Not that I know of. But I cannot--no! I can_not_ go home, to have
that castle near me, and that household at Oakwood. I see enough in
my dreams without that."

"See! Ah, yes!"

"Then, Anne, you have suffered then too--guiltless as you are in
keeping my terrible secret! I have often thought and marvelled
whether it were so with you."

She was about to tell him what she had seen, when he began, "There
is one thing in this world that would sweeten and renew my life--and
that?"

Her heart was beating violently at what was so suddenly coming on
her, when at that instant Charles broke off short with "Good
Heavens! What's that?"

On the opposite side of the street, where one of the many churches
stood some way back, making an opening, there was a figure,
essentially the same that Anne had seen at Lambeth, but bare-headed,
clad apparently in something long and white, and with a pale bluish
light on the ghastly but unmistakable features.

She uttered a faint gasping cry scarcely audible, Charles's impulse
was to exclaim, "Man or spirit, stand!" and drawing his sword to
rush across the street; but in that second all had vanished, and he
only struck against closed doors, which he shook, but could not
open.

"Mr. Archfield! Oh, come back! I have seen it before," entreated
Anne; and he strode back, with a gesture of offering her support,
and trembling, she clung to his arm. "It does not hurt," she said.
"It comes and goes--"

"You have seen it before!"

"Twice."