hat are you going to do?
Don't kill me here and now, Arthur; wait till to-morrow. I have that to
pass through to-night which may end my life peaceably in bed; and if it
should, then there will be no infamy on any of us,--on you or our child,
living, or on me, dead; and Godfrey, and Ruth, and mother, and all can
be"--

"Give me that lantern!" He held her with one hand, snatched the light
from cover, and thrust it into her face. "So this is what you signal him
with, is it?"

"Oh no, no! Arthur, dear, no! Before God's throne, no!"

He lifted it as high as his arm would go, and with all his force swung
it down, crashing and quenched, upon her head.

She gave a gentle sigh and rolled at his feet. Groaning with horror and
fright, he lifted her in his arms and bore her to her room and bed.

There she presently opened her eyes to find him laving her face and
head, moaning, covering them with kisses, and imploring her forgiveness
in a thousand hysterical repetitions.

"Hush, dear," she whispered. "I see how it all happened. Does anybody
know? Oh, God be thanked! don't let any one find out! It was all a
misunderstanding. So many things crowded together to mislead you!"

"Oh yes, so many, many things at once, my treasure! Oh yes, yes!"

"Call Sarah, will you, dear?"

"Oh, beloved, why should I? You don't need Sarah for anything."

"Yes, I need her. I must send her for mother--and Ruth--I promised Ruth;
and you must send Giles for the doctor; my hour is come."

* * * * *

In the Byington house Ruth and her brother met at the foot of the
stairs.

"Leonard," she whispered, "what is it? Is father ill? Leonard! Oh, what
have you seen?"

"Let me pass! quick!" He would have pressed her aside, but she laid
hands on him.

"What has Arthur done?" she asked. "What is he doing?"

"Ruth! Ruth! he is putting her out of his own gate!" The brother
extended both hands to turn the sister from his path, but she twined her
arms on his.

"Leonard! Leonard! for the love of heaven, let him do it! She has only
to go to her mother; let her go! It's the last hope. But she'd better be
dead, and she'd a hundred times rather be dead, than that Leonard
Byington should be her rescuer! Come in here a minute."

Slipping both hands into his she drew him into the lighted room, adding
as they went, "In a few minutes I can make some errand to her and find
how matters stand"--

They stumbled over a disordered rug