stress of circumstances into a stroke of
genius. He took his leap, and entered on a period of suspense, anxiety and
sustained excitement which had a wild exhilaration and sense of
recklessness in it. He suffered much from a strong desire to burst into
fits of unseasonable laughter. His nerves were so tensely strung that it
might have been expected he would be irritable; and so he was sometimes,
but never with Judith.

Thorne listened night after night for the man with the latch-key, but he
listened in vain. He was only partly reassured, for he feared that matters
were not going on well at St. Sylvester's. Indeed, he knew they were not,
for Bertie had strolled into his room one day with a face like a
thundercloud. The young fellow was out of temper, and perhaps a little off
his guard in consequence. When Gordon amused himself by baiting him, Lisle
was forced to keep silence; but in this case it was possible, if not quite
prudent, to allow himself the relief of speech.

"What is the matter?" said Percival, looking up from his book.

Bertie, who had turned his back on him, stood looking out of the window
and tapping a tune on the pane. "What's the matter?" he repeated. "Clifton
has taken it into his stupid head to lecture me about some rubbish he has
heard somewhere. Why doesn't some one lock him up in an idiot asylum? The
meddling fool!"

"If that is qualification enough--" Thorne began mildly, but Bertie raged
on:

"What business is it of his? I'm not going to stand his impudence, as I'll
precious soon let him know. A likely story! He didn't buy me body and soul
for his paltry salary, though he seems to think it. The old humbug in a
cassock! It's a great deal of preaching and very little practice with him,
_I_ know."

(He knew nothing of the kind. Mr. Clifton was a well-meaning man, who had
never disturbed his mind by analyzing his own opinions nor any one else's,
and who worked conscientiously in his parish. But no doubt Bertie had too
much respect for truth to let it be mixed up with a fit of ill-temper.)

"Take care what you are about," said Percival as he turned a leaf. He
looked absently at the next page. "I don't want to interfere with you--"

"Oh, _you!_ that's different," said Lisle without looking round. "Not that
I should recommend even you--"

"Don't finish: I hope the caution isn't needed. Of course you will do as
you think best. You are your own master, but I know you'll not forget that
it is a que