e, surprised and disgusted at the rudeness of the remark, turned
hastily round, and, while Bruce as hastily withdrew his hand, raised the
wine-glass to his lips.

"Stop, stop, De Vayne," said Bruce eagerly; "there's a fly in your
glass."

"I see no fly," said De Vayne, glancing at it, and immediately draining
it, with the intention of saying something to smooth Kennedy's feelings,
which he supposed would have been hurt by Brogten's want of common
politeness.

"I think it very--" Why did his words fail, and what was the reason of
that scared look with which he regarded the blank faces of the other
undergraduates? And what is the meaning of that gasp, and the rapid
dropping of the head upon the breast, and the deadly pallor that
suddenly put out the fair colour in his cheeks? There was no fly--but,
good heavens! was there death in the glass?

The whole party leapt up from their places, and gathered round him.

"What is the matter, De Vayne?" said Kennedy tenderly, as he knelt down
and supported the young man in his arms. But there was no answer.
"Here D'Acres, or somebody, for heaven's sake fetch a doctor; he must
have been seized with a fit."

"_What have you been doing, Bruce_?" thundered Brogten.

"Bruce doing!" said Kennedy wildly, as he sprang to his feet. "By the
God above us, if I thought this was any of your devilish machinations, I
would strike you to the earth!"

"Doing? I?" stammered Bruce. "What do you mean?" He trembled in every
limb, and his face was as pale as that of his victim; yet, though
perhaps De Vayne's life depended on it, the young wretch would not say
what he had done. He had meant but to put four or five drops into his
glass, but De Vayne had turned round suddenly and startled him in the
very act, and in the hurried agitation of the moment, his hand had
slipped, and he had poured in all the contents of the bottle, with
barely time to hurry it empty into his pocket, or to prevent the
consequences of what he had done, when De Vayne lifted the glass to his
lips.

The men all stood round De Vayne and Kennedy in a helpless crowd, and
Kennedy said, "Here, fetch a doctor, somebody, and let all go except
D'Acres; so many are only in the way."

The little group dispersed, and two of them ran off to find a doctor;
but Bruce stood there still with open mouth, and a countenance as pale
in its horror as that of the fainting viscount. He was anxious to tell
the truth about the matter in o