“It—it is rough on a fellow,” he murmured, in a low, gruff voice.
But the pity in his tone woke the wretched man before him to frenzy.
“You can spare me your pity,” said he, fiercely. “All our lives through you have got easily what I might work myself to death for, and never get, after all. You always got enjoyment, admiration, love; and, now you have sobered down, you get respect, success, money. If you had been in my place, Muriel would never have thrown you over. She had seen you only once, at a supper-party, months ago, at Beckham. Yet, when I met her in London, she remembered your stupid, red face, and sent you messages which I took care not to give you. But I will be even with you at last; the remedy I prepared for my own wrongs will do as well for yours.”
And Stephen drew out from his breast, where his hand had been hidden for some minutes, a revolver, and, aiming before the other had time to realize his intention, fired it at his cousin.
Four o’clock came, and still Annie waited for her husband. He had promised so seriously, so many times, not to be later than that hour that her impatience grew quickly into anxiety as the time passed and still he did not appear. At half-past four, just as she was deciding that she could wait no longer, that she must go to Stephen’s lodging and find out what had detained him, she heard a knock at the door, which, however, she recognized, to her bitter disappointment, not as Harry’s but George’s. He had brought William to see her, that young soldier having just arrived in town, and being mad to have a glimpse of his old play-fellow, and tell her how well he was getting on in his profession.
Poor Annie could give but a mechanical show of interest to the young fellow’s eager outpourings, and at last she broke down.
“William, I cannot listen now,” she said, with tears in her eyes. “You know it is not for lack of interest; but——George,” she cried suddenly, turning to her elder brother-in-law, “Harry has gone to see Stephen, angrier than I ever saw him before. I can’t tell you why now. But Harry and I are reconciled. It seems you knew all about his being at Kirby Park. You might have told me! And he promised to be with me at four o’clock,” she went on, growing more and more excited and incoherent. “You see it is a quarter to five, and he is not here! He was very angry; and I am afraid something has happened. I must go and see!”
There was no restraining her. In ten minutes they were all three on the way to Stephen’s lodging. As they approached the house, George caught sight of something from the cab-window which made him turn suddenly to his sister-in-law and advise her to return while he went in and spoke to Harry.
She saw the alarm in his eyes, and, steadying herself to speak calmly, she refused. So the cab stopped; and then Annie saw that there was a rough crowd outside the house and a policeman keeping the people away from the door. George sprung out; but she followed so closely behind him that she caught the policeman’s answer to his low-voiced question: