“Come away,” she said, solemnly, taking the passive wretch by the arm, and leading him into the other room. “I pity you from the depths of my soul. You are the tragedy—you and the social order that has ruined you. Would that I could do you good! I cannot. You are made, and only death can unmake you. Well will it be for you when your sad failure of an earthly life is ended, and you can resume that you were before you were born.”
He turned toward her, dreadfully agitated, with the foul tears flowing on his convulsed and livid visage.
“Spare me,” he hoarsely faltered, clasping his hands, “spare me the exposure! For the love of God, let it be hushed up! It’ll ruin me and my family, and—Oh, I beg of you let it”—
“Listen to me,” said Muriel, interrupting him. “My mother has not yet left her chamber, and therefore does not know of what has happened. Spare her the anguish of seeing you here with the body of her beloved son lying there. I have already kept you too long. But hear this: the persons present, and one other, are the only persons who know of this transaction, and they are pledged never to divulge it. Keep it secret then yourself. It ends here.”
“Oh, thank you, thank you; I’m very grateful, indeed I am,” he hurriedly replied, showing in his agitation a mean relief at his escape from the consequences of his wickedness; “I’ll go at once.”
He looked around for his hat. Bagasse kicked it over to him, with an eye that flashed red fire. Atkins did not show the least resentment at the insult, but hastily picking up the crushed castor, hurriedly left the library straightening it out, and presently they heard the hall-door close behind him.
Muriel went to the body of Harrington, and arranged the clothes over the bosom. In a moment or two the others followed her, and as they approached, she turned toward them.
“I must go up to tell mother of this,” she said. “It is better that she should hear it in her own chamber.”
“We ought to have called her, that she might see John before he died,” said Emily.
“No,” replied Muriel; “I thought of it, but I feared to have her here for her own sake. And I fear the shock it will give her now. I must go at once.”