d if she dies," he kept saying in his angry
heart, "I will make him suffer for it."

And Christine was drawing very near to death, though even when she was
confined to her room and bed James would not believe it. And it was at
this time that Donald came once more to Glasgow. There was a very
exciting general election for a new Parliament, and Donald stood for
the Conservative party in the city of Glasgow. Nothing could have so
speedily ripened James' evil purpose. Should a forger represent his
native city? Should he see the murderer of his Christine win honor
upon honor, when he had but to speak and place him among thieves?

During the struggle he worked frantically to defeat him--and failed.
That night he came home like a man possessed by some malicious,
ungovernable spirit of hell. He would not go to Christine's room, for
he was afraid she would discover his purpose in his face, and win him
from it. For now he had sworn to himself that he would only wait until
the congratulatory dinner. He could get an invitation to it. All the
bailies and the great men of the city would be there. The newspaper
reporters would be there. His triumph would be complete. Donald would
doubtless make a great speech, and after it _he_ would say his few
words.

Then he thought of Christine. But she did not move him now, for she
was never likely to hear of it. She was confined to her bed; she read
nothing but her Bible; she saw no one but her nurse. He would charge
the nurse, and he would keep all papers and letters from her. He
thought of nothing now but the near gratification of a revengeful
purpose for which he had waited twenty years. Oh, how sweet it seemed
to him!

The dinner was to be in a week, and during the next few days he was
like a man in a bad dream. He neglected his business, and wandered
restlessly about the house, and looked so fierce and haggard that
Christine began to notice, to watch, and to fear. She knew that Donald
was in the city, and her heart told her that it was his presence only
that could so alter her husband; and she poured it out in strong
supplications for strength and wisdom to avert the calamity she felt
approaching.

That night her nurse became sick and could not remain with her, and
James, half reluctantly, took her place, for he feared Christine's
influence now. She would ask him to read the Bible, to pray with her;
she might talk to him of death and heaven; she might name Donald, and
extract some pr