ched his ears. Cedric's head was sunk on his
arms, and his whole frame was convulsed with suppressed emotion; but
when Malcolm put his hand on his shoulder, he started up as though
beside himself.

"This is your doing," he said furiously. "I will never forgive you,
Herrick--never! Oh!"--as midnight chimed from a church near--"this is
our wedding-day--: Leah's and mine, and you have hidden my bride away!
But you shall give her up," with an oath, and for the moment Malcolm
thought the lad would have struck him in his insane passion. Cedric was
no mean athlete, and Malcolm was hardly a match for him, but he caught
his uplifted hand and held it firmly.

"Don't be a fool, Cedric," he said quietly. "Do you suppose this
violence will serve your purpose? Miss Jacobi has placed herself under
my protection, and I shall certainly not betray her. Sit down and
behave like a gentleman, and let us talk this out. Good heavens!" with
a sudden change of voice, "do you suppose you are the only man in the
world who cannot marry the woman he loves," and Malcolm's tone and
manner seemed to check Cedric's passion. "Let us talk it out like men,"
he repeated, and Cedric sank back on his chair, still sullen but half
subdued.

CHAPTER XXXIII

"HE WILL COME RIGHT"

If your eyes look for nothing but evil, you will always
see evil triumphant; but if you have learned to let
your glance rest on sincerity, simpleness, truth, you
will ever discover deep down in all things the silent
overpowering victory of that you love.
--MAETERLINCK

Long afterwards Malcolm compared that night's work to a severe
wrestling-match, and owned that it had taxed his mental and bodily
strength to the utmost. The illustration was singularly apt. The whole
force of his manhood and will were set to rescue this poor lad from the
effects of his own infatuation and folly, but at first he made little
progress.

Saul Jacobi's pernicious influence had done its work, and Malcolm, to
his dismay and disgust, was forced to realise that his baleful and
hated arguments had already poisoned Cedric's mind. More than once he
was revolted by ideas which he knew had been inculcated by Saul Jacobi.
"He has poisoned the wells," Malcolm said to himself
indignantly--"Cedric's fresh young mind has been contaminated by his
odious philosophy," and his heart grew sad as he remembered Dinah's
faith in her boy.

More than once he was s