"But----"

"Farewell!"

The priest had passed from the ruins, and was already out of sight in
the gathering darkness.

"Come back, Father Adrian! One word more!"

"Farewell!"

The priest did not turn his head. Paul was left alone, gazing after
him with stern, troubled face and anxious heart. It was a danger which
he had always foreseen, always dreaded. Henceforth he must live like
a man who paces, day by day, the brink of a volcano. At any moment the
blow might fall.

CHAPTER VIII

"I AM WEARY OF A HOPELESS LOVE"

Paul and Arthur shared a bachelor residence in Mayfair; shared it,
that is to say, insomuch as Paul had purchased it, and was the sole
proprietor, and Arthur used it whenever he could get leave from his
regiment. It was here Paul found his brother on the morning of his
arrival in London.

They shook hands in silence; Paul did not wish to say anything for a
moment. His brother's appearance had choked him. It was one o'clock,
but he was still in his dressing-gown; with sunken, pale cheeks, save
for one bright spot, and with faint, dark rims underneath his eyes.
There were a pile of blue papers and some ominous-looking envelopes
on the table before him, and Paul could not help noticing the intense
pallor of the hand which rested upon them.

"I wish you would let a fellow know what time you were coming," Arthur
said, rather peevishly, but with an attempt at a smile. "I didn't
expect you till evening, so I was having a shack before dressing. I
was late last night!"

Paul banished his gravity, as far as possible, and stood with his
hands in his pockets, leaning against the mantel-piece. He heartily
disliked the part of mentor, and he did not wish to play it, unless he
were obliged.

"It was beastly early to get up," he said, "but the connection at
Normanton is so much better. One has to wait two hours by the late
train, and Normanton is such a hole. I don't know that I should have
come up to town at all, just yet," he continued after a slight pause,
"only that I'm on the committee at the club this term, you know, and I
haven't attended a single meeting yet. Besides, I promised Westover
to put him up this time, and the half-yearly meeting's to-morrow, you
know. Got any engagement? If not, you might dine with me there. Always
a full night election time, you know!"

"Beastly sorry! but my leave's up to night," Arthur answered ruefully.
"I shall have to go down to Aldershot by the four o'clock