acqueline!'

"'Oh!' I shrieked, torn by my anguish for him and the terror of her
escaping while we were yet talking, 'God knows I had rather have died
than contaminate her by such words as I have uttered. She is dear to me
as my soul; dearer to me than my life. I have a mother's feeling for
her, sir. If to fling myself headlong from that window, would delay her
feet from going down the stairs to meet her guilty lover, I would gladly
do it. It is her danger makes me speak. O sir, realize that danger and
hasten before she has taken the irrevocable step.'

"He started like a man pricked by a sudden dart. 'She is going--you
believe she is going to meet him?'

"'I do,' said I.

"He gave me a terrible look and started for the door. I hurriedly picked
up the scraps that had fallen to the floor, and rushed around by an
inner passage-way to my own little room, hiding my head and waiting as
for the crash of a falling avalanche. Suddenly a cry rose in the hall.

"There are some sounds that lift you unconsciously to your feet. Dashing
out of my room, I detected the face of the servant-girl whom I have
before mentioned, looking out of her door some distance down the
corridor. Hastening towards her, I uttered some words about her being a
busy-body, and thrusting her inside her room, locked the door upon her.
Then I hastened with what speed I might to the front of the house, and
coming out upon the grand staircase, met a sight that shook me to the
very soul. You have been up the stairs; you know how they branch off to
left and right from the platform near the top. The left branch led in
those days to Colonel Japha's room, the right to the apartments occupied
by Jacqueline and myself. Coming upon them, then, as I did from my side
of the house, I found myself in full view of the opposite approach, and
there on the topmost step I beheld Colonel Japha, standing in an
attitude of awful denunciation, while half way down the staircase, I
beheld the figure of Jacqueline, hindered in her gliding course towards
the front door by the terrible, 'Stop!' whose echo had reached me in my
room and caused me to rush quaking and horrified to this spot. I leaned
back sick and horror-stricken against the wall. There was no mercy in
his voice: he had awakened to a full realization of the situation and
the pride of the Japhas had made him steel.

"'You are my child!' he was saying. 'I have loved you and do still; but
proceed one step farther towards t