by breaking it. Then came his long illness, and the
discovery at Newera Ellia; for the first time he thought that there
might be other explanations of the delay, and while he was writing the
letter which had come to Mark, he resolved to make one more appeal to
Mabel, since it might be that his first by some evil chance had failed
to reach her. That second appeal, however, was never made. Before he
could do more than begin it, the fever he had never wholly shaken off
seized him again and laid him helpless, until, when he was able to
write once more, he was already on his way to plead for himself. But
the dread lest his own punctilious folly and timidity had closed the
way to his heart's desire had grown deeper and deeper, and he felt an
impulse now which was stronger than his natural reserve to speak of it
to some one.

'Yes,' he continued, 'she may have thought I was drowned, as you did;
perhaps she has never dreamed how much she is to me: if I could only
hope to tell her that even now!'

'Do you mind telling me her name?' said Mark, with a deadly foreboding
of what was coming.

'Did I never speak of the Langtons to you?' said Holroyd. 'I think I
must have done so. She is a Miss Langton. Mabel, her name is' (he
dwelt on the name with a lover's tenderness). 'Some day if--if it is
all well, you may see her, I hope. Oddly enough, I believe she has
heard your name rather often; she has a small brother who used to be
in your form at St. Peter's; did I never tell you?'

'Never,' said Mark. He felt that fate was too hard for him; he had
honestly meant to confess all up to that moment, he had thought to
found his strongest plea for forbearance on his approaching marriage.
How could he do that now? what mercy could he expect from a rival? He
was lost if he was mad enough to arm Holroyd with such a weapon; he
was lost in any case, for it was certain that the weapon would not lie
hidden long; there were four days still before the wedding--time
enough for the mine to explode! What could he do? how could he keep
the other in the dark, or get rid of him, before he could do any harm?
And then Caffyn's suggestions came back to him. Was it possible to
make use of Caffyn's desire for a travelling companion, and turn it to
his own purpose? If Caffyn was so anxious to have Holroyd with him in
the Lakes, why not let him? It was a desperate chance enough, but it
was the only one left to him; if it failed, it would ruin him, but
that wo