r. Probably I shall make a settlement on
her; although the little idiot hardly deserves that much after giving
the show away as she has done."

"Of course, you will tell Lady Rosemary of this before any announcement
is made of your marriage, Harry? A Brammerton must, in all things, be
honourable, 'Clean,--within and without.'"

He looked at me incredulously, and smiled almost in pity for me and my
strange ideas.

"Certainly not! What do you take me for? What do you think Lady
Rosemary is that I should trouble her with these petty matters?"

"Petty matters," I cried. "You call this petty? God forgive you,
Harry. Petty! and that poor girl crying her heart out; her whole
innocent life blasted; her future a disgrace! Petty!--my God!;--and
you a Brammerton!

"But I tell you," I blazed, "you shall let Lady Rosemary know."

"And I tell you,--I shall not," he replied.

"Then, by God!--I'll do it myself," I retorted. "I give you two hours
to decide which of us it is to be."

I made toward the door. But Harry sprang for his rapier, picked it up
and stood with his back against my exit, the point of his weapon to my
breast.

There was a wicked gleam in his narrow eyes.

"Damn you! George Brammerton, for a sneaking, prying, tale-bearing
lout;--you dare not do it!"

He took a step forward.

"Now, sir,--I will trouble you for that letter."

I looked at him in astonishment. There was a strange something in his
eyes I had never seen there before; a mad, irresponsible something that
cared not for consequences; a something that makes heroes of some men
and murderers of others. I stood motionless.

Slowly he pushed the point of his rapier through my coat-sleeve. It
pricked into my arm and I felt a few drops of warm blood trickle. I
did not wince.

"Stop this infernal fooling," I cried angrily.

He bent forward, in the attitude of fence with which he was so familiar.

"Fooling, did you say? 'Gad! then, is this fooling?"

He turned the rapier against my breast, ripping my shirt and lancing my
flesh to the bone. I staggered back with a gasp.

It was the act of a madman; and I knew in that moment that I was face
to face with death by violence for the second time in a few hours. I
slowly backed from him, but he followed me, step for step,

As I came up against and sought the wall behind me for support, my hand
came in contact with something hard. I closed my fingers over it. It
was the handle of an