The Story of Antony Grace Part 72

"No, Revitts," he said, "I look upon him as my most deadly enemy, and some day I may take the scoundrel by the throat, but I cannot help you here."

"Now, that's where you're wrong, sir, if you'll 'scuse me. A man mustn't take the law into his own hands. You think better of it, sir.

You can't punish, though he richly deserves it, but I can; and if ever I get a chance, I will."

Revitts soon after rose to go, Mary having announced her intention of sitting up all night with Linny, and Hallett and I were left alone.

"No, Antony," he said, looking me in the face, just as if I had spoken to him on the subject. "My hands are tied: John Lister must go free. I can do nothing."

"He deserves flogging!" I exclaimed, "and I feel that I ought to tell Miss Carr."

He started, and half turned away.

"Have you told Miss Carr, Antony?"

"No," I said, "I can't be so mean; but she ought to know, for she believes him to be very true and honourable. I wish some one would tell her. Can't you?"

"I? Tell Miss Carr? Antony, are you mad?" he cried, with a show of excitement that I could not understand. "No, I could not tell her.

What would she think of me?"

"Yes, she is so high-minded and good," I replied, "that she would think anybody a miserable talebearer who told her what a scoundrel Mr Lister is. I don't think she would believe it, either."

"No," he said softly, "she could not believe such a thing of the man she loves."

"Do you know," I said, innocently enough, "I don't think she does love Mr Lister very much."

His eyes flashed as he looked at me; but he made no reply, and only sat gazing before him in a wistful, saddened way that I did not comprehend then as I went on chatting to him.

"No, I shall not tell her--I couldn't," I said. "It would be too mean, and yet it would be horrible for her to marry such a man as that. Have you seen him, since, Hallett?"

"Seen him?--Since? No, Antony, I have not been to the office since that night. I could never go there again."

I looked at him anxiously, for his ways and looks were very strange; but I attributed everything to anxiety on Linny's behalf, and we very soon changed the topic; and after hearing the last account about Linny, I rose to go, Hallett coming downstairs, and out into the starlit street, walking a few hundred yards with me towards my lodgings, before finally taking his leave, and going thoughtfully away.

CHAPTER FORTY THREE.

A SCENE.

I have often thought since upon the magnanimity of Hallett's character.

Loving Miss Carr, as he did, with a pa.s.sionate, hopeless love, he knew her to be engaged to John Lister, and feeling bound in honour to be just to the man he served, he crushed down his pa.s.sion, and hid it in his breast. Hopeless he knew it was, from his position; but, however hopeless, it must have been agony to him to hear of his rival's success.

How much greater, then, must his sufferings have been when he found that the man to whom the woman he adored had promised to give her hand was a scoundrel of the basest kind!

He loved her so well that her future happiness must have been his constant thought, and now he learned that she was bound to the man who cared so little for the treasure of her love that he was ready to engage in any intrigue; while the very fact that the object chosen for this cruel intrigue was Hallett's own sister must have been maddening.

He must have felt fettered by his position, for he could not accuse John Lister to the woman he loved. He felt that he was too full of self-interest, and besides, how could he speak words that would inflict such a sorrow upon the peaceful life of Miriam Carr?

No: he felt bound in honour to be silent, and, crushing down his love and his honest indignation against John Lister, he sought employment elsewhere, and spent his leisure in keeping watch over his home.

He took one step, though, that I did not know of till long afterwards; he wrote to John Lister, telling him that his perfidy was known, and uttering so fierce a warning against him if he pursued Linny, or even wrote to her again, that the careful watch and ward kept over the house in Great Ormond Street proved to be unnecessary, for the sensual tiger, foiled in his spring, had slunk away.

On the day after my talk with Hallett, and Revitts' visit to the house, I made my way after office-hours to Miss Carr's, to find my welcome warmer than ever; for she flushed with pleasure, and sat for some time talking to me of her sister, who had written to her from abroad.

"Now, Antony," she exclaimed, "you and I will dine together, and after that you shall be my escort to a concert at Saint James's Hall."

"A concert!" I exclaimed eagerly.

"Yes; I was about to send the tickets away, but you have come in most opportunely."

I was delighted; for I had never heard any of our best singers, and we chatted through dinner of the music we were to hear, after which I was left in the drawing-room, to amuse myself, while Miss Carr went up to dress.

I took up a book, and began to read; but the thoughts of Linny Hallett and Mr Lister kept coming into my head, and I asked myself whether I ought not to tell Miss Carr.

No; I felt that I could not, and then I began wondering whether the engagement that had been extended might not after all come to nothing, as I hoped it would. It was horrible to me now, that John Lister should be allowed to keep up ties with my patroness, knowing what I did of his character; and yet I felt could not, I dared not, tell. At last, in the midst of my contending thoughts, some of which were for telling, some against, I forced myself into reading the book I had taken up, striving so hard to obtain the mastery over self that I succeeded--so well that I did not hear a cab stop, nor the quick step of him who had occupied so large a share of my thoughts.

"Ah, Grace," said John Lister cavalierly, as he entered the room unannounced, completely taking me by surprise as I started up from the book. "You here again! Well, how's engineering? Like it as well as printing, eh? Why, you are growing quite the gentleman, you lucky dog!

I suppose we must shake hands now."

I felt as if all the blood in my body had rushed to my face, and a strange sensation of rage half choked me as I drew back.

"Why, what's the matter with you, boy?" he exclaimed. "Hold out your hand."

"I'll not," I exclaimed indignantly; "how dare you ask me!"

"Dare I ask you--puppy!" he exclaimed, with an insolent laugh. "Why, what do you mean?"

"How dare you come here?" I cried, my indignation getting the mastery of me.

"Dare I come here!" he exclaimed, frowning. "Why, you insolent young upstart, what do you mean?"

"I mean that you ought to be ashamed to show your face here again after your behaviour to Mr Hallett's sister."

"Hush!"

As he uttered that word he caught me by the throat, thrust his face close to mine, and I saw that he was deadly pale.

"You dog!" he whispered; "if you dare to utter another word, I'll--"

He did not finish, but gave me a vindictive look that was full of threatenings of ill.

But unfortunately for him, he had hurt me severely as he caught me by the throat, and the pain, instead of cowing me, filled me full of rage.

With one quick wrest I was free, and turning upon him fiercely, I exclaimed:

"I will speak in spite of what you say. You are a coward, and treacherous, and no gentleman!"

"Silence, dog!" he cried, in a hoa.r.s.e whisper. "Have you dared to tell Miss Carr lies about me?"

"I'm not a tell-tale," I cried scornfully, "and I'm not afraid of you, Mr Lister. I would not tell Miss Carr, but I dare tell you that you are a coward and a scoundrel!"