Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Wrecked.
" I have no money , and nothing would induce me to do that . It was I who induced her to write Sir Richard Marchester ' s name on it but she thought it was only a blank piece of paper , " and again he had to narrate the details . "Betting , of course ? " "No , cards , " and then a silence fell on them .
Harold was thinking of Lilian , and the jeopardy she stood m , but to save the youth from his evil courses was the thought uppermost in his mind . '' Cards , wine , and women , " he said to himself , " arc the ruin of many men ' s lives ; either will wreck a man , but I think all three have combined to spoil his life . " " If you will give np cards I will meet the bill : swear that you will , solemnly , sincerely . "
It was a noble offer , yet it was destined to prove more costly to him than Hastings imagined . Sunk low in his own estimation the wretched youth was not destitute of pride , and he made an effort to regain the esteem of the man whom he had so cruelly wronged , without appearing ungrateful .
" I will accept it on one condition . Let me play another weekmy losses or my gains shall he yours . With confidence , and the knowledge that I can afford to play , I shall win , and the day that the bill falls due shall be my last ever to touch a pack of cards ; that I solemnly swear , " and lie held out his hand , which Harold warmly shook .
" I will accept it , also on one condition—that I play with you . Nap is it not ? " " Agreed , " said Jack . " Every night at the Club of Luxury , from nine till two . " The compact was made , made at Hastings' own suggestion , yet it was destined to put to the test the love of the woman who had vowed that " nothing " should part them .
Loving words , yet idle words , idle as the sun which xlanced about her golden hair on that memorable afternoon when they were spoken . But of what value are woman ' s vows , when man ' s inconstancy is apparent ? Nothing !
" I shall not tell Lilian that I have been in town , so keep my visit a secret . I shall go to Aldershot every morning , returning by the evening train after to-day , " That night Harold Hastings enrolled himself a member of the Club of Luxury , and sat down to play with Jack and two other men , confederates and experts in the art of card-playing .
That night Sir Richard Marchester joined the club , with a motive of curiosity only , to sec who were Jack A ernon ' s companions . To his astonishment he saw , seated at the further end of the room , Captain Hastings , Jack , and two strangers , playing cards . He sat down , buried his head in a newspaper , intending to leave at the first opportunity . Instead of reading he was thinking .
" If I can make her believe that Hastings is leading Jack on , she will throw him over , the absolute purity of a man ' s life is a sine qua nun with her . If I could only induce her to see Hastings here , and tell her of the forgery , her love for him would bo a thing of the past . She is just one of those girls a man must hoodwink before marriage , " and again he repeated to himself , "All is fair in love and war . "
If the all meant a shady transaction in the ethics of morals , Richard Marchester was not the man to have any qualms of con . science over it . He intended to marry Lilian Vernon , and he was not to be baulked from that purpose . The announcement of Lilian ' s engagement had not been made
public owing to the death of Harold s father , but Marchester was aware of it , although he chose to assume ignorance , and the next day lie repaired to Kensington , and was fortunate in finding Lilian alone , aud with many passionate protestations of her regard , made her an offer of marriage . "You honour me with your proposal , Sir Richard , " she answered , ( jiilutly , " but I am engaged to Harold Hastings . "
Wrecked.
There was a pride ringing in the words which galled him , her wondrous grey eyes dilated a little and sparkled , sending out shafts of light , and the long ej'elashes restlessly moved , shading the piercing glance which she gave him . " You cannot be in earnest , " he said , with well-feigned astonishment . " What , marry a man who is leading your brother on to ruin ! Yea . even now has led him to the brink ! "
He looked at her calmly to see the effect of his words . " How dare you make such unfounded accusations ! " Her eyes were flashing with anger , and the scorn on her curled lip showed an unutterable contempt for him . He had not miscalculated . The greater her anger the more the eyes flashed with indignant scorn of him ; the sooner would she listen to the unmasking of Harold Hastings .
" I do make it aud can prove it—look at this , " and he gave her the Jew ' s letter to read . " My name was forged to that bill , and I shall have to pay it unless Captain Hastings and your brother win enough money at cards next week , at a club not altogether restricted to gentlemen . They are to be seen there every night , and their companions are not always men . "
"I wrote your name , " she said , "but I did not know that any use could be made of it . "
" The use that has been made of it would place you and your brother in prison if I chose to put the matter into the hands of the police , but I am not likely to do that , " he said , with affected generosity , " though I would sooner see you there than marry such a man as Hastings ; if I cannot win you for myself I will at least try and prevent your marrying one totally unworthy of you , " he said , softly .
Lilian was staggering under the revelation ; she trusted implicitly Marchester ' s word , but the honour of the man to whom sho had given her vow , was unthought of . The poison of distrust had entered into her soul ; all men were faithless , even Harold . He was condemned without a hearing . " Would you marry me if all I say were true , and you saw what I have described with-your own eyes ? "
How skilfully had he laid his trap , and how quickly she fell into it .
" Yes , I would , " she said , in bitter tones , the betrothal vow was remembered , but she did not relent . How could she marry the man who was ruining Jack , M-IIO had already taught him to tread the paths of a life from which her soul revolted . There could be no unison oj £ thought or feeling , no affinity of soul . Harold Hastings was an outcast in her eyes , the associate of all that was immoral , lit only for the outcasts of society , and those who wish to be with them .
" To-night , then , 1 will call for you , wrap yourself in some disguise , and wear a thick veil . I will leave you now , " aud he took her hand and kissed it .
So far he had won the game ; it was a desperate one , but he determined to play it to the end , be the risk what it might . Lilian sank into a chair . Her mortification predominated over every other feeling . Harold Hastings in town , and not call on her . He had written from Aldershot the day before ; his perfidy grew in magnitude ; his love for her was but a sham and a delusion , she was but a toy , a plaything in his life , his pleasure was sought at the card table and among women who frequented the Club of Luxury .
Lilian Vernon refused to go to the theatre , she sat at home and nursed her wrath until the play was over , and Sir Richard Marchester called to take her to the Club of Luxury . Impatient to be there , impatient to seo the man whom she had loved , but whom now she so distrusted , she hurriedly stepped into the hansom at the door , yet never deigning to speak one word while driving there .
Disguised beyond all recognition , she entered the club , aud was passed in as a friend of Sir Richard ' s , a privilege enjoyed by every member , and a rule which he now took advantage of to some purpose . He took her straight to the Crimson Room , well furnished , and
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Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Wrecked.
" I have no money , and nothing would induce me to do that . It was I who induced her to write Sir Richard Marchester ' s name on it but she thought it was only a blank piece of paper , " and again he had to narrate the details . "Betting , of course ? " "No , cards , " and then a silence fell on them .
Harold was thinking of Lilian , and the jeopardy she stood m , but to save the youth from his evil courses was the thought uppermost in his mind . '' Cards , wine , and women , " he said to himself , " arc the ruin of many men ' s lives ; either will wreck a man , but I think all three have combined to spoil his life . " " If you will give np cards I will meet the bill : swear that you will , solemnly , sincerely . "
It was a noble offer , yet it was destined to prove more costly to him than Hastings imagined . Sunk low in his own estimation the wretched youth was not destitute of pride , and he made an effort to regain the esteem of the man whom he had so cruelly wronged , without appearing ungrateful .
" I will accept it on one condition . Let me play another weekmy losses or my gains shall he yours . With confidence , and the knowledge that I can afford to play , I shall win , and the day that the bill falls due shall be my last ever to touch a pack of cards ; that I solemnly swear , " and lie held out his hand , which Harold warmly shook .
" I will accept it , also on one condition—that I play with you . Nap is it not ? " " Agreed , " said Jack . " Every night at the Club of Luxury , from nine till two . " The compact was made , made at Hastings' own suggestion , yet it was destined to put to the test the love of the woman who had vowed that " nothing " should part them .
Loving words , yet idle words , idle as the sun which xlanced about her golden hair on that memorable afternoon when they were spoken . But of what value are woman ' s vows , when man ' s inconstancy is apparent ? Nothing !
" I shall not tell Lilian that I have been in town , so keep my visit a secret . I shall go to Aldershot every morning , returning by the evening train after to-day , " That night Harold Hastings enrolled himself a member of the Club of Luxury , and sat down to play with Jack and two other men , confederates and experts in the art of card-playing .
That night Sir Richard Marchester joined the club , with a motive of curiosity only , to sec who were Jack A ernon ' s companions . To his astonishment he saw , seated at the further end of the room , Captain Hastings , Jack , and two strangers , playing cards . He sat down , buried his head in a newspaper , intending to leave at the first opportunity . Instead of reading he was thinking .
" If I can make her believe that Hastings is leading Jack on , she will throw him over , the absolute purity of a man ' s life is a sine qua nun with her . If I could only induce her to see Hastings here , and tell her of the forgery , her love for him would bo a thing of the past . She is just one of those girls a man must hoodwink before marriage , " and again he repeated to himself , "All is fair in love and war . "
If the all meant a shady transaction in the ethics of morals , Richard Marchester was not the man to have any qualms of con . science over it . He intended to marry Lilian Vernon , and he was not to be baulked from that purpose . The announcement of Lilian ' s engagement had not been made
public owing to the death of Harold s father , but Marchester was aware of it , although he chose to assume ignorance , and the next day lie repaired to Kensington , and was fortunate in finding Lilian alone , aud with many passionate protestations of her regard , made her an offer of marriage . "You honour me with your proposal , Sir Richard , " she answered , ( jiilutly , " but I am engaged to Harold Hastings . "
Wrecked.
There was a pride ringing in the words which galled him , her wondrous grey eyes dilated a little and sparkled , sending out shafts of light , and the long ej'elashes restlessly moved , shading the piercing glance which she gave him . " You cannot be in earnest , " he said , with well-feigned astonishment . " What , marry a man who is leading your brother on to ruin ! Yea . even now has led him to the brink ! "
He looked at her calmly to see the effect of his words . " How dare you make such unfounded accusations ! " Her eyes were flashing with anger , and the scorn on her curled lip showed an unutterable contempt for him . He had not miscalculated . The greater her anger the more the eyes flashed with indignant scorn of him ; the sooner would she listen to the unmasking of Harold Hastings .
" I do make it aud can prove it—look at this , " and he gave her the Jew ' s letter to read . " My name was forged to that bill , and I shall have to pay it unless Captain Hastings and your brother win enough money at cards next week , at a club not altogether restricted to gentlemen . They are to be seen there every night , and their companions are not always men . "
"I wrote your name , " she said , "but I did not know that any use could be made of it . "
" The use that has been made of it would place you and your brother in prison if I chose to put the matter into the hands of the police , but I am not likely to do that , " he said , with affected generosity , " though I would sooner see you there than marry such a man as Hastings ; if I cannot win you for myself I will at least try and prevent your marrying one totally unworthy of you , " he said , softly .
Lilian was staggering under the revelation ; she trusted implicitly Marchester ' s word , but the honour of the man to whom sho had given her vow , was unthought of . The poison of distrust had entered into her soul ; all men were faithless , even Harold . He was condemned without a hearing . " Would you marry me if all I say were true , and you saw what I have described with-your own eyes ? "
How skilfully had he laid his trap , and how quickly she fell into it .
" Yes , I would , " she said , in bitter tones , the betrothal vow was remembered , but she did not relent . How could she marry the man who was ruining Jack , M-IIO had already taught him to tread the paths of a life from which her soul revolted . There could be no unison oj £ thought or feeling , no affinity of soul . Harold Hastings was an outcast in her eyes , the associate of all that was immoral , lit only for the outcasts of society , and those who wish to be with them .
" To-night , then , 1 will call for you , wrap yourself in some disguise , and wear a thick veil . I will leave you now , " aud he took her hand and kissed it .
So far he had won the game ; it was a desperate one , but he determined to play it to the end , be the risk what it might . Lilian sank into a chair . Her mortification predominated over every other feeling . Harold Hastings in town , and not call on her . He had written from Aldershot the day before ; his perfidy grew in magnitude ; his love for her was but a sham and a delusion , she was but a toy , a plaything in his life , his pleasure was sought at the card table and among women who frequented the Club of Luxury .
Lilian Vernon refused to go to the theatre , she sat at home and nursed her wrath until the play was over , and Sir Richard Marchester called to take her to the Club of Luxury . Impatient to be there , impatient to seo the man whom she had loved , but whom now she so distrusted , she hurriedly stepped into the hansom at the door , yet never deigning to speak one word while driving there .
Disguised beyond all recognition , she entered the club , aud was passed in as a friend of Sir Richard ' s , a privilege enjoyed by every member , and a rule which he now took advantage of to some purpose . He took her straight to the Crimson Room , well furnished , and
Ad03702
THE PHILANTHROPIC WORK OF THE Xonbon Congregational IHnion . 30 , 000 Garments annually distributed to the poor . y ^ ^ \ B-- ^_^ > Meals supplied to poor children during the Winter . / ^ -- _ f c— > JI ^^ 114 , 000 Homeless Men sheltered and fed last year at a cost of \\ L / \ ' ? f * ' * \ Por man P er nig"hk-/ PROVIDES \ FUNDS ARE URGENTLY NEEDED . I ^ ± P ^ n I Two Gu , n eas Endows a Bed for a Year . \ MFAI < 5 / -r U 0 TJUBL ' TI 0 i \ 8 of CLOTHING , Old and 1 \ W , nil ] I ,,- ( hai . kf . dlv n-coived ! , v \ IVICMUO . i A j r . j , ,. - \ VILSOX UATKS , : II HI , . . Minion Hall , Collin- ' * l ^ ufs , I Son MII ^ II , S .-J . Financial X ^ ^ / Help will be gladly welcomed hv the llev . ANLKKU AIKAKXS , or Mr . K . W ' n . sux ( IATI ; S , at the Memorial Hall , Fairinyddn Street , E . C ,