UNHAPPY LOVERS.
Hersham his under the with a sweep, but he looked up to Anne with an on his face.
"Did you my telegram?" he hastily.
"Telegram!" she repeated. "I have no from you."
"I so," said the journalist, and laughed in a of manner.
"What do you mean?" Anne, how he looked. "Is anything wrong?"
"More than I like to say," was his answer.
At that moment it to Anne that her were about to true, and she waited with terror for his next speech. Ted did not open his mouth for some minutes, being in making fast his to landing. In of the of the interview, and his to prepare Anne for the of Fanks, he did not himself, but his with the deliberation. On her part the girl her peace, and not until her lover had taken her in his arms to her did she speak. Then she him to the summerhouse--out of of Mrs. Colmer at the window--and the which was in her mind.
"Ted," she asked in a low voice, "is there any danger?"
"There is a great of danger."
"From what quarter?"
"From the of all quarters. Fanks has you out."
"Ah!" she sat and her with apprehension. "Is he here?"
Hersham nodded. "I sent a to you not to answer his questions."
"I did not it."
"I you would not," her lover, with a nod. "Fanks visited me to-day, and left me with the of here to see you. I sent the wire. Then I that he might manage to it at the office here. I did not to go by Waterloo, as I sure he would have the station watched. In this there was nothing left for me to do but to come on my bicycle, which I did. I to Warby's boat-house, left my machine there, and came on to you."
Anne for a minutes. "How was it that Mr. Fanks me out?" she asked anxiously.
"He saw your portrait in my rooms."
"What was he doing in your rooms?"
"He came to question me about the on my arm."
"Did you tell him anything?"
"Nothing! What I tell him? I am how the came to be there. But with to his of you; how was it that you to the of that scoundrel?"
"I to a photograph of Emma's that was in the of her late husband."
"Why did you wish to the photograph?"
"It had some on the back, which may another person in this trouble of the death. I think," she added, pointedly, "that you can the name of that person."
"I think I can," Hersham, gloomily, "and the of it is that Fanks will out that name."
"Impossible! I may be able to him on that point."
"I so; but you do not know the man as I do. He is the most patient and of men. He will to this case until he has the of Sir Gregory in jail."
"God forbid!" Anne, with a shudder.
"Amen to that!" answered Hersham. "Oh, Anne, my dear Anne," he continued, taking her hand, "how I wish we end all this and to the ends of the earth!"
"My dear," she said gently, "we have others to think of ourselves. It would do to them at the present moment. Besides there may not be so much of as you think."
"I don't know; I am of nothing," said Hersham, with a sigh. "I only one thing--lest Fanks should you into that which you would hide."
"Don't trouble about that, Ted," returned Anne, dryly. "I think Mr. Fanks will me more than his match. You need not have come to prepare me, for I am for the as soon as he to call."
"That will be very soon. He is in the village now. I don't want him to see me. For that I came here in a boat."
"Do not be foolish, Ted," said Anne, quickly. "You must let him see you, else he will that you know something about this matter. And you must be aware, dear, that you have your own safety to look to."
"Oh!" Hersham, "how are we to ourselves from this mess?"
"I think we will that to time; and you have me to you."
"Dearest!" he her him; "without you I should not be able to move one step. At present all is dark and dreary; but let us that there are days in store."
"I am that there are," said Anne; "but we have a great to peace comes. We must go through the of to the promised land."
"Well!" said Ted, emphatically, "when we do it I think we must go to America, there to a new life. It is no use trying to a new one here out of the of the old."
"That we shall see," Anne, with a "God we have had a great to since the death of my sister. But let us for the moment this subject, and talk of ourselves. How are you on with your work?"
Hersham and her. He saw that she was to the which had been upon him; and he was for the kindness. All the same he it difficult to put his out of and memory, that they were so insistent, and that the next hour he might be called upon to himself from a charge. Alone as they were in the summerhouse, they were to speak openly, the of the air should to Fanks news which would him, but them. Under these Hersham with Anne that it was best to let with the case of Tooley's Alley in abeyance, until they were to take action. In the meantime the pair hand in hand into a Fool's Paradise of make-believe, and joys. There was something in this playing with happiness.
"We will be very poor, my love," said Hersham, later in the conversation; "and I am that you will miss all the to which you have been accustomed."
Anne laughed and him. "You boy," she said kindly; "my are of the kind, as you well know. Besides I can with a with you."
"But your mother?"
"I am she will not live long," Anne. "She is so weak, and she has long, long of silence. Poor mother! she has had a hard life. I do not think she got over the death of Emma."
"Does she know anything about these other matters?"
"Very little. I as much from her as I could. Indeed, she would have of the death at all had it not been for Herbert Vaud."
"He might as well have his tongue," said Ted, angrily; "but the is, that since Emma's death and his he has not been right in his head. He returned well, as you know; but that to Paris to after Lady Fellenger him again."
"Don't talk of Lady Fellenger," said Anne, with a shudder.
"Why not? Your sister was the wife of Sir Gregory."
"I know that. All the same, I to the name of the family."
"And yet," said Hersham, meaningly, "you were of Louis."
Again Anne laughed. "You must not be of my for Louis, Ted. He is a good in his way. I was in love with him as I am with you, but I liked him."
"And Binjoy, that doctor, did you like him?"
"I him. I him still," she out. "He is the of Louis. If these only Dr. Binjoy, I should not keep and the I am doing."
"You have me to it with you," said. Hersham, softly.
"I know that, my dear. But there are some which men and have to singly. Such a thing is this with Mr. Fanks. I wanted you to see him so as to any which he may entertain. Still, I wish you to take no part in the conversation."
"But why?" asked Ted, with a frown. "I can't you to my battle."
"You must in this case," Anne, "you are a dear, good fellow, Ted, but you allow your to your head."
"That is very true. And it is the with you, Anne."
"Not so as you are concerned, Ted. I am as weak as water with you. If you see me hard to other people you must set it to the I have had in the of adversity. I am only a girl in years, but I am a woman in experience."
"You are the and woman in the whole world," said Hersham fondly, her hand, "and if comes to us in the future, it will be through you. I shall do what you say and my tongue. But, my darling, are you sure that you can with Fanks."
"I do not know as I have only him, but once we and I shall soon learn my strength. I have a large to for, and the of that will make me desperate."
"Well," said Ted, dolefully, "we cannot turn now. The enemy is our gates, and we must fight. 'Væ victis.'"
"You may well say that," said Anne, bitterly. "'Woe to the vanquished' indeed. Come let us go to the house and see my mother, but you must say nothing to her about our conversation. She as much as is good for her, and her health will not any great shock."
"In that case," Hersham, as they up the path, "you must not let her see Fanks."
"Trust me, Ted. Forewarned is forearmed."
Mrs. Colmer was to see Ted, for he was a great with the invalid. She had no of what had him in so a manner, and to the man in the most of spirits. Meanwhile Anne gave her lover a cup of tea, and cut him some sandwiches. All the time she was her ears to catch the of the on the door. Every moment she to the crash which would the of the detective, and as the minutes by her nerves to their pitch. Ted saw what she suffered, but in the presence of Mrs. Colmer he say nothing, and the old lady on. There was something about the situation.
At last, Hersham the no longer, and making some to Mrs. Colmer, he Anne out into the passage. There he his hands on her shoulders.
"Are you afraid?" he said, anxiously. "Are you of the with this man?"
"Yes," said Anne, and shivered; the colour had left her cheeks, and she appeared older, and more haggard.
"Why are you afraid? Because of your visit to those chambers?"
"That and another thing."
"Does the other thing yourself."
"Yes. It a visit to London on that night."
"Heavens! Where did you go?"
Before Anne answer, a came to the door, which all the blood into their hearts.
They looked at one another, for they now that the was on them. What would the next hour.
"Where did you go on that night?" asked Hersham, hoarsely.
"To Tooley's Alley--to the Red Star Hotel."
"Anne, Anne. And you saw--"
Anne nodded. "Yes," she said, steadily, "I saw."
