J. J. Bell

“ He was my uncle—the rich member of our family—and he had brought me up and taken my cousin and myself into his big business. My cousin and I were friendly, but not particularly so. Though we were about the same age, our tastes were very different. My cousin, who was the old man's favorite, had a great regard for money; he was in a hurry to be rich. He went too fast, and got into trouble—such trouble that I dare say he did not know what he was doing when—— Well, I'll spare you the details, Miss Nevis. An evening came when my cousin and I were summoned before our uncle. ”

“ You are charitable, Miss Nevis; but it happens that he inherited our uncle's business and fortune. At the present moment he is enormously wealthy. Some little time ago, ere I decided to make this voyage, I employed a man in London to discover and send me particulars. My cousin is married, has a son, lives in a splendid West End house, and is noted for his liberality and hospitality. ”

“ Once more she leaned her arms on the rail and watched the water, brilliant with lights from the portholes.
“Thank you,” he said softly. “I'll put it in as few words as I can.”
He thought for a moment, then began in a cool, steady voice:
“It is twelve years since I left England, in disgrace and much to the relief of my friends. Many a man in my position would have had the police after him, but the man who believed that I had injured him was both merciful and proud. He even offered me money so that I might get away comfortably. But he could not prevent the story's getting abroad. ”

“ His first business was to get back his good name. Then—— But he knew in his soul that there was no other woman in the world like Sybil Nevis.
II.
Next morning he kept to his state-room until the ship was alongside the landing stage. He was among the first to disembark. He did not look back, or he might have seen Miss Nevis watching him with sorry, puzzled eyes. Making straight for the special train, he ensconced himself in a “smoker” and opened a newspaper. He was aware that, like himself, she was bound for London, and until last night he had indulged happy thoughts of the railway journey. ”

“ The longest-living author of this work died in 1934, so this work is in the public domain in countries and areas where the copyright term is the author's life plus 89 years or less. This work may be in the public domain in countries and areas with longer native copyright terms that apply the rule of the shorter term to foreign works. ”