Lady Evelyn — page 247: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

240 From the Dead. moved nor spoken. Robert Drummond touched him lightly on the shoulder, as an officer of the law might in _ making an arrest. “A word with you, sir,” he said, authoritatively.. “I go to the library; precede me there. Mr. Hall, will you lead the way?” Trevannance and Lord Clydesmore exchanged glances; neither spoke; they were curiously watching the Irish - peer. Mechanically, with that livid hue settled on his face, with that fixed, blind stare in his eyes, he obeyed the com- mand of the stranger ; he walked, without one word, after the rector. Colonel Drummond turned to his host. “You will pardon this seeming mystery, and later all shall be explained. I must have a word in private now with your friend.” - Lord Clydesmore bowed rather haughtily, and Drum- ~ mond passed on his way to the library. — “Odd!” the viscount remarked to his friend when the trio had disappeared. “Very!” assented Mr. Trevannance. The rector entered the library after the others, the cold sweat of mortal apprehension in beads, on his brow. Drummond closed and locked the door and then walked forward to face his mortal foe. The library of Warbeck Hall was a vast apartment, where carved oak and green velvet curtains made perpet- ual gloom. A cluster of wax-lights blazed already over one of the writing-tables, though the summer sunset was still rosy in the sky without. In an arm-chair before this table Gerald Desmond sank down, and with his elbows upon it, his forehead bowed on his hands, sat waiting for his doom. Fora creat and ut- ter hopelessness had come upon him; a dull despair filled him in which there was a strange mingling of relief. He had lost all for which he had risked so much, but he was no murderer—at least, in deed. A murderer he might be, as surely as though the grave had closed over his victim; but the dead face of Roderick Desmond could never haunt Li im, night-time and day-time, more and blast the happiness of his life. ge was ook in no and. ase in in mio fast woe prog A me boy gee “ae peed <4 UUs we s gas &- “ee : << eee