Lady Evelyn — page 83: what you’re looking at

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

hae The Came of Can. your very babyhood, whilst I was an unlicked cub, for whom cuffs and ha’pence were too good? What right had you to woo and win a beauty and an heiress, and take her to your arms, under my very eyes? What right had you to be my benefactor, my patron, my master, fling- ing me your sovereigns, ard paying my debts, and shar- ing your pocket-money, like a prince ? I tell you [ hate you! I hate you for your birth, for your beauty, for your rank, for your birthright, for the woman you love, and for the favors you have bestowed! I hate you because you are Roderick Desmond, heir of Clontarf, and not I. I swore I’d have my revenge one day, and, Lord Rod- erick, [—have—had—it !”’ He paused, breathless with the Rares. mad passion — within him. And Roderick listened, with blue, dilated eyes, but very calm now. * “I understand,” he said, ined. “It is you who have betrayed me to death!” : “It is!” Gerald Desmond hissed. “I knew who mur- dered Kathleen O’Neal. It was I who bribed Morgan to swear your life away! It was I who forged the note _ that condemned you! It was I, my Lord Roderick, who did it all!” “Why do you tell me this?’ Rory asked in the same stiff voice. “Why do you seal your own doom?” “Because I have sealed yours before it. Because you will never leave this spot alive !’’ He sprang upon him as a tiger springs upon his prey, his face blood-red, his eyeballs staring, his teeth clenched - upon his lower lip until the blood flowed. His tiger’s grip was on his brother’s throat—Cain stood over Abel once - again in the untold horror of murder! Their arms closed around each other.. Roderick Desmond fought valiantly for his life. They wrestled—they sragolek breathless, panting, convulsed—in each other’s strong arms. Oh, God, that _ the radiant glory of Thy new day should so ‘often rise to light the brute lust of blood in man! Gerald Desmond was the victor. His right hand closed tightly on the blackened throat, his left ‘sought for the hiaden pistol. Its blue gleam flashed in the first red ray . - of the ous sun—the sun that was to have Ait nicbo vt O OOKS.CO