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She sht, but that was not the truth That was pose What she said was pose as well—pretending, wishing

“Oh, Tony,” she said “You look for a rival instead of listening to what I say”

“It’s what I see,” he answered

“Your vision is clouded,” she said, “if you see Delilah Desmond in love with a bookworm”

He’d risen, intending to leave, but soled for aher hand, began to speak once more

“What is this?” Mr Atkins screaet this?”

Mr Gillstone gazed down in bewilder in his hands “Froone co for the business It wanted a less sensitive nature

“This is not the ave you,” the littleby heart? Where did you get it? Who bribed you to take it?”

A heated argu much offended by the accusation

They shouted at each other for twenty minutes Finally, when Mr Atkins’s face had turned purple and the blood vessels were visibly throbbing in his teetic young ed Mr Atkins to his office, in, and told him what had occurred

The soothing effects of Geneva notwithstanding, Mr Atkins bolted from his chair, snatched up the manuscript, and dashed out of the shop

Two ain

“Print it,” he said

“Print it?” Mr Gillstone echoed

“Yes This is the only book we shall ever get froain, so we e e can Just don’t show it to me when it’s done Deal with ain as long as I live”

Chapter Twenty

Mr langdon had ordered his bags packed so that he h of dashing about like a ht

All the saht in repose, so he did not even atte at a volume of Tacitus for two hours before he noticed he had not turned a page He sla it aside

Then he put on his coat and went out for a walk A long walk Perhaps he would be set upon by ruffians and savagely beaten That would be a profound relief

He circled the West End endlessly, passing houses where drawn-back curtains and brilliant lights boasted of festivities in progress Occasionally a carriage clattered past, but it was too early for great folks to be heading hoht the watch the interested public not only of the hour, but of the circumstance that the world, at present, ell, the radually clearing

That hen Jack’s mind must have snapped, because the watchdon’s legs, no longer controlled by a brain or anything like it, blithely took him to Potterby House

The house was dark, in the front at least Facades, however, can be deceiving, and ever a seeker of Truth, Mr Langdon slipped round to the back There on the second floor, onereate for a moment Then he cliarden

His eyes went up to theonce an to pound because he saw a ee passed quickly—though not quickly enough to prevent his catching one tantalising gliht

“‘But soft! what light through yonderbreaks?’” he h left to smile at his folly “‘It is the east, and Delilah is the sun Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon—’”