THE  PROPHET 'SMANTLE  BY  FABIAN BLAND  NEW YORK  NATIONAL BOOK COMPANY  3 , 4 , 5 AND 6 MISSION PLACE  Copyright , 1889 ,  BY  Belford , Clarke + Co.  CONTENTS .  THE PROPHET 'SMANTLE .  TO be the son of a noble of high position , to be the heir to vast estates in a western province , and to a palace in the capital , to have large sums safely invested in foreign banks , to be surrounded by every luxury that to most men makes life worth living , to be carefully inoculated with all the most cherished beliefs of the territorial aristocracy , and as carefully guarded from all liberal influences ; to be all this does not generally lead a man to be a social reformer as well .  Such causes , as a rule , do not produce a very revolutionary effect .  But in Russia , tyranny , officialism , and the supreme sway of ignorance and brutality , seem to have reversed all ordinary rules , and upset all ordinary calculations .  There the ' gentlemen of the pavement 'are nobles , with a longer lineage than the Romanoffs , and progressive views find some of their most doughty champions in the ranks of the old nobility .  So Count Michael Litvinoff was not such a startling phenomenon , nor such a glaring anomaly , as he would have been in any other country .  His parents died when he was about eighteen , and after their death he spent most of his time in close study of physics , philosophy , and of the ' dismal science , ' as expounded by its most advanced apostles .  He wrote , too , extensively , though most of his works were published in countries where the censorship was not quite so strict as in his own .  When he was about twenty-five , and was deep in the heart of his great work , ' The Social Enigma , ' he woke up one morning with a conviction that all his last chapters were utter nonsense , and , what was worse , he could n't for the life of him make out what they meant even when he read them over .  Bewildered and anxious , he hastened to refer the matter to a personal friend and political ally , whose answer was brief and to the point .  'Nonsense ?  Why , the book 'sas clear as daylight , and as convincing as Euclid .  You 'vebeen working too hard — overdoing it altogether .  Go to the South of France for a month , and lose a few roubles at Monte Carlo .  It will do you good .  '  Michael Litvinoff took the first part of this advice ; and though he did not take the second part , he did sometimes spend an hour in watching others lose their money .  One night he noticed a young man on whom fortune appeared to be frowning with more than her usual persistence and bitterness .  Again and again he staked , and again and again he lost .  At last he collected the few coins that remained of the good-sized heap with which he had begun , and staked them all .  He lost again .  He got up and walked out .  Struck by the wild look in his eyes , Litvinoff followed him into the gardens of the Casino .  At the end of a dark alley he stopped , pulled something from his breast , which might have been a cigar-case , opened it , and took out something which Litvinoff saw was not a cigar .  The Count sprang forward , and knocked the other 'shand up just in time to send a tiny bullet whizzing through the orange trees .  ' Damn you !  ' cried the other , in English , turning furiously on Litvinoff .  ' What the devil do you mean ?  '  ' Come to my rooms , ' said the Count simply ; and the other , after a moment 'shesitation and a glance of sullen defiance , actually obeyed , and in silence the two walked side by side out of the gardens .  When the door of his sitting-room was closed upon them , Count Litvinoff waved his new acquaintance to an easy-chair , and , taking one himself , remarked , —  ' You 'rea nice sort of sportsman , are n't you ?  Suppose you have some tea and a cigar .  '  ' The cigar with pleasure ; but tea is not much in my line .  '  ' Ah , I forgot ; you English do n't worship tea as we Russians do .  By-the-way , as there 'sno one else to perform the ceremony , I may as well introduce myself .  My name is Michael Litvinoff .  '  The other looked up .  ' Let me withdraw my refusal of your offer just now .  I must confess that it would be pleasant to me to drink tea , or anything else in reason , in the company of the man who has written " Hopes and Fears for Liberty .  " '  The tea was made , and before the cigar was finished Litvinoff had learned not only that his new friend was a political sympathiser , but also the main facts in the young man 'spersonal history .  His name was Armand Percival ; his father English , his mother French .  He had been brought up in Paris , and had been left an orphan with a small but sufficient property , which , with an energy and application worthy of a better cause , he had managed to scatter to the winds before a year was over .  It was the last remnant of this little possession that he had brought to Monte Carlo in the desperate hope of retrieving his fallen fortunes , and with the fixed determination of accepting the ruling of fate and of ending his life , should that hope be unfulfilled .  ' And really , ' he ended , ' you would have done better to have been judiciously blind in the gardens just now , and have let the farce be played out .  As it is , affairs are just as desperate as they were an hour ago , and I , perhaps thanks to your good tea , am not so desperate .  When I leave you I must go and grovel under the orange trees till I find that pistol , for I have n't even the money to buy another .  '  ' It wo n't do to let the world lose a friend of liberty in this fashion .  They are scarce enough .  We can talk this over to-morrow .  Stay here to-night .  We 'llhunt for your little toy by daylight if you like .  '  They did find the pistol the next day .  By that time they had had a good deal of talk together , and Armand Percival had become the private secretary of Count Michael Litvinoff .  Life on the ancestral estate of the Litvinoffs was utterly different from anything Percival had ever known before , but he had conceived an unbounded admiration and affection for his friend and employer , and he threw himself into his new duties with an ardour which made boredom simply impossible , and with a perseverance almost equalling that which he had displayed in the dissipation of his little fortune .  He helped Litvinoff in all his literary work , and was soon admitted to his fullest confidence .  His new life was wrapped in an atmosphere of romance , and it contained a spice of danger which was perfectly congenial to his nature .  The most commonplace action ceases to be commonplace when one knows that one risks one 'slife in doing it .  He soon made rapid progress in the Russian language — Swinburne was given up for Pouchkine , Tchernychewsky displaced Victor Hugo , and Percival revelled in the trenchant muscular style of Bakounin as he had once delighted in the voluptuous sweetness of Théophile Gautier .  He had always had a leaning towards Democracy , and a fitful kind of enthusiasm for popular liberty .  The strong personal influence , the much bigger enthusiasm , and the intense reality of Michael Litvinoff 'sconvictions served to swell what had been a little stream into a flood with a tolerably strong current .  Both men worked hard , and at the end of some twenty months 'The Social Enigma 'was published in London and Paris .  In this , Litvinoff 'sgreat work , he managed to keep just on the right side of the hedge , but he indemnified himself for this self-denial by writing a little pamphlet , called ' A Prophetic Vision , ' which was published by the Revolutionary Secret Press , and circulated among the peasants , for whom it was specially written ; and all those concerned in its publication flattered themselves that this time , at any rate , the chief of the secret police and his creatures , in spite of their having obtained a copy twenty-four hours after it was printed , were thoroughly off the track .  One night in winter the secretary sat at his old-fashioned desk in the oak-panelled room in the east wing of the mansion .  Big logs glowed on the immense open hearth , in front of which a great hound stretched its lazy length .  The secretary was correcting manuscripts in a somewhat desultory way , and varying the monotony of the penwork with frequent puffs of cigarette smoke .  Some wine stood at his elbow .  Count Litvinoff had been away ten days , and would be away as long again .  He had gone to a meeting of friends of the cause at Odessa , and Percival felt the strength of his enthusiasm beginning to give way before the appalling deadly dulness of his perfectly solitary life .  There was not a creature to speak to within miles except the servants , and Russian servants , as a class , are not much of a resource against ennui .  He flung down his pen at last , leaned back in his chair , and poured himself out some more wine .  He held it up to the light to admire its ruby colour , and then tasted it appreciatively .  ' H 'm!  not bad .  About the best thing in the place now its master 'saway .  Heigho !  — heigho !  this is very slow , which , by-the-way , is rhyme .  '  He spoke the words aloud , and the hound on the bearskin by the fire rose , stretched itself , and came slowly to lay its great head on his knee .  ' Well , old girl , I daresay you 'dlike a little hunting for a change .  Upon my soul it 'salmost a pity we 'reso very clever in keeping our literary achievements dark .  We should have something exciting then at anyrate , and I 'dgive anything for a little excitement .  '  ' You 'relikely to have as much as you care about , then , ' said another voice , which made Percival leap to his feet as the purple curtains that hung across the arched entrance to the sleeping-room were flung back , and a tall figure , muffled in furs , strode forward .  The dog sprang at it .  ' Down , Olga !  Quiet , quiet , old lady !  '  The coat was thrown off , and fell with a flop to the ground ; and Litvinoff held out his hand to his secretary , who had started back and caught up the manuscripts , and was holding them behind him .  ' Good heavens !  ' said Percival .  ' Litvinoff , what is it ?  Are they after you ?  How did you come in ?  '  ' I came in the way we must go out before another half-hour .  They 'vefound out the distinguished author of the " Vision , " and they 'reanxious to secure the wonder .  Lock that door ; we do n't want the servants .  '  ' It is locked .  I do n't do work of this sort with unlocked doors .  '  Litvinoff glanced at the manuscript on the oak writing-table .  ' We must collect all this and burn it , though I do n't think we could be deeper damned than we are , even if we left it alone .  '  ' But where have you come from ?  ' asked Percival , laying his hand on the other 'sshoulder .  ' You 'rewet through .  Have a drink , ' and he poured out a tumbler of the Burgundy .  Litvinoff took it , and as he set down the glass replied , ' I fell into some water .  There was snow enough to hide the ice .  '  ' Well , then , the very first thing is to change your clothes .  Shall I get you dry ones , or will you go ?  '  ' No , no ; neither of us must leave this room .  There may be a traitor in the house for aught I know .  No one saw me come in .  I shall do well enough .  '  ' You may as well be executed at once as be frozen to death in the course of the night .  You must make shift with some of my things .  You change while I see to the papers .  We can talk while you 'rechanging .  '  Each went deftly and swiftly about what he had to do , and neither seemed to be in the least thrown off his balance .  There was much less fuss than there is in some families every morning when the ' City man 'is hurrying to catch his train .  Drawer after drawer was emptied out on the wide hearthstones , and as stern denunciations of tyranny and eloquent appeals to the spirit of freedom vanished in smoke and sparks up the great chimney , Percival , a little puffed by his exertions , asked , ' How soon must we go ?  What 'sthe exact state of things ?  '  ' Our friends at Odessa were warned .  There 'san order for my arrest .  I was to have been taken at Odessa , and long before this they 'llhave found out that I 'mnot there , and will have started after me here .  '  ' But how are we to go ?  Are we to walk , and fall into a succession of pools ?  Ca n't we get some horses from the stable ?  '  ' I have a sleigh not a quarter of a mile off .  Zabrousky is with it , waiting .  We can reach Kilsen to-night , and get horses for the frontier .  There is a revolver in the desk .  The one in my belt is full of water .  I 'vegot two passports that will carry us over .  You are Monsieur Mericourt of Paris , and I am Herr Baum of Düsseldorf , friends travelling .  '  It was lucky that this room , the ordinary work-room of the friends , contained all their secrets and most of their ' portable property .  '  ' How about money ?  ' asked the secretary .  ' There are three hundred Napoleons in the cash-box .  Those will be best to take .  By-the-way , stick a French novel into your portmanteau , and throw in anything you can to fill it up .  We have the frontier to pass .  You know I am all right at Paris or Vienna .  '  ' Oh , yes , ' rejoined Percival .  ' If we get there we 'reall right .  But these clothes of yours ; we must hide them , or they 'lltell tales .  '  ' Oh , bring them with you , and leave the room in order .  '  ' Yes , and I must take a revolver myself .  We 'llgive a good account of a few of those brutes if they come too close .  '  ' Are we ready ?  I 'lltake the portmanteau , you carry those clothes .  Now then , lights out .  Give me your hand .  '  The candles were blown out , and Litvinoff led the way through the bedroom and through a tiny door in the panelled wall , of whose existence Percival had been up to this moment ignorant .  They passed down a narrow staircase , in a niche of whose wall they left the wet garments , and , passing through a stone passage or two , suddenly came out into the ice-cold air at an angle of the house quite other than that at which Percival had expected to find himself .  Litvinoff shivered .  ' I miss my cloak , ' he said .  ' However , there are plenty of skins in the sleigh .  '  The snow fell lightly on them as they hurried quietly away ; it did its best with its cold feathery veil to hide the footsteps of the fugitives .  ' Is this exciting enough for you ?  ' asked the Count as they strode along under cover of the trees .  ' Quite , thanks — I think I should be able to submit to a little less excitement with equanimity .  It wo n't be actually unpleasant to be out of the dominions of his sacred majesty .  '  ' This excitement is nothing to what we shall have in getting over the frontier , ' said Litvinoff ; ' that 'swhere the tug of war will come .  Percival , ' he went on after a pause , ' I shall never forgive myself if you suffer in this business through me .  '  ' My dear fellow , ' Percival answered cheerfully , ' if it had not been for you I should have been out of it all long ago , and if the worst comes to the worst , there 'sstill a way out of it .  As long as I have my trusty little friend here , ' tapping the revolver in his breast pocket , ' I do n't intend to see the inside of St Peter and St Paul .  '  As he spoke they heard the sound of horses 'restless hoofs .  ' What 'sthat ?  '  ' All right !  ' returned Litvinoff .  ' They 'reour horses .  '  Behind a clump of fir trees the sleigh was waiting , and beside it a man on a horse .  The two friends entered the sleigh , and adjusted the furs about them , and Litvinoff took the reins .  ' Good speed , ' said Zabrousky ; ' a safe journey , and a good deliverance .  '  ' Good-bye , ' Litvinoff said .  ' Do n't stay here a moment .  It may cost you your life .  '  In another instant the horseman had turned and left them , and the jingling of the harness and the noise of the fleet hoofs were the only sounds that broke the dense night silence as the sleigh sped forward .  ' Have you any idea what the time is ?  ' said Litvinoff , when they had travelled smoothly over three or four miles of snow .  ' It 'stoo cold to get watches out , and too dark to see them if we did .  '  ' It must be past two , ' said Percival .  ' It must have been past midnight when you came in .  I wonder what time those devils will reach the empty nest .  '  ' The later the better for us , and the servants will mix things a bit by telling them that I 'venot been home .  At this rate we shall reach Eckovitch 'splace about four .  We can stretch our legs there while he rubs the horses down a bit .  '  ' Will that be safe ?  Is he to be trusted ?  '  ' My dear Percival , this line of retreat has been marked out a long time .  Eckovitch has been ready for me any time these three years .  '  Nothing more was said .  The situation was too grave for mere chatter , and there was nothing of importance that needed saying just then .  Percival leaned back among the furs , which were by this time covered with snow , and Litvinoff seemed to be concentrating all his attention on his driving , using the horses as gently as possible , and continually leaning forward and peering into the darkness to make out the track , which was becoming no easy task , as the steady falling snow was fast obliterating the landmarks .  The secretary , overcome by that drowsiness which results from swift movement through bitterly cold air , was almost asleep , when the horses slackened speed , and the change in the motion roused him .  ' What 'sup ?  What 'swrong ?  ' he asked .  ' All right .  Here 'sEckovitch !  ' and as he spoke the sleigh drew up in front of a long , low wooden building .  He handed the reins to Percival , sprang to the ground , and battered at the door .  After a short pause a light could be seen within , and a voice asked , —  ' Who 'sthere ?  '  The Count answered with one word which had a Russian sound , but which Percival had never heard before .  The door was opened at once , and after a few low-spoken words between Litvinoff and someone within , a man came out and took the reins , and Percival left the sleigh and followed his friend into the house .  A woman was already busy in fanning into new life the red ashes that had been covered over on the hearth .  She flung on some chips and fir cones , and soon the crackling wood blazed up and showed the homely but not uncomfortable interior .  As the two travellers shook the snow off their furs , Percival asked in English who this man was .  ' A friend , ' Litvinoff answered .  ' He 'ssupposed to be an innkeeper , but there are n't many travellers on this road .  We make up deficiencies in his income .  '  They drew seats up to the fire , and the woman brought them some glasses and a flask of vodka .  ' You shall have some tea in a minute .  '  ' I hate this liquid fire , ' said Percival , ' and I like tea better than I did at Monte Carlo .  I 'llwait for that .  '  ' Drink this , and do n't be too particular .  It 'llhelp to keep us going , and we 'lltake the fag end of the flask with us , ' Litvinoff answered .  When the tea was ready , and some sausage and bread were set before the strangers , the woman sat down on the other side of the hearth and looked at them as they ate , which they did with fairly good appetites .  Presently a low wailing cry arose from the further corner of the room , and the woman went and took up a funny old-fashioned looking little baby , and , returning to her seat by the fire , sat hushing it with low whispers of endearment .  It was a strangely peaceful little scene , between two acts of a sufficiently exciting drama , which , for aught any of the actors knew , might end as a tragedy .  The spell of silence which had been over them in the sleigh was broken now , and they chatted lightly over their hasty meal .  The Count 'sdemeanour in the face of danger was a thing after Percival 'sown heart , and he had never admired his friend so much as he did , when , the meal being over , Litvinoff leaned back nonchalantly , stroking his long fair moustache and stirring his final cup of tea .  The secretary 'sown calmness was really more remarkable , however , since he was in the position of a young soldier under fire for the first time , whereas Litvinoff had known for eight years that at any moment he might be arrested , or might have to fly .  ' Your horses will do to get to Kilsen now , ' said the man , opening the door ; ' you were wise to give them this rest .  They 'dnot have done without it .  '  ' Poor brutes , ' said the Count , ' I wish we could give them longer , but every minute 'sof consequence .  '  ' You 'llcross the frontier at Ergratz , I suppose , ' said the innkeeper , as they came out into the air .  The weather had changed in the little time they had been in shelter .  The snow was no longer falling ; through a break in the clouds one or two stars twinkled frostily , and the wind was blowing the snow off the road in drifts .  As the sleigh glided away the man re-entered his house and bolted the door , and in five minutes the fire was raked together and covered over , the light was extinguished , and no sign left to show that wayfarers had been entertained there that night .  ' We 'lltake the horses easily a bit now , ' said Litvinoff ; ' there 'llbe some stiffish hills by-and-by .  '  They seemed to have been on the road for about six nights instead of one , when , nearly half way up one of these same stiffish hills , Percival laid his hand on Litvinoff 'sshoulder .  ' Stop a moment , ' he said , ' I heard hoofs behind .  '  They stopped , listened , and heard nothing .  ' It must have been the echo of our own hoofs among these hills .  If they are near enough to be heard , it 'sall up with us .  They 'resure to be well mounted .  However , we 'lldo our best to get on to Kilsen , and get mounted ourselves before morning .  '  But morning was beginning to break , and with it came fresh snow .  At the foot of the next hill the secretary spoke again .  ' Litvinoff , I 'mcertain I hear hoofs , and a good many of them .  '  ' So do I .  We 'llwhip on — they ca n't hear us , the wind blows from them .  We 'lltry another chance presently .  I do n't think we can win by speed .  ' He urged on the tired horses with voice and whip , and the weary animals put forth their strength in a wilder gallop .  They were now rushing very swiftly through the icy air , and every moment increased the pace .  They had to slacken a little in going up the last and highest hill , near the crown of which they turned back their heads , and saw that what they had been flying from all night was close upon them now .  Over the brow of a lower hill immediately behind them came a band of horsemen , about a dozen strong as it seemed in the pale grey of the dawn .  ' We must leave the sleigh , ' said Litvinoff .  ' Almost in a line across country to the left , not more than two versts off , is the house of Teliaboff ; there we are safe for a day or two , if we can get there unseen .  It 'sa desperate chance , but we must try it .  Prop up the portmanteau and the furs to look like our figures .  We 'lltie the reins here , and get out just over the brow .  They 'llsee us as we go over .  Those Cossacks have eyes like eagles .  We 'lllash the horses on , and they 'llgo some distance without us ; and when those devils find we 'renot in the sleigh they wo n't know exactly where to begin to search for us .  Thank God , it 'ssnowing harder and harder .  That will help to hide our traces ; and over this broken ground to the left our legs will serve us better than their horses will them .  '  ' There 'sbarely a chance , ' said the secretary .  ' Let 'sstay and fight it out .  '  ' We 'llfight if the worst comes to the worst ; but as it is we 'vea very fair chance of escape .  We have our revolvers .  '  As they crossed the brow of the hill a wild shout borne by the wind told them that the Count had been right .  They had been seen .  Litvinoff stopped the horses , and the two men got out , leaving the counterfeit presentment of themselves , which the secretary 'sdeft hands had invested with a very real appearance .  The Count gave two tremendous lashes , the horses sprang madly forward at three times the pace they had made hitherto , and the two fugitives plunged through the snow to the left of the road .  ' Do n't go too fast , ' whispered Litvinoff ; ' you 'llneed all your wind presently .  We 'vea fair start now , and they ca n't follow on horseback .  '  They had not gone two hundred yards before they heard the troop sweep by .  ' We were n't a minute too soon , ' the secretary said .  ' There goes another of them , ' said the Count , as again they caught the sound of a horse 'ssnow-muffled hoofs .  On they went , struggling over rough ground , sometimes waist-deep in snowdrifts , sometimes tripping over concealed stones or broken wood .  ' We shall do it now , ' said Litvinoff .  ' They 'reon us , by God !  ' cried the secretary at the same instant .  They turned ; they had been tracked , but only by one man .  One of the pursuers , who had been a little behind the others , either better trained in this sort of sport than his fellows , or guided by some sixth sense , seemed to have divined what they had done , and had dismounted just at the right place , and followed them on foot .  He gave a yell of triumph as he saw a grey figure struggling up the incline before him .  ' Aha , Mr Secretary , ' he cried , and , raising his carbine , fired ; the grey figure stumbled forward into the snow .  ' You 'redone for , at any rate !  '  The Cossack 'striumph was a short one .  As he dashed forward to secure his fallen quarry , another figure sprang from the snowy brushwood a little ahead of him , walked calmly towards him , raised a revolver , and shot him through the heart .  A week or two later one of those short and inaccurate paragraphs which date from St Petersburg appeared in several European papers .  It was to the effect that Count Michael Litvinoff had been captured , after a desperate struggle , near the frontier , and that his private secretary , a young Englishman , had been shot in the fray .  But the French papers knew better , and that report was promptly contradicted .  The Débats , while confirming the news of the secretary 'sdeath , asserted that Count Michael Litvinoff was at that moment at the Hôtel du Louvre , and his bankers would have confirmed the statement .  And in the rooms of the Count at the Hôtel du Louvre a haggard , weary-faced man , almost worn out by the desperate excitement and the horrors of the last few weeks , was pacing up and down , unable to get away from the picture , that was ever before his eyes , of his friend 'sdead face , bloodstained and upturned from the snow , in the cold , grey morning light ; unable to escape from that triumphant shout , ' Aha , Mr Secretary , you 'redone for , at any rate , ' which seemed as if it would ring for ever in his ears .  ' I would give ten years of my life to undo that night 'swork .  I shall never meet another man quite like him .  I wish the brute had shot me , ' he said to himself over and over again .  FATHER AND SONS .  THE light was fading among the Derbyshire hills .  The trees , now almost bare , were stirred by the fretful wind into what seemed like a passionate wail for their own lost loveliness , and on the wide bare stretch of moorland behind the house the strange weird cry of the plovers sounded like a dirge over the dead summer .  The sharp , intermittent rain had beaten all the beauty out of the few late autumn flowers in the garden , and it was tender of the twilight to hasten to deepen into a darkness heavy enough to hide such a grey desolate picture .  Inside Thornsett Edge another and a deeper darkness was falling .  Old Richard Ferrier was sick unto death , and he alone of all the household knew it .  He knew it , and he was not sorry .  Yet he sighed .  ' What is it , Richard ?  Can I get you anything ?  '  A woman sitting behind his bed-curtain leaned forward to put the question — a faded woman , with grey curls and a face marked with deep care lines .  It was his sister .  ' Where are the boys ?  '  ' Gone to Aspinshaw .  '  ' Both of them ?  '  ' Yes ; I asked Dick to take a note for me , and Roland said he 'dgo too .  '  The old man looked pleased .  ' Did you want either of them ?  ' she asked .  ' I want them both when they come in .  '  ' Suppose you are asleep ?  '  ' I shall not sleep until I have seen my sons .  '  ' Art thee better to-night , Richard ?  ' she asked in a tone of tender solicitude , dropping back , as people so often do in moments of anxiety , into the soft sing-song accent that had once been habitual to her .  ' Ay , I 'mbetter , lass , ' he said , returning the pressure of the hand she laid on his .  ' Wilt have a light ?  '  ' Not yet a-bit , ' he answered .  ' I like to lie so , and watch the day right out , ' and he turned his face towards the square of grey sky framed by the window .  There was hardly more pleasantness left in his life than in the dreary rain-washed garden outside .  And yet his life had not been without its triumphs — as the world counts success .  He had , when still young , married the woman he passionately loved , and work for her sake had seemed so easy that he had risen from poverty to competence , and from competence to wealth .  Born in the poorest ranks of the workers in a crowded Stockport alley , he had started in life as a mill 'hand , ' and he was ending it now a millowner , and master of many hands .  He had himself been taught in no school but that of life ; but he did not attribute his own success to his education any more than he did the fatuous failure of some University men to their peculiar training ; so he had sent his sons to Cambridge , and had lived to see them leave their college well-grown and handsome , with not more than the average stock of prejudices and follies , and fit to be compared , not unfavourably , with any young men in the county .  But by some fatality he had never tasted the full sweetness of any of the fruit his life-tree had borne him .  His parents had died in want and misery at a time when he himself was too poor to help them .  His wife , who had bravely shared his earlier struggles , did not live to share their reward .  She patiently bore the trials of their early married life , but in the comfort that was to follow she had no part .  She died , and left him almost broken-hearted .  Her memory would always be the dearest thing in the world to him ; but a man 'swarm , living , beating heart needs something more than a memory to lavish its love upon .  This something more he found in her children .  In them all his hopes had been centred ; for them all his efforts had been made .  They were , individually , all that he had dreamed they might be , and they were both devoted to him ; and yet , as he lay on his deathbed , his mind was ill at ease about them .  Did he exaggerate ?  Was it weakness and illness , the beginning of the end , that had made him think , through these last few weeks , that there was growing up between these two beloved sons a coolness — a want of sympathy , an indisposition to run well in harness together — which might lead to sore trouble ?  There certainly had been one or two slight quarrels between them which had been made up through his own intervention .  How would it be , he wondered , when he was not there any more to smooth things over ?  Somehow he did not feel that he cared to live any longer , even to keep peace between his boys .  That must be done some other way .  Truth to say , he was very tired of being alive .  The October day faded , and presently the sick-room was lighted only by the red flickering glow of the fire , which threw strange fantastic shadows from the handsome commonplace furniture , and made the portraits on the walls seem to look out of their frames with quite new expressions .  Old Ferrier lay looking at the pictures in a tremor of expectation that made the time seem very long indeed .  At last his strained sense caught the faint click of the Brahma lock as it was opened by a key from without , and the bang of the front door as it was closed somewhat hurriedly from within .  ' There they are , ' he said at once .  ' Send them up , Letitia .  '  As she laid her hand on the door to open it , another hand grasped the handle on the other side , and a tall , broad-shouldered young fellow came in , with the glisten of rain still on his brown moustache , and on his great-coat , seeming to bring with him a breath of freshness and the night air .  ' Ah , Dick !  I was just coming down for you .  Where is Roland ?  '  ' He stayed awhile at Aspinshaw .  How 'sfather ?  '  ' Awake , and asking for you , ' said his aunt , and went away , closing the door softly .  ' Well , dad , how goes it ?  ' said the new-comer , stepping forward into the glow of the firelight .  ' Light the candles , ' said his father , without answering the question , and the young man lighted two in heavy silver candlesticks which stood on the dressing-table .  As their pale light fell on the white face lying against the hardly whiter pillow , Dick 'seyes scrutinised it anxiously .  ' You do n't look any better , ' he said , sitting down by the bed , and taking his father 'shand .  ' I wish I 'dbeen at home when that doctor came yesterday .  '  ' I 'mglad you were n't Dick ; I 'drather tell you myself .  I wish your brother were here .  '  ' I daresay he wo n't be long , ' said the other , frowning a little , while the lines about his mouth grew hard and set ; ' but what did the doctor say ?  Aunt Letitia did n't seem to know anything about it .  '  ' He told me I should n't live to see another birthday , ' said the old man .  He had rehearsed in his own mind over and over again how he should break this news to his boys , and now he was telling it in a way quite other than any that had been in his rehearsals .  ' Not see another birthday !  ' echoed his son .  'Nonsense !  Why , father , ' he added , with a sudden start , ' your birthday 'son Wednesday .  How could he ?  I 'llwrite to him .  '  ' My dear boy , I felt it before he told me .  He only put into words what I 'veknown ever since I 'vebeen lying here .  There 'sno getting over it .  I 'mgoing .  '  Dick did not speak .  He pressed his father 'shand hard , and then , letting it fall , he walked over to the hearthrug , and stood with his hands behind him , looking into the fire .  ' Come back ; come here !  ' said the wavering voice from the bed .  ' I want you , Dick .  '  ' Ca n't I do something for you , dad ?  ' he said , in very much lower tones than usual , as he sat down again by the bed .  He kept his face in the shadow of the curtain .  ' We 'vealways got on very well together , Dick .  '  ' Yes — we 'vebeen very good friends .  '  ' I wish you were as good friends with your brother as you are with your old father .  '  ' I 'mnot bad friends with him ; and , after all , your father 'syour father , and that makes all the difference .  '  ' Your brother will soon be the nearest thing in the world to you .  Oh , my boy , ' said old Ferrier , suddenly raising himself on his elbow , and clasping Dick 'sstrong right hand in both his , ' for God 'ssake , do n't quarrel with him !  If you ever cared for me , keep friends with him .  If you and he were n't friends , I could n't lie easy in my grave .  And it 'sbeen a long life — I should like to lie easy at last !  '  ' I do n't quarrel with him , father .  '  ' Well , lad — well , I 'vethought you did ; perhaps I 'mwrong .  Anyway , do n't quarrel — if it 'sonly for your old dad 'ssake .  I 'veloved you both so dearly .  '  ' I will try to do everything you wish .  '  ' I know you will , Dick .  You always have done that .  Was that Roland just came in ?  If it is , send him to me .  '  The young man stood silently for a few moments .  Then he bent down over his father and kissed his forehead twice .  When he left the room he met a servant on the landing .  ' Is Mr Roland at home yet ?  '  ' Yes , sir ; he 'sjust come in .  '  ' Tell him Mr Ferrier wishes to see him at once .  '  ' Miss Ferrier told him , sir , directly he came in .  '  He turned and went to his own room .  A quarter of an hour later Roland stood outside his father 'sdoor .  He opened it gently , and entered , his slippered feet treading the floor of the sick-room as silently as a nurse 's.  As he stood a moment in the dim light , eyes less keen and less expectant than those looking at him from the bed might have easily mistaken him for his brother .  The slight difference in breadth of shoulder and depth of chest was concealed by the loose indoor jacket he wore .  There was no trace about him of his wet and muddy walk , and he looked altogether a much fitter occupant for the easy-chair that stood at the sick man 'sbedside than the stalwart , weather-stained , and unsympathetic-looking figure that had last sat in it .  ' Rowley , why did n't you come before ?  ' began the old man .  ' Oh , I could n't , father .  It is a beastly night .  I was awfully wet and muddy .  I only waited to change my things , and make myself presentable .  How are you to-night ?  '  ' Your brother came up wet enough , ' was all the answer .  ' Did he ?  What a careless fellow he is .  He never seems to think of that sort of thing .  '  ' Oh , well , I suppose you did n't know .  '  ' Know what , father ?  '  ' How much I wanted to see you .  '  ' Why , no , of course I did n't , ' said Roland in an altered tone , and with a look of new anxiety in his face .  ' What is it , father ?  I thought you were better to-day .  '  ' I shall never be better , lad .  Doctor Gibson told me so , and I know he 'sright .  You and Dick will soon be masters here .  But do n't worry , Rowley , ' he added , catching both his son 'sarms ; ' it was bound to come some day .  '  For a moment the young man had hardly seemed to realise what the words meant ; but now a long , anxious , eager look at his father 'sface made the truth clear to him .  An intense anguish came into his face , and throwing his arms round the other 'sneck , he fell on his knees in a burst of passionate tears .  ' Oh , father , father , no , no — not yet — do n't say that — I ca n't do without you .  Oh , why have I left you since you have been ill ?  '  The old man caressed him silently .  There was a sort of pleasure in feeling oneself regretted with this passion of sorrow and longing .  After a while .  ' Rowley , ' said he , as the sobs grew less frequent and less violent , ' I 'mgoing to ask you to do something for me .  '  ' Anything you like , father — the harder the better .  '  ' It ought not to be very hard to you , my son .  Promise me that you will always keep good friends with Dick .  '  ' Yes — yes — I will , indeed .  '  But little more was said .  Roland seemed unable to utter anything save incoherent protestations of love and sorrow .  At last , warned by the weariness that was creeping into his father 'sface , he bade him a very tender and lingering good-night .  ' Have me called at once if you are worse — or if I can do anything , ' were his last words as he left the room .  The watchful woman 'sface was by the bed again in an instant .  ' I want — ' the old man began .  ' You want your beef tea , Richard , and here it is .  '  As he took it he asked , —  'Is it too late to send for Gates ?  '  ' Oh , no ; and it 'ssuch a little way for him to come .  '  Mr Gates was a member of a firm of Stockport solicitors , and his country house was but a stone's-throw from Thornsett Edge .  It was not long before he in his turn occupied that chair by the bed .  He bore with him an atmosphere of jollity which even the hush of that sick-room was powerless to dispel .  He was not unsympathetic either , by any means , but he seemed made up of equal parts of kindheartedness and high spirits , and looked much more like an ideal country squire than like the ordinary legal adviser .  As a matter of fact , he was more at home on the moor side or in the stubble than among dusty documents and leather-bound Acts of Parliament .  It was his boast that he only had eight clients , and that he lived on them , and , judging by his appearance , they furnished uncommonly good living .  He had a genial , hearty way with him which made him a favourite with every man , woman and child he came across , and he knew quite enough law to fully justify the confidence of the eight above mentioned .  ' What , Mr Ferrier , still in bed !  Why , we thought old Gibson would have had you on your legs again in no time .  I quite expected to see you driving over to the Wirksvale wakes to-morrow .  '  ' I shall never go behind any but the black horses again , Gates .  It 'sno use .  I 'msettled , and I want you to alter my will .  '  ' I 'llalter your will with pleasure , if you like .  Though I must say it 'sso much more sensible than most people 'swills that I wonder you want to alter it ; but you must n't talk of black horses and that sort of thing for another ten years .  Do n't lose heart ; you 'lllive to alter your will a score of times yet .  '  In an eager , tremulous voice Ferrier begged the other to believe that his fate was sealed , and that whatever was done must be done quickly .  Then he proceeded to explain the changes he wished to have made in the will .  He told the lawyer , without any of that reserve which ordinarily characterised him , all his fears about his sons , and then unfolded the scheme by which he thought to bind the two together .  He wished their worldly interests to be so strongly bound up in their relations to each other that a quarrel à outrance would mean ruin to both of them ; and to this end he proposed to leave the mill to them jointly , on condition that they worked it together , and both took an active part in the management of it .  Should they dissolve partnership before twenty-one years , or should either retire with consent of the other , the personal property was not to be touched by either , and at end of ten years — if they were both alive and still separated — the whole was to go to the Manchester Infirmary .  Mr Gates noted this extraordinary scheme down on the back of an old letter , and when Mr Ferrier had ended , read his notes through and shook his head .  ' Far better leave it alone , Mr Ferrier ; they seem the best of friends , and legacies like this never help matters much , anyhow .  '  ' I ca n't leave it alone , Gates .  I 'vevery little time left .  The will is in that despatch-box , and there are pen and ink somewhere about .  '  ' Do be advised , ' began Gates , his jolly face considerably graver than usual .  ' I tell you I must have it done , and done at once .  I 'mdeadly tired , and I want it over .  '  Mr Gates shrugged his shoulders , got out the will , and settled himself at the round table , on whose crimson velvet-pile cloth stood a papier-maché inkstand , a recent purchase of Miss Letitia 's.  He sat there biting his pen , and making aimless little scribbles on a sheet of blank paper .  After some minutes he leaned forward , and for a little time no sound was heard but the squeak of his pen .  At last he flung down the quill and rose .  ' It is the only way it can be done , sir , ' he said , and read it out .  It carried out Ferrier 'splans , but placed the personal pro perty in the hands of trustees , who were to pay to Roland and Richard the interest thereof so long as they worked the mill together .  If at the end of twenty-one years there had been no dissolution between them , the money was to pass unconditionally to them , in equal shares , or to the survivor of them , or to their heirs if they were both dead .  If they quarrelled , the interest was to be allowed to accumulate for ten years , and then , if the brothers were still not on friendly terms , it should go , with the capital , to the Infirmary .  ' That 'sright , ' said old Richard , in a voice so changed as to convince the solicitor that he was right in saying he had not much more time to spend .  The codicil was signed , duly attested , and attached to the will , and Ferrier lay back exhausted , but with a light of new contentment in his eyes .  ' I 'mright down tired out , ' he said ; ' I shall sleep now .  '  And sleep he did till the cold hour of the dawn , when there came a brief waking interval , before the longest , soundest sleep of all .  He opened his eyes then .  ' It 'snearly over , ' he said ; ' my boys — my boys !  '  He called for them both , but it was Dick on whose broad breast the dying head rested .  It was Dick who caught the last loving , whispered words , felt the last faint hand pressure , soothed the last pang , caught the last look .  For when Aunt Letitia hurried to their rooms , it was Dick who opened his door before she reached it , and , fully dressed , sprang to his father 'sbedside .  Roland was in the sound sleep that often follows violent emotion , and it was hard to rouse him .  He came in softly just as his brother laid gently down on the pillow the worn old face , at rest at last , and closed the kindly eyes that would never meet Roland 'sany more .  Never any more !  A NARROW ESCAPE .  THE curtain had fallen on the last scene of the most popular play in London .  The appreciative criticism of the pit and the tearful sympathy of the upper boxes were alike merging in one common thought , that of ' something nice for supper .  ' The gallery was already empty .  Its occupants were thirstier and more prompt of action than the loungers in the stalls and boxes .  Ladies , a little flushed by the exertion of fighting their way through the ranks of their peers , were silently disputing for precedence in front of the looking-glasses in the cloak-rooms , while their cavaliers , already invested with overcoat and wrapper , were pacing the carpeted corridor outside with a very poor show of patience .  The most impatient of them all was a stout , rubicund old gentleman in a dark coat , who trotted fretfully up and down , and now and then even ventured to peep in through the door at the chaos of silks and laces , raised shawls , and suspended bonnets , in some component part of which he evidently had an interest .  His very manifest objection to being kept waiting made his fellow-sufferers glance at him with some amusement .  A young man who had been going leisurely towards the outer door actually stopped and leaned against the wall while he rolled himself a cigarette , and from time to time glanced with a certain interest at him .  He looked very handsome leaning there ; his light overcoat was open , and showed the gleam of some rather good diamonds in his shirt front .  His pose was graceful — his face had less of boredom in it than is usually worn by young men who go to theatres alone .  This , with his large dark eyes , Greek nose , and long drooping blonde moustache , gave him a rather striking appearance .  He might have been a foreigner but for his want of skill in making cigarettes .  The white hands seemed absolutely awkward in their manipulation .  Just as his persevering efforts were crowned with success , and the cigarette was placed between his lips , a white muffled figure emerged from the tossing rainbow sea , and a little hand was slipped through the old gentleman 'sarm .  ' Desperately tired of waiting , I suppose , papa ?  ' said a very sweet voice .  ' I should think so .  What a time you 'vebeen , my dear !  I thought I had lost you .  All the cabs will be gone .  '  ' Oh no , dear ; the theatre is n't half empty .  I was quite the first lady to come out , I 'msure .  '  ' You may have been the first to go in , but there have been lots of ladies come out while I 'vebeen waiting — dozens , I should say .  '  ' Could n't we walk back , papa ?  ' said the girl .  ' It 'sa lovely night , and the streets are so interesting .  It is n't far , is it ?  '  ' No , no — the idea !  Make haste , and we 'llget a cab right enough .  Mamma will never let us have a trip together again if I take you back with a cold .  '  By this time they had passed down the stairs , and the tall cigarette-maker sauntered streetwards also .  But getting a cab was not so easy .  That white chenille wrap had taken too long to arrange , and now there were so many people ready and waiting for cabs that a man not at home in this Babel had hardly a chance .  ' Papa ' was so intent on hailing a four-wheeler himself that he was deaf to the offers of assistance from the ragged battalions that infest the theatre doors , and seem to get their living , not by calling cabs , which they seldom if ever do , but by shutting the doors and touching their hats when people have called cabs for themselves .  He was a little short-sighted , and made several attempts to get into other people 'sbroughams , under the impression that they were unattached 'growlers , ' and was only restrained by his daughter 'senergetic interference .  At last , driven from the field by the crowds who knew their way about better than he did , he yielded to the girl 'sentreaties , and walked towards the Strand , hoping to be able to hail a passing vehicle .  They advanced slowly , for the pavement was crowded .  ' We really had better walk , ' she was saying again , when the crowd round them was suddenly thrown into a state of disturbance and excitement , and they were pushed backwards against the wall .  ' Oh , dear , what is it ?  ' she cried .  ' Look out , miss !  ' said a rough-looking man , in a fur cap , catching her shoulders , and pulling her back so violently that her hand was torn from her father 'sarm , and at the same moment the crowd separated to right and left .  Then she saw what it was .  A pair of spirited carriage horses had either taken fright , or had grown tired of the commonplace routine of wood pavement and asphalte , and had decided to try a short cut home through the houses , utterly regardless of the coachman , who was straining with might and main at the reins .  Their dreadful prancing hoofs were half-way across the pavement , and the pole of the carriage was close to someone 'schest — good heavens !  her father 's— and he , standing there bewildered , seemed not to see it .  She would have sprung forward , but the rough man held her back .  ' Papa !  papa !  ' she screamed , and at the sound of her voice he started , and seemed to see for the first time what threatened him .  He saw it too late — the pole was within six inches of his breast-bone .  But someone else had seen it to more purpose , and at that instant the head of the off horse was caught in a grasp of iron , and the pair were dragged round , to the imminent danger of some score of lives , while the carriage was forced back on to a hansom cab , whose driver disappeared into the night in a cloud of blasphemy .  ' Well , I 'mdamned !  ' remarked the gentleman in the fur cap , who had snatched the girl out of danger ; ' it 'sthe nearest shave as ever I see .  '  It had been a near shave ; but the old gentleman was unhurt , though considerably flustered , and immeasurably indignant .  ' Hurt ?  No , I 'mnot hurt — no thanks to that fool of a driver ; such idiots ought to be hanged .  But I ought to thank the gentleman who saved me .  '  As he spoke the young man came forward deadly pale and without a hat .  ' I do hope you 'renot hurt , ' he said , in a singularly low , soft voice , speaking with a little catching of the breath .  It was he who had leaned against the wall in the theatre .  His hands were evidently good for something better than twisting tobacco .  ' I hope the pole did not touch you ?  I am afraid I was hardly quick enough , but I could n't get through the people before .  '  ' My dear sir , you were quick enough to save me from being impaled against this wall ; but I really feel quite upset .  I must get my daughter home .  She looks rather queer .  '  She was holding his arm tightly between her hands .  ' Do let 'sgo home , ' she whispered .  ' I 'llget you a cab , ' said the hero .  ' You 'llprobably get one easily now the mischief 'sdone .  '  ' He 'slost his hat , ' observed the rescued one , as the other disappeared .  ' Do you feel very bad , my pet ?  Pull yourself together .  Here he comes .  '  A hansom drew up in front of them , and their new acquaintance threw back the apron himself .  ' You 'dbetter take it yourself , ' said papa .  ' You seem rather lame , and your hat 'sgone .  '  ' It does n't matter at all .  I can get another cab in an instant .  Pray jump in .  '  ' No ; but look here .  I have n't half thanked you .  After all , you saved my life , you know .  Come and see me to-morrow evening , will you , and let me thank you properly .  Here 'smy card — I 'mat Morley 's.  '  ' I will come with pleasure to see if you are all right after it , but please do n't talk any more about thanks , Mr — Stanley .  Here 'smy card .  Good night — Morley 'sHotel , ' he shouted to the cabman , and as they drove off he mechanically raised his hand to the place where his hat should have been .  Have you ever seen a man do that when hat there was none ?  The effect is peculiar — much like a rustic pulling a forelock when t'squire goes by .  ' I hope he will come to-morrow , ' said Mr Stanley as the hansom drove off .  ' Why , I think he 'sstaying at our hotel , papa .  I am almost sure I 'veseen him at the table d'hôte .  '  ' Dear , dear !  How extraordinary .  '  Clare was more than ' almost sure ' in fact , she knew per fectly well that this handsome stranger was not only staying at the hotel , but that he in his turn was quite aware of their presence there .  Of her presence he could hardly be oblivious , since his eyes had been turned on her without much intermission all through dinner every evening since she had been in town .  Before Clare went to her room that night she managed to possess herself of the slip of cardboard on which was engraved — Michael Litvinoff .  What an uncommon name !  How strange that he of all people should have been the one to come forward at the critical moment .  Yes , but not quite so strange as it seemed to Miss Stanley ; for Litvinoff had gone to the theatre for no other purpose than to be near her .  It was not only to gaze at her fair face that he thus followed her ; but because he was determined to catch at any straw which might lead to an introduction , and the fates had favoured him , as they had often done before , in a degree beyond his wildest hopes .  He was well contented to have lost his hat , and did not care much about his bruised foot .  These were a cheap price to pay for admittance to the acquaintance of the girl who had occupied most of his thoughts during the few days that had passed since he had first seen her .  ' A very fair beginning .  The gods have certainly favoured me so far ; and now , O Jupiter , aid us !  or rather Cupid , for I suppose he 'sthe proper deity to invoke in an emergency like this .  '  And Michael Litvinoff stretched out his slippered feet to the blazing fire in his bedroom .  ' By-the-way , I might as well look at the address .  I know it 'ssomewhere down North .  '  He rose , walked with some difficulty to the chair , where he had flung his great-coat , and took the card from one of its pockets .  ' Mr John Stanley , Aspinshaw , Firth Vale .  '  ' By Jove !  ' he said , sinking into his chair again .  ' Firth Vale — Firth Vale .  That 'sin Derbyshire .  Ah me !  '  He thrust his feet forward again to the warmth , and leaning back gazed long into the fire , but not quite so complacently as he had done before it had occurred to him to make that journey across the room to his great-coat .  THE NEW MASTERS  THE funeral was over , and Thornsett Mill was closed for the day .  Fortunately the ' Spotted Cow 'was not closed , so that the majority of the hands did not find themselves without resources .  Added to the subtle pleasure which so many derive from drinking small beer in a sanded kitchen furnished with oak benches , there was to-day the excitement of discussing a great event , for to the average mind of Thornsett the death and burial of old Richard Ferrier were great events indeed .  And then there appears to be something inherent in the nature of a funeral which produces intense and continued thirst in all persons connected , however remotely , with the ceremony .  So John Bolt , the landlord , had his hands pretty full , and the state of the till was so satisfactory that it was a really praiseworthy sacrifice to the decencies of society for him to persist in not shortening by one fraction of an inch the respectfully long face which he had put on in the morning as appropriate to the occasion .  ' Well , for my part , I 'msorry he 'sgone , ' he said , drawing himself a pot of that tap which seemed best calculated to assist moral reflections .  ' That I am !  He was always a fair dealer , if he was n't a giving one .  '  ' He was more a havin 'nor a givin 'one , ' said old Bill Murdoch .  ' Givin 'do n't build mills , my lad , nor yet muck up two acres o 'good pasture wi 'bits o 'flowers wi 'glass windows all over ' em .  I never seen sic foolin '.  '  ' Surely a man 'sa right to do what he will with his own , ' ventured a meek-looking man , who had himself a few pounds laid by , and felt acutely the importance of leaving unchallenged the rights of property .  ' I 'mnone so sure o 'that , ' remarked Bill , who had a conviction which is shared by a few more of us , that one 'ssuperiority shows itself naturally and unmistakably in one 'snever agreeing with any statement whatever which is advanced by anyone else .  ' There 'llbe more flowers than ever now , if Mr Roland has his way , ' said Sigley the meek .  ' D'ye think , now , Sigley , he 'llbe like to get that where Mr Richard is ?  ' asked Bill .  ' Mr Roland thinks too much o 'flowers and singin ' , and book learnin ', to give much time to getten o ' his own way .  '  ' Mr Roland may be this , or he may be that , ' Potters , the village grocer , observed , with the air of one clearly stating a case , ' but he can get his way where he cares to .  '  ' Tha 'sfond o 'saying words as might mean owt — or nowt , for that matter .  Ca n't tha say what tha does mean ?  '  ' Tha 'dknow what I mean if tha were n't too blind to see owt .  How about Alice Hatfield ?  '  ' Gently , gently , ' said Bolt .  ' Tha was i ' the right , Potters , not to name names , but when it comes to namin 'o 'names I asks tha where 'stha proof ?  '  Here there was a general 'movement of adhesion , ' and an assenting murmur ran round , while the mild man repeated like an echo , ' Where 'syour proof ?  '  ' Her father do n't think ther 'sproof , ' said Sigley .  ' A man does n't want to prove the bread out of his mouth , and the roof off his children .  '  ' John Hatfield would n't work for a man as had ruined his girl .  '  ' Hungry dogs eat dirty pudding , ' remarked Potters .  ' Hatfield does na 'deal o ' thee , Potters , ' observed Murdoch , drily .  ' And it would be just one if he did , ' answered Potters , his large face growing crimson , ' and Alice was a good lass and a sweet lass till she took up wi 'fine notions and told a ' the lads as none on 'em was good enough to tie her shoon , and as she 'dbe a lady , and I do n't know what all , and Mr Roland was the only gentleman as ever took any notice of her , except Mr Richard ; and Mr Roland , he went away when she went away , and it 'sall as plain as the nose on your face .  '  ' Tha says too much , ' said Murdoch slowly , ' for't a ' to be true .  '  ' Now , now !  ' interposed Bolt .  ' Enow said on all sides , I 'msure .  The poor old master 'sgone , and the mill 'sgot a holiday , and I think you 'llall be better employed i ' turning your thoughts on him as is gone than i 'picking holes i ' them as is to be your masters , and raking up yesterday 'sfires i 'this fashion .  And so I say , as I said before , I for one am sorry he 'sgone .  '  ' Yes ; and so am I , ' said Bill ; ' for as long as he lived I always expected him to do summat for me , as worked alongside o ' him when he were a lad i 'Carrington 'sMills , and now I know that chance is ower .  '  ' Well , he gave thee work here , and he 'dalways a kind word for thee .  '  ' Kind words spread no butties , and when he was rolling in brass , work at the usual wages was a ' he ever give me .  '  ' Did'st thee ever gie him owt , lad ?  '  ' I never had owt to give him , or anyone else for that matter .  '  A general laugh arose , and Bill buried his face in his mug of beer .  ' The next work-day the mill 'sclosed 'llbe a wedden-day , I s'pose , ' said Sigley , after a pause .  ' Ay , and not long fust .  '  ' Mr Roland 'salways up at Aspinshaw .  '  ' So 'sMr Richard if you come to that .  '  ' They ca n't both marry the girl .  '  ' No , nor I should n't think either of them would yet a bit .  Miss Clare 'sonly just come home fro 'endin 'her schoolin '.  '  ' And a gradely lass she is .  '  ' Ay , that 'sso , ' cut in old Murdoch .  ' She thinks a sight more o 'workin'-folk nor either o ' they boys do .  '  ' Where 'syour proof o 'that , Bill ?  ' asked Bolt , the village logician .  ' Proof , ' snarled Murdoch ; ' do n't ' ee call to mind two years agone when we had a kind o 'strike like , and did n't she go about speakin 'up for us like a good un ?  '  A murmur of assent mingled with the gurgling of liquor down half-a-dozen throats .  ' There 'sone I hope she 'llnever take to , ' Potters was beginning , but Bolt interrupted him with —  ' Whichever has her will have a fine wife .  Let 'sdrink good luck to the new masters , lads .  '  ' Or , so to say , to oursel ', for their 's'llbe ours , ' said Sigley .  ' Their bad luck 'llbe ours ; but their good luck 'stheir own , ' said Bill Murdoch sententiously .  This startling economic theory meeting with no support , the original toast was drunk with a feeble attempt at honours .  The ' new masters ' whose health had thus been unenthusiastically drunk found it hard to realise the peculiar position in which they found themselves .  The will was a great surprise to them both .  Neither had thought that the slight breach which had come between them was sufficiently wide to be noticed , and the very fact of its having been noticed made it appear deeper and more serious than they had before considered it to be .  It was a bitter thought to Richard Ferrier that the old man 'slast moments should have been made unquiet through any conduct of his , and he reproached himself for not having concealed his own feelings better , and for not having watched more keenly over those of his father .  The most crushing part of bereavement is always the consciousness that so little more thought , so little more tact and tenderness , would have sufficed to spare that ended life many an hour of sorrow , that quiet heart many a pang of pain .  It is then that we would give our heart 'sblood for one hour with the beloved in which to tell them all that we might have said so easily while they were here .  This universal longing is responsible for that deeply rooted belief in the life beyond the grave which causes two-thirds of human-kind to dispense with evidence and to set reason at nought .  So long as the sons and daughters of men  Weep by silent graves alone ,  so long will the priest find his penitent , the professor of modern spiritualism his open-mouthed dupe , and the shrine its devotee .  The ages roll on , each year the old earth opens her bosom for our dearest , and still man — slow learner that he is — will not realise that ( whatever may be the chances of another life in which to set right what has been here done amiss ) in this life , which is the only one he can be sure of having , it rests with him to decide whether there shall be any acts of unkindness that will seem to need atonement .  The consolation which so many find in the idea of a future life was a closed door to Dick .  He had belonged to the ' advanced ' school of thought at college , and to him the gulf which separated him from his father was one that could never be bridged over .  Roland 'sgrief was more absorbing than his brother 's, though it was not so acute ; and by its very nature could not be so lasting .  Yet through it all he felt rather — not vexed — but grieved that his father should have not only divined his inmost feelings , but should have published them to the world by means of this will .  He had an uneasy consciousness that he was made to appear ridiculous , and for Roland to be possibly absurd was to be certainly wretched .  It was very irritating that two brothers could not have an occasional difference without having their ' sparring ' made the subject of a solemn legal document ; and without being themselves placed in such a situation that the eyes of all their acquaintances must be turned expectantly on them to see what they would do next .  The differences arose from an only too complete agreement on one particular point .  When they had come back from Cambridge a year before , they had found a new and interesting feature in the social aspect of Firth Vale .  Clare Stanley had come home from the German boarding-school where she had spent the last three years .  The young men had not seen her since she was a child , and now they met her in the full blossom of very pretty and sufficiently-conscious young womanhood .  For about two months they discussed her freely in their more sociable hours , admired her prodigiously , and congratulated each other on their good luck .  Then came reticence ; then occasional half-hearted sarcasms , directed against her , varied by a criticism of each other , the sincerity of which was beyond a doubt .  For some months before the old man 'sdeath the rivalry that had sprung up between them had been too strong to be always kept under , even in his presence , and he had seen the effect , though not guessed the cause .  Strangely enough , another cause of dissension between the brothers had been also touched on by their critics in the tap of the Spotted Cow : Alice Hatfield .  When Mrs. Ferrier had died Mrs. Hatfield had been foster-mother to the two boys , and during their childhood they were the constant playfellows of little Alice .  Of course as they grew older the distance between them increased , but Richard was still very fond of Alice , and it was a great blow to him when one day , about three months after their return from college , the girl suddenly disappeared , taking leave of no one , and leaving no word of explanation .  All that anyone could gather was that during a visit she had recently paid to an aunt in Liverpool she had been seen to talk more than once to a gentleman , and that she had left the Firth Vale Station for Manchester by an early train alone .  But the worst of it was that Roland had that very day abruptly announced his intention of taking a holiday , and had gone North without any apparent object ; and village gossip busied itself rarely with this portentous coincidence .  At the end of a month Roland returned , looking worn and harassed .  His brother asked him point blank where he had been , and for what .  Roland indignantly denied his right to question , and flatly refused to answer .  A quarrel ensued — the first of many , which grew more frequent as they saw more of Miss Stanley .  On the morning on which Mr Ferrier died , she and her father had gone to London to spend a month ; and the time of her absence was the most peaceful the young men had known for some time .  Clare herself was glad to go to London , though not so glad to leave the scene of her conquests .  One cannot blame her much for knowing that she was charming .  The two Ferriers were the most desirable young men the country-side could offer , and no girl could have wished a finer pair of captives to grace her chariot-wheels .  And — Aspinshaw was very dull .  A MYSTERIOUS DISAPPEARANCE .  WHEN Miss Stanley opened her hazel eyes the morning after the mischance on the way home from the theatre , her first waking impression was that something pleasant was to happen .  She laughed at herself a little when complete wakefulness made her conscious that , after all , it was only Count Litvinoff 'sacquaintance and promised call which were answerable for that dreamy feeling of anticipated enjoyment .  She let her thoughts stray in his direction several times that day , and at the table d'hôte looked out for him with interest .  But he was not there .  Bearing in mind Mr Stanley 'sinvitation , Count Michael Litvinoff had thought it as well to absent himself from the table d'hôte .  It would have been rather awkward to meet his new acquaintances at dinner and then to call on them immediately afterwards .  ' I do n't see our Russian friend , Clare , ' remarked Mr Stanley as the fish was removed .  ' I think you must have been mistaken about his staying here .  '  ' Perhaps I was , papa , ' said Clare , submissively , but with a sparkle in her eyes that contradicted her words .  ' Or perhaps his foot hurt him so much that he could n't come down .  '  ' If he does n't come up after dinner we 'dbetter make inquiries .  '  But he did come up after dinner , and when he entered , limping slightly , Mr Stanley received him with as much effusion as could be shown by an old gentleman after a heavy meal .  ' My daughter tells me you are staying in this hotel , ' he began ; and as Litvinoff , taking this as an introduction , bowed low to her , with his eyes on the ground , she hoped he did not notice the sudden flush that swept over her face .  But he did ; there was , in fact , very little that went on within a dozen yards of him that Count Litvinoff did not notice .  ' How strange that you should have been on the spot last night , and how fortunate .  '  ' It was fortunate for me , since it has procured for me this pleasure .  May I hope that you are not any the worse for the shock ?  '  ' No , I 'mnot ; but I 'mafraid you are ; do sit down .  '  As Litvinoff and her father went on talking , Clare , who had not yet spoken a word , could not help thinking that this gentleman with the foreign name was somehow very different from any man she had hitherto met , not even excepting those fine specimens of young English manhood , the Ferriers .  There was about him that air of worldliness which is so attractive to young people .  ' He looks as if he had a history , ' she said to herself , with conviction ; a remark which did credit to her powers of observation .  She liked his voice and his way of speaking , for though his English was perfect , he spoke it with a precision not usual to Englishmen .  ' Will you have tea or coffee ?  ' asked Clare presently , busying herself with the cups and saucers that had been brought in .  ' Mr Litvinoff will have coffee , of course , my dear ; young men do n't like tea nowadays .  '  ' I ca n't claim to be very young , ' said the other , smiling , ' but I do like tea .  '  ' Ah !  you would just please my wife ; she says that a liking for tea in a young man is a sign of a good moral disposition .  '  ' I 'mafraid in my case it 'snational instinct , not moral beauty .  '  ' National !  ' repeated Mr Stanley , ' national !  Why , God bless my soul , you are n't Chinese , are you ?  '  The guest threw his head back and laughed unaffectedly ; and Clare smiled behind the tea-tray .  ' Oh , no ; I 'monly a Russian .  '  ' Oh , ah , ' said Mr Stanley , in a rather disappointed tone .  For the moment he had been quite pleased at the thought that here was actually a Chinese who could talk excellent English , and whose garments were not exactly the same , to the uninitiated , as those of his wife and mother .  ' You speak English uncommonly well , ' he went on .  ' Well , I 'vebeen in England some years now , ' he said , with a rather sad smile , which confirmed Clare in that fancy about his history .  ' A turn for languages is like the taste for tea , one of our national characteristics .  I suppose the ordinary tongue finds such a difficulty in twisting itself round Russian , that if it can do that it can do anything .  Allow me !  ' springing forward to hand Mr Stanley his cup of coffee .  ' My daughter always sings to me while I 'mhaving my coffee , ' said Mr Stanley , suppressing the fact that under these circumstances he generally went to sleep , and feeling a mistaken confidence , as slaves of habit always do , that his ordinary custom could be set at nought on the present occasion .  ' I hope Miss Stanley will not deny me the privilege of sharing your pleasure , ' said Litvinoff , rising and making for the piano .  Clare followed him .  ' What shall I sing , papa ?  ' she said .  ' Whatever you like , my dear .  " The Ash Grove .  " '  Clare sang it .  Her voice was not particularly powerful , but she made the most of it , such as it was , and sang with enough expression to make it pleasant to listen to her .  After ' The Ash Grove 'came one or two plaintive Scotch airs , and before she was well through ' Bonnie Doon , ' the accompaniment of her father 'sheavy breathing made her aware that her audience was reduced by one-half .  The most appreciative half remained , and , when the last notes of the regretful melody had died out , preferred a request for Schubert 's' Wanderer .  ' This happened to be her favourite song , and she sang it con amore .  ' It always seems to me , ' he said when she had finished , ' that that music carries in it all the longing that makes the hearts of exiles heavy .  '  Clare looked up at him brightly .  ' Oh , but their hearts ought not to be heavy , you know , ' she said .  ' The Revolution is of no country — I thought banishment from one country ought merely to mean work in another for an exile for freedom .  Surely there is a fight to be fought here in England , for instance , too .  I do n't know much about it ; I 'vescarcely seen anything , but it seems to me there is much to be put straight here — many wrongs to be redressed , much misery to be swept away .  '  The Count 'sbold eyes fixed themselves on her with a new interest in them .  ' Yes , yes , ' he returned with a little backward wave of his hand .  ' Exiles here do what they can , I think ; but the wronged and miserable will not have long to wait , if there are many Miss Stanleys to champion their cause .  Still it does make one 'sheart heavy to know that horrors unspeakable , worse than anything here , take place daily in one 'sown country , which one is powerless to prevent .  One feels helpless , shut out .  Ah , heaven !  death itself is less hard to bear .  '  ' You speak as if you had felt it all yourself , ' said Clare , a little surprised at the earnestness of his tone .  ' I did not mean to speak otherwise than generally .  I believe in England it is considered " bad form " to show feeling of any sort — and you English hate sentiment , do n't you ?  '  ' I do n't think we hate sincere feeling of any kind ; but forgive me for asking — are you really an exile ?  '  Count Litvinoff bowed .  ' I have that misfortune — or that honour , as , in spite of all , I suppose it is .  But wo n't you sing something else ?  ' he added , with a complete change of manner , which made any return on her part to the subject of his exile impossible .  ' I really think I 'vedone my duty to-night , ' she answered , rising .  ' Do n't you sing ?  '  ' Yes , sometimes .  Music is a consolation .  And one is driven to make music for oneself when one lives a very lonely life .  '  ' Wo n't you make music for us ?  ' she asked , ignoring the fact that her father was still snoring with vigour .  ' Yes , if you wish it .  '  He took her place at the piano , and , in a low voice , sang a Hungarian air , wild and melancholy , with a despairing minor refrain .  While her thanks were being spoken his fingers strayed over the keys , and , almost insensibly as it seemed , fell into a few chords that suggested the air of the Marseillaise .