The Black Moth

"My dear boy, do you know you have black lines beneath your eyes?"

"More remarks about my face!" he sighed, and glanced at O'Hara, who hadrisen.

"You are quite right, Miss Beauleigh, I must go. May I come againto-morrow?"

"Surely," she beamed. "We shall be delighted to welcome you."

O'Hara bent over the bed.

"Then _au revoir_, Jack. My lady sent her love to her 'CousinHarry'--the saucy puss!"

"Did she? How prodigious kind of her, Miles! And you'll give her mine,and kiss her--"

"Yes?" said O'Hara with dangerous calm. "I'll kiss her what?"

"Her hand for me!" ended Carstares, bubbling over. "Good-bye, and thankyou--"

"That will suffice!" said Miles, cutting him short.

He bowed to Miss Betty and left the room.

The business-like little lady fluttered over to the bedside andrearranged the pillows.

"Well, and are you satisfied?"

"Madam, most extraordinarily so, I thank you. I shall be getting upsoon."

"H'm!" was all she vouchsafed, and left him to his meditations.

As she had foreseen, he dozed a little, but his shoulder would not allowhim to sleep. He lay in a semi-comatose condition, his eyes shut, and adeep furrow, telling of pain, between his brows.

The sound of a shutting door made him open his eyes; he turned his headslightly and saw that Jim Salter was standing in the middle of the roomlooking at him anxiously.

My lord returned his gaze crossly, and Jim waited for the storm tobreak.

Carstares' heart melted, and he managed to smile.

"I'm monstrous glad to see you, Jim," he said.

"You--you can't mean that, sir! 'Twas I left your pistols unloaded."

"I know. Damned careless of you, but it's the sort of thing I should domyself, after all."

Jim advanced to the bedside.

"Do you mean you forgive me, sir?"

"Why, of course! I could not have fired on my best

friend in any case."

"No, sir, but that don't make it any better."

"It doesn't, of course, and I was rather annoyed at the time--Oh, deviltake you, Jim, don't look at me like that! I'm not dead yet!"

"If--if you had been killed, sir--'twould have been my fault."

"Rubbish! I'd a sword, hadn't I? For heaven's sake don't worry about itany more! Have you brought all my baggage?"