"You are right. Some men are made, born to wear the purple. My boy is

one of them--and he shall! He shall take his place amongst the noblest

and the best in the land. He shall marry with the highest. Nature has

cast him in a noble mould, and he shall step into his proper place."

He drew a long breath, and his brilliant eyes flashed as if he were

looking into the future, looking into the hour of triumph.

"Yes; I agree with you," said Howard; "but I am afraid Stafford will

scarcely share your ambition."

He was sorry he had spoken as he saw the change which his words had

caused in Sir Stephen.

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"What?" he said, almost fiercely. "Why do you say that? Why should he

not be ambitious?" He stopped and laid his hand on Howard's shoulder,

gripping it tightly, and his voice sank to a stern whisper. "You don't

know of anything--there is no woman--no entanglement?"

"No, no!" said Howard. "Make your mind easy on that point. There is no

one. Stafford is singularly free in that respect. In fact--well, he is

rather cold. There is no one, I am sure. I should have known it, if

there had been."

Sir Stephen's grip relaxed, and the stern, almost savage expression was

smoothed out by a smile.

"Right," he said, still in a whisper. "Then there is no obstacle in my

way. I shall win what I am fighting for. Though it will not be an easy

fight. No, sir. But easy or difficult, I mean winning."

He rose and stood erect--a striking figure looking over Howard's head

with an abstracted gaze; then suddenly his eyelids quivered, his face

grew deathly pale, and his hand went to his heart.

Howard sprang to his feet with an exclamation of alarm; but Sir Stephen

held up his hand warningly, moved slowly to one of the tables, poured

out a glass of _liqueur_ and drank it. Then he turned to Howard, who

stood watching him, uncertain what to do or say, and said, with an air

of command: "Not a word. It is nothing."

Then he linked his arm in Howard's and led him into the billiard-room.

"Table all right, Stafford?"

"First-rate, sir," replied Stafford. "You and Mr. Howard play a

hundred."

"No, no," said Sir Stephen. "You and Howard. I should enjoy looking

on."

"We'll have a pool," said Stafford, taking the balls from the cabinet.

Howard watched Sir Stephen as he played his first shot: his hand was

perfectly steady, and he soon showed that he was a first-rate player.




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