He would have been glorified and not crucified by his friends.
Up to the point when he actually passed through the window Sprouse
could have justified himself by shooting the would-be rescuer. Up to
that point, Barnes was of inestimable value to him; after that,--well,
he had proved that he was capable of taking care of himself.
Mr. Dillingford came and pronounced sentence. He informed the rueful
thinker that the young lady wanted to see him at once in Miss
Thackeray's room.
With a heavy heart he mounted the stairs. At the top he paused to
deliberate. Would it not be better to keep her in ignorance? What was
to be gained by revealing to her the--But Miss Thackeray was luring
him on to destruction. She stood outside the door and beckoned. That
in itself was ominous. Why should she wriggle a forefinger at him
instead of calling out in her usual free-and-easy manner? There was
foreboding--
"Is Mr. Barnes coming?" His heart bounded perceptibly at the sound of
that soft, eager voice from the interior of the room.
"By fits and starts," said Miss Thackeray critically. "Yes, he has
started again."
She closed the door from the outside, and Barnes was alone with the
cousin of kings and queens and princes.
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