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Show 34fi HICHARD IIUHDIS. requ isitions of education which refine the taste and sentiment, J,owevcr much they may fail to impress themselves for good 011 a conupt aud insensible spirit. To returu. I denied to ll::t!lcr, as 3lrcndy stated, tlwt any one had gone in or out from the IJiace where Eberly slept. ln the u ncq uivocn l lie was my only hope, and I had no scruple to utter it. i\ly comnu]c th ou spoke as follows:- " 'Vo lun·e agreed am011g ourselves tlu1t he must be wou11d up. Foster makes 11 0 objections, and 1N cbbcr insists that it be done immediately . 'J1o you it is in trusted to give tlte blow i and tlJiS coucludes your trial. I will go in and entice him out to you. Do you creep forward as yon sec me enter. Stand behind yon tree to the left, and I will bring him 1mder it on the other side. llnve your pistol cocked, and usc it. But take care not to mistake your man. lf you notice I tis white hat, you can't blunder. Keep quiet, now, wltile I go in." He left me, and l paused where I was. .Musing on the un· antici1Jated disnppointmcnt of the rullian, a suddcu wltispcr at my side aroused me to a recoll ection of myself. 'The voice wns )Vebber's. lie had rmwlcd up to me with tho stealthy pace of the wild-cat, and my involnntnry start, as he spoke, attested my wonder at the case and dexterity of !tis approach. "'Vhy do you otand 1" he said in stern accents; "were you not told what to do-where to go 1 You have no time to waste -go forward!'' Not to scorn remiss, I answered promptly:- "I wisltcd him first to get there. Hath of us moving at the same time, migl1t alarm l1im." "More likely to do so moving one at a time; but move now' -you are slow. You will win no favor in the club if you are not more prompt." I could have d.riven my fist into his teeth as he S}Joke thus authoritatively; but prudence st ifled my anger. As it was, however, I gave a slmrp reply, which 1t:Hl in it a latent threat: "You will find me prompt enough when the time comes, Mr. Webber." HI hope so, I hope so," he said coolly. I went forward, and reached my station but a single instant before Haller re-emerged from tho copie. PLIGilT OP Tif F: WEAK fiROTIIEH. 347 "He is gone-the Linl is off!" l1c cried out as he npproacl1ed. "Ha.! how is tl~is 1" exclaimed "T cbber, putting l1is hand up· on my shoulder wtth a firm gripe. "You have let him escape " rillinms ! You l11wo slept 011 your J10st, man; or you bav~ connived-'' Tic paused; but his l:mgungl', ton <', and manner, were so irrc. sistibly ?''ov~king, that I shook his grasp from my s11onlder, and, facmg hun bolclly, replied- " It's fn lse, wlwevcr snys it! I It ave do11e neither, sir-neither connived with him, nor seen l1im fly. Recall your words, or, by llcavcns, I strike you in the moutl1 !" "And if you did, young 'un, you'd get little profit from ityou'd get quite as good as you sent. But th is is no time to vapor. !t's very likely you're rigltt, and I'm wrong, and that must s:.tt1sfy you at present. llow is it, Haller ?-wherefore should he fly 1 Did you not understand that he would wait to hear Foster's decision 1" "No, I did not understand, but I inferred it. It seemed to me, from :he confidence which l1e expressed in Foster's ability to save lnm, that he would scarce think it policy to fly; since fligl1t, as it indicated distrust of us, would at once provoke our distrust of him, and lead to a denial of his prayer. I would have sworn that we sltould find him there." "He bas thought better of it, and taken to l1is heels. But be has not gone far. lie will not go far. He's to marry Grafton's daughter: I know that they're engaged, and the affair is t~ tak~ p~ace very soon. I shouldn 't be at all surprised, from h~s ag1tatwn and hasty reference to l!""'oster-not to speak of his fbght now-if it is fixed for to·morrow or t]JC next night." H r '!1hcre wa~ much in this speech to confound and afflict me. I hat marrwge must be prevented/' I inly declared to myself. "I must risk everything to prevent its consummation. 'rhe poor girl must not be sacrificed to such a connection. However much I may pityllim"-and circumstances rea11y began to im. press me favorably toward Clifton - "! must yet save her." While the two confederates debated tl1e matter, I formed my own plans. "Mr. Webber," I said, "you have ascribed the flight of this man to my neglect, or, which is worse, my connivance; and |