The vow

It was a dull November day, and the flickering light from the log fire lighted up one side of John Gaunt’s face—a strong face, with great possibilities in it for good or evil. T...

A year passed and John Gaunt left his house in Park Lane to go to his office in the City. It was a joy to him—this daily battle of wits, and although he was as rich as mortal ma...

“We have done everything possible. The issue is out of our hands,” Sir Felix Hellier answered, with the ever ready sympathy which had helped him to attain so eminent a position...

John Gaunt’s eyes were fixed eagerly on his wife and the suspense was unbearable. Yes, her breathing did seem to be more regular. He took the nurse almost savagely by the arm an...

The Reverend Edward Drake lived in the East End of London. Although in Holy Orders, he held no living, nor yet a curacy; but busied himself in doing good according to his own id...

Lady Ethel Blythe was some five years younger than her sister, and had not yet formally entered society. It was only recently that she had returned from France where she had rec...

Edward Drake walked the whole way back from Park Lane to Whitechapel. He was one of the many men whose brains work more quickly when the limbs are in motion, and he had much to...

It was the first time that Lady Mildred had left her room since the birth of her child and she was lying on the couch which had been drawn close to the fire. Her sister, Lady Et...

The footman brought the coffee which he placed on a table between the chairs on which Gaunt and Drake were seated and then withdrew silently. Neither of them spoke but their fac...

A fortnight passed and Gaunt made no further effort to arrive at an understanding with his wife. They met but seldom, and always in the presence of Edward Drake or Lady Ethel, s...

During the last two weeks Gaunt had been working hard in the City and had made arrangements for relinquishing his active life. Tempting propositions had been brought to him but...

As soon as his visitor had gone, Gaunt took a cigar and sat down in an armchair before the fire. Very carefully he thought over the events of the night, and it seemed to him tha...

John Gaunt was deeply moved by the knowledge that his wife loved him, and he felt that half the battle was over; but upon carefully thinking over what she had said, his confiden...

In the Palm Garden of the Carlton Hotel sat a party of four, two of whom were in the highest spirits, while the faces of the remaining pair were extremely grave.

Gaunt’s first impulse was to hasten after his wife and accept the proposal she had made. There could be no doubt that she had offered him all that he was struggling to obtain—he...

It would have been impossible to choose a more suitable emissary than the Baron de Croiseuil for the task of dealing with John Gaunt, for he was an astute diplomatist, and entir...

Lunch had been served in Lady Mildred’s own sitting-room, for she was reluctant to meet her husband until she saw her way more clearly. It was an unusual state of mind, this ind...

It was with a feeling of great anxiety that Edward Drake saw Lady Mildred leave the billiard room to go to Baron de Croiseuil, for he quickly guessed the reason of the Belgian’s...

Lady Mildred was thoroughly upset by the interview with Baron de Croiseuil, for she realized that a grave warning had been given her. When her anger subsided, it was only natura...

John Gaunt sat motionless while Drake looked at him with eyes that were brimming over with sympathy, for it was easy for him to guess what had occurred. Although disappointed th...

By the following morning John Gaunt had decided upon his plan of campaign and without any delay started to work by communicating with the secretary of the Congo Reform Associati...

The Baron de Croiseuil had not anticipated that Gaunt would give in to his threats, but he waited for the time to expire before taking any further steps. In the afternoon Sherre...

The Baron was quite pleased at his encounter with Lady Ethel, for it was well to know that Gaunt and his wife were not on good terms, and it ought not to be a difficult matter t...

If John Gaunt had deliberately planned to fan his wife’s dawning love into a fierce flame, he could not have acted in a manner more calculated to bring this about, for when Lady...

The Earl of Lynton was not in the best of tempers as he entered the boat train at Dover, on his way to London. An attaché to the British embassy in Paris, he had received peremp...

Lady Mildred was dressed for dinner, and as it was rather early, she sat down in her own room, but very soon Gaunt came in. They had not spoken since the interview with her brot...

Lord Lynton did not look forward to his interview with Sir Keith Hamilton, but there was nothing to be gained by postponement, for he was satisfied that there was no chance of b...

Gaunt understood that Sir Keith was not bluffing in what he had said, and this knowledge made a complete change in his plans. After dinner he summoned Edward Drake and his broth...

Baron De Croiseuil had half expected to hear from Gaunt, for he imagined that the papers which he had left with Sir Keith Hamilton might have caused that gentleman to communicat...

During the drive to Bow Street Police Station, John Gaunt could think of nothing else save his wife’s attitude, and it was with a deep feeling of relief that he realized his fea...

When Lady Mildred realized that her husband had been arrested and had left the house in charge of an inspector of police, she gave way completely and was prostrated with grief....

John Gaunt once again read his wife’s letter with its message: “_To my dying day I shall regret that I am your wife_,” and the words burnt themselves into his brain. Drake was s...

Lady Mildred’s destination was the family dower house, the use of which her brother had given her as a country retreat. It was several hours’ drive from London, and they were al...

When Baron de Croiseuil heard the magistrate’s decision that bail should be granted to Gaunt, his indignation was intense, for both his solicitor and Mr. Ruggles, K. C., had adv...

When Lady Mildred was told that her sister had gone away in the motor-car without leaving any message, she at once jumped to the conclusion that her journey was to London. She h...

“And if we leave by the _Saxon_ on Saturday, you can pick us up at Las Palmas. With the superior speed of the _Esmeralda_ you ought to arrive about the same time we do,” Gaunt r...

“It must be quicker than that, captain. We will sail on Friday next. Tell the steward to lay in stores for a long voyage, and the bunkers must be filled up.”

The sun had just risen above the horizon and through the haze could be seen a low lying shore which gleamed yellow in the distance. On the quarter-deck of the _Esmeralda_ stood...

The news came to the Baron de Croiseuil when he was lying in bed at his hotel. A long cable in cipher from Brussels told him what had happened, and wound up with instructions as...

Edward Drake knelt down beside his brother, and to his dismay saw that Lindsay was seriously wounded. The doctor came and the two injured men were carefully carried to the sick...

The _Heron_ steamed at full speed from Southampton to Las Palmas, but she did not travel fast enough for Lady Mildred, who made Captain Samson’s life miserable by the way she wo...

The cruiser’s twelve inch guns were pointed full on the _Esmeralda_ and the crew stood at their quarters. The fleet had ceased moving and the semaphore on the flag-ship was busi...

Aft of the yacht John Gaunt lay on a deck chair with his wife sitting close to him. Her hand rested in his, and there was peace and contentment on her face. Already the milliona...