After All;

dream—and giving "to airy nothing a local habitation aud a name . " He Avalked while possessed Avith this rhapsodic vision like a somnambulistic phantom . Olivia ' s soul-stirring kiss still possessed him , and filled his brain with fleeting phantasies of bliss outvieing the " Arabian Nights " in their ' splendour . Now , indeed , Avas he experiencing "a fine phrenzy" in his "thick-coming fancies" ; and his mind ' s eye pictured in A'ivicl colours " such stuff as dreams are

made of , " until in his sanguine ecstacy he noticed not that he had doubled on his course ancl was again approaching the neighbourhood of Manville Villa , until a wild shriek for help and a figure fleeting in the distance rudely roused him from the millennium of his trance , ancl he wondered Avhere he was . Still the cry for assistance rang in his ears , and he impulsively ran in the direction of the figure . It Avas flying at a terrible speedancl it appeared to be a man carrying

, something white that floated behind him . Nothing was heard noiv save the running , and Arthur gradually gained on the object of his pursuit ; and now he fancied the burden bore a resemblance to a woman . And then he remembered that he had just passed the house of the Phanes . Coulcl it be Olivia ? These thoughts floated like lightning as he hotly pursued the figure ; and then he thought of Merrisslopeand was it possible that he was running off

, with Miss Phane ? 'Twas the act of a madman , ancl every circumstance seemed to be in favour of the supposition though he had had no time for collecting-Ms thoughts , and all seemed a mystery to him . On , on they exceitedly tore , the pursued now urged by the sound of pursuit , until the river came in sight . Oh , horrible . ' He was rushing straight for it ; what would he do F Was lie going to -plunge in and thus end the existence of himself and the girl who had

refused him ? How the seconds seemed to drag as Arthur , nerved almost to despair , raced after them and never seemed to get any nearer I Now it seemed as though they were both standing still , UOAV they were getting out of his reach again , and his feet felt as though shod with lead . On , on he strove ; only a feAv yards IIOAV separated him from them ; coulcl he reach them before the wild plunge was made ? Burdened though he was , Merrisslope ( for it was he ) seemed gifted Avith the agility of a fawnand ran as only a madman

, coulcl have clone . Three more strides and they would be in the river , when Arthur caught the loose flowing robe of Olivia , and they all three plunged in together , Merrisslope clutching his prey with the tenacity of a demon . Down , clown they sank , ancl then sloAvly rose to the black surface of the swift flowing river , both Arthur and Merrisslope almost exhausted with their run , and having sivalloAved large quantities of watei' . Merrisslope would not

relinquish his clutch , but he struggled with the vigour of a maniac devoid of fear . The suspense was terrible to Arthur . How could he act ? At present they were rapidly drifting , but soon they would sink , and he felt that it would be never to rise again . They were getting loAver and lower in the water , when Arthur freed one of his hands and aimed a blow at Merrisslope as a last chance , when the latter ' s head struck against the buttress of abridge , and he

loosed his'hold ancl sank to rise no more . Arthur MAA ' , with difficulty , kept himself afloat with the insensible form of OliAtia , while he strove to keep her head above water . But it was no use ; they were inevitabl y sinking , and with a last despairing effort he endeavoured to raise her above the Avater , while his own head sank below . A gurgling sound and all was over , and the dark rolling waters passed on unconscious of their guilt . All this had happened within the space of five minutes—an epoch of fearful agony .

Merrisslope had been hanging round Manville Villa , and had seen Olivia come out on to the balcony to inhale the cool night air for a few moments , ancl while she was deeply plunged in thought he had stolen behind her and carried her off . At first he led her down the steps Avithont materially alarming her , until he reached the foot , when he flung open the garden door and carried her bodily away at full speed , her screams at the time attracting Arthur Humberton . There had been little time for thought , and action had