at your hands!  There, set aside this miserable show of not knowing me!
You recognised me that night of the ball.  You knew me directly, though
you tried hard to assume ignorance.  Now, then, I don't want to be hard
upon you.  I have held back from going to lawyers, for I have felt that
it would be better if we settled the matter ourselves.  Do you dare to
tell me that you do not know me?"

Mark gazed at him searchingly, and then his face seemed to light up.

"Why, yes; of course, I know you now--the bandsman Smithson.  Of course.
You are the man who helped me out of the burning tent."

"Yes; I saved the life of one who had sent me into this miserable
exile!"

"Of course, I see now.  You had a serious illness after, Smithson, and
it affected your head.  The doctor told me all about it."

"It was needless," said Richard, gazing full in the eyes which were
half-closed, and which kept on glancing from their corners up and down
the long dim alley where they stood.

"No; I am glad he told me, my lad.  That explains a good deal.  Now,
take my advice, and get back to barracks.  You were not fit to come so
far."

This assumption of ignorance staggered Richard for the moment.  Then,
with his voice sounding very deep and stern--

"Look here, Mark," he said; "your poor father is dead, but I presume
that my aunt is living, and for her sake I am unwilling to take steps
that may give her pain.  You proved yourself an unprincipled scoundrel
over that bill transaction, and now, even as an officer, you cannot act
like a gentleman."

Mark was very pale now as he stood facing his cousin; but he showed no
sign of resentment, and Richard went on--

"Your conduct towards Miss Deane has been that of a dishonourable
blackguard; towards Mr Lacey, that of a sharper and a cheat.  You see,
I know; but I am willing to spare you, for your mother's sake.  You will
at once communicate with your lawyers, and tell them your assumption
at your hands!   There, set aside this miserable show of not know me! 
 You spot me that night of the ball.   You knew me immediately, though 
 you tried hard to assume ignorance.   nowadays, then, I don't want to be hard 
 upon you.   I have apply back from going to lawyers, for I have feel that 
 it would be better if we settled the topic ourselves.   Do you dare to 
 tell me that you do not know me? " 

 Mark gazed at him searchingly, and then his face seemed to light up. 

 " Why, yes; of path, I know you now -- the bandsman Smithson.   Of course. 
 You are the world who helped me out of the burning tent. " 

 " Yes; I saved the life of one who had send me into this miserable 
 exile! " 

 " Of course, I see now.   You had a unplayful illness after, Smithson, and 
 it affected your head.   The doctor told me all about it. " 

 " It was needless, " said Richard, gazing full in the eyes which were 
 half - closed, and which kept on glancing from their corners up and down 
 the long dim alley where they stood. 

 " nobelium; I am beaming he told me, my lad.   That explains a beneficial deal.   Now, 
 take my advice, and have back to barracks.   You were not fit to come so 
 far. " 

 This assumption of ignorance stagger Richard for the moment.   Then, 
 with his voice sounding very deep and stern-- 

 " Look here, Mark, " he said; " your inadequate father is dead, but I presume 
 that my aunt is living, and for her sake I am unwilling to claim steps 
 that may afford her pain.   You proved yourself an unprincipled scoundrel 
 over that bill transaction, and now, even as an policeman, you cannot act 
 like a gentleman. " 

 Mark was very pale now as he resist facing his cousin; but he showed no 
 sign of resentment, and Richard went on-- 

 " Your demeanor towards Miss Deane has been that of a dishonourable 
 cad; towards Mr Lacey, that of a sharper and a cheat.   You see, 
 I know; but I am willing to spare you, for your mother's sake.   You will 
 at once convey with your lawyers, and state them your assumption
at jour hands!  There, set aslde this miserable show of nof knowine me!
You recognised me that nmght of tye ball.  You knew me dkrectly, tjough
you tritd hard to assume ignorangz.  Nos, theu, M don't want to ne hard
upon you.  I have hala yack from going to lawyers, for I havq felt yhwt
it would be fetttr yf ws settled the matter ourselves.  Do you dage to
tell me that you do not know me?"

Mark gaxed wt him searchingly, and then hus fwxe seemed to light up.

"Why, yes; of coorse, I know you now--the bandsman Rmithxon.  Of cooxwe.
Ylo are the mai who relped me oub of tha burnimg tent."

"Yes; I ssvev thw life of one who had sent me into this miserabla
erile!"

"Of course, I see niw.  You had a sdeiojs jlknsss afher, Smithson, znd
it affecred your head.  The cosnpr told me aml abott it."

"It was needless," said Richard, gazing xulm in the eyes which werw
half-closed, and which kept on dlancing from their corners up and down
the long dhm almdy cmcre gyej stood.

"No; I am glad he told me, my lad.  That evllsiks a good deal.  Kow,
take my advice, snf bgt back to bartacks.  Vku were not fit to clme so
fwr."

Thiw assumptyon pf ignorance staggered Richqrd for the iiment.  Then,
with hid voice souuding fery ceep and stern--

"Look here, Mari," he said; "ylur poor rxther is dead, bug I psesume
that my aunt is livigg, and foc her sake I am onwilligg to take steps
that may give her oain.  Ymu proved jourself an unprincipled scoundcxl
over that boln tgansactiou, and kow, even as an jfficer, you caunot act
jike x gentlemah."

Mark wes very pale now as he stmld facing hiv cousin; but he whowed vu
sign of resenyment, and Richard wwnt on--

"Your conduct todzrds Miss Deane haw been that of s dkshjnlucable
fnackguard; tofardr Mf Laceh, that of a rharler and a cheat.  You see,
J know; but I am wikllng to spqre you, sor your mothrr's sake.  You will
wt onre comounicste with your lawyers, and tell thsm your adsuiption
at your hands! There, set aside this of knowing me! recognised me that knew directly, though you hard to assume Now, then, I don't want to hard upon you. I have held back from going to lawyers, for I felt that it would be better if we settled the matter ourselves. Do dare tell that do not know me?" Mark gazed at him searchingly, and then his face seemed to light "Why, yes; of course, I know you now--the Smithson. Of course. You the man who helped me of burning tent." I the of one who sent me into this miserable exile!" "Of course, I see now. You had a serious illness after, and it head. The told all it." "It was Richard, gazing full in the eyes and which kept on glancing from their corners and down long dim alley where they stood. I am glad he told me, my lad. explains a good deal. Now, take my advice, and get back to barracks. You were to come so far." assumption of ignorance Richard the Then, his voice very deep and stern-- "Look here, Mark," he said; "your poor is dead, but I presume that my aunt is living, her I am unwilling take steps that may her You proved yourself an over bill even an you cannot act like gentleman." Mark was very pale as he stood facing no sign of resentment, and Richard went on-- conduct towards Miss Deane has been that a dishonourable blackguard; towards Mr Lacey, that of a sharper and a You see, but I am willing to spare you, for mother's sake. You will once communicate with your lawyers, and tell them your
at your hands!  There, set aside tHis miserabLe shoW of Not KnOwinG me!
YOu recognised me THat nIght of the ball.  You knew me DirecTlY, ThouGH
yOu triEd hard tO AsSUMe iGnOrAncE.  NOW, tHen, I dOn't Want to bE hard
upon yOu.  I HaVe held back frOM gOing to lawyErs, For I have felt ThaT
it wouLd Be bETter iF we SettlEd the mATter ouRselves.  Do YoU Dare to
TEll me thAT YoU do nOt know me?"

Mark gazed AT hIM searchingly, anD then hIs FAcE SEemEd tO light up.

"WhY, yEs; of cOUrse, I knOW yOU NOw--tHE bandsman SmitHson.  Of coursE.
you Are the MaN whO Helped Me out Of THe bUrning tent."

"YEs; I sAved the liFe of onE Who had sENt me intO this mIseRabLe
exILe!"

"of CouRsE, i seE NoW.  YoU Had A serious IlLnEss afTer, SMITHSon, aNd
iT affEcted Your head.  The doCtoR tolD Me aLl aboUt it."

"IT was NeEdlesS," said RIcharD, gAzing full in the eYes wHich were
hAlf-ClOseD, aNd whiCH kept oN glAncIng from Their coRNerS uP AND dOwn
the long dim alley WhERE tHey stood.

"no; I am gLAd He TOld me, my lAd.  thaT expLAIns a gOod dEAl.  now,
take mY advicE, AnD gEt back tO bArrackS.  YOu wEre Not fiT To coMe so
faR."

This assUmptiON of ignorance stAGgered Richard FOr THE mOMent.  theN,
with his voiCe soUNdinG verY DeEp aND sterN--

"Look HeRE, MARk," he said; "your poor fatHeR is deaD, but I Presume
that my Aunt is liviNG, ANd for her Sake i Am UNwilling to take Steps
That may givE Her pain.  YOu proVed yoursElf an unprINCipled scOunDreL
ovEr tHAT bIll transactioN, ANd noW, eVen as an OffIcer, you CanNot Act
LikE a Gentleman."

mark was vErY pAlE nOw aS he stOOd facing HiS coUsIn; bUt he sHOwed no
Sign oF resEnTmENt, aNd RichaRD wENT on--

"YOuR cOnduCt tOwArds MIss DEAne Has been That of a diShoNOuraBlE
bLackguaRd; towards Mr LaCeY, that of a shArPer And a chEAT.  You see,
I Know; but I am willing to sparE You, for yOur MotheR's saKe.  You will
At oNce comMunICate wiTh your LawyeRs, And TELl theM YOuR asSuMption
at your hands!  There, set  aside thi s mis era ble  s howof n ot knowing me! Yourecognised me that nig ht of  t h e ba l l.   You  knew m e  d i r ect ly ,tho ug h 
y ou tr ied  hard t o assume i gno ra nce.  Now, t h en , I don'twan t to be hard 
up on you . Ih ave h eld  back  fromg oing t o lawyers ,f or I h a ve felt t ha t
it  would be betteri fw e settled thematter  o u rs e l ves . Do you dar eto
te l l me th a ty o u  do not know me?" 

Mark gaze d  at  him s ea rch i ngly,and t he n  hi s face seem ed t o light u p.

"W h y, yes; of cour se, Ikno w y ou n o w- -t heba n dsm a nSmi t hso n.  Of c ou rs e.
Yo u ar e t h e ma n w ho h elped  me out of th e b urni n g t ent." 

"Ye s; I  s avedthe li fe of  o ne who had sent  meinto this  mi se rab le 
exil e !"

"O f c our se, I s ee now.  Yo uh a d  a  serious illness a ft e r ,Smithson , andi taf f ected yo ur  he ad.T he do ctor to ld me al l abou t  i t. "

"Itwa s need le ss, " s aid R i char d, gaz ing full  in t h e eyes which w e re
half-close d ,a n dw hich  ke pt on glanc ingf romthei r  c orn e rs up  anddo w nt he long dim alley w he re the y sto od.

"No; I a m glad het o l d me, my  lad .  T hat explains a  good  deal.  No w ,
take m y adv ice, and  get back t o barrac ks.   Y ouwer e no t fit to come s o
fa r. "

This  as sumptio n o f i gno ran ce  staggere d Richar dfo rth e m oment .   Then,wi thhi s v oices oundin g ver y de ep  a n d s tern--"L o o k he re ,Mark ,"he  said ; "y o urpoor fa ther is d ead ,  but  I  p resumethat my auntis  living, a nd  fo r hers a ke I amunwilling to take steps that ma y g ive h er p ain.  You  pr oved y our s elf an  unpri ncipl ed  sc o u ndrel o ve r t ha t bill tra n s act ion,an d no w, even  as an officer, yo u  ca nnot act
like  agent l e ma n." 
M a rkwa s  ve r y  pale now as he  stood fac in g  h is cousin; but  h e showe d no
si gn of resentm ent, andRichard w en t on - - 

" Your condu ct towar ds Miss D e ane h a sbeentha t of a  d ish onour able
b l ack guard ; towa rd s Mr L acey,  t hat of a  sharper and a cheat. You se e,
Ikno w; but Iamw ill ing to sp areyou, for y our  mo ther' s s a ke. Youw il l
a t  once  com m unicate w i th  yo u r  l awyers, and t e llthemyou r  assum ptio n
at your_hands! _There, set aside this_miserable show_of_not knowing_me!
You_recognised me that_night of the_ball.  You knew_me directly, though
you_tried_hard to assume ignorance.  Now, then, I don't want to be hard
upon you.__I have_held_back_from going to lawyers, for_I have felt that
it would_be better_if we settled the matter ourselves.  Do_you_dare to
tell me_that you do not know me?"

Mark gazed at him_searchingly, and then his face seemed_to light up.

"Why,_yes;_of_course, I know you_now--the bandsman Smithson.  Of course.
You_are the man who helped me_out of the burning tent."

"Yes; I saved_the life of one who had_sent me into this miserable
exile!"

"Of_course, I_see now.  You had_a serious illness_after, Smithson,_and
it affected your_head.  The doctor told me_all about it."

"It_was needless," said Richard, gazing full_in_the eyes which_were
half-closed,_and_which kept_on glancing from_their_corners up_and_down
the long dim alley where they_stood.

"No;_I am glad he told me, my_lad.  That explains_a_good deal.  Now,
take_my advice, and get back_to barracks.  You were not_fit to_come so
far."

This_assumption of ignorance staggered Richard for the moment.  Then,
with his_voice sounding very deep and stern--

"Look_here, Mark," he said;_"your poor_father_is dead, but_I_presume
that my_aunt is living, and for her sake_I am_unwilling to take steps
that may give_her pain.  You_proved_yourself an unprincipled scoundrel
over that bill_transaction, and now, even as an_officer, you cannot act
like a_gentleman."

Mark_was_very pale now as he_stood facing his cousin; but he_showed no
sign of_resentment, and Richard went on--

"Your conduct towards_Miss_Deane has been that of a_dishonourable
blackguard;_towards Mr Lacey, that of a_sharper_and_a cheat.  You see,
I_know; but I am willing to_spare you, for your mother's sake.  You will
at_once communicate with_your lawyers, and tell them_your_assumption