Our Gentleman Boarder 



claims of duty, '' which, being interpreted," 

 said Mr. Trevanion, bitterly, "means the 

 world and the devil, with just so much of 

 the flesh thrown in, as a bishop must wink 

 at in Society." 



Shortly after the receipt of these came a 

 messenger in hot haste from London, bear- 

 ing a letter bidding Mr. Trevanion return 

 home at once, and thence sail for India as 

 quickly as possible, as bad news had been 

 received of the Indian branch of the great 

 banking house, and the presence of a 

 member of the family was vitally necessary 

 at this critical time. 



He received the summons, following 

 as it did the foolish and insulting letters, 

 with a passionate outburst of anger ; a 

 word from Mary would have induced him 

 to break there and then with his family, 

 but Mary, with her quiet pride and her 

 strong sense of duty towards parents, had 

 no such word for him. 



For hours they had been threshing out 

 all the possibilities of the situation, and 

 still to her there appeared no near prospect 

 of a rightfully happy issue. 



'' You must go," she said. " Perhaps we 

 shall meet again some day." 



" Some day ! " he cried, bitterly. " How 

 coldly you can say it. I shall go out to 

 129 I 



