"If you'll fetch me my canewill hand it you-I'll show you." -a servant outside "Oh, that being your line of argument I'll confess I'm a man of peace. Pay me the trifling sum and the letters become my lady's." Toby took from his pocket a goodly roll of bills from which he selected one and handed it to Stuart. The fellow examined it carefully, then, handing the packet of papers to Lady Hamilton, flourished the note before her face and said: Toby's hand closed about a silver candlestick, placed on a nearby mantle. With a swift movement he brought it immediately beneath the upraised, threatening hand of Stuart. The flame fastened to the money; it blazed and Stuart, with a cry of pain, dropped it to the floor where it lay, a tiny bit of ashes. "You cheat!" exclaimed the blackmailing cur. “Earlier to-night you lost to me fairly, then took your money back. Now you buy my property and destroy the money I've earned." "Tut, man, you and Lady Hamilton are quits. There's no doubt she'll burn the letters. Why do you complain that the money shares the fate? Now get out of here and don't be slow about it. I've no time for landlubbers like you. For half a biscuit I'd order you in irons. I'm criminal to let such a pirate cruise about these waters. However, out with you." "Don't get excited about it. I'm going, but, Lady Hamilton, when we meet again there'll be fewer witnesses. We always hated crowds anyway, eh, Emma, in the old days?" He swept us a sneering bow, opened the door by which he had entered, and was gone. Lady Hamilton stood pale and silent with shame. At last she raised her head. "Gentlemen, I thank you. There is no time for more. They await my foolery in there. Mr. Hasset, if you will witness my performance I'll try to make you believe even that the scoundrel lied." Had she been a duchess he could not have more courteously led her from the room. As the curtains closed after them, Nelson entered, looking, I thought, ill and worried. Perhaps now was my best time. He threw himself into a seat and I drew a chair next him, closing my hand affectionately over his own. 'My Lord," I said, "and my old friend and com rade, I'm going to speak plainly to you, perhaps to hurt you. But the time has come when someone must do so. I want you to look back over the past two years. After the Nile what might you not have expected? Why have you failed in some of those natural expectations? Ah, Nelson, the answer is known to all. You became Rear Admiral of the Red. Why were you not again promoted? Why did the Admiralty send Keith back to command? Because your associations at Naples led them to doubt your undivided attention to duty. In brief, the cause was Lady Hamilton." "Hardy!" 66 Nay, you know 'tis true. When the fleet was at Malta, you left it to fly back to Palermo and the court. Against this we all advised you. Why was this? Why were you absent when your officers captured the last of the French ships that had escaped us at the Nile? Lady Hamilton. Why did you disregard the order to change your headquarters to Syracuse? Because, in your madness, you could not tear yourself from Palermo and Lady Hamilton." 66 Hardy, this is beyond bearing." "Nevertheless you'll have to bear it. I'll speak the truth now, even though we speak to one an |