Ravenshoe. By Henry Kingsley.

376 RAVENSHOE.
"I know who that is," said a third. " That's Lord Ascot,the most infernal, headlong, gambling savage in the three kingdoms."
So Lord Ascot, in the odor of sanctity, passed down into Tattersalls' yard. There was no one in the rooms. He went out
into the yard again.
"Hullo you, sir! Have you seen Mr. Sloane?"
"Mr. Sloane was here not ten minutes ago, my lord. He
thought your lordship was not coming. He has gone down to
the Groom's Arms."
"Where the deuce is that?"
"In Chapel Street, at the corner of the mews, my lord. Fust
turning on the right, my lord."
Lord Ascot had business with our old acquaintance, Mr.
Sloane, and went on. When he came- to the public-house mentioned (the very same one in which the Servants' Club was held,
to which Charles belonged), he went into the bar, and asked of a
feeble-minded girl left accidentally in charge of the bar, " Where
was Mr. Sloane? " And she said, "Up-stairs, in the club-room."
Lord Ascot walked up to the club-room, and looked in at the
glass door. And there he saw Sloane. He was standing up,
with his hand on a man's shoulder, who had a map before him.
Right and left of these two men were two other men, an old one
and a young one, and the four faces were close together; and
while he watched them the man with the map before him looked
up, and Lord Ascot saw Charles Ravenshoe, pale and wan, looking like death itself, but still Charles Ravenshoe in the body.
He did not open the door. He turned away, went down into
the street, and set his face northward.
So he was alive, and — There were more things to follow
that " and" than he had time to think of at first. He had a cunning brain, Lord Ascot, but he could not get at his position, at
first. The whole business was too unexpected; he had not time
to realize it.
The afternoon was darkening as he turned his steps northwards, and began to walk rapidly, with scowling face and compressed lips. One or two of the students still lingered on the
steps of the hospital. The one who had mentioned him by name
before said to his fellows, " Look at that Lord Ascot. What a
devil he looks. He has lost some money. Gad! there'11 be
murder done to-night, They ought n't let such fellows go loose! "
Charles Ravenshoe alive. And Lord Saltire's will. Half a million of money. And Charley Ravenshoe, the best old cock in the
three kingdoms. Of all his villanies - and, God forgive him,
they were many -the one that weighed heaviest on his heart
was his treatment of Charles. And now