The Portrait Read Online Free Page A

hand in farewell as the equipage rolled down
the long driveway, waiting until it disappeared from view before turning back to the hall.
    Repairing immediately to his apartment, he went straight to the dresser and pulled wide the drawer. Without taking it from
its resting place, he opened up the handkerchief and looked
once more at the delicate face in the portrait.

    "The deed is done, my love. The deed is done," he said quietly, and, once more folding the cloth, he gently closed the
drawer.
    When the earl had retired to his bedchamber and Croft was
closing Fly for the night, he became aware of a commotion on
the driveway outside the front door. Drawing back the bolts, he
stepped out into the frosty night air to see who would be arriving at such an unearthly hour. To his great surprise, the Honorable Peregrine Thurston was in the process of alighting from a
hired coach. He was a young man of medium height, as fair as
the earl was dark, yet still bearing a striking resemblance to his
older brother. Following closely on his heels was another young
man of about the same age and a large brown mastiff-like dog
that lollopped up the steps and stood grinning at the retainer.
    "What's all this, Master Perry?" demanded Croft, coming
forward to greet the youngest member of the family. "Why
aren't you at Oxford? We weren't expecting you for at least
another week. Who is this you bring with you?"
    Perry grinned good-naturedly. "Oh, take a powder, Croft.
I-we've-been rusticated for the remainder of the term, so
where else would we go but here?"
    " `Rusticated'?" repeated Croft, shaking his head and leading the way into the brightly-lit hall. "The master will not like
that. He will not like that at all. Has he not enough to contend
with, what with his injuries and such, without you finding it
necessary to get yourself rusticated?"
    Perry grinned. "Oh, Ned won't mind. He's a great gun and
understands these things. He'll see how it was when I explain
to him. He'll read me no lecture."
    "I'm not so sure about that," said Croft, closing the large
door and driving home the bolts in the aged wood. "It's not
right that you should be causing him more trouble at a time
like this."

    "Is he very bad?" asked Perry, suddenly serious. "How is
he, Croft? Is he in a great deal of pain? I can't bear it if he is."
    "Whatever pain he's in, he bears very well. You will not hear
him complain, and I do believe he is much improved from
when he first arrived. He tires easily though, so you must not
be wearing him out with your pranks."
    "Told you he was made of stern stuff, Freddie," affirmed
Perry, turning to his companion, a deceptively cherubic-looking
young man of about his own height whose dark locks were in
permanent wild disarray. "Go with Croft to the kitchen. I'm
sure Rose will find you something. You will see that he's fed,
won't you, Croft? We have had nothing to eat since breakfast,
and then it was only the merest morsel. Had no money to buy
food on the road, once the chaise had been paid for."
    "Aye, I'll see he's fed, but you are not to go bothering the
master at this time of night. He needs his rest. Leave it till
morning."
    "That I will not," replied Peregrine, starting toward the
stairs, the large dog hard on his heels. "I will see him tonight,
or I'll have no peace"
    "You're not to take that great brute up to the master's
room," remonstrated Croft. "He's in need of peace and quiet.
Leave the dog here"
    "Don't be such an old hen-worrier, Croft" Perry grinned.
"Ned won't mind my waking him in the least, and I am sure
he will be delighted to see Caesar. He's always been a good
judge of dogs, and he will recognize the nobleness of his nature"
    "Nobleness? Nobleness? When he stands drooling over his
lordship's carpet? He's nothing but a big, dirty brute and will
be seen for what he is. Your brother will soon send you away
with a flea in your ear. You mark my words."
    Taking no heed whatsoever of the