Then and there he made up his mind that before he bade Barbara farewell, he would tell her the whole story, so that she might not misjudge him.

After that he would go off somewhere--to Africa perhaps.

Meanwhile he was quite tired out, as tired as though he had lain a week in the grip of fever.

He must eat some food and get to bed.

Sufficient unto the day was the evil thereof, yet on the whole he blessed the name of Jackson, editor of _The Judge_ and his father's old friend.
When Alan had left the office Sir Robert turned to Mr.Champers-Haswell and asked him abruptly, "What the devil does this mean ?" Mr.Haswell looked up at the ceiling and whistled in his own peculiar fashion, then answered: "I cannot say for certain, but our young friend's strange conduct seems to suggest that he has smelt a rat, possibly even that Jackson, the old beast, has shown him a rat--of a large Turkish breed." Sir Robert nodded.
"Vernon is a fellow who doesn't like rats; they seem to haunt his sleep," he said; "but do you think that having seen it, he will keep it in the bag ?" "Oh! certainly, certainly," answered Mr.Haswell with cheerfulness; "the man is the soul of honour; he will never give us away.