ONLY A ® "CHAPTER XXV.--{(Cont'd) . 'The next "morning, as a natural @onsequence, he began the day with 8 dull, miserable headache; 'wi Breakfast he hardly spoke, and he set off for businest looking so al. that Sigrid wondered .whether. He' Gould possibly get through his work. i About hal! past nine there arriv- ed a tel ich did 3 A belegram which digl nob mend "that all the arrangements to-night matters. Mr. Boniface was serious- unwell, would not be in town 8 day, and could not be at Bt. James's Hall that evening for the concert, Mr. Horner would take his place. Frithiof's heart sunk at this ews; and When presently the fussy, bumptuous little man enters ed the shop the climax of his mis. ery was reached. Mr, Horner read the telegram with a disturbed air. "Dear! dear! seriously ill, I'm afraid, or he would at least make an effort to come to-night. But af- ter all the annoyance of yesterday I am not surprised--mo, not at all. Buch a thing has never happened in his business before, ay, Mr. Fos- ter "» 'Oh, no, sir," said the foreman, in 8 low voige, sorry in his heart for the young Norwegian, who could not avoid hearing every word. 'It was quite enough to make him ill. 'Buch a disgraceful affair in a house of this class. For his own sake he does well to hush it up, though I intend to eee that all pro- per precautions are taken; upon that, at any rate, I insist. If I had my own way there should have been none 'of this misplaced leniency. Here, William!" and he beckoned to the boy, who was irreverently flicking the bust of Mozart with a duster. / "Yes, gir,"' said William. "Go at once to Smith, the iron- monger, and order him to send some one round to fix a epring bell on a till. Deo you understand " 'Quite, sir," replied William. Frithiof went on arranging some music which had 'just arrived, but he flushed deeply, and: Mr. Horner, glad to have found a vulnerable point, of attack, did not scruple Yo make the most of his opportunity. {Why should I. mind this vulgar brute?' thought . Frithiof, as he forced himself tb go on with his work with the air of quiet determin- ation which Mr. Horner detested. The 'miserable hours dragged on somehow, and at last, late in the rnoon, Foster came up to him with a message, 'Mr. Horner wishes $0 speak to you,!' he said; "I will take 'your plioe. here." Then, lowering his ice cautiously, ¥'It's my opinion, Mr. Falck, that hid is oad you into resigning, or inte an im-: {Banting answer. which would be sufficient to cause your dismissal." "Thank you for the warning,' said Frithiof, gratefully. = 'Horner replied to his knock, OR, A CURIOUS MVS! TH i dE MO ERY EXPLAIN managed to Preserve: a pe: y 'moved aspect. Mr. Horner, Ww wanted to stir him into indigian expostulation," was sorely disap pointed. that his remarks. fell sa flat. yf 1 "I 'see' you .intend - to. brazen if out," he said, crushingly. 'B you don't decéive' me, You 'may leave the réom, and take good care ave 'properly carried out," 'Yes, dir," said Frithiof, with the quietness of 'one who knows that he remains master of the situations! Owing to the concert, his release came a little sooner than usual, and it was not much after seven when! Bigrid heard him at the door. His! face frightened her; it looked so worn and harassed. * i "You will have time for some sup per?' she asked, pleadingly. 3 *No,"" he said, passing her quick- ly, 'I am not hungry, and must change my clothes and be off again." ' : "He might fancy some eoffés,* said Sigrid to hereelf. "'Quick, Bwanhild, run and get it ready while I boil the water. There is nothing like strong cafe noir when one is tired out." ; 3 Perhaps it did him some good; and the glimpse of his home cer tainly cheered him, yet; neverthe. less, he was almost ready that night to give up everything in de- spair. Physical exhaustion had dulled the glow of inner comfors that had come to him on the previous day. His' old hatred against those who succeeded once more filled his heart and thought at ome time he had felt eurious to see Donati, and had heard 'all that Cecil had said in favor of the Italian's courage and unselfishness, yet now, in his bit terness of soul, he began to hate the 'man merely because of his po- pularity. The architects of most English musicthalls have scant regard for the comfort of the artistes. Here, sitting face to face on hard benches, were ranged to-night' many of the first singers of the day. There was Bardoni, 'the good-natured English tenor and composer. There was Mme. = Bardoni-Borelli,. with her noble 'and 'striking face and man: ner; besides a host of other cele- brities." But Carlo Donati had not yet arrived; and Mr. Horner kept glancing anxiously through. the | that caused Frithiol mad ati 'Pray: do 'not m ity! he said, with 'nity in his mann expression of Fi paused to speak ment before ret encore 'that was 'empha ly de~ manded. It was not so mich what he said as his manner of saying it "face to brighten, and brought & frown to James Horner's brow , but his wandering life had brought him in-|¢ '| to contact with all sorts and eondi- ions of men, and had been an ex- cellent education to one who had always known how to was, moreover, of 80 a temperament that uld gen- erally tell in a moment when trou- ble was in the air, and the ridicu- lously trivial affair about the stand, swhich could not hive in his mind for a minute on its own account; opened his eyes to. the re- lations existing between Mr. Ho ner and the Norwegian, something was 'him a severe rebuke, he was d mined to make what amends his power. "He cut short Mr. Horner's ing remarks and reiterated gies as to the slight contreten 'It is of no consequence at 4 he said. 'By the bye, what is nationality of that young I like his face." : "He is Norwegian," replied Mr. Horner, glancing at. Frithiof, was arranging the pla Mme. Gauthier, the pian: think, no doubt; that I spol severely to him just now,' do not realize what a wort is, My partner reta merely out of charity, but been proved to be unprinei; lass doors on to the staircase inf pes of catching sight of the great 'barytone. | Frithiof lived through it trying to goad | that Go and ses whather Bigs ath hee a a song is next on the programn . Prithiof made his way to 1 glance round as he 0- | sould