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him up to something better and finer。 He would make sacrifice in
her name； it would be in her name that he would rise to high
places and accomplish much good。
She would not know this； but he would know。
He rose and brushed the papers away from him with an impatient
sweep of the hand。
〃I shall follow out the plan of which I spoke at dinner；〃 he
answered。 〃I shall resign here； and return home and enter
Parliament。〃
Mr。 Collier laughed admiringly。 〃I love the way you English take
your share of public life；〃 he said； 〃the way you spend
yourselves for your country； and give your brains； your lives；
everything you haveall for the empire。〃
Through the open window Sir Charles saw Miss Cameron half hidden
by the vines of the veranda。 The moonlight falling about
her transformed her into a figure which was ideal； mysterious；
and elusive； like a woman in a dream。 He shook his head wearily。
〃For the empire？〃 he asked。
THE LAST RIDE TOGETHER
A SKETCH CONTAINING THREE POINTS OF VIEW
What the Poet Laureate wrote。
〃There are girls in the Gold Reef City
There are mothers and children too！
And they cry 'Hurry up for pity！'
So what can a brave man do？
〃I suppose we were wrong； were mad men；
Still I think at the Judgment Day；
When God sifts the good from the bad men；
There'll be something more to say。〃
What more the Lord Chief Justice found to say。
〃In this case we know the immediate consequence of your crime。
It has been the loss of human life； it has been the
disturbance of public peace； it has been the creation of a
certain sense of distrust of public professions and of public
faith。 。 。 。 The sentence of this Court therefore is that； as to
you； Leander Starr Jameson； you be confined for a period of
fifteen months without hard labor； that you； Sir John Willoughby；
have ten months' imprisonment； and that you； etc。； etc。〃
London Times； July 29th。
What the Hon。 〃Reggie〃 Blake thought about it。
〃H。 M。 HOLLOWAY PRISON；
〃July 28th。
〃I am going to keep a diary while I am in prison； that is； if
they will let me。 I never kept one before because I hadn't the
time； when I was home on leave there was too much going on to
bother about it； and when I was up country I always came back
after a day's riding so tired that I was too sleepy to write
anything。 And now that I have the time； I won't have anything to
write about。 I fancy that more things happened to me today
than are likely to happen again for the next eight months； so I
will make this day take up as much room in the diary as it can。
I am writing this on the back of the paper the Warder uses for
his official reports； while he is hunting up cells to put us in。
We came down on him rather unexpectedly and he is nervous。
〃Of course； I had prepared myself for this after a fashion；
but now I see that somehow I never really did think I would be in
here； and all my friends outside； and everything going on just
the same as though I wasn't alive somewhere。 It's like telling
yourself that your horse can't possibly pull off a race； so that
you won't mind so much if he doesn't； but you always feel just as
bad when he comes in a loser。 A man can't fool himself into
thinking one way when he is hoping the other。
〃But I am glad it is over； and settled。 It was a great bore
not knowing your luck and having the thing hanging over your head
every morning when you woke up。 Indeed it was quite a relief
when the counsel got all through arguing over those
proclamations； and the Chief Justice summed up； but I nearly
went to sleep when I found he was going all over it again to the
jury。 I didn't understand about those proclamations myself and
I'll lay a fiver the jury didn't either。 The Colonel said he
didn't。 I couldn't keep my mind on what Russell was explaining
about； and I got to thinking how much old Justice Hawkins looked
like the counsel in 'Alice in Wonderland' when they tried the
knave of spades for stealing the tarts。 He had just the same
sort of a beak and the same sort of a wig； and I wondered why he
had his wig powdered and the others didn't。 Pollock's wig had a
hole in the top； you could see it when he bent over to take
notes。 He was always taking notes。 I don't believe he
understood about those proclamations either； he never seemed to
listen； anyway。
〃The Chief Justice certainly didn't love us very much； that's
sure； and he wasn't going to let anybody else love us either。 I
felt quite the Christian Martyr when Sir Edward was speaking in
defence。 He made it sound as though we were all a lot of Adelphi
heroes and ought to be promoted and have medals； but when
Lord Russell started in to read the Riot Act at us I began to
believe that hanging was too good for me。 I'm sure I never knew
I was disturbing the peace of nations； it seems like such a large
order for a subaltern。
〃But the worst was when they made us stand up before all those
people to be sentenced。 I must say I felt shaky about the knees
then； not because I was afraid of what was coming； but because it
was the first time I had ever been pointed out before people； and
made to feel ashamed。 And having those girls there； too； looking
at one。 That wasn't just fair to us。 It made me feel about ten
years old； and I remembered how the Head Master used to call me
to his desk and say； 'Blake Senior； two pages of Horace and keep
in bounds for a week。' And then I heard our names and the
months； and my name and 'eight months' imprisonment；' and there
was a bustle and murmur and the tipstaves cried； 'Order in the
Court；' and the Judges stood up and shook out their big red
skirts as though they were shaking off the contamination of our
presence and rustled away； and I sat down； wondering how
long eight months was； and wishing they'd given me as much as
they gave Jameson。
〃They put us in a room together then； and our counsel said how
sorry they were； and shook hands； and went off to dinner and left
us。 I thought they might have waited with us and been a little
late for dinner just that once； but no one waited except a lot of
costers outside whom we did not know。 It was eight o'clock and
still quite light when we came out； and there was a line of four…
wheelers and a hansom ready for us。 I'd been hoping they would
take us out by the Strand entrance； just because I'd like to have
seen it again； but they marched us instead through the main
quadranglea beastly； gloomy courtyard that echoed； and out；
into Carey Streetsuch a dirty； gloomy street。 The costers and
clerks set up a sort of a cheer when we came out； and one of them
cried； 'God bless you； sir；' to the doctor； but I was sorry they
cheered。 It seemed like kicking against the umpire's decision。
The Colonel and I got into a hansom together and we trotted
off into Chancery Lane and turned into Holborn。 Most of the
shops were closed； and the streets looked empty； but there was a
lighted clock…face over Mooney's public…house； and the hands
stood at a quarter past eight。 I