The Man Who Rose Again   By: Joseph Hocking (1860-1937)

BY JOSEPH HOCKING

WITH FOUR ILLUSTRATIONS IN COLOUR

CINCINNATI JENNINGS & GRAHAM

PRINTED IN 1907

The central idea of this story is based upon an incident in real life, related to me by C. Hagberg Wright, Esq., LL.D., of the London Library, to whom I wish to express my grateful acknowledgment and sincere thanks.

J. H.

[Illustration: "What do our pattern young men say?" sneered Leicester.]

CONTENTS

I. A CYNIC'S CHALLENGE

II. THE CHALLENGE ACCEPTED

III. THE MAN AND THE WOMAN MEET

IV. A DOUBLE PERSONALITY

V. THE STRENGTHENING OF THE CHAIN

VI. LEICESTER'S WOOING

VII. A WOMAN'S HEART

VIII. THE FOUR MEN MEET AGAIN

IX. THE NIGHT BEFORE THE WEDDING

X. THE WEDDING DAY

XI. LEICESTER AND WINFIELD

XII. THE LAST LINK BROKEN

XIII. DEGRADATION

XIV. LEICESTER'S FAREWELL TO TAVITON

XV. THE CYNIC AND THE COUNTRYWOMAN

XVI. A GRIM JOKE

XVII. HOW OLIVE RECEIVED THE NEWS

XVIII. OLIVE'S LIFE IN DEVONSHIRE

XIX. THE MAN WITH THE FEZ

XX. HERBERT BRIARFIELD AND THE STRANGER

XXI. A GAME OF GOLF A GAME OF LIFE

XXII. SIGNOR RICORDO AND OLIVE

XXIII. SPRAGUE'S EXPLANATION

XXIV. RICORDO'S REMINISCENCES

XXV. THE COMING OF WINFIELD

XXVI. REVELATIONS

XXVII. RICORDO'S WOOING

XXVIII. THE SECOND MEETING OF THE CYNIC AND THE COUNTRYWOMAN

XXIX. GOD AND THE MAN

XXX. THE MAN WHO ROSE AGAIN

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

"WHAT DO OUR PATTERN YOUNG MEN SAY?" SNEERED LEICESTER.

"WITH YOU FOR MY WIFE, I CAN DO ANYTHING."

SIGNOR RICORDO.

SHE GAZED AT HIM DUMBFOUNDED.

THE MAN WHO ROSE AGAIN

CHAPTER I

A CYNIC'S CHALLENGE

Four men sat in the smoking room of a London club. They were alone. That is scarcely to be wondered at, for it was far past midnight. Moreover, it was not a large club, and even when the place was most frequented large numbers were seldom present. Three of the men were chatting cursorily about a defeat of the Government which had taken place that night, but the fourth, by far the most striking looking man of the quartette, sat almost by himself, moody and silent.

They were all young men. The oldest had barely reached his thirty fifth year, while the youngest was evidently less than thirty. All of them gave evidence of being young men of leisure, and each of them could claim to belong to that class which is vaguely termed English gentlemen.

"Will the Government resign, think you?" said one.

"No," another replied.

"Why? It could hardly be called a snatch division."

"No, but governments do not resign unless the country is against them."

"Which it is."

"In a sense, yes; but in another sense, no. The question to night was a brewer's question. Well, if they resigned and went to the country, they would be returned again. The brewers, for whom the Government has been fighting, would be sufficiently strong at the polls to secure the return of their supporters."

"Which is a strong reason why the Government will resign."

They went on discussing the question, neither saying anything worthy of record. They seemed to be deeply interested, however; perhaps because two of them were Parliamentary candidates. The man who sat apart, however, took no note of the conversation. He could by listening carefully have heard all that was said, but his mind seemed elsewhere. Neither did he speak to the others, although he knew each one intimately. Of what he was thinking it would be difficult to tell. There was a strange, vacant look in his eyes, and his face was very pale.

He seemed utterly oblivious of the time, and although a waiter hovered near, as if to remind the party that he was very sleepy, this young man especially took no note of his presence.

Presently he aroused himself, and rang a bell which stood on the table at his elbow.

The waiter came towards him sleepily.

"Whisky," he said.

"Yes, sir."

"A large one."

"Yes, sir."

"And make haste about it."