The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1870-02-04

mean action, on your part, to hnd your way 10
me as you have found it to-day. Il seems 0
cowardly experiment, to try an experiment on
my weakness for you. II seems cowardly sur
prise, TO surprise me into letting you kiss me.
But that Is only . woman's view. I ought TO
have known Il couldn't be your view. should
have done better IL had controlled myself and
said nothing =,
The apology was more uncnd7rable than the
insult. The most degraded man living would
have felt humiliated by IL. -. 49,
my honor was not in your hands, l said,
| Il would leave you this instant, and never see
YOU again. You have spoken Of what have
done. What have donei' glll. %. ri ....
'what have you done! You ask that ques-
ton Of Me,' .,.. ~. .-..-... .,....
Il ask it,
Il have kept your infamy secret she an
swered. And have suffered the consequences
Of coucealing 1t. Have no claim to Be spared
the insult OF your asking me what you have
done I, Is ali sense Of gratitude dead In you ]
You were once o gentleman. You were ooce
dear to my mother, and dearer still to me-
Her voice failed her. She dropped into 0
chair, and turned her back on me, and covered
her face with her hands. ..sr.H. grI..f-,
I waited little before I trusted myself to
say any more. In that moment Of silence l
hardly know which felt most keenly-the sting
which her contempt had planted in me, or the
proud resolution which shut me out from oil
community with her distress. -. =,
sIf you will not speak frst,' said, Il must.
I have come here with something serious to say
TO YOU. Will you do me the common justice OF
listening while say itl' -.
She neither moved nor answered. 1made no
second appeal to her never advanced m inch
nearer TO her chair. With pride which was as
obstinate as her pride, told her of my di'cov.
cry at the Shiyering Sand. and Of all that had
led to,it. The narrative, Of necessity, occupied
some little time. From beginning 10 end she
never looked round at me, and she never uttered
word. s..-.-.. -.,,,....
kept my temper. My whole future depend
ell, in all probability, on my not losing posses
sioh of myself ut that moment. The time had
come to put Mr.. Bruff's theory to the test. In
the breathless interest oftrying that experiment.
I moved round so as to place myself in front OF
her. r.r .-l #.a s.- -Har..
Il have question to ask Of you,' I said. 1T
obliges me to refer again to painful subject.
Did Rosanna Spcarinan show you the night
gowni Yes. or Nor % -
She started to her feet and walked close up
to me Of her own accord. Her eyes looked me
scarchingly in the face. as II to read something
there which they had never read yet.
Are you nadr she asked. o. -
still restrained myself l said, quietly,
Rachel, will you answer my question:
She went on, without needing me.
'Haye you some object TO gain which don't
understand Some mean fear about the future,
in which am conccrnedl They say your. faith
er's death has made you rich man. Have you
come here TO compensate me for the loss Of my
Diamondl And have you heart enough LEFT 10
feel ashamed Of your errandi Is that the secret
of your pretense Of innocence, and your story
about Rosanna Spcarmanl Is there q motive
of shame at the bottom Of all the falsehood, this
timer :
stopped her there. l could control myself
no longer.
you have done me an infamous wrong!' l
broke out hotly. You suspect me Of stealing
your Diamond. havea right to know, and !
,ciH know the reason why"
Suspect your she exclaimed, her anger ris.
ing with mine. you rillain. I sap you take
he Diamond viii my o,oR syss!' -
The revelation which 0urst upon me In those
words, the overthrow which they Instantly nc
mplshed Of the whole view Of the case on
which Mr.. Bruf had relied, struck me helpless.
Innocent as I was, stood before her In silence.
To her eyes, to any eyes, must have looked like
man overwhelmed by the discovery II his own
guilt. -. .r
iliation, and other triumph. The sudden silence
that had fallen upon me seemed TO frighten her.
Il spared you at the time,' she said. Il would
have spared you now, II you had not forced me
TO speak She moved away as II 10 leave the
room-and hesitated before she got to the door.
why did you come here to humilate yourselfI'
she askei. why did you come here to humilate
met She went on few steps, and paused once
more. For Gods sake say something! she
exclaimed, passionately. III you have any
mercy left, don't let me degrade myself In this
way! Say something and drive me out Of the
room' ... -. -,
Iadvanced toward her, hardly conscious OF
what was doing. had possibly some confused
idea of detaining her until she had told me
more. From the moment when knew that the
evidence on which stood condemned In Rach-
els mind, was the evidence Of her own eyes,
nothing-not even my conviction Of my own in
nocence-was clear in my mind. Itook her by
the hand I tried to speak firmly and TO the
purpose. All could say was, Rachel, you
once Lowell me- y..4 80
She shuddered, and looked away from me.
Her hand lay powerless and trembling In mine.
Let 10 Of it, she said, faiptly.
NV touch seemed to have the same effect on
her which the sound Of my voice had produced
when I FIRST entered the room. After she had
said the word which called me n coward, after
she had made the avowal which branded me as
a thief-whilc her hand lay In mine1 was her
master still!
Idrcw her gently back into the middle Of the
room. seated her by the side Of me. Rachel,
said, Il can't explain the contradiction in what
am going to tell you. I can only speak the
truth rs you have spoken II. You saw me
with your own eyes, you saw me take the Dia-
mond. Before God who hears US, declare that
I now know took Il for the first time! Do you
doubt me still =
She had neither needed nor heard me. Let
70 Of my hand,' she repeated, faintly. That
was her only answer. Her head sank on my
shoulder and her hand unoonciously closed on
mine, ut the moment when she asked me to 70
lease II.
I rcfraincd from pressing the question. But
there my forbcarancc stopped. My chance OF
ever holding up my head again among honest
men depended on my chance Of inducing her to
make her own disclosure complete. The one
hope left for me was the hope that she might
lave overlooked something in the chain Of cyi-
deuce--some mere trife, perhaps. which might
nevertheless, under careful investigation, be
made the means Of vindicating my innocence In
the end. I own I kept possession Of her hand.
own spoke TO her with all that could sum-
mon back Of the sympathy and the confidence
Of the bygonc time.
40 asE nV h