The Louisianian. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1870-1871, 1871-01-12

pretty gesture, which stung him bitterly |
in its contract to her silence.
"What have 1 done to deserve your
contcmpt?" he said If this is womanly |
piquc, it is ungenereps; if / have wronsed
Iou in any word or deed, give me the
chance to redeem myself iu Your eyes"
There is nothing to redeem" she said.
Il w:x frank with You ut the first, and I
thought we understood each other"
He flushed scarlet with mans hot in
dignation at her GOODNESS. If he could
have moved her to the fiiintest shadow of
M emotion at his words he could have
borne it better; but ny it was, he could
only lose control oyer himself, and speak
~ another man would have spoken with
something Of CALLED pride and something
| Of pain.
She listened to him quietly enough
until he had finished, and then she rose
! with Us unmoved face as she had ever
worn in her life.
Il cannot pretend I do no: understand
you," she said, scarcely CHANGING at him.
Il do understand You. If You love meas
you say you do, you love me in the face
Of reason. I have given YOU no encOu-
ragement, and I spoke honestly to you
the first. day we tast. determined l
would not he to blame, nnd I have not
been 10 blame. If have wronged you
by any word or deed which deceived you,
tell me Of it and give me the chance to
edeem myself"
! She raised her face and looked at him
Us she said this. and then he understood
her, for the shadow of triumph was a
shadow no longer, it was triumph Itself
ii triumph mgenerous enough, heaven
..lnows: but, alas. for poor human natu-
re! natural enough, too, aud his recogni.
S ton Of it stung him to the quick.
t The sting of her cool immobiity made
him as steady Y she was herself. 1t rous,
, ed his pride. He took one step nearer t.
J her, and met her gaze steadily for mo-
l ment
e do understand yous" he asked O.
: her.
: She merely bent her head
Thank you," lie said, cOncisely. %
e have been very foolish, it appears, but
1 I'm still u man, and man enough to beal
o even this, think" And then he turned
e in his heel and walked ont of the room
= They drifted little further apart afte
this, and though her hosts manner dit
: not change in its stately courtesy, it i
s possible that Miss Dare grew little rest
: less. Perhaps the consciousness that he
IS triumph had not been 30 complete, afte
, II, and was not very noble one, trouble,
il her slightly; for, to Miss Anne's surprise
d she began to speak Of returning to Ne,
Il York, and inquired more frequently an
u anxiOusly about the business letter
ii which came now and then from her law
~ yer, and which were to announce til
to final settling" Of her, affairs. But a
1t things must reach climax, all low
pr stories, more especially; and so in thi
N case the story reached its climax, and
e, was one Of these unpretending leg,
tiers which gave it the final turn.
x 1t was handel to her one morning, Q
IN she was drawing on her gloves, prep,
e, ratory to driving over to the Dacres wit
er Frederick, who was waiting for he
ID With a slight apology she opened an
II, read it
e. Il am to return to New York ne:
t. week, cousin Anne," she said, when 81
~ had finished and rcfolded the latter, M
If then, inconsistently enough with her TO
,ner anxiety, she drew little sigh
to very faint sigh it was, and quite an u
at conscious one, but still sigh enough
or draw one pair of dark eyes upon he
n. This pair OF. dark eyes belonged to Jol
ne Manners, who was sitting near readin
Encountering them, Cecil flushed sudd'
es. scarlet, and bent over her glove-buttt
I'd with faint expression of irritation.
an II have had very pleasant visit, 81
We said, not quite steadily. land have
ng great deal to thank You for, cousin Ann
Still I cannot help feeling relieved til