The Morning herald., 1877-03-08
ID AND
CHAPTER xxxvrIr.'
THE SECRET.
ssevou hesitate" i" said she

'wk?' ;,,,or,.roev
mh.t il all the more reason why l
,.'1d know it. Would it crush me if I
bsv it% r,.v
Then let me be crushed"
Iapghetti sighed.
Il, I + something that you know for Ger
sp, Or is it only conjecture?"
% ~Seither," said he, "but halfway be-
ussn the two"
p..trice looked earnestly at him for
rns time. Then sbe put her head nearer
!. .Ii Il, and spoke iFa solemn whisper.
at at is about my mother !"
1snohetti looked at her with a startled
oppression. 81,
Is it not?"
H. boved his head.
IT. ;s-it is. And if so. I implore-I
.,,;ure re- YOU to tell me. Look-I am calm.
T%nk.I am strong. am not one who
.n r be cast down merely by bad news.'
~ NAV tell you soon."
Yay you will"
Tviil" said Langhetti, after a struggle
TWhen?"
Soon," ~,
"Wby not tomorrow"
wTh,t is too soon; you are impatient"
"oi course am," said Beatrice. fought
rpot to be so? Have you not said that
ii, a concerns me? and is not all my i'm
.,ination % aroused in the endeavor to form
,oonecture as to what it may be?
Sbe spoke so earnestly that Langhetti
w moved, and looked still more unde-
dded. -,
NWhen will you tell me?"
I. "soon, perhaps" ne replied, with some
hesitation.
"Why not now.?"
1Oh no, l must assure myself first about
pme things"
Tomorrow, then"
He hesitated.
"Yes," said she; 'It must be tomorrow
Iyou do not, shall think you have little
no confidence in me. l shall expect it
tomorrow"
Langhetti was silent.
"Ishall expect it Tomorrow" repeated
Beatrice.
Laughetti still continued silent.
"0h, very we'll silence gives consent p
aid she, in a lively tone.
n have not consented"
"Yes you have, by your silence"
II was deliberating."
Il asked you twice, and you did not re-
fuse; surely that means consent"
Il do not say So" said Langhetti, ear
naly.
"But you will do So"
DO not be so certain"
"Yes, ] will be certain; and if you do
not tell me you will very deeply disappoint
me-"
In telling you could only give you
sorrow"
Sorrow or Joy, whatever it is, I can bear
iso long as | know this. You will not
suppose that | am actnated by simple FEM
mime curiosity. You know me better.
This secret is one which subjects me to the
tortures Of suspense, and l am anxious to
have them removed"
"rhe removal will be worse that the sus-
pense"
"That is impossible"
"You would not say so if you knew what
itwas.'
"Tell me, then"
"That is what I fear to do"
DO you fear for me, or for some other
person."
"0nly for you.'
DO not fear for me, then, beseech you;
'9f 10 1t is not oaly my desire, but my prayer,
mat may know this"
l. Llanghetti seemed to be in sad perplexity,
Whateverthis secret was with which he was
70 % sN9troubled he seemed afraid to tell it to
beatrice, either from fear that it might not
oe any thing in itself or result in any thing
q, as seemed more probable, lest it nigh
700 greatly affect her. This last was the
motive which appeared to influence him
most strongly. In either case, the secret
OF which he spoke must have been one of
hlghly important character, affecting
most deeply the life and fortunes of Bea-
VI Gce herself She had formed her own
msa' Il. and her own expectations about it.
Ma this made her all the more urgent,
ana even perenptory, in her demand. In
ne1' things had come to such a point that
LsnsheltI found himself no longer able to
reuse, and now only sought how to post
PoRe his dlvulgence Of his secret.
le, even this Beatrice combated, and
%. Hvu!a listen to no latter postponement
'lan The morrow.
IA L