The daily Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1878-1???, 1882-03-22
VICTOR And vINQu1sHED.

IS" va tuc ihOOIS, III NHCHllNp tA-
cursions, or well preserved plantations.
Indeed, many were already gone from
town, but there We're still enough left 10
more than comfortably till Lady Sea-
burton's spacious drawing rooms in
Eaton Square, and furnish more couples
than could conveniently find room in
the department devoted by her ladyship
to the last ball Of the season.
Two OF the guests who had been
dancing together to tho mclodous
strains Of dreamy waltz, drew them
selves free from the crowd and sought
the awning-coyered balcony, deserted
for the moment; and then, looking out
over the moonlit square, Hubert Daryl
rcntured the question which for months
past had lowered on his lips whenever
he found himself alone with Isabel Clare
mont and received the answer which
dashed his hopes for ever.
You do not love me?'' be said. with
passionate disbelief. ''F
'Nor' Sf
This with the accompaniment Of q
little, low, triliing laugh, in answer to
the earnest question.
"You have never loved mco"
Again Nor and again laugh;
but the latter this time was little
forced, and in the deeply, darkly-beauti-
ful yioletey was shade almost Of fear
as the girl lifted them to Hubert's face
lifted them only to fall again, dreading
TO read the story told there.
For u moment there WAS silence. The
two we're alone on the wide balcony. The
night was cool, and few were tempted
TO forcgo the charms of Strauss and
Tcrpsichore within for the moon-beams
and night-air without.
The strains of the music were borne
to them where they stood. A few min
utes before, and to their measure they
had wbirled through the mazes of the
dance, he enyying no king his kingdom,
in the newborn home her beauty and
her loneliness wakened within him; she
glorying in the glory Of new con-
quest at the very close of her Summer
campaign.
Certainly her charms were sufficient
to make new victims no new boast.
Now. with the softness born of fear
within her eyes, n black.lace scarf
thrown carelcssly about the small, we'll
poised head, and fastened gracefully by
gold nail, the sweeping folds Of her
white silk dress clinging closely to the
slight, supple form, it was no difficult
matter TO understand the ycarning
pathos which underlined the man qucs-
tioning.
How the music Knocked him, too! Five
minutes before, and it had whispered
hope, and courage, and love; now it
meant knell, dirge, q requiem.
Hewas not yet thirty, and already his
future was made barren waste by the
wrecked harvest Of his fairest hopes. He
staggered moment rs the last 'No"
fell from the sxqusitcly-curvcd lips of
deepest scarlet staggered as though the
tiny, unglovcd hand had dealt him an
actual physical bow-thcn he stood still
and silent; and then he spoke. Intense.
concentrated wrath mingled with an
guish, as looking full into the wonderful
eyes which had lured him, he forced
them to return his gaze.
$50 you have never loved me?" no
said. care you woman or fiend? Was
but a toy for your amusement Sum-
mer plaything? Did you in your heart
lessness conceive Inc heartless like YOUR
self? Have you any conception Of the
fire your hand has kindlcd-a fire which
might have turned all GOODNESS for ever
from your path, but which you now bid
consume upon itself in self-torture far
greater than any living flame might Gre
ate? You have never loved me? What
have your eyes told me as they uplifted
themselves with maddcning softness to
my face? What have your lips told mo
in their sweet, soft murmurings? You
are but nineteen. fancied you child
whose heart was to my gaze an open
page. / thought how ! would shield
you in my love from the deceit and
treacherics Of the world, of its men and
its women, and 10! you were already q
proficient in its arts. Again ask YOU
why have you done this thingP"
"You have no right to speak in this
IEuiiItr, SHC nI'SNCiSu, tucH' |Nt UOtn
were fencing with sharp words. 1t was
our Summer pastime. Forgive me II
mine slipped and hurt YOU"
Forgive you" Oh, how low and in.
tense was his utterance of the two simple
words! Forgive you! Never, while I
live. could have forgiven you that
You did not love mo, butthat you should
have lured me step by step along tho
trcacherous path whose end is the abyss
Of despair--that, having gained it, you
hurl me over with o laugh Of triumph
at your sorceress arts--that your eyes
and your lips alike should have lied to
me when / fancicd both the home Of
truth--forgivc You thisp Never! Nor Is
this oil. As you have dealt with me, so,
pray Hesvcn, may man one day deal
with you. So believe he will. II Is
the law OF rccompense. As have loved
you, 80 you ono day will love. Looking
In his face thon, at the moment you
fancy II your heaven, no will laugh Your
woman's trust, your woman's conf
dcnce, your woman's love, to scorn. In
that moment, though never before or
after, You will think Of and remember
me-"
With these words. with dcfcrentlal
courtesy hc offered her his arm, escort
cd her back to the ball room, returned
| her 10 hor chnperone. bowed low and