The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1889-02-06

only have been seen mere passing differ
ence, will now see a scandalouS and I'M
alterable offense."
Il can not help it if his passions are SO
made that they do not last year; If it is
what he has not which always seems so
much better than what he has. 1t is not
my fault if he married me as he would
buy cocotte, and tired of me as he would
tire OF her. L have released him as far as
| can possibly release him until death
takes me. l will not eat of his bread or
live under his roof I will not wear
gown he paid for, nor a ring he pur-
chased even my marriage ring l threw
down before him-he did not even see it
what did he care? He was only think
ing OF her; signing for her because she had
the witto assume Indifference to him."
She spoke with violence and with We
hement scorn; he had never seen her so
strongly moved before, often as he had had
to soothe her Indignation and persuade
her into peace.
All that she had endured in silence
since she had left Naples broke out in
these, the first words which she had been
able to pour into the ear of any listener.
He stroked her hair tenderlv as he
might have touched the hair OF a suffering
child.
"Caim yourself my dear" he said gen
tly. MANY women suffer what you suffer
now. Only believe me, the remedy YOU
have chosen is one which will harass and
deepe your wound and never heal it.
You nave called the world in as your
physician. 1t is one which kills and does
not cure"
"Perhaps it would be best that I should
kill myself; / have thought OF it often.
But i always remen Der that my father
thought suicide cowardice. Sometimes
| am inclined to do it; it would set him
free. Perhaps he would think of me with
kindliness if / were dead"
And are there none who would regret
you more than that?' said Aubrey, with
rebuke in his voice which he could not
restrain
"No; why should they? If l am moth
ing to him I am nothing to any one.
She spoke wearily, lstlessly, thinking
only of herself. Aubrey's heart beat
quickly; he said nothing, and she did not
look at his face.
There was long silence between them,
filled only by the lulling noises OF the sea.
at is impossible that YOU can remain
herew he said abruptly at last. You
are too young, twenty years too young.
You wish to stay the tongues of the world;
what can set them in full cry like such an
act as thls?"
They will say am cold and odd. They
have said so very often before. That is
the worst they can say-I have never
needed it"
''It is not the worst. They will at
tribute motives to you of which you do
not dream"
''What motives?"
"My dear, when woman does not live
with her husband, society is always sure
that she lives with some one else. You
force me to be brutally sincere"
Her cheeks flushed she raised her head
with hauteur.
My life is free to all his. family to OBJ
serve There is no concealment in it. 1t
is as plain to be seen as the white face OF
that cliff"
''That is the sublime madness of inno-
cencel The more open, simple and harm
less it actually is, the more will the world
be certain that it conceals secret and an
intrigue"
THAT must be as it may. My own
conscience is enough for me. And surely
you forget; the world knows-it cannot
choose but know-that Lord Guilderoy
finds his happiness elsewhere.
"And the world, which is always ready
to excuse the man and accuse the woman,
will very possibly say that it is pardona-
BILE he should do so, because-who knows
what deviltry they will not say? Only of
this YOU NAV be very sure that they will
never believe that a woman OF your years
voluntarily shuts herself in such solitude
as this without consolation"
''They can believe what they please.
If they place the blame on me, not on
him, | shall have done what my father
always babe me do-bear his faults for
him. l shall receive no one. II is i'm
possible that calumny can invent any,
thing, unless they find sin in the guls of
the air and suspicion in the rabbits of the
moors"
"They will find it even in these, doubt
not, rather than find it nowhere.
They must do so then"
"You are cruel and perverse."
81 do not mean to be either. But | Will
not reside in any one OF your cousins
houses, nor will touch a shilling of my
dover from him. | am nothing to him.
He is nothing to me. 1 only still keep
his name because | cannot be relieved of
of it without publicity, nor even with
publicity, believe, as the laws OF mar
riage stands"
'FNo, you could not And you would
not free yourself if you could"
"Why do you say so ?"
Because you will always care for him.
Some day you will pardon him, some day
he will ask you to do SO, and such forgive
ness will be the renewal OF affection.
"Neverw
"Oh, my child! how long does a
woman's never last? So long as the
man whom she loves does not kneel at her
feet, and no longer"
The color deepened in her face.
"What you say to me is an insult.
have no feeling for the lover of the Duchess
Soria; or, if have, pray God night and
day to tear it from my heart. for 1t is dis
honor abasement-ignominy! When |
forget it or forgive it, you may tear my
heart out of my body and throw it to the
hounds of BalfronsW
"Do not make rash vows, my dear" said
Aubrey, gently. Women forgive every
thing when they really love.
"No-no-not that"
"Oh. yes, and far worse than that.
What use is love if it be not one long
pardon ?"
''Then it is one long weakness"
"Or one long and inexhaustible pity
one long and infinite strength"
There was a tone in his voice which
soothed the passionate unrest and indig-
nation of her soul. 1t seemed to her as
though she heard her fathers voice speak
ing by Aubreys lips.
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