The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1889-01-30
CHAPTER NLYL.


man. His resolve was taken.
CHAPTER XLVI.
When he at last reached his own resi-
dence and crossed the court 10 enter his
own apartments, il was nearly but not
quite dawn. Large lamps swinging from
the ceiling dimlv lighted the two ante
chambers. In the second of them his
body-servant was lying, fully dressed, face
downward, on one of the couches, tired
out with his long vigil. Gulderoy sunk
in his own thoughts, did not even see the
man, and passed on to the three large
roo us which divided the vestibule from
his bed-chamber
1t was an old palace; lofty, spacious,
magnificent, faded and dull Busts Of
dusky yellow marble. weird bronzes
stretching out gaunt arms into the dark
ness, lvOries brown with age, worn bro
cades with gold threads cleaning in them,
and tapestries with strange and pallid
figures of dead gols were all half revealed
and half obscured in the twilight As
he moved through them. a figure which
looked almost as pale as the Adonis of the
tapestry and was erect and motiOnless like
the statue of the Wounded Love, came be-
fore his sight out of the shadows. II was
that Of Gladys.
He paused, doubling his sense. With
her long black robes and her pale features
she looked rather a creature of the grave
than OF the earth, in the faint and huctu-
ating light which fell on her from the
swinging lamps above.
For some moments neither Of them
spoke.
What has happened?' - he said at last
instinctively. "Why are YOU here?'
He expected to hear OF some calamity /;
of Ladysrood burnt down, or OF his kin
dred dead. She was silent. She was
deadly pale; there seemed nothing alive
except her intensely searching ewes,
which gazed at him.
For the love of God do not look at me
like that" he cried involuntarily. What
has brought you from England? Why do
you wait for me at such an hour?'
1T is the hour at which YOU have left
the Duchess Soria," she said in a voice
which was low but harsh.
His worn face flushed.
THAT is absolutely untrue. I left her
house at this evening"
She gave an impatient movement which
said without words, "Why lie to me p
II tell you that left her house at s.
he repeated. "You shall not insult her in
my hearing"
''But you may insult me in hers
Il never insult you. l speak of YOU al
ways with the most unfeigned respect.
But il you begin to track me, 10 lie in wait
for me, to spy on me, 10 catechize me,
tell you honestly that ] shall respect YOU
no mere, nor will patiently endure such
espionage"
All the gentler and more remorseful
breast had been filled as he paced the soli-
tary shores and the deserted streets had
been DESTROYED in an instant by the men
ton OF theone name dearest TO him.
"Who has a right to be near you II not
l." she asked with a naughty anger which
scorched up the tears that mounted TO
her eyes
"No one disputes your right he an
swered with great impatience. "But be-
tween right and welcome there are many
leagues; and the title to come TO me un-
hidden | would never award 10 anv
woman were she ten thousand times over
my wife.
81 am come to solicit nothing OF you. Z"
she said coldly.
"Oh, no. Only to watch for me, to
trace out my actions, to question me, to
fetter me, to offend me -"
SIS it so strange that l wished TO see
you, to know something of you? For
three months you have not written to me,
only to your servant. l heard that you
were here; here with her-the only
woman whom you have ever loved-so
you told mep
Her words were broken, and her voice
had a great emotion in it; but that which
would have touched him in his mistress
only angered him the more intensely in
his wife.
Il forbid you to bring her name into
this discussion !" he said with more pas
sion. ''You choose to follow me, and 10
make me reproaches; it is the way of
women; they only lose all by it, but they
are never deferred. / came away from
YOU because you asked me intolerable ques-
tions and wearied me with useless scenes.
If have not loved you it has not been my
fault Love is not TO be whipped into
obedience like strayiDg child"
"Why marry meP"
"What is the use OF saying that again
and again? You said it in London; you
said it at Ladysrood. / deceived myself,
and so deceived you-with no thought
or desire OF deceit When a man tells a
woman candidlv that he mistook his love
for her, what more is there to say? He
should ask her pardon, perhaps, for the
wrong he has unintentionally done her.
In that sense ask yours"
She did not reply.
1T is better you should know" he con-
tinded rapidly. "You will not care, per-
haps. If not, so best. / was about to
write YOU. | am true to an allegiance
promised before ! promised mine to you.
am aware the world does not recognize
such unwitnessed VOWS, but they are all
love cares ior; they are ali that ever
really hold love, let men say what they
will. must tell you, since you are here,
the entire truth. / can give you no more
of my life; / cam live no longer in a feigned
harmony which has wholly ceased to