Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1891-01-02
CHAPTER XII.

"Hurt? No. Oh, mop
Her voice l. a mere sigh. In tho charm
ing face uplifted to his what is it he sees,
Such SWIFT, sweet, shy glance as she gives
hin; such tender light there is in the
lovely eyes; such faint, happy trembling
Of the perfect lips What does it all
say7
With feeling of misery as yet unknown
to him the young man slowly looSens his
arm around her and lets her go. Puts her
from him, as it were that innocent little
temptress.
She knows nothing, however, of the
thoughts that sting and torment him. She
has recovered herself quickly, and with q
girls first instinct seeks to hide the tender
ness that had for an instant flashed into be-
ing, startling her almost as keenly as it had
shocked him. She finss it all from her by
a supreme effort. She is laughing. The
tender sm:le has died; he might almost in
deed believe that that strange sweet light
had never shone within her eyes
"Now t.at you have rescued me from q
watery grave" says she gravely, ~ sup
pose l am bound in common gratitude to
forgive you. But you were cross. Come
and sit down here, Denis, aad tell mo all
about the people / am giving to meet to-
HHHa, yOui
Except that her eyes do not meet his as
freely IA of old, he could bring himself to
think that T. at nc Selation OF a minute since
was bus part OF a cruel cream. But he
had seen; he cannot forget He knowsl
And with the wild mad joy the knowledge
brings him there is aLo a sense Of despair
and of dshonor. Cne thought haunts him.
He should have told her.
"What is your mother likey' asks the
Duchess, giving him little push with her
hand to wake him up, as she says. He
has eung himself on the grass at her feet.
''She is tail, far, handsome.
'Eot Ike you them" with some dis
appointments
"No." says Denis, unable to refrain from
q short laugh at this naive rejoinder.
go yen think" anxiously, that shall
get en- with hery"
"Spare yourself speculation on that
score" says he quickly. Every ems gets
ON with my mother; and you are sure to
love her, because she viii love you. She is
graciousness itself She is beloved OF ALL
the is the sweetest woman in the world, I"
says her sen, not with enthusiasm, but
with settled conviction that is clearly the
growth Of many years, and is not possible
to shake.
| "How you love herr says the Duchess,
looking with approval at him. ''Just tho
same way that l love dad. Well, go on,
tell me about the others "
Better wait till YOU see them"
mo. ! should like portrait or two be-
forehand. They help one. What of taat
cousin that stays with you SO much. Knth-
nrine, is it noiy'
katharine, certainly. With <,
mind.
"Does that mean that she is an austcre
person. Is Katharine with more pli-
nble? I oaa't take in such frivolous de-
scriptions Tell me more OF her. She in.
tercsts me in some strange way. S~me
way that is not pleasant, / think. Well,
what is she lilie!"
Isle is Eng ish. The most English per-
son in Engiani-or out of it, I'm positive I"
I ~ don't mean that, though knew she
would be Of the precise and fr.yid order.
What mean isis she prettyp"
''sshe is daughter of the gods, divinely
tail, and most'-confoundedly fair" says
Delaney, with moaInful glance OK adrni-
ration at the dark, brilliant loving eyes and
chestnut locks Of tae girl beside him. ''She
Is perfect at ali points You could not find
NV in her. and you could 1T rufiie her or
tale her nhack to save your life. She al
ways knows exactly what to say, and as a
tuae she says il, whether you like it or not;
and she's very good girl. you know"
says he, pull 'g himself up somewhat
shortly, as If u little ashamed of the treat
ment of the cnse in question.
''Does SIZE live at Vently"
"N-o. Not exactly. She has heaps of
money, and can therefore 60 where she
pleases; but generally it pleases her to 60
wherever my mother chances to be; and,
of q | events, she makes our place her head
quarters"
'Why2' asks the Duchess, suddenly.
She is locking him fairly in the eyes, a little
increased briltiaucy in her own. Is there
something in his manner, hating, uncertain,
reluc ant, that conveys to her q vague sus-
pioion of the truth?
"WhyS'' she says ugnin, leaning forward
as though TO read his face, an he, as IL
unable TO meet at this crisis the gaze of
those earnest, honeit eyes turns over on
his face and begins to pun up absenty tho
blsdes of & ass before him.
'Whyr' repeats she with gentle persist
ence; yet there is something in her tones
that warts him she win lie answered.
'Becauss, for one thing. she is my
mothers niece. and because ':-unsteadiy-
''sc me day am going 70 marry her"
Dead silence! Delaney goes on mechani-
cany plucxicg up tie grasses, while tho
Duchess SITS with her SIN III brown hands
tightly folded in her lap, gazing flxedly at
the Leech lodge opposite. Sne does not
BEE it, however. There is little mist be-
fore her oyes-a siekeLilg feeling ut her
heart--a Wild craving TO be alone: but
above and beyond all sense of shame.
Only IA few minu,es since she nad learned
the great secret Of her life--the sweetest
secret the word could ever tell her, as then
she dreamed; and now already-it Is a
source OF disgrace 10 her. an ignominy, an
e,or-living reproach. One grain Of COM
fort she has, and to this she clings with a
desperate strength He does not know
He cannot. and he never shall!
He is talking nov, and In dull sort OF
way she is aware that his voice is very I'M
like the joyous one that has become to her
10 fatally dear.
''It began when we were a boy and girl
together" he is saying In rather monot-
onous way, like GRE repeating an abhorred
lesson. 'lt-I don't know how it began