Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1891-01-30
"TME DUCHESS"
CHAPTER XvIII.-CoNTIxUED.

'I warn you" says she, in tho sano In.
tense way, speaking almost under Lar
breath.
End refuse 10 listen. tell you can
not live this thing ont; / must end IL one
way or the other You know-you must
that il you will say but one word-ono--
l."
care you mad, that You speak TO mo like
th's!' exclains she, recoiling from him
There is horror and condemnation and
something e!se-in her glance. Is it de-
spairY She leans heavily against the trunk
of a tree, and puts back botl her arms ~
II to hold and cling 10 it, Il don't pre-
tend to misunderstood you" she goes on
presently, "but what ] really fail 90 sec is
why / shoull say that word. Do you
know?' with faint and most unSinl
smile. ''Can you tell me-"
"Norahr'
'Nay, hear me out Now, once for all
10 seems TO me Won are labor ng under de-
lusion that ] would gladly disrel. II is
indeed a ma ter of life and death with ms
tho speaking of this word that yoi."
with a chilling emphasis, 'seom TO think?
Am so mad DIES rous II SEQ you free trait
1t h." breaking off suddenly, as i sulro-
eating and maxi g n pass onate movement
with her 10 ely naked arm, as Il finging
from her some hateful tang. 1T is in
sufrerabe''
Don't go too fri" says Denis in a curl
ously conn re sed tone.
az could net" vchcmently. "To say
enough, that is the difficulty But who
could fiid words sufficient for such cause.
Has my manner, the manner OF watch you
so sady complain, not taught you that
that"
"Whaty' catching her wrist.
That hate and detoSt yolw cries she,
with Sudden burst of Indignation, wrench-
ing herself free. Her eyes are aaame, her
lips quivering. Never even in her loveliest
moments has she ever lOokel 50 beautiful.
so" says he, litter'y. Her beauty is
lost to him just then, though in n sense he
ices it, and afterward remembers and re-
calls every charm; but now such wild rage
/ governs his heart that only the keen hatrel
! that is always so near allied TO q keen love
surges within his breast.
"Has il never occurred tn you, says Ia,
his own eyes flashing, that you might
teach me to return that feeling"
''Seturn it as heartily as you will The
moro heartily the better | shall TO pleased"
at has come to this, thon. 1t is to be
! open war between Us.
II don't know about the coming, the
newness of it. ] have thought of you for a
long time as l think now"
'In the old days Of Ballyhirchi" His
! tcue has again soitened. There is even
eager APPEAL now i'll the eyes he turns on
her. Both tie appeal and the altered tone
only serve 10 madden her. Alas, alas, for
those old dead days,
AT Ballyhinch," says she, growing
| 1. III.
an unwavering gaze, "you believed / was
in love with you! Is not that sop You
/ thought" with q little low laugh-'tAat
| you were hero, n being from another, a
/ fash enable world, in I! eyes of the little,
simple country girl, with whom it pleased
you to while away the tedious hours.
ONE" standing ack from him wi IA her
arms TIL clasped benin he and mocling
smile upon or lips that hides from him the
misery OF her eyes-''confess you did not
know me then-that was silly country
baby. If you will-Lut that, at all events, |
was nos foOlth enough to bow down aud
worship you"
Oh, tie solf-contenpt that awakes within
her as she says this! The burning pain at
Ler cart! Had she not bowed down and
worth ped-and gwen, unasked, all the
first sweet love Of her LIE into his keeping?
Ter breath is coming quickly through her
red, po lips,
Tie insolence, tho beauty Of her. rouscs
In Delaney an anger uncomfortable, but
with IL a passion more uncomfortable still
AS she S ands thus before him, de ant
lovely, no makes a sud len step forward and
cat, hes her In his arms There is SOC
ends almost deadly pause-heart heating
against Leart-a last touch o. remorse-
and then he kisses hes as he has never vet
kissed any woman, as he will never kiss
an ihCr
He loos,ns his arms-.oo late! A sense
Of his own act, a knowledge tat he has
sinned beyond redemption. so overpowers
him that he can find no words in which to
excuse HIM eff. AS he stands silent,
stricken vita regret, a low, sobbing breath
fails upon his ear
"Oh that could kill your exclaims the
Duchess, in tons SO intense az TO DO almost
inaudibe.
They are thus stending, facing each
other-she trembling, unnerved; he silent,
remorseful-~hena light footstep sounds
upon her rgLt JnvoluntarIly 10th raise
their head and move little further apart,
a. Miss GAIA ct comes, with her usual slow,
undu atinS step, from the shadows that lie
th.ckly Oh tue eastern walk.