Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1892-05-06
CHAPTER V.
"Thou didst delight nine ear;
Ali little praise; thy voice


meut, in that this heretofore abject
masterful But the next is rage
pure and simple.
TO treat her like that! He! Ralph!
who had been so humbly glad when
she had fallen in with her fathers
views about him and permitted him
to be engaged to her! The world
must be coming to an end.
She is staring through the window
that has seen him depart. Her hands
are hanging by her sides. Her tall,
slight figure has grown rigid.
The world must be coming to an
end; but whose world? His, or hers?
Who is to fall in this encounter?
Which Of them will be counted among
the slain?
Not she, at all events. Despite the
wild throbbing in her throat she COM
mands herself so far as to forbid the
tears that are struggling for an open
ing. He may still be there-out there
in the chill of the exquisite early night,
and he might see.
He! Tyrant! And to this man her
father has given her! A man who,
on the smallest provocation, has
showered insult upon insult on her
head. Well, he shall see! Father or no
father, she will never marry him! Oh,
he shall see!
She grinds her little lovely
white teeth together, and with last
defiant glance ut the window leaves
| the room.
In the hall she checks herself. An
idea, II thought OF vengeance, has
occurred to her. This other
this stranger-he loves her, at all
events. In him lies chance of res
cue! Rescue from marriage with this
detesta BILE man, who has told her so
many horrible things about herself,
and all, naturally, untrue.
She opens the door of the old
school-room, and enters it with ve-
hemence that can hardly be misunder-
stood.
Something has happened" says
Eyre, getting on to his feet with some
difficulty. "What is it, Dulcie?"
"Oh, he has behaved abominably,"
says she, her eyes flashing. He said
the most cruel things"
Never mind him, darling. Come
and sit down by me, and let us try
to find a way out OF our difficulties. :"
But | must mind him!" cries she
Indignantly. "Why, l can't tell you
Pm so glad OF that" puts he in
soothingly.
"But | must tell you all that" with
charming inconsistency. II remem-
Der every word. They seem burned
| into my brain. Oh! he was so rude!
Fancy his telling me | had ruined his
life"
1T seems to me that he is trying to
ruin yours"
"Niine?" She gazes at him NOM
ent. as if not quite understanding this.
and then; "You don't understand"
says she. 'Now. could he ruin mineP
But never mind that-thats folly!
Just hear the other dreadful thinge he
said: He began by telling me:'
"Dulcie," he checks her by a wav-
ing hand, "afler all, you know, he
can't have wanted me to hear him.
| We needn't go into details, need we?
| 1t is enough for me to know that he
has been, we'll, bcasty to you"
"Beastly! he hasn't been that, says
she. with quite unexpected fervor.
"Beastly is o vulgar word. He has
been horrid. l." with decision that
carries u frown with it, don't deny
that; but he has never been beastlyr'
"You are generous foe," says
Eyre, smiling. Her generosity. in-
deed. strikes him as being something
out OF the way, something beyond
Notwithstanding 1t would hive
| 20 nl~ Il, (
troublesome-this SO evidently unde-
sired lover. And yet she cannot
bring herself in her integrity TO deny
any small virtue he may possess
.Well. then, we will let him slide il
you like; no use talking about low
sort of hound like thai"
What abominab!e language you
usew saws she. "Even if Sir Ralph
has behaved unkindly to me, | don't
see why you, stranger, should call
him bad names"
You are quite right, and I am
wrong" says Eyre, giving in delight
fully. but surely-now, after all
you have told me. you don't still feel
bound in duty's chains to marry that
disagreeable person."
Certainly not" says she. with a
firm compression OF her mouth. ''lf
there is one thing on earth about
which have quite made up my mind,
it is that shall never marry Sir
Ralph"
''And n good thing, too" says he.
"You mean itp"
Cant you see that / mean itp"
turning 70 him an extremely pale and
unhappy face.
Il can't" says he, gazing at her re-
gretfully. al can see only one thing
and that Is that you are unhappy"
''Of course I'm unhappy, after the
scolding l have just undergone. Why,
father, never scolded mo ms he did!"
Cant you forget himp' says Eyre
imploringly.
81 can't 1t is very hard to forget
the people one hates. However.
whether l forget or remember him,
my mind is made up; shall never
marry him. !"
Marry me iustead!' says Eyre
boldly.
"Youp" II would be impossible to
| Al. II teIx z..t