Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1892-06-23
PR]DE'S CONFLICT.
A STORY OF CASTE.

/ cannot believe that you have a spark of
affection or even esteem for me. You can
not have, when you remember the terms of
our engagement. And you do not come to
me even with clean hands and pure heart,
had it been ever SO cold a one. No-I
know" she added, reddening deeply; edo
not try to disabuse me Of my knowledge.
That you should be so taxed by my lips is,
know, most painful. But, at any rate,
Lord Harcourt, you are a gentleman in the
conventional sense of the word; you will
rot try to deny what I accuse you Of. Help
me rather to break this engagement which
can bring US no happiness"
Every trace of color had vanished from
his lordship's face, leaving it unpleasantly
liyid.
81 think your conduct both unwarrant-
able and disgraceful," said his lordship. ~
will not accept your decision now. YObr
aversion to me cannot have arisen so sud.
denly. And by what excuse can you clear
yourself in the eyes of the world? Do you
imagine for one moment that you will not
be utterly disgraced in society as the vic
tim of twice broken engagement. What
construction can be put upon your con-
duct"
Not word was said of his rejected love,
8
her, of his sorrow at her broken faith. She
noted this keenly, little as she then needed
what he cared or thought, or what the
world might say. She knew herself now,
and she knew also that she could not sacri-
fee her whole life'S peace for ambition
She had tried; but her strength, happily,
had failed.
"Miss WorthingtOn, I will not suffer this
insult at your hands Lord Harcourt de-
clared passionateIy. "My reputation is
something to me, if you do not value your
avn. Your conduct is unprecedented, and
you shall not throw me off with so little
courtesyV
But Miss Worthington raised her eyes to
his without being one whit abashed.
"Do you threaten me Lord Harcourt! I
admit that my conduct is to be condemned
because Of its ingratitude; nevertheless l
cannot marry you. More, confess to you
that / should wrong you too deeply if /
did. You may say anything, everything,
you can think of, detrimental to myself
will deny nothing; but my freedom [ will
have"
"What excuse have you to offer me,
Fiorence?' his Iordship asked still white
with rage. "What can have so quickly
changed your feelings towards me during
the last two days-your pretended affec-
tion for me?"
'Stop there, Lord Harcourt ~ she cried
quickly. 'EOn your honor, have [ ever re-
yealed the slightest regard for you? Did
/ not tell you, on our engagement being re-
uewed, that | could never love you-thatI
submitted to your wish only to crafty my
own ambition? Few men, [ think, with
any self-respect would have paid so dearly
for ,,,iy nl.,f I
for deeper gratitude | admit-and [ know
to the full the honor you have done me, and
how i'll L have requted it; bat l repeat ]
cannot marry your
'And | refuse to accept your decision
now, Miss Worthington. l insist upon
your taking time to think over your mad
ness, to consult with Lady Rayen-though
l we'll know what her ideas will be-"
CIV hateyer time you give me, Lord Har-
court, my decision must always remain the
same. l cannot marry you," she repeated
"The only excuse my conscience finds for
me in my own eyes is that, though your
pride may be sorely touched, your heart is
not All, Lord Harcourt," she said more
gently, ''you might once have earned my
deepest gratitude at least, and my heart
have followed in the tramp He started
and looked at her intently, his face still
white, his brow angry and lowering. eyes,
who could tell? In all my trouble, in what
you deemed my disgrace, when the world
was very hard for ME, you left me pitiless-
ly to my fate; you threw me back my free
dom but too eaSilyw
She saw that the shaft told. His lord
ships face flushed slightly.
.sAll this is idle recrimination, Miss
Worthington. l repeat l will not take
your dismissal to-day, or even at all. Girls
of your age are often seized with some
sudden fancy, of which their minds are
happily as easily disabuSed. At all events
you shall have time for reelection; | decline
your dismissal to-day. Later | may see
your aunt; but until tomorrow | shall
give you time for thought" He would
have liked to say repentance" but some
thing in Florence's face prevented him from
saying it.
"Lord Harcourt, believe me, [ am sin
cerely gtateful for the honor you would do
me, the patience you are willing to show
me; but | can never marry you," she re-
turned in clear calm tones, beyond all mis-
taking, not a shadow of tenderness on her
face.
ga man is not so easily repulSed, Miss
Worthington, when he has so much at stake.
=
therefore l abstain from expressing my
opinion ON your conduct"
Lord Harcourt Vernon knew perfectly
well that the woman he would gladly pay
so high price for to grace his title, to sit
at the head of his table, to wear his jewels,
to make his curiosity patent to the world,
was slipping from his grasp. She had been
held byno ties of tenderness, no sympathy;
there had been but little forbearance on
her noble lovers part. 1t had simply been
worldly engagement; and the sacrifice,
with all its splendid accessories, had fallen
far short of the true happiness Florence
craved for, and knew might be hers. Her
courage and powers of endurance had
failed her, even to crafty her pride and
ambition. Sooner or later she must have
broken her gilded chains she knew, for
they were intolerably heavy and CALLING
She was reckless as to what the world
might say or think. She thought only of
one haven, where all her shortcomings
might be pardoned, where she might find
all-satisfying happiness instead of glitter
ing reflection.
Miss Worthington felt dazed but she
grasped two facts with the keenest sense of
relief. Lord Harcourt Vernon was gone,
and her freedom was gained.
The Countess of Raven shut herself up
in darkened room and refused to be COM
forted, refused to see her niece-but only
after she had exhausted all her powers of
persuasion accompanied by threats and at
tempts at coercion. Nothing however
availed. Miss Worthington was of age,
and entitled to assert her freedom, and
seemed quite equal to the task. She had
thrown her ambition to the winds, and in
its place had appeared a determination to