Marble Hill press., 1893-09-21

say. with a wave Of his hands to ex-
press his impotence, his incapacity
even to think in face of a revelation
SO astounding and terrible; and for a
full minute there was complete si
lence; neither of the three moved OF
spoke. The calm ticking of the clock
took up the tale. as if the room had
been yacant-time going on sindiffer-
ent to all the downfalls and shame oi
humanity with now and then q
crackle from the glowing fire.
She said at last, being the first, as q
woman usually is, to be moved to int
patience by the deadly silence, IN
was not only to tell you-but to ask,
what am ! to do?"
Mrs. Blencarrow-I have not q
word-I-it is Incredible"
"Yes," she said with faint smile,
"but very true" She repeated after
another pause: what am to dop''
Mr.. Germaine had never in his life
been called upon to face such ques-
tion. His knowledge of moral prob
lens concerned the more primitive
classes OF humanity alone, where ac-
tlon is more obvious and the difficult
ties less great. Nothing like this
could occur in village. He sat and
gazed at the woman, who was not a
mere victim of passion-a foolish wo-
man who had taken false step and
now had to own to it-but lady of
blameless honor and reputation,
proud, full of dignity. the head of a
well-known family, the mother of
children old enough to understand
her downfall and shame with, as far
as he knew, further penalties in
volved of leaving them, and every
habit OF her life, and following the
man, whoever he was, into whatso-
ever wilderness he might seek. The
vicar felt that all the ordinary ad-
vice which he would give in such a
case was stopped upon his lips.
There was no parallel between what
was involved here and anything that
could occur among the country folk.
He sat, feeling the problem beyond
him, and without a word to say.
''I must tell you more" said Mrs.
Blencarrow. At her high strain of
excitement she was scarcely aware
that he nesitated to reply, and not at
all that he was so much bewil-
dered as to be beyond speech.
She went on as if she had not paused
at all. "a thing has happened
which must often happen; how can l
tell you? 1t has sbeen-not-happy-
for either. We MISUNDERSTANDING
selves and all things. If am wrong,
| am-subject-to contradiction, 4" she
said, suddenly, stopping with gasp
as if for breath.
The shades of the drama grew
darker and darker The spectator
listened with unspeakable excitement
and curiosity; there was a silence
which seemed to throb with suspense
and pain; but the figure in the back
ground neither moved nor spoke-a
large, motionless figure. doubled upon
itself, the shaggy head held between
the hands, the face invisible, the
elbows on the knees.
"You see?" she said, with a faint
movement of her hands, as though
calling his attention to that silence.
There was a painful flicker of smile
about her lips, perhaps her pride,
perhaps her heart. desired even at
this moment protest. She went on
again: ut is-as say; you will see
how is-complicates-all that one
thinks of-as duty. What am to
do?n
''Mrs. Blencarrow. - said the clergy
man-then stopped with a painful
sense that even this name could be no
longer hers, a perception which she
OWNED, and responded to with again
a faint, miserable smile-"what can
say to you?" he burst out. II don't
know the circumstances; what you
tsll me is so little. If you are mar
rfed q second time
She made movement OF assent
with her hand.
Then, of course-it is common /
place; what else can say-your duty
to your husband must come first: it
must come first. It is the most prim-
tive, the most fundamental law"
What is that dutyp" she said,
almost sharply, looking up; and
again there was silence.
The clergyman labored to speak,
but what was he to say9 The pres
snce of that motionless figure in the
background, had there been nothing
else, would have made him dumb.
THE first thing" he said, ..in ordi-
nary circumstances Heaven knows
speak in darkness would be to own
vour position, at least, and set every
hing in its right place. Nature
tself teaches" he continued, grow
ng bolder, ..that it is impossible to
70 on living in false position. act
ng. II not speaking, Rnat oan be.l
iothing but a lie." II
1T is commonplace. indzed, Y -
,ried bitterly, 'all that; wns should /
znow 1t like me? But will you tell |
pe,S she said risinR ,lK xld eff1fn3I