Evening star., 1893-09-09

And in this small. dainty. perfumed corner
of the house they are virtually alone.
"So!' says she, In q voice low and soft
yet trembling with passion, ''you had de-
cided on giving me no chance OF explaining
myself. You were bent on refusing to listen
to my eXculpation! You were prepared to
treat me as the dust beneath your feet
you" vehemently, ''you-who only last
night thought me worthy to be your wife :"
"Ah!' says he. as IL stung to the quick,
last night"
But you shall hear me-" cries she. her
beautiful eyes on fire. her slight figure
swaying, as II her anger is consuming her
Il will not be treated thus by You. You
shall stand there" with a tragic gesture
of her hand, "there-before me-untfl YOU
hear the truth. 1t is not a vindication you
shall hear-1 do not care to justify myself
In your sight-a man who would condemn
woman unheard 1t Is the truth Of your
cousins story that shall lay bare to you
and then. when," she draws back her hand
and lays II on her breast, as though to
still its throbbings, when you have learned
that my soul is not like hell-vhen Won
have seen me as / am, the injured not the
in1urer-shen--' she pauses, a great light
flashes over her face. then shall refuse
to listen to your
She takes a step forward
Your cousin, Sir Charles We're a aske3 me
to marry him two years ago. i was very
young then-a mere child. 1 did NOT ul,e
him. but they-my people-persuaded me TO
aScep. MN. l was portionless. and a title
always counts. AS I said. / was a child /.
We were engaged. He came often 20 see ns
In the beginning of our engagement as
often as Is usual, but toward the clos, OF
IL ne came nearly every day Sometimes
twice day. 1 wondered at this because
his manner was in nowise different 10 me
1T was kind-but 1 thought II was n little
less lovelike than before. Still he came
every day. and sometimes twice and three
times a day. Several times II occurred no
me as odd that he called at the house when
ne must nave known 1 was driving in the
park with my married sister /" she
pauses, and quick breath parts her lips
nave another sister a little girl, and she a I
that time had q governess, a young lady as
young as myself. She was very pretty
far, far prettier that was, One day com
ing back much earlier from my drive with
Gertrude than was usual with me- I went
straight to the school room to see Mimi nv
little sister. / did not find her there; but
/ found your cousin-Sir Charles, and Miss
-. No. 1 shall not mention her name. There
was a screen half across one corner of the
room. and they sat hidden behind IT, Only
half hidden. They had not been very care
full, you see, as they thought I was quite
sure not to return till 6 o'clock They did
not see me. He was sitting beside her with
his arm around her-and her head was
OH with quick disgust, II need not go in
to that"
81 said nothing I went away He was
dining with us that evening, but I said I
had a bad headache, and did not come
down.
1.-The next dav my sisters governess was
gone. They made many INQUIRIES about her
but I said nothing. Sir Charles came and
went as usual. but my headache still clung
to me. / would not see him At last I tonk
courage-I went down. He was In the