The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1897-09-16

Qnee0o0 j nave aakeo yOo IN tno ~
tempt-a useless one, ! assure you-to
irYitste me by insults into o forsetful-
ness Of It," replied Beryl, seeing that
be paused to notice what effect his
words would have upon her.
ut looks-I do not soy II is. but II
looks-as II any such action were i'm
PEELED by a desire to injure the woman
who had taken the place Of that young
lady of excellent character as the wife
Of Sir Jaffray. The world is harsh
censor. Miss Leycester, he said, with
an Undesirable air Of patronage and
worldly wisdom, land reads the motives
which lie Gil the surface, especially
when somebody's character is dirtied in
the process. lad you not better be care.
ful?''
"That is nonsense" replied Beryl
curtly, land you know 1t as we'll as !.
What my motive may be is my own
concern, and AIN not likely to ask you
orr She checked herself, and in
flash he filled up the gap.
''Say Sir Jaffray's wife," he said,
with grin.
"Or any one," she added, passing by
the interruption, "to help me to take
care Of myself. If things are as that pa
per says, the motives Of those who dis
cover the truth are Of no concern. am
not here to discuss motives, but facts 10
that true or notf" pointing to the paper.
Certainly and emphatically it is not
true in the sense in which you seem to
imply it--that I ever married Lola
Crawshay at the Church OF st. Sulpioe
in Montreux. The thing is ridiculous. F"
And he shrugged his shoulders again
with his usual gesture.
"You make my part much more diff
cult, said the girl, and then she turned
aside moment in thought. "Do you
understand that2" she asked after mo-
ment of consideration.
Miss LEICESTER, understand moth.
ing whatever Of all Of this" he an
swered.
II have evidence which puts it be-
You'd the shadow Of doubt that what
that paper says il true, that you are
the Pierre Turrian named on the face
Of it, and that On the date given you
married the Lola Crawshay mentioned
there, and that the Lola Crawshay is
the same woman who is now my Cousin
Jaffray g wife. Is that plain enough? II
you wish to know how I found 1t out,
I may tell you that your own CONDUCT
at the last intGyieY We had set me
thinking, that the monstrous story you
told about your fiddle strings did not
for moment deceive me, that your
confusion when ! told you Of the mar
riage made it as plain as day that your
interest was infinitely greater than you
pretended, while your own mention Of
Montreux and your subsequent obvious
attempt to make me think there was
nothing Of Importance in your connec-
ton with Montreux confirmed my opin-
ion, and that subsequent chain of cir
cumstances, all save one unsought by
me, forced the full discovery upon ME.
That every fact is known to me please
to recognize as absolutely certain"
He had listened to her statement al
most breathlessly, yet showing out
wardly no more than sort Of polite
indifference, but be was revolving hasti-
ly In his thoughts score Of different
courses of action.
There was no use in further conceal
ment.
1t was clear from the pitiless frank
ness Of the deliberate statement that
this girl was speaking the truth, and
1t seemed as though all the pleasant
plans Of an easy life were to be shat
tered in moment, and he hated the
woman who had done it just as be
hated everything that came in the path
Of his enjoyment.
He glanced at her vindiotively as she
was saying the last words, and he felt
that be would give half his life if he
could have seen that cold, hard, meroi-
less face lying dead before him at that
instant.
That thought started another and a
grimmer one, so grim that involunta-
rily be glanced about him, as II the mere
harboring Of it might be dangerous,
while his lips felt suddenly SO parched
that he moistened them with his tongue.
The idea grew on him like the germ
Of a noisome plague, and instinctively
his cunning prompted him to shape his
course by it. What he had to find out
was whether any one else knew of this
secret.
Now that his eyes had been so rudely
opened to the real claverness of the girl
who had thus faced him bis wits had
been quickened to read her, SO as to
know how best to deal with her.
For that new plan Of his be must
have time.
II accept your conditions, Miss
Leycester, be said when she finished.
II admit--for now it ia useless to deny
that what you have found out is true in
every detail"
The suddenness of his change Of man
ner and Of the confession startled the
girl more than anything that had yet
passed, and she shrank back and
clinched her hands tightly.
"Then what business have you here?'
she cried in voice filled with indigna-
WILL anu nASeI'
II will tell you all, everything"
he said.
He paused moment in indecision.
He was doubtful even at the last mo-
ment whether for his purposes he would |
be wiser to put the blame on himself or !
on Lola, nor did he settle the point un-
til he had begun to speak again.
"You have learned much Of the
truth" he said "because you have
learned the foundation fact of this most
sad and terrible matter. Sir Jaffray
Walcote and are both married to the
woman who is known as his wife, but
by law and right she is my wife"
The expression Oh BeryPs face deep
ened to one Of acute pain.
"It is terriblei' she exclaimed, al
most under her breath. She had been
confident of it before, but this plain
statement of it by the Frenchman
shocked her.
"You do not know all"
More than you seem to think" she
;ptorrpeod ct rocoppi1ed Tint o,yful