The Portland daily press., 1898-05-06
Chapter XXXV.
CONFESSION

her Hlghness has this moment feOur-
ned from driving, IN 'sieur." answered the
big Russian concierge, when. accom-
panied by Sonia, l entered the hall of the
great house In the Avenue des Champs
ElySee, aud handed him a card.
Ten. q second servant in the blue and
gold livery of the Romanoffs, conducted
US tremendously along the wide soft
carpeted corridor TO the well-remembered
room wherein l had taken leave OF the
woman loved. My companion; in her
neat tailor travelling gown OF dark
gray CLOTH looked a very different person
TO the dirty unkempt peasant woman
who led that band of desperate jaii-birds
On the frontier, and as she glanced around
the fine apartment on entering. she obse-
rived, with slight sigh, that this was not
her first visit.
The afternoon was breathless. All
Paris had left for the PLACES OF Arcachon,
Dieppe, or Irouviile, or the baths OF
Royat, Vichy or Luchon, and the boule-
wards were given over to unhappy busl-
ness men, cafe loungers, and soft-hatted
gaping tourists in check tweeds. The
green jalousies Of the room were closed.
the senses were sutfused with a tender
and restfl.l twilight, for the glare had
been tempered to suit the dreamy languor
of that great mansions world-weary mis-
tress. The open windows admitted with
air, the faint sound of traffic from the
Avenue. A lad passing somewhere outside
whistled a few bars from the gay chan.
sonette. Isl qu'on leur-Z-y f'rait ca, -
which Judic was singing nightly with
enormous success at the Summer AlcaZar.
/ noticed that upon the piano there still
stood my own photograph, while that of
my betrayer had been replaced by pic
ture of my wife. With my back to the
great tiled hearth filled with ferns and
flowers, and surrounded by it's wonder
full mantel of italian sculptured marble,
T waited, while Sonia, fatigued after our
long and dusty journey, sank into one of
the silken armchairs, unloosened her coat.
and shifted at her little silver bottle of
smelling salts Scarce word had she
uttered during our drive across the city
from the Care de Lyon SO full she seemed
Of unutterable sadness
During several minutes we remained in
silence, when. without warning, the long
doors of white and gold were flung open
by the Turnkey who, advancing into the
room. announced his mistress.
Next instant we were face tn face.
"Ah! Godfrey At last!" she CRIED,
with flushed cheeks, a smile of glad wei
come lighted up her pale countenance as
she rushed towards me with both hands
outstretched. A second later, noticing
Sonia, she suddenly halted. instantly
change passed over her face. She was un-
like the gay, light hearted girl who loved
to idle up the Thames backwaters, or
punt along the banks at sundown. She
was different from the happy, trustful
bride who had wandered with me during
those autumn days IN quaint old CHAT
eauroux She had none of the flush of
Joyous youth, and the hard lines of re-
solve and ueterminaGloE were softened
by an expression for which there is no
better word than conservation. There
were signs of endurance in her face, but
it was the endurance of the martyr, not
of the champion.
Facing Sonia she drew herself MP
haughtily. and demanded in French in
q harsh, angry voice:
fTo what, Tray, do I owe this intru-
sion? / should have thought that after
what has passed you would not dare to
come here. But suppose cool audacity is
a characteristic that must be cultivated
by a woman of your character"
Sonia rose slowly from her chair, her
features haggard and blanched, her head
bent slightly, rs if in penitence. No
effort did she make to resent the bitter
angry words my wife had uttered, but in
a low tone simply replied:
II have come here with Godfrey to tell
you the truth. h."
''The truth p' echoed the Grand Duchess
with whitening contempt 1.-The truth
from such as you'll Who would believe it?''
"Wnit Hear me before you denOunce me, -
Sonia urged. in strange, hollow voice
that sounded like one speaking in the
far distance. Il do not deny that my
presence may seem understandable, l adj
NIT that between US there can no longer
be friendship, yet strange is it that, al
though you are honest, upright and re-
spected, while 1 am social outoast,
Epurned and degraded by all. there never
theless exists common bond between US
the bond of love. You love Godfrey
The man who by law is your husband;
while I love another, a man you also
knlw," and her voice falterea, 1.-THE
fo wi d6nOnncod M az ha
and worthless. -
tsWell?'' asked Ella, standing stern,
npr' ght, full of calm, unruff1sd dignity.
She sJill wore the cool-looking summer
gown in which she had been driving in
the Bots, and had not removed her large
black hat with its long ostrich plumes
ssYou are quite right, quite right,
Sonia admitted in voice trembling
with emotion. ''You were justified to IN
deceive him as you did. [ know, alas,
how black is my heart-how blunted is
all the womanly feeling I once possessed
in the lap of luxury. while I fed from
infancy upon the offal of slum, and
taught to regard the world from q cypi-
cal point of view, have grown old IN
evil-doing, and am now mere derelict in
the stream of life. Long ago we met and
parted l treated you, as Gid Others as
au enemy. We have now met again, and
], consclence-strioken and penitent, have
come to atone for the past. to prove your
friend, to beg forgiveness.
My wife shrugged her shoulders with q
gesture of quick impatience.
'Ahl You don't believe l am in
earnest" cried the unhappy woman.
HAS it never occurred to you that
alone can free you from the bond that has
held you aloof from your husband?'
''What do you mean?' cried Ella, with
b puzzled expression.
~ mean,'' she answered, in deep
earnest voice. II mean that if you vii
make full and open confession to Geoffrey
1 will furnish you with proof positive
of the identity of the murderer of Dudley
Ogle. BY this means only can you obtair
freedom from your bondage of guilt
"My freedomr' echoed my wife. She was
pale as death; her hot, dry lips moved
convulsiyely, and she glanced at me II
Ieverish apprehension. "How can you
give me my freedom?'
BY revealing the truth" Sonia an
swered. when you have told Godfrey
nil, then will L disclose the terrible secret
that / have selfishly kept from YOU be