, 1899-04-21
CHAPTER XXI.

pleased by the news when Felix told nef
the next morning of his good luck. In all
her W great %unhappiness she had still a
kindly word and thought for her cousin
and his fancee.
zone of the incest girls" she says,
pressing his hands warmly. 81 often
think. indeed, the incest girl | know. You
are fortunate, Felix, but" very kindly,
.she is fortunate, too"
"Oh. no, the luck is all on my side,"
says he.
at will be a blow to Norman" she
says, presently. -.
81 think not" with an irrepressible
touch of scorn.
"Of course, l can quite understand that
you do not like him." says she, with a
quick sigh. "But believe me, any heart
be has was really given to Joyce. Well,
he must devote himself to ambition now"
Miss Maliphant can help him to that"
"No. no. That Is all knocked on the
head. It appears-this Is in strict conf
dence. Felix-but 1t appears he asked her
to marry him last evening, and she re-
fused"
Felix turns to her as II to give utter
ence to some vehement words, and then
checks himself. After all, why add to her
unhappiness? Why tell her Of that ours
baseness? Her own brother, too! 1t
would be but another grief.
To think he should lave gone from her
to Miss M~aliphant! What a pitiful crea-
ture! Beneath contempt! Well, II his
pride survives those two downfalls-both
In one day-it must be made OF leather. II
does Felix good to think of how Miss NAL
lphant must have worded her refusal. She
Is not famous for grace of speech. be
must have had a really bad time of 1t.
"Ah, she refusedT" says he, hardly
knowing what to say.
eyes, and not very graciously, I'm
afraid. He gave me the mere fact of the
refusal-no more, and only that because
he had to give a reason for his abrupt de-
parture. You know he Is going this even
lng?"
"No, l did not know it. OF course, un-
der the circumstances
"Yes, he could hardly stay here. Mar
garet came to me and said she would go,
but / would not allow that. After all,
s repf as she wills
.True." His heart gives an exultant
leap as he remembers how his love had
willed.
81 only wish she had not hurt him in
the refusal. He was not in his usual care
less spirits. He struck me as being a lit
tle-well, you know, a little"-she hest
tates.
"Out of temper?" suggests Felix.
"Well, yes. Disappointment takes that
course with some people. After all, il
might have peel worse if he had set his
heart on Joyce and been refused"
much worse" says Felix, his eyes on
the ground. !.
"She would have been a severe loss"
Severe, indeed" By this time Felix is
beginning to feel like an advanced hypo-
critic.
"As for Margaret Maliphant, 1 am
afraid he was more concerned about the
loss of her bonds and scrips than of her
self. 1t is a terrible world, Felix, when
all is told" says she, suddenly, crossing
her beautiful, long, white hands over her
knees, and leaning toward him. There is
a touch of misery so sharp in her voice
that he starts as he looks at her. 1t is
a momentary fit of emotion, however, and
passes before he dare comment on it. With
a heart nigh to breaking she still retains
her composure, and talks calmly to Felix,
and let's him talk to her, as though the
fact that she is soon to lose forever the
man who once had gained her heart-that
fatal "once" that means for always, in
spite of everything that has come and
gone-is as little or nothing to her. See
ing her sitting there, strangely pale, in
deed, but so collected, it would be impos-
sible to guess at the tempest of passion
and grief and terror that reigns within her
breast. Women are not so strong to bear
as men, and therefore in the worlds storm
suffer most.
st is a lovely world" says he, smiling,
thinking of Joyce; and then, remember
Ing her sad lot, his smile fades. lone
might make-perhaps-a bad world-bet-
ter"
"Ahi teach me how" says she, with q
melancholy glance.
''There is such a thing as forgiveness.
Forgive him. blurts he out in a ~frighten-
ed sort of way. He is Mortified at him
Belf-at his own temerity-a second later,
and rises to his feet as if to meet the in
dignation he has certainly courted. But
to his surprise no such indignation betrays
itself,
us that your adviceY' says she, still
with the thin white hands clasped over
the knees and the earnest gaze on him.
"Wel1, well, well!'
Her eyes droop. She seems to be think
Ing, and he, gazing at her, refrains from
speech with his heart sad with pity. Pres
emily she lifts her head and looks at him.
There! Go back to your love-" she
says, with a glance that thrills him. "Tell
her from me that if you had the whole
world to choose from, l should still select
her as your wife. l like her; l love her
There, go!" She seems to grow all al
once very tired. Are those tears that are
rising in her eyes? She holds out to him
her hand. Felix, taking it, holds it close.
ly for a moment, and presently, as if NOV
ed to do it, he stoops and presses a warm
kiss upon it.
She is SO unhappy, and so kind, and SO
true. Heaven deliver her out of her sor'
rowl
rtH tt'