, 1899-03-17
CHAPTER XIII.

Pit lOIStlSs nOMGAtIs MDhl III Ido
come for when, having entered the room,
she sees Dysart standing before the fire
staring apparently at nothing. To her
chagrin, she is conscious that the unmis-
taxable start she made on seeing him is
known to him.
81 didn't know you had returned" says
she, awkwardly, yet made a courageous
effort to appear as natural as usual.
"No. / knew you had,o says he, slow
ly.
ut is very late to say good-morning,"
says she, with a poor little attempt at a
laugh, but still advancing and holding out
her hand.
TOO later replied he, ignoring the
hand. Joyce, as if struck by some cruel
blow. draws back a step or two.
you are not tired, l hope?' says Dy-
sart, c~ourteously.
"Oh. no." She feels sti1cd, choked. A
desire to get to the door and escape--lose
sight of him forever-is the one strong
longing that possesses her; but to move
Fequires strength, and she feels that her
limbs are trembling.
at was a long drive, however. And the
storm was severe. l fear you must have
suffered in some way"
81 nave not suffered" says she, in a
dull, emotionless way.
"No?"
There is a considerable pause, and then:
mo! 1t is true! 1t is l only who have
suffered" says Dysart, with an uncon-
trollable abandonment to the misery that
is destroying him. 81 alone"
You mean something" says Joyce. 1t
is by a terrible effort that she speaks. She
feels thoroughly unneryed-unstrung
Conscious that the nervous shaking of her
hands will betray her, she clasps them be-
hind her tightly. "You meant something
just now when you refused to take my
hand. But what? What?"
you said it was too late" replies he.
"And I-agreed with you"
'sThat was not it's says she, feverishly.
'There was more-much more! Tell me-
-passionately-"what you meant. Why
would you not touch me? What am to
underestimate
''That from henceforth you are free
from the persecution of my love- says
Dysart, deliberately. Il was mad ever
+e~
I did hope. That has ben myNdoing.
But now
"Well?" demands she, family. Her
whole being seems stunned. Something
of all this she has anticipated, but the
reality is far worse than any anticipation
had been. She had seen him in her
thoughts, angry, indignant, miserable, but
that he should thus coldly set her aside
bid her an everlasting adieu-make up his
mind deliberately to forget her-this had
never occurred to her as being even prob
able.
"Now you are to understand that the
idiotic farce played between us two the
day before yesterday is at an end. The
curtain is down. 1t is, over. 1t was a
f~ailure-neither you nor I nor the public
will ever hear of it again"
us this-because | did not come home
last evening in the rain and Storm Some
small spark of courage has come back to
her now. She lifts her head and looks at
him.
"Oh! be honest with me herein our
last hour togetherI' cries he, yehemently.
"You have cheated me all through; be true
to yourself for once. Why pretend it is
my fault that we part? Yesterday l inn
plored you not to go for that drive with
him, and yet-you went. What was /
or my love for youth comparison with a
few hours drive with that scoundrel?"
at was only the drive l thought Of"
Says she, piteously. "I-there was moth
Ing else, indeed. And you; if'-raising
her hand to her throat-'if you had not
spoken so roughly-sO@"
"Pshaw!' says Dysart, turning from
her as if Disguised. To him, in his pres
ent furious mood, her grief, her fear, her
shrinkings, are all so many movements in
the game of coquette, at which she is a
bast mistress. Twill you think me a fool
10 the end?" says he. "See here" turn
Ing his angry eyes to hers. Il don't care
what you say. | know you now Too
late, indeed-but still l know you! To the
very core you are one mass of deceit"
She holds out her hands to him in a lit
tie dumb fashion. Her tongue seems froz-
en-. But he repulses this last attempt at
reconciliation.
at is no good. Nonel l have no belief
in you left, so you can no longer cajole me.
/ know that l am nothing to you. Moth
ing! If" drawing a deep breath through
his closed teeth, 'if a thousand years
were to go by / should still be nothing to
you IL he were near. | give it up. The
battle was too strong for me. i am de-
feated, lost, ruined"
"You have so arranged it," says she, in
a low tone, ~singularly clear. The violence
of his agitation had subdued hers, and
rendered her comparatively calm.
you must permit me to contradict you.
The arrangement is all your own."
WAS it so great, a crime to stay last
night at Falling?'
''There is no crime anywhere. That you
should have made a decision b~etween'two
men is not a crime"
"No! l acknowledge l made a decision
but
when did you make itY'
"Last evening; and though you"
ooh! no excuses says he, with a
frown. DO you think / desire them" He
hesitates for a minute or SO, and now
turns to her abruptly. "Are you enghged
to him 6nally?'
mo"
"No!' In accents suggestive of surprise
- .z4o,ao N % 70 aIrnact aul roo into Aioba