, 1899-03-10

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kude.
do you know, Joyce, you have always
been ready to condemn, to misjudge me-"
says he, in a low, hurt tone. II have Of
zen noticed it, yet nave failed to under.
stand why it is. l was right, you see, when
1 told myself last night and this morning
that you were harboring unkindly
thoughts toward me. You have not been
open with me, you have been wilfully Sc.
~cretive, and, believe me, that is a mistake.
Candor, complete and perfect, is the only
great virtue that will steer one clear
through all the shoals and rocks of life.
Be honest, above board, and, l can assure
ron, you will never regret it. You accused
me Just now of insincerity. Have you
been sincere?"
There is a dead pause. He allows it to
last long enough to make it dramatic and
10 convince himself he has impressed her
and then, with a very perceptible increase
of dignifed pain in his voice, he goes on:
81 feel l ought not to explain under the
circumstances, but as it is to ~you"-heavy
emphasis, and a second affected silence.
You nave heard, perhaps, of Miss Mali.
plants cousin in India
mo" says Joyce, after racking her
brain in vain for some memory of the
cousin in question. And, indeed, it would
have been nothing short of a miracle il
she could have remembered anything
about that apochryphal person.
You will understand that l speak to
yorr in the strictest confidence" says
Beauclerk, earnestly; 81 wouldn't for any.
thing you could offer me-, that it should
get back to that poor girls ears that !
had been discussing her, and the most
sacred feelings of her heart. Well, there
Is a cousin, and she-you may have no.
ticed that she and | were great friends 2"
EYES," says Joyce, whose heart is beat
ing now TO suffocation. Oh! has she
wronged him? Is this vile, suspicious
feeling within her one to be encouraged
Is all this story of his, this simple ex.
planation-false-false?
81 was, indeed, a sort of conidant OF
hers. Poor dear girl! it was a relief to
her to talk to somebody"
'There were Others"
"But none here who knew him."
"You knew him then? Is his name
Maliphant, too?" asks Joyce, ashamed OF
her cross-examination, yet driven to it by
some power beyond her control.
"You mustn't ask me that" says Beau.
clerk, playfully. "There are some things
/ must keep even from you. Though you
see l go very far to satisfy you unjust
suspicious of me. You can, however, guess
a good deal; you-saw her cryingY'
"She was not crying" says Joyce,
slowly, a little puzzled. Miss Maliphant
had seemed at the moment in question
well pleased.
mo! Not when you saw her? All! thai
must have been later then" with a sigh,
you see now / am betraying more than
I should. However, | can depend upon
your silence. 1t will be a small secret be-
tween you and me-"
And Miss Maliphant," says Joyce, cold.
". AS for me, what is the secret?"
e "You haven't understood? Not really
Well, between you and ne and the WALL
with delightful gayety, II think she gives
thought or two to hat cousin. / fancy
whispering, "she is even inch? you
know"
Il don't" says Joyce, slowly, who il
now longing to believe in him. and yet /.
held steadily backward by some strong
feeling.
81 believe she Is in love with him." says