The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-02-26

| Nothing but the echoes of the dungeons
And, meanwhile the man in the inner
dungeon watched and listened with untiring
patience
The candle had burned itself down to the
last inch; very little time longer, and they
would be in total darkness.
Lady Tudor, realizing this, seemed to have
all her fears renew ed.
| She held Sir Basils hands in both her own
and chung to him more and more closely.
How good you are TO me, Basil" she
whispered Even If l have to die here,
think 1 can die content knowing you don't
quite hate me after ALL"
''Eate you! Why, Isobel, how could you
ever think that?" he said, a little awkwardiy.
1t dimly occurred to him that the situation
threatened to become more embarrassing
than he had dreamed of.
And yet there was no escape, none that he
could see
He couldn't behave Ike a brute, and tell
this cnging, terrified woman that he had no
Tenderness to bestow, and wanted none from
her
If she, in her overweight condition, went
back to the love OF years ago, there was no
help for him.
"Ah, but I know I gave you every cause to
hate me, Basil' she went on, in sweet, plain
tive tones. Il behaved very badly to you.
dear-as badly as the woman can behave to
the man who loves her. But if 1 were cruel
to you, [ was still more cruel to myself; for
1 loved you, Basil-yes, did, dear-loved you
with my whole heart and soul, and, after L
sent you away, 1 never knew another happy
mCment-nO, not Ole.'
Don't speak of it, Isobel," said Sir BASIL
gently. of course, L was a bit hipped at the
time, as silly boys will be when they've been
too presumptUous, and have had fall. But
forgave you loLg ago-if indeed, there was
anything to forgive. Don't distress yourself
about it now"
Her face was half hidden on his coat sleeve
OF he would have seen her bite her lips in
anger when he spoke of himself lightly as "a
silly boy" for having loved her, and, still
mere, when he evinced such evident anxiety
to let the dead past bury its dead.
Not for this had she arranged with such
care this melodramatic little scene-not for
this had she shut herself up with him in
these dreary dungeons.
With subtle cunning she had won her OPP
pcrtunity, and she would make the best of it.
He was colder and more Indifferent than
she had hoped to find him; but this only
made her more resolved to win him.
She set her teeth almost fiercely, as she told
herself she would not let him escape her now.
She had gone too far to draw back
She had shown him she still cared for him.
and she would be q poor, weak fool, if she
suffered him to go out into the world again
before he had made her his promised wife
So long as she did win him, it mattered lit
tie how
So, when he urged her not to distress herself
with thinking Of their lolg bygone love, she
broke into little sob, and bending her head
low in her humility, pressed her lips to his
hand. r.
"Oh Basil, how good you are! how gener-
Gus! how noble! [ wonder how it was L was
able to send you from mellow it was
didn't realize that in your love l had a great
er treasure than all the wealth in the world.
But my mother pressing to marry
Sir Robert-and we were horribly poor-and
at last yielded. 1t was such grand match
for me, everybody said; but, Basil, I was
miserable with him. 1t was a relief when I
heard that he was dead. He more than
twenty years older than T. and, quite apart
from that T c0nl6 loved m
| He was jealous and exacting, and I used
to look forward with horror to the thought of
spending my whole life by his side. I used to
| think how different IN would have been if I
had married you Oh, Basil, woman should
never marry excepting where she loves! I
realized that when it was too late.''
| How Sir Basil answ cred this outburst he
could never quite remember.
| He was supremely uncomfortable, and he
had a disagreeable consciousness that he
must be acting like a brute in not taking her
in his arms and assuring her that, after all
her Indebtedness, she should find shelter in
his love at last.
| My lady, stealing a furtive glance at him.
saw that he was wavering-saw that the bat
tie was almost won, and she redoubled her
exertions.
Dear Basil, you won't despise me for being
so bold?" she whispered softly. But know
you won't You are too good-too noble.
You understand my poor, weak woman's ma
ture. Now that L am cut off from the world.
and may never live to return to it, it's paltry
ccnventionalities slip away from me, and I
feel I may speak to you straight from my
heart.
| 'I may tell you now love you as dearly as
ever; and that, if { could have lived, I should
have thought no joy great as the joy of
becoming your wife Sometimes 1 have even
dared to hope it might have been so. Was 1
too bold? Was L wrong? Is the old love
quite dead? All! surely, Basil, you may tell
me noW?'
| She looked imploringly into his face
| Her beautiful blue eyes were swimming in
tears; her lips were quivering.