Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1902-08-25
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Continued.

the passionate hurry VI Lib "OlNo
he laid one hand on hers. She with
drew it as though he had suddenly
touched it with fire; and then, with
a strangely frank smile, she looked
at him.
"How can you ask me. to marry
you when I shrink from the very
touch of your hand?" she asked.
"But you would not always. /
have faith in my own great love. II
would win something in return.
Lady Ianthe, if you send me away
you will kill your father. All h1s
hopes are based on this marriage"
''Do you think it is manly to force
me into a marriage because I love
my father-because it is the only
way in which I can save him." she
asked, with sudden passion.
''I should not think it manly if
despaired of winning your love and
making you happy; but know
can do both. I have faith to that
extent"
She knew that he had spoken the
truth-that the only means of saw
ing her fathers life, of saving the
old name from discredit and dis
grace, was by marrying him-yet at
the moment that she realized it she
most disliked him She opened her
beautiful eyes and looked fxedly at
him.
care you content to marry me-"
she asked, knowing that I despise
you-that I look upon you with con-
tempt?"
Lady Ianthe," he said, st shall
know how to change that into love;
and I would rather have your con
tempt, your scorn, than the warmest
affection of any other woman!''
"Are you content to marry me,
knowing that l feel that nothing can
bridge over the distance between
us-nothing can set you by my side
as my equal-nothing can make me
forget that you are a plebeian-
nothing can make me overlook your
social inferiority?"
II am content" he replied. "You
love no one else-it will all come in
time"
my love will not come" she
cried never think that"
Il am content he repeated.
For some minutes she was silent.
evidently struggling with her anger,
and then she said, slowly:
Il repeat that you are doing an
unmanly thing in forcing me to mar
ry you. You force me because YOU
leave me no alternative; I must
crush my father or marry you.
love my father, as I have always
done, better than the whole worlo
besides; that love is the master-pas-
sion of my life. To save him, am
driven to marry a man whom I
neither know, nor like, nor esteem,
nor love-"
''It will come" he repeated 81
love you so dearly, and l long SO
passionately for your love. that |
snail be content with any terms"
Her face flushed crimson.
will you?" she returned. "The2
I will make those terms as difficult
for you as can. / will be your
Wife-that is, you shall bear nv
name-but you shall never even
touch my hands; you will have Sc
cured me, you will have fast bound
me-that seems to me all you wish
but no words of love shall ever
cross my lips to you; we shall be
together, and yet be further apart
than strange s-together without
love or affection. If | consent at
all, it will be only on those terms
1t is for you to decide whether you
will accept them. If, after accept
ing, you break them, presume to ask
from me words of affection, pre-
sumo to touch my hand, to thrust
your society upon me, then I swear
that I shall instantly leave the
house. Are you satisfied to have me
as your wife on those terms?"
He looked at her; she was to him
so royalty beautiful in her scorn, SO
fair in her anger and defiance, so
much more winning even so than
any other woman in her most com
PLEASANT mood that he felt that he
could have given his life even for
that small victory.
eyes," he said. "You love no one
else. I am content to wait; you
will know me and love me better in
time"
'Then, if on those terms you con
sent to lose your identity, and dc
vote your life to the service of the
Cares of Croombe," she said, i'm
perially, 81 accept your service, ana
our interview is ended"
She spoke with ill-concealed CON
tempt; but Herman Culross repeat
ed to himself that love woul6 come
in time.
CHAPTER VII