Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1902-10-04
Tfff]G F HE LADY
OF YNN.
BY SIR WALTER BESANT.
"Why the last time. madamY'

|
but her eyes grew humid. II can nev
er be regarded henceforth as anything
else You will despise me; you will
curse ME. Yet must needs speak"
Madam, l protest know not wha
you mean"
"And |. Jack. protest | know no
how to begin. Do you remember las
January. when we talked together
Let me begin there-yes. It will be bes
to begin there. do not think | coulG
begin at the other end. 1t would bt
like q hath of Ice cold water in Janu
ary."
II remember our conversation. mad
am"
You told me-what was 1t you tol(
me-? Something about certain box ol
case of Jewels"
"Molly's Jewels. Yes. told you how
bis !ordship seized upon them at tht
first when he claimed control over Mol
ly's fortune"
"You told ME that 1t was In Janu
ary He had seized upon them si1
months before The thing surprised
ME. He had always told me that hs
could not get those jewels. and. Jack
you see. they were my own"
Yours. madam? But they were Mol
ly's."
"Not at all. Molly after her mar
riage had nothing. All became my
lords property The jewels were mine
Jack. mine 10y promise and compact"
| understood nothing.
| 81 have seen In France the women
kneeling at the boxes where they con
| fess to the priest Jack. will you be
my priest? I Gun confess to you wha,
| I could never confess to Molly. though
| have wronged her. Jack. oh. my
priest" Here she fell on her knees and
clasped her hands. mo. no" she cried
81 will not rise-on my knees. on my
knees. not to ask your pardon, but fol
the shame and the disgrace and the
villainyr'
| "AIatlam. pray-l entreat"
took her by both hands. ] bali
lifted her and half assisted her. She
sank into an armchair. sobbing and
crying. and covered her face with her
hands She was not play acting. No.
no. 1t was real sorrow. true shame
Oh. there was revenge as we'll. Nc
doubt there was revenge. II she had
been wicked. she had also been wrong
ed. Presently she recovered q little
| Then she SGT up and began to talk.
| IL am the most miserable woman In
the world. and deserve my misery
Jack. when you 60 back to your ship
| fall on your knees and thank God that
you are poor and that Molly has been
robbed Of her fortune and Ia also poor
Oh. to be born rich believe me. It Is 8
thing most terrible. 1t makes men like
Lord Fylinglale. who have nothing to
do but to follow pleasure pleas
ure. All. merciful heaven. such pleas.
| ure! And II makes women. Jack. like
me We. too follow pleasure like the
men We become gamblers. There Is
no pleasure for the like the pleasure OF
gambling We full In love for the pleas
ure and whim Of II till we are slaves
to men who treat US worse than they
trpa, their dogs. worse than they treat
their lackeys. Then we forget honor
and honesty: then we throw away rep
utation and good name. We accept
recklessly shame and dishonor. My
name has become byword. But wha
of that? I have been a mans slave.
have done his bidding"
But how. madam"-still under
stood very little of this talk, yet be
came suspicious when she spoke thus
of the jewels-"how came Molly's jew
els to be your own?'
81 tell you, Jack, by promise ant
compact. I must so back to another
discourse with you. 1t was on Ger
tain evening a year ago. You had made
the fine discovery that Lord Flying
dale was gamester and the rest Of 1t
You told me. You also told me thai
Molly would not keep her promise ant
would certainly not be at the churcl
in the morning. Do you remember"
81 remember that we talked about
things"
1--WE did. Go back n month or tive
earlier. By most monstrous decep
tion | was brought here. was tolt
first that 1t was In order to further
some political object, which did moi
believe. next. to help him In getting
the command of this money-some wo
men. said, easily lose their sense OF
honor and Of truth when they want tt
please their lovers. AS for marriage
he declared for the hundredth time
that there was but one woman Ia al
the world whom he would marry-my
self. Now do you understand? He
had deceived me. Very we'll. Then
would deceive him. At first my pur
pose was to await In the church the
coming Of the bride and expose the
character of the man. Since she was
not coming | would take her place"
"What? 1t was you, then-you-
you!"
"Yes, Jack. was the woman you
saw at the rails. l had pink Sill
cloak like that Of Molly. am about
the same height as Molly. wore
domino. as had been arranged. Yor
took me for Molly"
"But If you were the brlde"-
81 was the bride. am the Countess
Of Fylingdale-for my sins and sor
rows-his wretched wife,"
But you would be revenged. AND