Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-10-30

| alone with the Lady Catharine Knollys,
| His eagerness might have excused his i'm
| petuous and boastful speech.
! As for the Lady Catharine.that one swift
| electric moment at the street curb had well
| nigh undone more than two years of re-
| solve. She had heard herself as it were
! In dream, promising that this man might
come She had found herself later in her
own apartments, painting, wide-eyed, afraid
| Some great hand. unseen. unlimited. nlys-
| ferrous. had swept ruthlessly across each
chord of womanly reserve and resolution
| which so long she had held well ordere
and absolutely under control 1t was self
| distrust, fear, which now compelled her to
! take refuge in this womans fence of spec oh
with him. Surely argued she with her.
| self. "if love once dies, then it is dead for
! ever, and can never be revived. Surely
| she insisted to herself. my love is dead.
Then-ah, but then was it dead? Can my
heart grow AGAIN." asked the Lady Catha-
| rine of herself, tremblingly. This was that
which gave her pause. 1t was this also
which gave to her cheek its brighter color
| to her eye softer CLEAN; and to her
speech this covering shield of badinage
Yet all her defenses were in a way to be
fairly beaten down by the intentness of the
other. All things he put aside or OVERRIDE,
and would speak but of himself and her
self, of his plans. HIS opportunities. and of
how these were concerned with himself and
with her.
There are those who judge not so
harshly as yourself Madam" resumed
Law. His grace the regent is good enough
to believe that my studies have gone deeper
than the green cloth of the gaming table.
Now, tell you, my time has come-my day
at last is here. I tell you that shall prove
to you everything which I said to you long
ago, back there in old England. 1 shall
prove to you that / have not been alto
gether an idler and a trif1er. I shall bring
to you, as promised you long ago, all the
wealth, all the distinction"
But such speech is needless, Mr.. Law"
came the reply. 81 have all the wealth I
need, nor do 1 crave distinction, save of
my own selection"
"But you do not dream! This is a day
unparalleled. There will be such changes
here as never yet were known. Within a
week you shall hear of my name in Paris
Within a month you shall hear of it be-
yond the gates of Paris. Within year you
shall hear nothing else in Europe!''
AS hear nothing else here now, mon
sieur?"
Like a horse restless under the snaffie,
the man shook his head, but went on "If
you should be offered wealth more than
any woman of Paris, If you had precedence
over the proudest peers of France-would
these things have NO weight with your"
you know they would not
Law cast himself restiessly upon seat
across the room from her. ST think 1 do"
said he, de3ectedly. "At times you drive
me to my wits end What then madam
would avail?"
why nothing. so far as the past Is to
be reviewed for you and me. Yet, 1 should
say that If there were two here speaking as
you and 1. and IL they had no such past
as we-then could fancy that woman say
ing to her. friend, Have you, indeed, done
all that lay within you to do?"
rs 1t not enough"
There Is nothing, sir, that is enough for
a woman, but all!'
81 have given you ALL
"All that you have left-after yourself"
Sharp, sharp, indeed, are your words,
my lady. And they are most sharp because
they come with Justice
oh" broke out the woman, zone may
use sharp words who has been scorned for
her own false friend. You would give me
all, Mr.. Law. but you must remember that
1t is only what remains after that-that-''
But would you. could you, have cared.
had there been no 'that?' Had I done all
that lay in me to do, could you then have
given me your confidence, and could you
have thought me worthy of it?''
"Oh, ifp,'
Yes. il! IT. and as though and Sin
that case'-these are all we have to con-
sole us in this life. But. sweet one
Sir, such words have forbidden" said
Lady Catharine. the blood for one cause
or another mounting again into her cheek