The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-06-05
CHAPTER xx11r..-coNT1NUED.

| t.Tocelyn," the man went on. ~ sup
pose YOU know that J love yoi7 II must
have been plain to YOU for g long tim ~
"1Jo,, slle answered, with q little eaten
IN her breath. "No. It has not. And
an, sorry to hear It now.
',Why?- he asked. with dull CLEAN
which could not be dignned BY tho name
OF love- .x,,. ].
"Because 1t can only lead to trouble, !.
Victor Durnovo was standing with ms
back 10 the window while JocelSn' N
~ tr mi ,,rht Of tho afternoon, stood be.
fore hin. He looked her slowly up an y
down with a glance Of approval when
alarmed and dlsauieted her ,
',yVill yo,i, marry me?" he asked.
+ moi" ~
ward by some motion OF the hlaoeh iip''
'Why?" a., ,,,.ad
Joceyn. ..,t
i Yes" he said. III
! "Becau.e i not only do not care Tor you,
but desplse and distrust you.
you are candid" he said, with an
unpleasant little laugh.
Yes
He moved little to one side and drew re,
chair towards him. halt-leanlns, halt
sitting on the back Of IT. \,
Then he said, II will be candid with
| YOU. ] intend you to marry me; have
| intended it for long time. am NOT
going down on my knees to ask you TO
d. IL; that Is not my way. But, II you
drive me to 1t, will make your broth
Maurice 20 down on his knees and beg
you to marry me.
II don't think you will do that" an
swered the girl, steadily. Whatever
your power over Maurice may be, It is
| not strong enough for that; you over
ratio It," TIA
! You think so?" he sneered.
81 am sure Of It,"
Durnovo glanced hastily round the room
| in order to make sure that they We're
| not overheard.
Suppose he said, in a low. kissing
voice. that possess knowledge that l
have only to mention to one or two peo-
pie to make this place too hot for Maurice
/ Gordon. II he escaped the fury OF the
natives, it would be difficult 70 know ~,
where he could go to- England would be
too hot for him They wouldn't have
/ him there; could see to that He would
| be a ruined man-an outcaEt-execrated
lby all the civilized world.
/ He was watching her face all the while.
i He saw the color leave even her lips, but
\ they were steady and firm. A strange
wonder crept into his heart. This wo-
| man never flinched. There was some re-
served strength within herself upon
which she was now drawing. His deal
ings had all been with Enthusiastically
impure blood and doubtful descendants of
l q mixed ancestry He had never fairly
reused pure-bred English man or wo-
man, and suddenly he began to feel out
| OF: his depth. 5
What is your l;nowledg &c q asked Joce-
lyn, in a. ScoldlY measured voice.
sI think You had better not ASH that:
rather that you thought quietly ever
what I have told you, Perhaps. on sec
ord thoughts, you will see your way to
give mo some-slight hope, should
really advise It,"
II did not ask your advice. What is
| your knowledgc?"
you will have it?' he Kissed
| Yes.
He leaned forward cranlng his neck,
pushing his yellow face and hungertns
black eyes into hers
Then, II you will have It. your brother
Maurice Gordon-is slave-trader.
She drew back as she might have done
from some unclean animal. She knew that
he was telling the truth. There might
be extenuating circumstances. The real
truth might have quite a different sound,
spoken In different words; but there was
| enough OF the truth In 1t, as Victor Dur
novo placed 1t before her, to condemn
Maurice before the world
Now, will you marry me?' he sneered.
mol
Quick as thought she had seen the only
| loop-hole-the only possible way of meet
Ing this terrible accusation.
He laughed; but there was a faint
ljangle OF uneaslness In his laughter.
| "Indeed!"
Hsupposing" said Jocelyn "for one
moment that there was a grain OF truth
In your fabrication, who would believe
you? Who on this coast would take your
word against the word of an English
gentleman? Even IL the whole story
were true, which 1t Is not. could you
prove. It? You are liar, as we'll as a
coward and traitor! Do you think that
the very servants in the stable would
believe you? DO you think that the Incl
dent of the smallpox at Msala is forgot
ten? Do you think that all Loango, even
to the boatmen on the beach, ignores the
fact that you are here In Lonngo now be-
cause you are afraid to so through q
savage country to the Slmacine Plateau.
as you are pledged to do? You were
afraid of the smallpox once; there is
something else that you are afraid of
now, do not know what It IL, but I
house at once, before call In the stable
boys to turn you out, and never dare to
| speak to mo again. I
Victor Durnoyo recoiled before her. con-
scous all the while that she had never
been so beautiful as at that. moment.
But she was something far above him
u dffeVnt creation altogether. He never
knew what drove him from that room.
It was-the fear OF something that he did
not understand. 5N
He heard her close the window after
him as he walked away beneath the trees.
She stood watching him-prolld, cold,
terrible in her womanly anger Then
she turned and suddenly sank down upon
the sofa, sobbIng
But fortune decreed that she should
have neither time to weep nor think.
She heard the approaching footsteps of
her old servant, and when the door wal
opened Jocolyn Gordon was reading
book, With her back turned towards the
window.
nrhal man Nala, miss. the paddle
mnlter wants to see YOU
TELL linn to go round to the veranda.'9
Jocelyn went out by the open window.