The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-05-24

How sweet and siIvery her laugh How
pretty the curve of her lips, and now
glowing their color. Supposing he were 10
stoop suddenly and kiss them? Would not
such act be tantamount 10 a love avowal.
and thus relieve him from the difficulty OF
an oral confession?
LOrelie, obserVant at last OF Idrls quiet
manner. rallied him on his want Of spirits.
You seem very grave to-day, Mr.. Break
spear2''
'sDo /, mademoiselle2 am thinking"
May / share your thoughts?
You may share my life If you will
MIR. Breakspear, what are you saying?'
exclaimed Lorelie, quickly. breathlessly.
THAT l love you. Is that fault? Nay,
rather it would be a fault not to love you
Lorelie drew a deep shuddering breath.
Their eyes met: a strange wistful tender
ness in hers Such a look Idris had never
before received from woman: he knew
what IL meant, and grew giddy at the
thought that he bad the power TO evoke it.
Then. in a moment, all was changed!
A priestess, starting In agony from the
Delphic tripod, could not have exhibited
wilder mien than did Lorelie at that mo-
ment as she rose to her feet, her hands
pressed TO her bosom if TO repress the
emotion struggling there: in her eyes an
expression OF horror, the startled guilty
look Of one who, tempted to listen 10
wrong. is suddenly recalled TO a sense OF
duty.
Idris had wanted to say more, to speak
OF the depth of his love, but that look
chilled all the warmth of his feelings. and
checked the words that were rising on
his lips.
Mr.. Breakspear." she began. with a
strange "catch" in her voice, you saved
my life from the sea, and il may be that
gratitude has led me to-to-how shall L
express myself?-to be too warm In my
friendship. | have not guarded myself suf-
ficienty. If there has been anything in my
manner or words calculated to impress you
with the belief that your addresses would
you TO forgive me. Such utterance-such
actiOn-on my part has been unintentional.
cannot listen to YOU"
With many women a No may some
times mean Yes but this was not the
case with Loreiie Riviere Idris felt that
her decision was final, irrevocable. And
yet what was the meaning OF that first
look of rapture that had come into her
eyes?
you do we'll to refuse me, mademoiselle:
to refuse in truth any sutton, for who in
deed is worthy of you. but"
Seel"
She drew something from her dress
pocket. turned aside for moment. and
then held out the third finger of her left
hand. And at the sight Idris, strong man
though he was, staggered as man may
stagger on hearing his death sentence.
Great heaven! YoU are not married?'
he said hoarsely.
Ten months ago. Secretly. AT Nice"
''To-to-2'
ITO Lord Walden-yes"
The earth that afternoon was rooted
with sky o. deep delicious azure: the soft
breeze rippled the leaves of the woodland
and at each breath the air became alive
with the white blossoms of the trees. Moth
ing could be sweeter or fairer than this
summer day, but its charm was not for
Idris. With the knowledge that Lorelie
could never be his, there passed away
glory from the earth.
Mechanically he turned his eyes towards
Ravenhall. Lorelie followed the direction
of his glance. Through a vista in the trees
they could see the castellated pile, set with
mullioned easements, and fronted with ivied
terraces assembled by stately fights of
stone steps. She knew-and bitter was the
knoWledge-that ldriS was thinking that
there was the prize for which she had sold
herself.
He wronged her, however, by this
thought.
When Lorelie eighteen months before
had listened to the vows of Viscount Wal
den. she had honestly believed herself TO
be in love with him. Idris's avowal had
shown her the hollowness of that belief.
vivid as fire on a dark night there sud-
denly flashed upon her trembling mind the
overwhelming revelation that her feeling
with her feeling for Idris. If all the hap
piness she had previously known had been
suddenly suhlimated and concentrated into
one single intense sensation of a moment s
duration, 1t would not have equaled the
rapture evoked by Idris's avowal. But in
moment the feeling had gone. giving place
to the, the dull iethargy of despair. Though
ried the wrong man. the knowledge of the
fact did not diminish the loyalty due to her
husband. Faithful she would ever remain,
but 1t was not her fault if the love that she
could henceforth give him would be scarce
ly deserving of the name.
She would have died rather than have
given utterance to this confession but Idris
had read the secret In her eyes: she knew
that he had read it. and the knowledge
added to her confusion and made her unable
There was a long silence between them
What was there to talk about? Their
mutual love? That was of necessity for
hidden subject; and to talk of anything
less than this seemed mockery of the deep
feelings within them.
Parted from Loreie by adverse fortune
what remained for Idris but to face the
situation bravely?
''Mademoisene" he said, using from habit
the title that was no longer hers, II take
my leave , Forgive me, If my words have
But not forever. We may meet from
time to time-aS friends
Did she not realize that such friendship
might be perilous? No: and as 1dris gazed
upon her clear eyes he saw there a spirit
too pure TO suffer itself to do wrong.
You must forget she faltered, that
you. have ever entertained this-this feeling
for me-
Idris smiled bitterly He knew-she knew
that ii was the one event in their lives
they never would forget
AT their last parting he had kissed her
hand: he did not venture even TO touch il
now. out lifting his hat, he quietly with
!
With tears in her eyes Lorelie watched
him till he was lost to view.
IF you knew the truth she murmured
your feeling for me would not be love but
hatred"
In melancholy mood Idrs returned to
Wave Crest. Beatrice, quick to interpret
his looks, guessed what had happened: and
though the result was such as she herself
desired. yet the sight of his detection
touched her to the quick and filled her with
mixed feeling OF pity and anger Who.
forsooJh, was Mademoiselle Riviere that she
should treat Idris's love as of no account =?
Aware that Lorelie was not favOrably re-
garded by Beatrice Idris had prudentIy re-
Trained from making the latter a confidante
beside her, he proceeded to tell her all
But when Beatrice heard the amazing
news that Loreie Riviere was in reality
Viscountess Walden, and therefore her
cousin by marriage, look not merely of
wonder but of dismay stole over her face.
Have YOU proof of this?' she asked
breathlessly.
Proof of what?' exclaimed Godfrey. en-
terng the room at this juncture
THAT Mademoiselle Riviere is Ivar's
wife, she replied.
well, l did not ask her TO produce her
marriage certificate" said Idris, somewhat
vexed that Lorelies word should he
doubted. For the truth of her words |
had better refer you TO your cousin Lord
Walden himself. We see now the cause
OF his Surliness the other night. ANY fell
low with so lovely a wife might be Jealous
on learning that she had spent five hours
in lonely cave tete-a-tete with a
stranger"
..He might, nevertheless, have had the
grace to give you a few words of thanks
/ for saving her life remarked Godfrey
l Il suppose il Is from fear OF his father that