Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-07-12

| evidently been waiting, and deliberately put
himself into her path. Daura felt her arnor
fall to pieces.
She was afraid and would have been
thankful to turn and run away. There was
something that he wished to say to her,
something of importance, or he would not
have awaited her coming.
CHAPTER XIV
T HAVE been here since eight O'clock" he
said. And his eyes were inscrutable.
She could not read in them what his resolve
might be.
aWhy?" she asked simply.
Because l wanted to speak to you as
soon as you came down."
@To say" She tried to keep face and
tone expressionless, as his WERE
But answering her short question, life and
passion came back to his eyes and to his
voice. @To say that beg your pardon for
last night"
Triumph warmed her blood, as if she held
her hands to a Welcome blaze after bitter
cold. "Thank Heaven" was her thought.
But she spoke no words aloud. 1t was better
to wait for the right cue. She was not sure
yet how much she might dare.
II beg your pardon for everything" he
went on; mot only for what l said, but
what did. You were right to remind me
that you're only young girl. l believe,
now I've had time to think if all over, that
you were honest in your warnings about the
room you gave me. If you said to yourself
that something might happen to me, and it
would be a good thing if it did happen
why, I'm sure that was only an impulse, soon
chased out of your mind, and that it wasn't
for any such reason you chose to put me IN
that room. Even if it had been, shouldn't
have minded, if you hadn't tried to make me
believe afterward that you liked me. The
| two things don't go together with the idea
man wants to have in his head about a
girl, even if he doesn't know much about
women. ought to have realized last night,
l guess, that daughter of Lord Gorme's
would be incapable of-well, of what was
in my mind about you for little while.
And if you were fighting for your sister by
trying to win me over to your side, it was
all the worse in me to take advantage of
you and think to make bargain. There
isn't much excuse for that part of my con-
duct, as I've been looking at it all night,
and still look at it this morning; but if
there's any, it's because lost my head.
didn't know what l was doing for minute
or two. I'm downright ashamed of myself.
And that's the principal thing I've got to
beg your pardon for,-what did"
mot for what you thought" Daura
ventured now upon certain haughtlneSS;
though she would have been humble, even
as she had been last night, if he had taken
the stand of doing out forgiveness rather
than asking it Of her.
ITO be honest with you, only in part for
what thought for l think yet that you
wanted to trick me. 1 don't blame you now,
as l did then, when l was smarting as if
you'd struck me instead of-of-offering to
let me kiss you for your sisters sake"
u wish you had done it," cried Daura.
His face Redeemed; but he kept silence,
his lips pressed together in a hard, tight line.
Because, if you had, know you would
have kept your promise" she exclaimed
breathlessly.
ayes, I'd have kept it-and killed myself
afterward, when the reaction came. 1t
would have been the only thing to do. Not
in your fathers house, though. I'm not
quite cad and bounder enough for that;
though I'm ignorant of most things the men
you re used to know. But was beast tc
you as well as traitor to myself, to bargain;
and l want to ask you this morning to give
me promise in return for the one gave"
what promise have you given?'
at amounted to promise, when you
wanted me to keep up the appearance of