The Washington times., 1919-09-07
Continued from Preceding Page.

SlDly nave over me
Sufficient for my purpose. /
think" she replied. more calmly.
rYou viii excuse my putting things
rather bluntly. but it is as well we
should understand one another. !
not only know that your card par
ties have excited a good deal Of
gossip-which, with a little man.
agement.. might result in unpleas.
ant consequences for you-but I
have my suspicious about far
more serious affair.
"If," looking at him steadily, "a
lady Of rank and importance, such
as the Duchess Of Exmoor. we're to
spread a report that there was
something queer in the sudden way
YOU gave up the diplomatic ser
vice-or it gave you up-I think
you would soon find the doors Of
the best houses closed against you.
And not only that; the smaller peo-
ple would follow the lead Of the
great-you would be ostracized, ig-
nored. The higher your former
position and popularity, the lower
would be your fan. I need not tell
you that envy always attends on
success, and that there would be
plenty Of people ready to pull you
down"
He had a vivid imagination and
he could see it all He could realize
what his fate would be in every
sordid detail If he lost his friends
and position. He had seen other
men 60 under. He knew the sick
ening, fruitless struggle; the
equally vain effort either to fight
society or win its pardon. The
waters of oblivion would close over
his head and he would be forgotten.
And the new hope that had come
into his life Of late, what Of that?
II was far enough above him now;
IT would be utterly out Of his reach
then.
But his manhood, If not his
honor, would not let him surrender,
though he realized the strength Of
the enemy and was afraid.
~You show q hattering interest
in my affairs, he said, contemptu-
ously; at is a pity your details are
not a little more correct. The card
parties, for instance, which seem
TO shock you 30, were given up
some time ago. I do not think you
would find it as easy as you sup
pose-even with the assistance Of
the Duchess-to make people be.
Hsve your reckless insiRuations. l
shall not stoop to deny anything.
Unfortunately, you are a woman,
and you take advantage Of your
sex. IF you were a man should
know how to answer you"
you carry it OF bravely," she
said, with unwilling admiration, r
'but you know as well as I do that
just now you need all the support
and influence you can get. Your
position is very shaky; a touch
would send you over. Give me the
information want and / can prom
ise to silence the doubts and ques-
tions Of society; refuse, and your
ruin and disgrace are not far OF"
aTf to save myself I am to accuse
Lady Estcourt, then I refuse abso-
Iutely and for the last time. It is
useless. to prolong this interview"
and he got up, 'but before go, let
me warn you to be careful what
you do. It is no light thing to
bring even the shadow Of shame on
an innocent woman, and such a
crime win not go Unpunished"
Innocent? Would an innocent
woman have written such a letter
as that?" And she held up Lady
Estcourt's farewell letter to her
husband.
Delacour's glance swept the writ
ten page and mastered the contents
before he hardly knew what he was
doing. He started back with an
exclamation of horror.
'My God!" he cried. where did
that come from? What is it doing
in your hands?" His self-control
broke down; he was completely
taken by surprise, and showed his
fear and distress plainly.
"Ahl I thought that would
change your tone. I kept it in re-
serve. 1 wanted to see what you
would say, how far you would COM
NIT yourself. Do you stin aver
that Lady Estcourt is an innocent
woman? You see she saws" read