Year: 1874

-
the faint aroma Of cigar was borne to her
upon the light summer zephyr. There, in
the arbor, was Mr.. Darlington, stretched
at his full length upon a seat, with a cigar
between his teeth, and his hat drawn par
TALLY over his face.


| He sprang to his feet as she entered.


"You here Z" he CALCULATED. 9 l did
not hear you coming"


| She passed by any courtesy or inter
change Of a greeting as a reply to his
words, and proceeded at once to the sub
ject in hand.


Mr. Darlington, she said, in a plead
ing tone of voice, you, as my only
friend, have caused me to appeal to yon
| am III most serious trouble, and you alone
can assist me.


He turned cold face upon her in reply
to her words II was not difficult to i'm
agine to her the reason of his coldness for
she was not blind to the change in his de-
meanor to her.


You have come to me !" he said in
some surprise.


Yes You promised to refrain from
exposing me but | have been exposed,
and by stranger.


He did not evince even an ordinary
surprise.


NJ have just seen the woman you allude
to-Cyrille Eyting he said, very quietly.


You have seen her !" she faltered.


Yes"


Then you know her


No, but she recognized me as a former
visitor at Acton. She said she wished to
speak with me- and listened to her.


And she said -


Enough to convince me Of your OwP
utter unworthiness. You are a woman,
and | owe you an ordinary courtesy. 50
do not tempt me TO say what would seem
harsh In a gentleman


"You must tell me II she cried "Do
you know what | may loose by this ex-
posure Do you realize what the love Of
my husband is to me r.


He stopped her with an impressive ges-
tuTe of his hand.


. Stop :" he said "You may deceive
others, but you cannot deceive me. Had
You appealed to me upon any other score,
might have assisted you but your own
words convict yon of a still deeper du-
plIcity than yon have ever before shown
You are "a bold, bad woman Beatrice Ad
ans, and you deserve the exposure of all
yuur past misdeeds.


She attempted to silence him, a wild
glitter coming into her eyes but he was
fearless and bold. She tried to gain him
to her by bewitching smile, but he was
not to be beguiled. Proof alike against
all her false arts, he stood there in def
ance and boldness born Of his deep hatred
for her former evil course


. You hold all have to bring me up
~, ~
cried. "You are merciless You know
that have been a woman who was once
full Of the deceitfulness and falseness Of
a practiced flrt but you are also aware
Of the fact that the life have lived is not
my present one. | am true to my hus-
band, and even if my love for him is not
as fervent and as deep as a woman might
feel for a younger husband, still have a
respect for him which bids me not to rem
der his old age miserable by exposing the
life | have liveC. And is that life one of
sin ! All. | may have erred i'll harmless
tilrtations, but my life has been blame /
less one.


Despite himself, her compaion sneered !
audibly.


:" A harmless life does not consist in en-
acting deeds which may bring one before
the bar of justice, he said sneeringly.


She started in surprise.


What is it you mean ?" was the startled |
query.


~ 1t matters not" he replied cody. |
. You can refer to your own past life and |
question the existence Of crime which /
may be brought UP against you"


He had been watching her sharply as he |
gave utterance to the words, but no token /
Of knowledge came into her face. She was |
Of that one single crime 4
where the man whom she had so foully I
wronged had then Leen made to suffer for |
her guiltiness But she believed that the I
traces Of that crime were SO covered up as
to never be unearthed. She had not even |
thought of that-she did not now.


=" In proof Of your falseness," continued |
did not give to Mr.. Vane Evelyn, your ac-
document which promised to 4
give to him, upon the marriage of your
self to Colonel Adams, your present hus-
band, a certain amount of the fortune you /
expected to receive from him


All he had gained a clue at last. She |
had never expected that that paper would /
come to light. Before she could recover |
herself, she saw that he had read her guilt |
in her face.


SIN consideration of all this" con-
cluded Mr.. Darlington, fiinging his cigar
away and adjusting his Eat, " refuse to |
become a party to your fraud. l refuse |
even to dissuade your husband from what
ever course he may have determined to |
pursue, and shall do all in my power to
unmask you and to present you in your
true coiors. You have done one wrong to |
my friend, Eugene Allerton, but you might |
be forgiven that. But your present false
ness cannot be overlooked. | shall tell |
your own husband all. You have sown
very plenteous harvest-you must be will
ing'to reap your own punishment"


Beatrice Vernon stood in wild amaze.
Boldness, all the defiance she had before
shown was not to be summoned at her call
She was a false, bad woman, and all the
GOODNESS she had known abandoned her.
A wild glimmer came into her eyes, as she
saw that her companion was about to leave
her-was about to 20 to her husband, and
by informing him of all her former evil,
deprive her of any opportunity to again
become reinstated as before, in his estima-
tion. Eugene Allerton was out of the way,
his friends had abandoned the chase, and
the women who had caused all Of the prs
ent trouble, was capable Of being bought
of or put out of the way; but Ronald
Darlington was a foe who, when once
aroused, was a veritable man of no mercy.
Either he must be silenced, or her game
was up.


Il have but single word to say to you,
she said, as she approached near to him.
"You have refused to aid me-you are de-
priving me of every opportunity to regain
my former footing here you have made
me desperate. In the disappointment and
disgrace which you have resolved to bring
upon me, see no outlet Of escape but the
one that now presents itself to me, and
that is this :"


She had spoken the words so quickly