Year: 1875

fire that he had never dreamed could burn IN
their azure depths. She put out her delicate
hand with the gesture of queen. All tlmldl'
ty. all softness seemed to have vanished from
her aspect.


"Mr Laselle," she said, in quivering tones,
81 am unprotected and alone; but l trusted
to your honor and your goodness never to
offer me an insult, like this.


"An insult, Nita my own Nita listen
to me-let me tell YOU"


"No, SIR" she replied, passionately; "tell
me nothing, until you unsay those words. l
do not ask you to marry me. Twill leave you
tomorrow this day, you will. But if you
bid me st,y, it must be on no other terms but
as your wife"


"And you will be so, in the truest sense OF
the term. My heart, my fortune; all that l
have, will be at your disposal. will ever
love you devotedly, and be faithful to YOU
far more faithful, far more devoted, than
many who take the mockery Of VOW upon
their lips, with all the mummery of priest
and veil and ring, to make it sacred IN the
eyes of the spectators"


"Mr. Laselle," she rejoined, 81 am but
poor ignorant girl, and not fit to argue with
you; but I have been honestly brought up,
and know right from wrong, at any rate, as
far as this goes. suppose you think, because
my people were so far beneath you in birth,
and money, and education, that you had
right to look down upon me, and-and to
think you could make me do whatever you
pleased. You have been very good to me-"
her voice suddenly faltered-"and if you had
kept on as you were, would have followed
you to the end of the world but now must
part from you, for this place can no longer be
my home"


"Nita, you are saying rash words now; give
yourself time to think-do not leave me IN
anger, or you will repent it. Remember what
1 offer you-tbink what your position will be
if you accept my protection, and contrast 1t
with what it was once, what it will surely be
again, should we part in this way! Can you
cast aside so brilliant a prospect for the graf
iication of childish scruple-a mere super
stitious fancy?"


"Yes sir" she answered, her voice resuming
its former strength ELS she uttered the words.
81 can sink to the lowest depths of poverty-I
can beg, or starve if need be-but 1 cannot
live in dishonor for all the riches and gran
deur in the world


"Obstinate child p he exclaimed, his per-
suasive tone suddenly changing to one of pet
ulant anger and disappointment. "You talk
as though you supposed I were going to al
low you to follow your own rash will. You
are completely mistaken, as you will soon find
out. Remember, you have no means OF es-
cape from this house, if choose to keep you
here! What will you do, poor, puny thing,
when close my hand upon you and say
will not let you go?"


"You will not-you cannot be so cruel y
she rejoined, excitedly. 81 don't believe it is
;.-5ou- TO trout rne .o-ufftcr- ally your past
Kindness"


"You talk of my kindness, and yet you are
so ungrateful as to wish to leave me now."


because you are not kind any more-be-
cause you have wronged and deceived me-
But I will forget that, sir, and think only Of
what went before it, if you will send me away
now"


81 shall never send you away; Il shall hold
you fast. You have given yourselfto to me; you
are mine, mine until death-do you hear me,
child? I will not give you up! Go into the
house now. You have reused demon within
me, and for the present you will be the best
out of my reach"


His eyes glittered with fierce light. Ia
nita inwardly quailed before him, but with
erect and undaunted front she moved away,
and her step never faltered until her slight
form had vanished out of his sight.


TO BE CONTINUED NEXT WEEK.