A Romance of Wastdale

he darkness. After a while she turned. Haw

eing a woman suffer. I couldn't have believed t

ughed pl

m to me!"

ppeal. "They will be my only con

to me!" she

and she moved towards him, changing

That was your way. But you will give me the letters in the end, won't you? Look! I will kneel

might leave them about. David might pry. And it wo

them to me or burn them yourself! Yes!" she continued, feverishly, clutchin

the coals

ickly," and she darted out

o!" he laughed. "You must vary

ng it on the mirror

"You will have t

g to her some trick of her strained senses. But she gl

ng touch yo

happily as it raced over the stones behind the house broke the sile

t Poonah? There was a stream ru

yes, and the firelight played upon a fa

they had thought or said or done--that would not have moved him; but simply of how he had felt towards her. He stood and watched her

to you," she falter

heir simplicity. Indeed, as she crouched upon the floor in her abandonment, her white frock stained by her long journey, her sash all crumpled, her loosened hair curli

irresolutely to and fro upon his fi

hat you have made me risk! Suppose they find out at home? It would have been cruel enough if that had been

l he was going to blunder over here? I only met him this af

one thing which his mind could grasp. However, he set his teeth fast to restrain the desire.

e suspects noth

had to wait until the place was quiet to put it out, for fear you should mistake the hous

Kate ex

his credulity. They say it's quite g

re but fuel to his sneers. But her eyes caugh

. I must go back, and it is so far

he was an epicure where women were concerned. He took a natural delight in evoking their emotions, and when the displa

l be safe

ot trus

y n

ed at his face and realised that she had lost her ground. But, as she h

m and leave those le

trusted me with mor

mphasised by the harshness of his

h my trust! Surely th

id that I sha

eep them, I may be his wife, but you wil

reward so clear an appreciation of his power. Only the reward she asked w

nued, "why did you fo

ed, musingly. "Perhaps I

uld have come to me yourself,

to him an unusual personality. For, as a rule, people find the twenty-four hours barely long enough to discover what their neighbours do, and so are compelle

as the

I was slipping out of your grasp-

eft you alone during all that time. So, even if I had p

Now, however, everything was changing. I was escaping you; and you made me come here at night, across that horrible lonely pass, just to

e him, as she had said. She would pass clean beyond his reach.

" he said, hesitatingly; "what is

ared the girl, and she ans

ago, it seems to me. You have not seen

g her keenly. "But now that I do see you again, it is like meeting y

to her feet, wi

e smoothed her hair caressingly with h

fingers turned her sick. At last, however, she forced herself to meet his gaze. She saw that he

s. Only give me the letters, and

as it takes you

know what a woman can forgive when once

ke suddenly stripped t

e them to y

low cry of joy. But Hawke dropped the packet on

price," he whispere

or. But his grasp only tightened, a

he said. "One

lmost shout

the house. One kiss for each," and h

ou have paid it before with nothing to buy. Think of th

chosen the one device which would humiliate her most effectually. Its very puerility added to her sense of degradation. There was a touch of the ludicrous in the notion so grotesquely in

" Hawk

she r

took the letters and handed them to her, one by one; and fo

w was the spectator.

hich he drew from the knowledge of Gordon's proximity, had served to prepare his passions. Now they were tinder to the touch of her lips. So, as he let the last letter g

ation. For the moment he began to show passion, the less she felt herself his toy. S

aid you,"

One by one, she noted the dates of the letters, tore them acr

not give

showe

on my way home from Calcutta

re rude enough

e are

ped his breast po

bargain! Give

ill cos