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52 A DREADFUL TEMPTATION.
was both astonished and frightened at his appearance
in France, when they had supposed him safe in Amer-
ica,
She struggled for speech so violently that the dread-
ful hysteric constriction in her throat gave way before
her mental anguish, and incoherent words burst from her
lips.
‘*Oh, Xenie, he will know all now, and Lora’s good name
and your own scheme of revenge will be equally and forever
blasted! Allis lost!”
‘‘No, no, mamma, that shall never be! Heshall not find:
us out. Iswear it!” exclaimed her daughter passionately.
‘‘Let him peep and pry as he will, he shall not learn any-
thing that he could prove. We have managed too cleverly
for that.”
And then the next moment she cried out:
‘But, oh, mamma, you are better—you. can speak
again |”
“Yes, thank Heaven!” breathed Mrs. Carroll, though she
articulated with difficulty, and her voice was hoarse and
indistinct. ‘‘ But, Xenie, what could have brought Howard
Templeton here? Can he suspect anything? Did he know
that we were bere?”
' Xenie was silent fora moment, then she said, thought-
ully: .
‘“It may be that he vaguely suspects something wrong.
Indeed, from:some words he used to me, I believe he did.
But what then? It is perfectly impossible that he could
prove any charge he might make, so it matters little
what he suspects. Oh, mamma, you should have seen
how black, how stormy he looked when I showed him
the child, and told him it was mine. I should have felt
s0 happy then had it not been for my fear and dread over
ora.”
““My poor girl—my poor Lora!’ wailed the stricken
mother. ‘‘Oh, Xenie, Ium afraid she has cast herself into
the sea.”
‘Oh, no,.do not believe it. She did not, she could not!
You know how she hated the sea. She has but wandered
away, following her wild fancy of finding her husband.
She was to weak to go far. They will soon find her and
- bring her back,” said Xenie, trying to whisper comfort to |
the bereaved heart of the mother, though her own lay
heavy as lead in her breast.
She rose after a moment and went to the window.
“It is strange that Ninon does not_return to get the
breakfast,” she said, looking out. ‘‘Can her mother be
worse, do you think, mamma?”
‘She may be, but I hardly think it likely. She was bet. |