Activate Javascript or update your browser for the full Digital Library experience.
Previous Page
–
Next Page
OCR
80 “WILD MARGARET,
CHAPTER XI. .
‘Wat do you say?” said Lord Blair; staring at Austin
Ambrose with astonishment. ‘‘ You wouldn’t tell the
earl?”
‘“No,’’ said Ambrose, lighting a cigarette and stretching |
out his legs with comfortable indolence. ‘I certainly
should not.’’ ;
‘*But—but why not?”? demanded Lord Blair. |
Well,” said Ambrose slowly, ‘‘you are awkwardly
placed, you see. I imagined from all you have told me
that you and the earl do not get on very well together as
it is. .
‘You are right, we don’t,”’ admitted Lord Blair shortly.
“Just so. You have led—well, not to put it too plainly
—you have been engaged in that branch of agriculture
which is called sowing wild oats for a considerable period, -
and witha great deal of energy.. You have had, I believe,
rather a large sum of money from the earl?” .
‘Yes, I have,”’ admitted Blair with a sigh and a frown.
‘‘Not a penny of which he would regret, if you would
only oblige him by marrying the woman he has chosen for
"you.
y ‘* Violet Graham?’
‘* Exactly: Violet Graham,’’ assented Austin Ambrose,
knocking the ash off his cigarette and keeping his eyes
fixed upon it. ‘‘ And that, I take it, you don’t care to do?”
*“You know I don’t. And Violet doesn’t either. Why,
you yourself advised me to release her; you know that she
doesn’t care a brass farthing for me!” exclaimed Blair,
pacing to and fro. .
‘* Oh, as to knowing, I don’t goso far as,that. You asked
me for my opinion, and I gave it to you. I don’t think
she cares for you. I don’t think Miss Graham is the kind
_ of woman to care very much for any one.” :
‘* Very well, then, how the deuce could I marry her?”
said Blair. ‘* But what’s the use of talking about that?
Whatever I might have done before I saw Margaret, I cer-
tainly couldn’t marry any one but her now, not tosave a
dukedom!” uo
* All right,”? assented Austin Ambrose, without permit-
ting the slightest expression of the thrill of satisfaction
that ran through him.
say I think you are acting wisely. The man who marries
one girl while he loves another is worse than wicked—he |
is foolish. But, all the same, the e
and displeased. Do you think,
ment and displeasure would be 1
arl remains disappointed
Blair, that his disappoint-
essened if you were to go
peer Regn Te mat HA BRI aR OER I EE
pe a nn .
“I quite understand, and I must -
ee wen
we
—_—"s