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A DREADFUL TEMPTATION. | 38
His-face whitened angrily, but he said, with assumed
carelessness:
‘* And you—do you care for it, Miss Carroll?”
She lifted her hand and looked at the flashing ruby with
a smile.
‘Yes, llike it. Itis very handsome, and must have cost
a large sum of money—more than I ever saw, probably,
at one time in iny life, I suppose, for I am poor, as you
know.” — :
“‘T thought we were going to have some music, Lora,”
exclaimed Mrs. Carroll, gaping audibly over her knitting.
‘You weary Mr. Templeton with your idle talk.”
-__ ‘He began it, mamma,” said Lora, carelessly... ‘‘ Well,
Mr. Templeton, I'm going to begin the accompaniment,
Get ready.”
She touched the keys with skillful fingers, waking a soft,
melancholy prelude, and Howard sang in his full, rich, tenor
voice:
*** Hapless doom of woman happy in betrothing!
Beauty passes like a breath, and love is lost in loathing;
Low, my lute; speak low, my lute, but say the world is
_ nothing—
Low, lute, low!
*** Love will hover round the flowers when they first awaken;
~ Love will fly the fallen leaf, and not be overtaken;
Low, my lute! oh, low, my lute! we fade and are forsaken~
Low, dear lute, low!’” oo
“The poet has very happily blended truth and poesy in
that very pathetic song,” remarked Lora, with a touch of
careless scorn in her voice, as the rich notes ceased. ‘‘ Well, .
_ Mr. Templeton, will you try another song?”
‘* No, thank you, Miss Carroll—I must be going. I have
already trespassed upon your time and patience. ’
Lora did not gainsay. the assertion.
She rose with an almost audible sigh of relief, and stood ©
waiting for him to say good-night,
‘*May I come and see you again?” he asked, as he bowed
over the delicate hand that wore his ruby ring. pons
‘‘T—_we—that is, mamma and I—are going away soon, It
may not—perhaps—be: convenient for us to receive you
again,” stammered Lora, hesitating and blushing like the
- veriest school-girl.
‘“Ah! Iam sorry,” he said; ‘ well, then, good-night, and
He shook hands with both, holding Lora’s hand a trifle
longer than necessary, then courteously turned away.
When he was gone, the beautiful girl knelt down by her
- mother and lifted her flushed and brilliant face with a look
of inquiry upon it, J
good-bye.”