Activate Javascript or update your browser for the full Digital Library experience.
Previous Page
–
Next Page
OCR
ats
WILD MARGARET. . 31
‘‘Broken her heart! Broken Violet’s heart!’ he re-
eated, with mingled amazement and incredulity. ‘‘ Good ~
Teavens, who told you that? I don’t believe she has a
heart to break! We—we broke off the match by mutual .
agreement. She was quite jolly about it! She--oh, come,
‘sir, you don’t know Violet as well asI do, Vl answer for
-it she thinks herself well out of it; as she is, by George!. .
Any woman would get a‘vad bargain in me, I’m afraid.’’
‘*T wish that I could contradict you,”’ said the earl.
grimly. ‘I pity any woman who. trusts herself to your.
tender-mercies. As for Violet Graham, I am glad that.
~ she has escaped; but your conduct was dishonorable——”’
The young man’s face paled, and his hands. clinched.
with a passion of which he had shown no trace during the
fight of yesterday.
‘That will do, sir,’ he said, in a low voice. ‘Noman, >
not even you, has the right to use sucha word to me! I.
tell you it would have been dishonorable to have married
Violet for her money; it was more honorable to keep from
it.. ’m going. As to Ketton, it’s my own——”’
casm,
—“ And I can do what I like with it. I’d rather sell it”
twenty times over than marry Violet Graham, and get
her money to save it! ‘Good-bye, sir!’ He was going out
of the room with this brief farewell, but at the door he
aused, and ‘striding back held out his hand. ‘Look
rere, sir,’ he said, his voice softening, a gentler light
coming into his eyes.. ‘‘Don’t let us. part like this!
Heaven knows when we shall meet again, if ever we do!
Imay have to.clear out of England! I’ve some thoughts
of going in for sheep farming out West, or I may break
my neck at the next steeplechase. Anyhow, let us part
friends.’’
The earl waved him to the chair.
Ifhe had grasped the extended hand the warm heart
of the young man would have forgiven all the hard, -
words that had been spoken—forgiven and forgotten
them.
“Sit down, please. You are right. .Words are of no
avail between us. In regard to your proposition, ] am
averse to it. Iwill give you the money. What is the
amount?” | Se
Lord Blair looked surprised, then grave.
‘“Thanks, sir,’’? he said. ‘‘But J would rather you
didn’t. I have had too much from you already. I’m
ashamed to think how much. I’ma spendthrift and a
fool, as you say, but for the future I will spend only my |
“For the present,’? put in the earl, with fearful sar-.
en
Babe Memes
hy Aen