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40 WED MaRGaRET.
Her retort seemed to render the girl desperate. ue
- You know it is true!’ she cried. '*‘ You knew that he
. was married—that Iam his wife. “He is Lord Blair Ley- |
ton; his uncle is the Earl of Ferrers. He is my husband, .
and you have stolen him from me——”
*“You lie!’ burst from Margaret’s white lips. .
The passion that had been smoldering within her bosom
leapt like an all-devoring flame to her lips, and she stood
over the -pale-faced, crouching girl Jike a goddess, her tall,
: ' graceful figure drawn to its full height, her eyes blazing,
-.. her hand outstretched as if it held the lightnings of Jove.
‘ ‘moment she quailed with fear, and half melted with pity, ‘
- back now. To draw back would lead to exposure aud —
No wonder the girl shrank and cowered. __. -
She,did more than cower; she hesitated. For in that
and shrank with loathing from her hellish task.
It was only for a moment. She had gone too far to g0
ruin. oo
_. Oh, hush, hush!” she whined. ‘*You are too cruel!
You know I speak the truth. We were married on the .
twelfth of March at St. Jude’s—you do not believe me— -
gee there, then; there is the certificate!’ and’she drew 4
- paper from her breast and held it out, keeping firm grip of
1b, however.
Margaret stared at her without moving for a: moment; .
- then she bent down. For awhile she could see noting, -
the paper and the characters on it danced before her eyes."
' Then her vision cleared, and she saw, still obscurely, the .
- printed and written lines.
_ It was a certificate of the marriage of Blair. Lord Ley-
ton—it set forth the long string of his Christian names—
and Lucy Snowe, at the church of St. Jude, Paddington,
on March the twelfth of the present year. oo :
She tried to grasp the paper, but her fingers refused to
close on it, and fell limp and useless at her side, and she
stood glaring down at the crouching figure at her feet as —
at some monster. CS
‘* Are you convinced?” wailed the girl. ‘‘Do you, be-
lieve me now? Oh, how do you think I should have tbe
heart to tell you such astory?) And now—what will you
do? Oh, give him back to me!. I don’t utter a word, 0
reproach against you! No! I know, I feel that he has 7 /
deceived you—Ah!”’ she broke out as if she had been stung.
‘* Don’t tell me he has married you! If he has, if-he has
dared to, Pll punish him!, I'll send: him to penal servl
tude. PU—" et
Margaret’s swooning senses caught the threat, and she
_ held out her hand. It was her turn to plead:
“No, nol”. she panted almost’ inaudibly, ‘‘ he—he has
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