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WILD MARGARET, 97
“Nota word more!” he said. Go, now, Lottie. II
_ will send for you, or‘see you later.”
Lottie hung her head and left them, and for a few/min-
utes Blair sat silent, feeling as if some fiend. had dashed.
the cup of joy from his lips again. ©. |
. SoM, . . . eo, oS :
_ How was he to tell this: lovely angel whose image had
never: left his heart’s throne, this lovable woman who.
clung to him as if to sever from him would’be death. to
her, how could he tell her that, thinking her dead, he had
taken another woman as his wife! .
rate. oo :
He rose, still with his arm round her.
He ‘could not then, at that’ supreme moment, at any -
~ “ Dearest,’? he said ina whisper. ‘‘ You must go home
—to your own home for the present——’”’ '
Margaret started and looked at him, then her face went
white, but she said nothing, not one word.
‘‘Wor the present,’ he repeated, almost beside himself. :
‘Tn an hour or two-I will come to you. Tell me where?”
She told him falteringly, yet calmly.
‘You can trust me! Surely you can trust me! Ah, if
you knew what it costs me to’ part with you forasingle .
second! But it must be—it must be!” he groaned. *‘ Be-
lieve in me, trust me, dearest Margaret, my wife, for a few
short hours longer! You will?” = . :
She Jooked up at him. for a secoid with a deep earnest-
‘ness, then she laid her head upon his heart and he kissed.
her. Lal vt
‘With a consideration and delicacy peculiarly Italian,
the prince had left his carriage, and Blair led her to it.
He stood and watched it as it drove. away, with all that
he cared for in life, with the treasure so marvelously re--
‘stored to him, then he turned toward the city. ;
' He seemed to be walking ina dream. What was this
task-that lay before him? He was to go to Violet Graham
and say, ‘tou are no longer my wife—you never have |
been my wife! Begone!’ It was. true he owed her no
pity, for she had gained her ends by an unscrupulous
alliance with the traitor who had marred and ruined so
large a portion of his-life; but still—still—it was from love
of him that she had’ sinned!..And now to go to her and
tell her that Nemesis. had fallen upon her, and that hence-
forth she must go before the world a thing for scorn to
mock at.
With Austin Ambrose, Blair knew how to deal; there .
would be ‘no hesitation there.’ Two or three short words,
followed by one blow. But Violet——!.
, Slowly he made his way, to the palace. Servants were