running in this
escapade, which were so incongruous to the rascal's nature. He was
calculating that the scandal of an intrigue would relieve him of
the perils of criminal defalcation. It was compatible with Kitty's
innocence, though it did not relieve her vanity of the part it played in
this despicable comedy of passion. All that Mrs. Horncastle thought of
now was the effect of its eventful revelation upon the man before
her. Of course, he would overlook his wife's trustfulness and business
ignorance--it would seem so like his own unselfish faith! That was the
fault of all unselfish goodness; it even took the color of adjacent
evil, without altering the nature of either. Mrs. Horncastle set her
teeth tightly together, but her beautiful mouth smiled upon Barker,
though her eyes were bent upon the tablecloth before her.
"I shall do all I can to impress your views upon her," she said at last,
"though I fear they will have little weight if given as my own. And you
overrate my general influence with her."
Her handsome head drooped in such a thoughtful humility that Barker
instinctively drew nearer to her. Besides, she had not lifted her dark
lashes for some moments, and he had the still youthful habit of looking
frankly into the eyes of those he addressed.
"No," he said eagerly; "how could I? She could not help but love you
and do as you would wish. I can't tell you how glad and relieved I am
to find that you and she have become such friends. You know I always
thought you beautiful, I always thought you so clever--I was even a
little frightened of you; but I never until now knew you were so GOOD.
No, stop! Yes, I DID know it. Do you remember once in San Francisco,
when I found you with Sta in your lap in the drawing-room? I knew it
then. You tried to make me think it was a whim--the fancy of a bored
and worried woman. But I knew better. And I knew what you were thinking
then. Shall I tell you?"
As her eyes were still cast down, although her mouth was still smiling,
in his endeavors to look into them his face was quite near hers. He
fancied that it bore the look she had worn once before.
"You were thinking," he said in a voice which had grown suddenly quite
hesitating and tremulous,--he did not know why,--"that the poor little
baby was quite friendless and alone. You were pitying it--you know you
were--because there was no one to give it the loving care that was its
due, and because it was intrusted to that hired n
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