y
with the man I married; but I will not. You shall judge me without
excuses. I must, however, tell you that at first, for the first two
years of my married life, I was in despair. There seemed to me no hope,
no respite--nothing but despair. Now I have grown accustomed to my
misery, and can wear it with a smile; then it was otherwise. At that
time I was first introduced to Count Jules Ste. Croix. I hate myself,"
she continued, passionately, "when I remember how that man duped me. I
did not think him handsome, although other ladies raved of his beaux
yeux and his classical face.

"But I liked him, Basil, because he had the art of expressing silent
sympathy for me. He said nothing--if he had done so, my pride would have
taken fire and I should have been saved--but all that other men say in
passionate words, he conveyed to me in passionate looks. He was very
kind to me; he used to visit us a great deal, and on several occasions
he stood between me and Lord Lisle's fierce anger.

"He knew all my distress, my troubles, my misery, as well as I know them
myself. Let me tell you briefly, Basil, that at this unhappy time I
wrote to him three letters--only three. I was so miserable, so wretched,
that, unless I had opened my heart to some one, I must have died. Now
listen, Basil, and do not wonder if I have ceased to believe in men. He
answered them, and then, after a time, presumed upon my having written
to him. Oh, Basil, if I could but spare myself the shame of telling you!
He made a compact of friendship with me that nothing was ever to break.
I was but a frightened child, and I made it. He asked me to lend him
money. Oh, Basil, I was but a frightened, terrified girl, and I lent it!
Then he tried to make love to me--he flattered me; he followed me like
my shadow. But there I was firm; he could, not frighten me into anything
I thought wrong."

"Why, the man is a villain!" cried Basil; "an unprincipled, cowardly
villain!"

"Wait," she said, laying her hand on his arm. "Wait; you have not heard
all. He uses the three letters as a means of extorting money from me.
Now he threatens that if I do not lend it to him, he will show them to
my husband."

Basil sprang from his seat, with a hot flush on his handsome young face.

"I will shoot him!" he said. "Such a man is not fit to breathe the air
of heaven."

"Hush!" she said again. "You cannot help me unless you are calm. My
husband does not love me, Basil. The least whisper of