FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   85   86   87   88   89   90   91   92   93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100   101   102   103   104   105   106   107   108   109  
110   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126   127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   >>   >|  
her, at the pale, proud young face, white as marble, Hugh Alston knew that he had never admired and reverenced her as he did now. "The story that you told of our marriage, that lie that I can never understand, passed from lip to lip. Many have heard it; it has caused many to wonder. I do not ask why you uttered it. It does not matter now, nothing matters, save that you did utter it, and it has gone abroad. Then one day you came to the office where I was employed, and the man who employed me put his private room at your disposal, knowing that by means of some spyhole he had contrived he could hear all that passed between us. And then you offered me marriage--by way of atonement. Do you remember? You offered to--to atone by marrying me." "In my mad, presumptuous folly, Joan!" "And it was overheard; the man heard all. He did not understand--how should he? His vile mind grasped at other meanings. He went down to Marlbury and to Morchester to make enquiries, to look for an entry in a register that was never made. He went to General Bartholomew and then Cornbridge, where he saw Lady Linden, and heard from her all that she had to tell, and then--then he came to me. He told me that he knew the truth, and that if I would marry him he would forgive--forgive everything!" Hugh Alston said nothing. He sat with his big hands gripped hard, and thinking of Philip Slotman a red fury passed like a mist before his eyes. "I told him to go, and then came a letter from him, a friendly letter, a letter that could not cause him any trouble. He assured me of his friendship and of his--silence, you understand, his silence--and asked me as a friend to lend him three thousand pounds. It was blackmail--oh, I knew that. I hesitated, and did not know what to do. There was none to whom I could turn--no one. I had no friend. Helen Everard is only a friend of a few short weeks. I felt that I could not go to her, I felt somehow that she would never understand. And then--then at last, because, I suppose, I am a woman and therefore a coward, and because I was so alone--so helpless--I sent the money." "Oh, that I--" "Remember," she said, "remember I had written to you, asking your help. I had waited days, and no answer had come. I had no right to believe that I could ask your help." "Joan, Joan, didn't you know that you could? Have you forgotten what I told you once--that stands true to-day as then, will stand true to the last hour of my
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   85   86   87   88   89   90   91   92   93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100   101   102   103   104   105   106   107   108   109  
110   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126   127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   >>   >|  



Top keywords:
understand
 

friend

 

letter

 
passed
 
silence
 
employed
 

remember

 

marriage

 

offered

 

forgive


Alston
 
pounds
 

thousand

 

friendship

 

blackmail

 

thinking

 

Philip

 

Slotman

 

gripped

 

trouble


friendly
 

assured

 

answer

 
waited
 

Remember

 
written
 
forgotten
 

stands

 

Everard

 

coward


helpless

 

suppose

 
hesitated
 
abroad
 

office

 
matter
 

matters

 

private

 

spyhole

 

contrived


disposal

 

knowing

 
uttered
 

marble

 
admired
 
reverenced
 

caused

 

register

 
Morchester
 

enquiries