Part 63 (2/2)
”Do you remember of your kindness toward her and how you gave her your address that she might find you if she needed your a.s.sistance?”
”Yes.”
”She never forgot your face, nor your kindness. Her name was Zula, and so is mine.”
”Are you really not Miss Elsworth?”
”No, I am only Zula, the gypsy girl.”
”A gypsy,” Scott said in a low voice. ”Can it be? Miss Elsworth, Blanche, I cannot believe it. I cannot believe you guilty of so much deception.”
”Let me tell you why I deceived you. It was because I had sworn to return your kindness in some way, and I have tried.”
”You are none the less lovely, if you are a gypsy.”
Zula, as we must now call her, turned her beautiful eyes full upon Scott's face as she said:
”You will see no beauty when I tell you that I am of the very lowest parentage, and old Meg is my mother, and Crisp is my brother.”
”Good heavens! Do not tell me that.”
”It is true.”
Scott rang the bell, and as a servant appeared he said:
”Order the horses and carriage, and take these two notes to the numbers indicated. Tell the persons to come immediately.”
The servant departed, and Scott remained thoughtful for a few moments with his head bowed upon his hands. At length he looked up, gazing straight into Zula's eyes, and said:
”Zula--if that is your name--I cannot bear deceit, but I believe that your motive has been a pure one; but I have loved you more for your beauty of thought and actions than for your loveliness of face, and now you tell me that you are not an auth.o.r.ess.”
”You are mistaken in that. I said I was not Miss Elsworth, the auth.o.r.ess, but I am 'Auralia,' and only a gypsy girl, the daughter of a low fortune-teller and a sister of one of the most degraded of men.”
”I have seen old Meg at her home, but I never saw you there.”
”I have not seen her for years; not since I received that cruel beating from Crisp.”
”I have sent for her, and when she comes I will ask you to step into the next apartment, as she has promised to tell me something of Irene's history, which she claims to know, and which your presence might interfere with, but Zula,” he said, taking a step nearer to her, ”I cannot help loving you if you are a gypsy girl. You must have been a brave, good girl to have fought so many hard battles, which I know you must of necessity have been compelled to do, to reach the standard you have. You have done a n.o.ble work, and however low your birth, whatever misfortune you may have met, so that you have come out of the fire purified, and with a name honored by yourself and your G.o.d, my love is still the same. Zula, this shall not come between us. I loved the woman whom the world praised, but I love the gypsy girl none the less.”
”Scott, you have not heard it all. Do not make your decision until you have done so.”
At that moment a servant announced Mr. Le Moyne.
”I have sent for you for the promised interview,” said Scott. ”Allow me the honor of presenting Miss Elsworth, the auth.o.r.ess.”
Mr. Le Moyne was a polished gentleman, but he failed to hide from the penetrating eyes of Scott the look of surprise which pa.s.sed over his face, as his eyes fell on the gay dress in which Zula was robed. The sound of voices at the hall door soon attracted the attention of Zula, and waving her hand to Scott by way of explanation, she stepped behind the thick folds of satin which shaded the bay window near which she sat.
”You may send my mother and Mr. and Mrs. Horton to my room,” Scott said to the boy who had waited on Meg and Crisp at the door.
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