Part 16 (2/2)
Coive you the et to a different price”
”All right, sir, I will,” said the foot pardon, sir,” he continued, as the door closed and they stood together in the elaborately-furnished hall ”Yes, Orthur, what is it?”
”Could you oblige es?”
”Humph! Well,that it is you, Orthur, a lad that I can trust--”
”Oh, yes, sir, you may trust me”
”I will let you have the o at once”
CHAPTER TWELVE
A FATAL ATTRACTION
”You, Isabel dear!” cried Laura one day, as the visitor whom she had looked upon as a sister was shown into the rooed to come Don't, pray don't be ashairl, as they eether upon the couch
”How can you say such things!” cried Laura, warmly, as she passed her arm about her friend's waist
”Because I feel that I deserve it, dear I knoeak and foolish I ao out”
”You have been watching, Bel?”
”Yes, dear; froham with the blinds partly dran We are in to Papa says Ihere for a few days before they take ed to cory if they knew, and say that I was shameless I suppose I am, dear, but I hope you can sympathise with me a little”
”Not a little, Bel dear,” cried Laura, war her arms about her friend's neck, buried her face in her breast and sobbed violently for a few minutes before she raised her thin white face and said quite calmly, with a piteous smile on her lip--
”There, I told you hoeak I was I feel sofor days and days to cry like that, but I could not
My head has been hot, and my brain seemed dry and burnt up Now I can talk But tell me, is--is he likely to co her head ”He will not be back till night, and even if he did return he would not coht to his roo?”
”No, dear; he hardly ever speaks either to me or aunt He did say that he was kept away to attend an important patient”
”Yes, yes, of course That must be it”
Laura was silent Aunt Grace had sown a seed in her heart which had begun to grow rapidly, in spite of her sisterly efforts to check it as a noxious weed
”Well, why don't you speak?” cried the visitor, sharply
”Because I have nothing to say”