Part 40 (1/2)
He saw the movement and snatched them to his breast
”It is not true,” he cried proudly ”Some false sentiment makes you say this I will not believe it of the woman I love”
She did not resist until he tried to take her to his heart Then she shrank away
”No,” she said ”You must not touch me like that Once more, believe me, all this o at once, and we ain”
”You have told ent I was obliged to co for an opportunity to speak to you; and when I do you once more cast ; I can go on bearing it till you relent, or--I die,” he added softly
She looked at hi seeain directly
”And your betrothed wife,” she said ”What of her?”
He was silent for a few n with his hands
”What do you know of her?” he said
”Everything,” she replied ”How basely and cruelly you have behaved to her Is this your honour as ato say in my defence,” he said slowly ”I believed that I loved her; but then I had not seen you I was not under this spell”
”It is no spell,” she said firet me I tell you that I am not worthy to be your wife, and that such a union is impossible for reasons which I dare not explain You hear ood-bye for ever”
She turned from him, but a piteous moan escaped her lips, and the next moment he had clasped her to his heart
”Marion, my own!” he whispered, as he pressed his lips to hers; ”then you do loveto him, and for a moment or two returned his embrace ”You know I love you and shall never love another, but go now, for Heaven's sake! I tell you it is iood-bye”
She tore herself fro to turn her head to see if he followed, lest in her wo for his sake
CHAPTER TWENTY EIGHT
CAUGHT ONCE MORE
Marion did not check her pace till, hot and breathless, she was forced to rest for a fewconfusion, and had Chester been there then to plead his cause, her heart would have made but a poor defence She would have been his, and his alone
But in a few ers of such a course were more and more apparent, and at last, as she walked on towards The Towers, her thoughts of the future assuan to plan
She was not long in deciding what to do Chester was evidently staying sorowin the future but his presence being discovered by Jah or his brother, and then some terrible mischief would arise, and fresh misery ensue
There seemed to be but one course open, and that was to escape from Chester's pursuit and to this end she went quietly into her own roorow more composed, joined the others at lunch, and then in the e to be round directly after for a drive
”You will not go with me, I suppose, Di?” she said to James's wife