Part 45 (1/2)

”My revenge,” she breathed

I nodded and again pressed her hand to my lips

”Yes, Desiree We are not children I think we knoe mean

But you have not told me Did you mean what you said that day on the ht that was a play!” she murmured

”Tell me! Did you mean it?”

”I never confess the same sin twice, my friend”

”Desiree, did you , her ed She bent toward ht into aze; but when she spoke her voice was quite even and so low I scarcely heard

”Paul,” she said, ”I shall not again say I love you Such words should not be wasted Not now, perhaps; but that is because we are where we are And if we should return?

”You have said that nothing is worth a serious word to you; and you are right You are too cynical; things are bitter in your mouth, and doubly so when they leave it Just now you are a to care for me Perhaps you do not know it, but you are

Search your heart, my friend, and tell me--do you want my love?”

Well, there was no need to search my heart, she had laid it open I hated myself then; and I turned away, unable to meet her eyes, as I said:

”Bon Dieu!” she cried ”That is an ugly speech, hed aloud

”But we must not awaken Harry,” she continued with sudden softness

”What a boy he is--and what a man! Ah, he knohat it is to love!”

That topic suited me little better, but I followed her We talked of Harry, Le Mire with an amount of enthusiasm that surprised me

Suddenly she stopped abruptly and announced that she was hungry

I found Harry's pantry after a few minutes' search and took soe of the water and ate my portion alone That meal was one scarcely calculated for the pleasures of companionshi+p or conviviality

It was several hours after that before Harry awoke, the greater part of which Desiree and I were silent

I would have given sohts; reeable thing to discover that some one else knows you better than you know yourself And Desiree had cut deep At the tiht her unjust; tiht If she were here with me now--but she is not

Finally Harry awoke He was delighted to find Desiree awake and coree of effusion that proo far; a hundred paces , so as I froh, for no apparent reason other than that ere still alive, for that was the best that could be said for us So I told him; he retorted with a hearty clap on the back that sent round