Part 8 (1/2)

As she stood elated before her easel, her hair in sunny disorder, her eyes like stars, Bulstrode was conscious there was a change in her--she was excited and trees, her paint-sh the hole in the palette, she ca, started to speak, faltered, and said:

”You don't knohat it means to me--all you have done And I can't ever tell you”

”Oh, don't,” he pleaded, ”pray don't speak of it!”

Miss Desprey, half radiant and half troubled, turned away as if she were afraid of his eyes

”No, I won't try to tell you I couldn't, I don't dare,” she whispered, and iht his hand and kissed it

When he had left the studio finally it ith a bewildering sense of having kissed her hand--no, both of her hands! but one held her palette and he _couldn't_ have kissed that one without having got paint on his nose--perhaps he had! He was not at peace

That saht him news to the effect that Miss Desprey was ill and would not expect hi day; and relieved that it was not required of hied relations, he went back to his old habit, rudely broken into by his artistic escapade, and walked far into the Bois

He thought with alar persistency of Miss Desprey He was chivalrous oht-lived In the greatest, in the only passion of his life, he had been a Chevalier Bayard, and he could look back upon no incidents in which he had played the part whichwell Women were mysterious and wonderful to hi not far fro a dishonorable thing Puzzled, self-accusing--although he did not quite knohat he was guilty--he sat down as he had done several weeks before on the bench in the Avenue des Acacias With extraordinary proure caure betrayed it She went quickly over to a seat and sat down She eeping and covered her face with her hands

Bulstrode, this time without hesitation, went directly over to her:

”My dear Miss Desprey----”

She sprang up and displayed a face disfigured eeping

”_You_!” she exclai like terror ”Oh, Mr Bulstrode!”

Her words shuddered in sobs

”Don't stay here! Why did you coo--please”

Bulstrode sat down beside her and took her hands

”I' away--not until I knohat your trouble is You were in distress when I first saw you here and you wouldn't let me help you then Now you can't refuseto his hands as she found voice enough to say:

”No, I can't tell you I couldn't ever tell you It's not the sauess it's the worst thing in the world”

Bulstrode was pitiless:

”One that has co o, Mr Bulstrode”

”A trouble hich I have had anything to do?”