Part 24 (1/2)
Sitting there in her fragile evening dress, its ruffles torn where they had trailed across the pebbles in the street, the disorder of the roo life, she seemed like a bit of flotsam that, no matter fro the shore to his feet Unhappy and deserted, she reached the very tenderest part of Bulstrode's nature Cost hiirl, with an instinctive fineness divined, she rose and going over to hiently, laid her hand on his shoulder:
”You o _now_: that is what I ask you to do I have seemed, and indeed I have thrown myself upon yourYou will soon forget me, as you have been able to do all these years The table is full of your money I am poor, and yet I don't take it Doesn't _that_ prove a little ood faith?
Doesn't it? Only think ofmore Oh, _no_,” she breathed softly, ”_no_, a thousand times!
”I've answered your question before you've asked it! No, I couldn't; no woman ants love is content with pity I would rather starve than take h I have lived on your money for years
I would rather be unhappy than take what you could offer me for love
You reat, you know, and it _ht_ wreck me No, Mr Bulstrode, and the reason why I say it is because I've seen”
”'I've seen?'” he repeated her words ”You've seen, but what do youto tell you why I sent for Prince Pollona, although you don't ask me I came to Trouville alone I saw you; I've watched you with your friends” Bulstrode accepted quietly ”The two young people are engaged to be married and the other two are husband and wife--well?”
A spasm of pain crossed Felicia Warren's face and she put what she had to say with singular delicacy for an actress who had risen from the people
”I know,” she said, ”I understand, but when I saw you, I knew that there was no hope for any other woave you up then I sent for Pollona”
The introduction of even so little into the rooestion of the wo else under the circumstances could have done It struck him like a lash He was disenchanted, and he irl whose confession and whose beauty had h she took it in her own hands and, mistress of herself, kne much she could take and what she could deny herself, laid her hand on his ar at all, just as you have always done--and I--I can learn to forget But I have refused your ht,” she said piteously, ”haven't I? and I am penniless; I have refused more too; perhaps what no woman who loves could refuse as well Don't you think that there is so due me? Answer me this? Tell ainst hiain, nothing more than a child he had known He took her face between his hands and looked into it as onebut his own reflection there
”God knows,” he said deeply, ”I could not willingly pain a living creature, and to think that I should have made you suffer, have made a woman suffer for years Let me do all I can, my dear, let me--let me!”
”You love her?” she persisted
His hands dropped to his side ”With all ht she would sink to the floor, but instead she caught fast hold of the table on which hishis aid He took one of the girl's cold hands in his
”Listen, listen! Let me say a word How do you think it ht? to see you as you are, to grow to know you in such a short--in such a terrible way, and in a few hours to grow to know you so well, to find you dear, desirable, and then to leave you, as you tell me I must leave you I can't do it; I have never been so miserable in my life, and if I find I aret”
Felicia Warren turned a little
”I have found you near disaster,” Bulstrode urged, ”I must and will see you to the shore If you utterly refuse to let me take care of you as I can and will, will you then,” he hesitated, then brought it out--”Will _you marry_ Prince Pollona?”
She drew froained sudden strength
”My God!” she breathed, ”You askI am”
Bulstrode saw he could not, must not undeceive her
”If you wish me to do _that_,” she cried ”Oh, how dreadfully, how cruelly, it breaks my dream!”
Bulstrode said authoritatively, ”Listen! listen for one irl were dark with defiance; she brushed her hair off her broith the back of her hand and stared straight before her
”--Otherwise,” said Bulstrode, ”I will re and you will then be forced to marry me, and since you think as you do, since I have told you my secret, ruin perhaps three lives”