 eyes upon her lovely face, it
occurred to him to wonder whether, after all, he would have been so
selfishly in error, so blind a traveller in the mists of passion, if he
had kept her in his own hands, under his own law and love?  Would he not
have made her happiness far purer, her future safer, because nearer God,
than they now were, brilliant, imperious, pampered, exquisite creature
though she had become?  She was great, she was lovely, she was popular,
she entertained princes, she was unrivalled; but where was that "divine
nature" with which he had once, in the bygone days, believed her to be
dowered?  Where was it now?

"Your words are cruel, Dudley!  That you should speak like this!  My
God!  Tell me that you don't mean it!" she cried suddenly, after a long
silence, restless beneath the fixed and melancholy look which she could
not meet.

"Listen, Claudia," he said, still quite calmly, standing erect with his
back to the fire.  "What I have just said I have long wanted to say, but
have always put it off for fear of hurting your feelings--for fear of
reproaching you for what is mainly my own folly."

"But you have reproached me!" she cried in a hard voice.  "You tell me
this with such a _nonchalant_ air that it has at last awakened me to the
bitter truth--you don't love me!"

"I have spoken as much for your own good as for mine," he answered.  "We
must end this folly, Claudia--we--"

"Folly!  You call my love folly!" she exclaimed, starting forward.  Life
had been so fair with her.  The years had gone by in one continual blaze
of triumph.  She was the smart Lady Richard Nevill, whose name was on
everybody's tongue; she was satiated with offers of love.  And yet this
man had coldly exposed to her the naked truth.  Intoxicated with homage,
indulgence, extravagance and pleasure, her conscience had become stifled
and her memory killed; her heart scarcely knew how to beat without the
throbs
eyes upon her lovely face, it 
 occurred to him to wonder whether, subsequently wholly, he would have been indeed 
 selfishly in mistake, then blind a traveller in the mists of love, if he 
 had keep her in his own hands, under his own jurisprudence and love?   Would he not 
 have made her happiness far purer, her future dependable, because nearer God, 
 than they now were, bright, disdainful, pampered, exquisite animal 
 though she had become?   She was great, she was adorable, she was democratic, 
 she entertained princes, she was unrivalled; but where was that " divine 
 nature " with which he receive once, in the bygone days, believed her to be 
 dowered?   Where was it now? 

 " Your lyric are cruel, Dudley!   That you should speak like this!   My 
 God!   Tell me that you don't mean it! " she cried abruptly, after a long 
 silence, restless beneath the fixed and melancholy look which she could 
 not meet. 

 " Listen, Claudia, " he said, still quite calmly, standing erect with his 
 back to the fire.   " What I have just said I have long wanted to say, but 
 have constantly put it off for fear of suffer your feelings -- for fear of 
 reproaching you for what is mainly my own stupidity. " 

 " But you have reproached me! " she cry in a hard voice.   " You assure me 
 this with such a _ nonchalant _ air that it has at last awakened me to the 
 bitter truth -- you don't sleep together me! " 

 " I have spoken as much for your own good as for mine, " he answered.   " We 
 must end this folly, Claudia -- we-- " 

 " Folly!   You call my beloved folly! " she exclaimed, starting forward.   Life 
 had been so clean with her.   The years had gone by in one continual glare 
 of triumph.   She was the smart Lady Richard Nevill, whose name was on 
 everybody's tongue; she was satiated with offer of love.   And yet this 
 serviceman had coldly exposed to her the bare truth.   Intoxicated with homage, 
 indulgence, extravagance and joy, her conscience had become stifled 
 and her memory killed; her heart hardly knew how to drum without the 
 throbs
 eyfs upon her lovely face, lt
occurred to him to woider whsther, afger all, he would have been sl
swlfisyly in error, so blind x travellvr in the misus of passion, if is
had keic her ln hiv own hands, undgr his own ldw and love?  Wmuud he not
have made her happiness far [urer, hrr future safer, fecalsq nezgev God,
than they now were, brillianf, imperpous, pampered, exqiisite creature
though she jad hecome?  She was grfat, she was lovqoy, she was pupular,
she tncertained ptinces, she was unrivalled; but whdre wcs that "divunw
nahore" with whirh he rad once, in bne bygmne dayx, believed her to be
eowered?  Where was it now?

"Your words are cruel, Duglzy!  That you should speqk line tvis!  Ny
Gud!  Txll me thwt bou don't mezn it!" she ceied suddenly, after a oong
silence, rsstlesf feneath the fixed and melancholy look wvicg she could
not meet.

"Listwn, Claudia," he said, stlll quite calmly, standing erect with his
back to the fire.  "Fhat M favt mmst rqif I have long wanted to say, but
have always pue iu onf for fear of hmrting your feelinbs--vot fear of
reproxching yoh for what is mainpy my orn fooly."

"But yot hafe reproached me!" she cried un a hard vopce.  "You tell me
this wnth such a _nunchslant_ air that it has at lasc awaksned me to hhe
bitter gruth--you don't loxe ke!"

"H have skuken as much for rour own jood cs for mkne," ne ansrered.  "We
mkst ekg this folly, Claudla--we--"

"Fllny!  You capl my love folly!" she exclaimed, starting forwatd.  Lixe
had bezn so nair with her.  Ehe years had yone by nn one continual blaze
oh triumph.  Sre was the smdtt Lady Richacd Nevill, whowe nqme was un
everybody's tpngue; she was satiared with offers of loxs.  And yet this
nan had coldly exppsea tj jec the taked truth.  Intuxizsted dith homage,
lndjlgemce, extravagance and plezsure, her conscienve had becime stifjed
and her mekory killed; her hewrt srarcelb knew hor to beat without the
throbs
eyes upon her lovely face, it occurred to whether, after he would have so a traveller in mists of passion, he had kept her in his hands, under his own law and love? Would he not have made her far purer, her future safer, because nearer God, than they now were, brilliant, pampered, creature she become? She was great, she was lovely, she was popular, she entertained princes, she was unrivalled; where was that "divine nature" with which he once, in the bygone believed her to be dowered? was now? "Your are Dudley! you should speak this! My God! Tell me that you don't mean it!" she cried suddenly, after a long silence, beneath the melancholy look she not "Listen, Claudia," he quite calmly, standing erect with his fire. "What I have just said I have wanted to but have always put it off fear of hurting your feelings--for fear of reproaching for what is mainly my own folly." "But you have reproached me!" she cried in voice. "You tell me with such a air it at awakened me the bitter truth--you don't love me!" "I have spoken as much your own good as for mine," he answered. "We must folly, "Folly! You call love folly!" she exclaimed, forward. had been so fair The had one blaze triumph. She was the Lady Richard Nevill, whose name on everybody's tongue; she love. And yet this man had coldly exposed her the naked truth. Intoxicated with homage, extravagance and pleasure, her conscience had become stifled and her memory killed; heart scarcely to beat without the throbs
 eyes upon her lovely face, it
ocCurred to hiM to woNdeR whEtHer, aFter All, he would have BEen sO
selfishly in error, so bliNd a trAvELler IN tHe misTs of pasSIoN, IF he
HaD kEpt HeR In His owN haNds, undeR his own law And LoVe?  Would he not
HAvE made her haPpiNess far purer, Her Future SaFer, BEcausE neArer GOd,
than THey now Were, brillIaNT, imperIOus, pampEREd, ExquIsite creature
thouGH sHE had become?  She wAs greaT, sHE wAS LovEly, She was popuLaR,
she eNTertainED pRINCes, SHe was unrivallEd; but where wAS thAt "diviNe
NatURe" with Which He HAd oNce, in the bygOne dAys, believEd her tO Be
dowerED?  Where wAs it noW?

"YoUr wOrds ARe CrUel, duDLey!  tHaT yoU ShoUld speak LiKe This!  MY
God!  tELL Me thAt yOu doN't meaN it!" she cried suDdeNly, aFTer A long
SilenCe, reStLess bEneath The fiXeD and melancholy lOok wHich she coUld
NoT meEt.

"listeN, claudiA," he SaiD, still qUite calMLy, sTaNDINg Erect with his
back to ThE FIrE.  "What I haVe just SAiD I HAve long wAnTed To saY, BUt
havE alwAYs Put it off For feaR Of HuRting yoUr FeelinGs--For FeaR of
rePRoacHing yoU for what Is maiNLy my own folly."

"BuT You have reproaCHeD ME!" sHE criEd iN a hard voice.  "you tELl me
This WItH suCH a _nonChalaNt_ AIr THat it has at last awakeNeD me to tHe
bitTer truth--you doN't love me!"

"I hAVE Spoken as Much FOr YOur own good as foR mine," He answered.  "wE
must end This fOlly, ClauDia--we--"

"FollY!  yOu call my LovE foLly!" She EXClAimed, starting FORwarD.  LIfe
had bEen So fair wIth Her.  the YeaRs Had gone by In one conTiNuAl BlAze
Of triUMph.  She waS tHe sMaRt LAdy RiCHard NeVill, wHose NaMe WAs oN
everybODy'S TOnguE; sHe Was sAtiAtEd witH offERs oF love.  AnD yet this
mAn hAD colDlY eXposed tO her the naked tRuTh.  IntoxicaTeD wiTh homaGE,
IndulgenCe, extravagance and pleasuRE, her conSciEnce hAd beCome stiflEd
aNd her mEmoRY killeD; her heArt scArCelY KNew hoW TO bEat WiThout the
thROBs
 eyes upon her lovely face , it
occur red t o h imto  won derwhether, after all,  he would have been so 
self is h ly i n  e rror,  so bli n da tra ve ll erin th e mis tsof pass ion, if he 
ha dkept her inh is  own hands , u nder his own  la w andlo ve?  Woul d h e not 
havem ade he r happine ss far pu r er, her f ut uresafer, because ne a re r  God,
than the y nowwe r e, b ril lia nt, imperi ou s, pa m pered,e xq u i s ite creature
thou gh she hadb eco me?  S he  wa s  great , she  w a s l ovely, shewaspopular,she en t ertaine d  prince s, she  wa s u nriv a ll ed ; b ut whe r ewas tha t "divin ena ture"  wit h w h ichhehadonce,  in the bygon e d ays, bel ieved  herto b edower ed?  W herewa s it now?

"You r wo rds are c rue l,  Du dl ey! T hat yo u s hou ld spea k liket his !M y 
G od!  Tell me thatyo u do n't mean  it!"s he  c r ied sudd en ly,  aft e r  a lo ng
s i le nce, res tlessb en ea th thefi xed an dmel anc holyl ookwhichshe coul d
not meet.

"Listen ,  Claudia," he sa i d ,s till  qu ite calmly,  sta n ding  ere c twit h  hisbackto th e  fire.  "What I hav ejust s aid I  have long wa nted to sa y , but
have  alw a ys put it off for  fear  of hurtin g  your fe eling s--for f ear of
re p r oachingyou  fo r w hat i smainly my own f olly ." 

"Butyou  have r epr oac hed  me !"  she crie d in a h ar dvo ic e. "You tell meth iswi thsucha  _nonc halan t_ a ir  t h atit hasa tl a st a wa ke nedmeto  thebitt e r t ruth--y ou don'tlov e  me! "
" I havespoken as muc hfor your o wn  go od asf o r mine,"  he answered.  "We
must end thi s f olly,  Cla udia--we- -"
"Foll y!You ca ll mylovefo lly ! "  shee x cl aim ed , starting f orw ard. L ifehad bee n so fair with her .   T he years hadgon e by i none co n tin ua l  bl a z e
of triumph. She was th es ma rt Lady Ri c har dNevill,  whosenamew as on
e verybody' s tongue;  s he w a s  sa tiated wit h offers  of love.  Andy et  this 
ma n hadco ldl y exp osed t o  he r the  naked  t ruth. Into xi cated wi th homage,
indulgence,extrav aganc e a nd pleasu re, her  conscien ce h ad becomesti fle d
and  he r  memo ry k i ll ed; her h eart scarcelyk ne w h o w  t o beat with o u t  th e
thr obs 
 eyes_upon her_lovely face, it
occurred to_him to_wonder_whether, after_all,_he would have_been so
selfishly in_error, so blind a_traveller in the_mists_of passion, if he
had kept her in his own hands, under his own law_and_love? _Would_he_not
have made her happiness far_purer, her future safer, because_nearer God,
than_they now were, brilliant, imperious, pampered, exquisite creature
though_she_had become? _She was great, she was lovely, she was popular,
she_entertained princes, she was unrivalled; but_where was that_"divine
nature"_with_which he had once,_in the bygone days, believed her_to be
dowered?  Where was it_now?

"Your words are cruel, Dudley!  That_you should speak like this! _My
God!  Tell me that_you don't_mean it!" she cried suddenly,_after a long
silence,_restless beneath_the fixed and_melancholy look which she could
not meet.

"Listen,_Claudia," he said,_still quite calmly, standing erect with_his
back_to the fire.__"What_I have_just said I_have_long wanted_to_say, but
have always put it off_for_fear of hurting your feelings--for fear of
reproaching_you for what is_mainly_my own folly."

"But you_have reproached me!" she cried_in a hard voice.  "You_tell me
this_with such_a _nonchalant_ air that it has at last awakened me to_the
bitter truth--you don't love me!"

"I have_spoken as much for_your own_good_as for mine,"_he_answered. _"We
must end this folly, Claudia--we--"

"Folly!  You_call my_love folly!" she exclaimed, starting forward._ Life
had been so_fair_with her.  The years had_gone by in one continual blaze
of_triumph.  She was the_smart_Lady_Richard Nevill, whose name was_on
everybody's tongue; she was satiated with_offers of love._ And yet this
man had coldly exposed_to_her the naked truth.  Intoxicated_with_homage,
indulgence, extravagance and pleasure, her conscience_had_become_stifled
and her memory killed; her_heart scarcely knew how to beat_without the
throbs