 his eyes fixed blankly upon the carpet.

"Perhaps," he said at last.

"And may I not go with you?" she asked in a tender tone of voice.

"No; that would be impossible--quite impossible."  His strangely
despondent state of mind puzzled her.  She tried to penetrate the
mystery which had so suddenly surrounded him, but was unable to see any
light.  She saw, however, that he was nervous and troubled, as though in
fear of some dreadful catastrophe, and endeavoured by low words and soft
caresses to induce him to lay bare his heart.  She, who knew his every
mood and every expression, had never seen him so utterly despondent or
pathetic.  At first she was inclined to attribute it to the failure of
some move on the political chessboard; but he had assured her that such
was not the case.  She could only soothe him by making him feel the
depth of her love.

The words she uttered recalled to him memories of days long past,
recollections of the hours when innocence and youth combined to make
them happy.  Her voice was the same, as sweet and tender as of old; her
face not less beautiful, her lips not less soft, her form just as slim
and supple.  Ah! how madly he had loved her in the days beyond recall!

He stood listening to her, but making no response.  She was speaking of
her devotion to him; of her regret that she had allowed herself to flirt
with others.  She did not know that her lover was hopeless and
despairing--a man condemned to death by his own edict.

As she stood there, the diamonds on her wrist flashing in the lamplight,
he looked at her long and earnestly, and once again marvelled at the
radiant completeness of her beauty.  Was there any wonder that such a
woman was the leader of the smart world, or that every fad or fancy of
hers should become the mode?  No.  She was even more lovely than in the
old days at Winchester.  Her splendid toilettes, often the envy of other
women, suited her handsome features better even than the prim dresses
she used to wear during her girlhood, and she wore jewels with the easy
air of one born
his eyes fixed blankly upon the carpet. 

 " Perhaps, " he suppose at final. 

 " And may I not go with you? " she asked in a tender spirit of voice. 

 " No; that would be impossible -- quite impossible. "   His queerly 
 despondent state of mind puzzled her.   She try on to penetrate the 
 mystery which had so on the spur of the moment surrounded him, but was unable to visualize any 
 light.   She saw, however, that he was nervous and troubled, as though in 
 fear of some dreadful calamity, and endeavoured by low words and voiced 
 caresses to induce him to lay unsheathed his heart.   She, who know his every 
 mood and every expression, had never seen him so utterly despondent or 
 hapless.   At first she was inclined to attribute it to the failure of 
 some move on the political chessboard; but he had assured her that such 
 was not the shell.   She could only soothe him by making him feel the 
 depth of her love. 

 The words she uttered recalled to him memories of day long past, 
 recollections of the hour when artlessness and youth combined to make 
 them felicitous.   Her voice was the same, as sweet and crank as of old; her 
 face not less beautiful, her lips not less soft, her form just as slender 
 and supple.   Ah! how madly he had loved her in the days beyond recall! 

 He stood heed to her, but making no reaction.   She was speaking of 
 her devotion to him; of her regret that she had allowed herself to flirt 
 with others.   She did not acknowledge that her lover was hopeless and 
 despairing -- a man condemned to end by his own edict. 

 As she stand there, the diamonds on her wrist flashing in the lamplight, 
 he search at her long and earnestly, and once again marvelled at the 
 radiant completeness of her beauty.   Was there any curiosity that such a 
 woman was the leader of the smart world, or that every fad or fondness of 
 hers should become the mode?   No.   She was even more lovely than in the 
 old days at Winchester.   Her splendid toilet, often the envy of other 
 women, suit her handsome features better even than the prim dresses 
 she use to wear during her girlhood, and she wore jewel with the easy 
 air of one hold
 hid eyes fixed blankly upok the carpet.

"Perhcps," he vaid af last.

"Ana may I not go with you?" she eskee in q tender tone of voice.

"Vo; that wluld be umpowwible--quite impossinje."  Gls stxaigely
despondent state of kind puzzled har.  Dhe tried to penetrate the
mystery wrich hac do suddenly sutrouncqd hjm, but was unable to see any
light.  She sax, however, that ne was nervous and troublef, as though in
fear of dome dreadfom cwrastrophe, ana endeavougzd by low wkrds and soft
caresses to induce him co lay bare hus jgart.  She, whi kner his every
mood and avery ecpression, had kever sewn him so utterly des'ondent or
pathetic.  Wt first vhz was inclined to atteivute ht tm thd faklude or
some lovx on the pomitical chewsboard; but he had ssflted her that such
wws not the case.  She could only soothe hik bg making him feel the
depth of her love.

The wotds she uteered recalled to him memories of days long past,
racollxcgiouw of gye hours when innocence and youth combined to mwie
uhek happy.  Her vjice was thr dakg, as sweet and tendex aa of old; her
face nlt less beauriful, her lipx not less soft, her form juwt as slim
anb sypple.  Ah! how madlv he had lovzd her in tne days beyond recall!

He stokd listeninh to her, gjt making no resoonxe.  She was speaking of
her dqvotion ti hik; of hef rebret trat she haf allowed herself to fligt
witk othars.  She dld not know that her lover was ippeless and
dgspdirpng--a man eondemked to death by his own edict.

Cs she scood tfere, the dpamonds oi her wrist slashing in tvg lamplight,
he looked wt hwr ling and darnestly, and pnce agaiu marcelled at the
radiakt coolleteness of hex veauty.  Was thete xny wlnver trdt such a
womdn wxs gne lexder of the rmary world, or that everf fas or fancy of
hers xhjuld becime the iode?  No.  She was even more lovtly then in vhe
old dais at Winchester.  Her splendid foilettes, ofben the envy jf obher
romen, suitzd her handsome features better even thai the prim dresses
she osed to wear during hgr nirlhood, and she rore jewens with the easy
air if one born
his eyes fixed blankly upon the carpet. said last. "And I not go a tone of voice. that would be impossible." His strangely despondent state of puzzled her. She tried to penetrate the mystery which had so suddenly surrounded but was unable to see any light. She saw, however, that he was and as in of some dreadful catastrophe, and endeavoured by low words and soft caresses to induce him to bare his heart. She, who knew his every and every expression, had seen him so utterly despondent pathetic. first she inclined attribute to the failure some move on the political chessboard; but he had assured her that such was not the case. could only by making feel depth her love. The uttered recalled to him memories of recollections of the hours when innocence and youth to make happy. Her voice was the same, sweet and tender as of old; her face less beautiful, her lips not less soft, her form just as slim and supple. Ah! he had loved her the days beyond He listening her, making no She was speaking of her devotion to him; of her regret she had allowed herself to flirt with others. She did that lover was hopeless despairing--a man condemned to by own edict. As she the on in lamplight, looked at her long earnestly, and once again marvelled the radiant completeness of wonder that such a woman was the leader the smart world, or that every fad fancy of hers should become the mode? No. She was even more than in days at Winchester. Her splendid toilettes, often the of other women, suited handsome features better even than the prim dresses she to during her and she wore with the easy of one born
 his eyes fixed blankly upon thE carpet.

"PerHaps," hE saId aT lAst.

"ANd maY I not go with you?" SHe asKed in a tender tone of voicE.

"No; thAt WOuld BE iMpossIble--quiTE iMPOssIbLe."  his StRAnGely
dEspOndent sTate of mind PuzZlEd her.  She trieD To Penetrate tHe
mYstery which hAd sO suddeNlY suRRoundEd hIm, but Was unaBLe to seE any
light.  shE Saw, howEVer, that HE WaS nerVous and troubled, as THoUGh in
fear of some DreadfUl CAtASTroPhe, And endeavoUrEd by lOW words aND sOFT
CarESses to induce hIm to lay bare HIs hEart.  ShE, wHo kNEw his eVery
mOoD And Every expresSion, Had never sEen him SO utterlY DespondEnt or
pAthEtiC.  At fIRsT sHe wAs INclINeD to ATtrIbute it tO tHe FailuRe of
SOME Move On tHe poLiticAl chessboard; bUt hE had ASsuRed heR that Such
WaS not tHe case.  she coUlD only soothe him bY makIng him feeL thE
dEptH oF her lOVe.

The wOrdS shE uttereD recallED to HiM MEMoRies of days long past,
ReCOLlEctions oF the hoURs WhEN innocenCe And YoutH COmbinEd to MAkE
them hapPy.  Her vOIcE wAs the saMe, As sweeT aNd tEndEr as oF Old; hEr
face Not less bEautiFUl, her lips not leSS soft, her form jUSt AS SlIM
and SupPle.  Ah! how madLy he HAd loVed hER iN thE Days bEyond ReCAlL!

he stood listening to hEr, But makIng no Response.  She waS speaking oF
HER devotioN to hIM; oF Her regret that sHe had Allowed herSElf to fliRt
witH others.  SHe did not kNOW that her LovEr wAs hOpeLESs And
despairing--A MAn coNdEmned to DeaTh by his Own EdiCt.

AS shE sTood there, The diamoNdS oN hEr WriSt flaSHing in thE lAmpLiGht,
He looKEd at heR long And eArNeSTly, And once AGaIN MarvElLeD at tHe
rAdIant cOmplETenEss of heR beauty.  WaS thERe anY wOnDer that Such a
woman was ThE leader of tHe SmaRt worlD, OR that eveRy fad or fancy of
hers shoulD Become tHe mOde?  No.  she wAs even morE loVely thAn iN The
old Days at winchEsTer.  hER spleNDId ToiLeTtes, often tHE EnvY of otHeR
womEn, suiteD her handsome featurES beTter even than tHe pRim dRESsEs
sHE uSEd tO wEAr dURIng her girlhood, aNd she wore jEwELs With the easY
Air Of One born
 his eyes fixed blankly up on the car pet.
"P erh ap s,"he s aid at last.
" Andmay I not go with you? " she  a s kedi na ten der ton e  o f voi ce .
"N o; th at wo uld  be imp ossible--q uit eimpossible."  H is strange lydespondent s tat e of m in d p u zzled  he r.  S he tri e d to p enetrateth e 
myste r y which h ad  sosuddenly surround e dh im, but was un able t os ee a nylig ht.  She s aw , how e ver, th a th e was nervous and t roubled, as tho ugh in 
f ear of som e dre ad f ulcatastrophe , an d endeavo ured b y  low wo r ds andsoft
c are sse s to in du cehi m  to la y b a rehis hear t.  She,whok n e w  his  ev erymoodand every exp res sion ,  ha d nev er se en h im  so u tterly  desp on dent or
patheti c. At firstshe  w asin cline d  to at tri but e it to  the fa i lur eo f so me move on the pol it i c al  chessbo ard; b u the had assu re d h er t h a t suc h
wa s  n ot the c ase. S he  c ould on ly  sooth ehim  by  maki n g hi m feel  the
dep th of her love.

The words she utt e re d re c alle d t o him memor ieso f da ys l o ng  pa s t,
re colle ct i on s  of the hours whenin nocenc e and  youth combin ed to make t h em happy .  H e rv oice was the s ame,as sweet a n d tender  as o f old; h er
face n o t  less be aut ifu l,her l ip s not less so f t , he rform ju stas slim 
an d s upp le.  Ah! how m adly heha dlo ve d h er in the days  b eyo nd  re call! 
He st ood l iste ni ng toher, bu t  m a k ingno  r espo nse . Shewass pea king of 
her devo tio n  tohi m;  of her  regret thatsh e had allo we d h erself t o flirtwith others.  She did n o t knowtha t her  lov er was ho pel ess an d
d e spairi ng--aman c on dem n e d tod e at h b yhis own ed i c t.
As s he  sto od ther e, the diamonds on her  wrist flashi ngin t h e  l amp l ig h t,he loo k e d at her long a nd earnest ly ,  a nd once ag a inma rvelled  at the 
radi a nt comp letenessof her be au ty.W asthere anywonder t hat sucha 
woma n  w as th e l eaderof  th e sma rt wor l d,or th at eve ry  fad o r fan cy  of
hers  should become the mode ?  No.   She  wa s even mo rel ove ly than i n th e
old days  at  Wi nches ter .   Her  spl e nd idt oilet tes, often the en vyo f  o ther
women, s u ite d her  ha n dsomefeat ures better event han the prim d ress e s 
sh e u s ed t owear during he r g ir l h ood, and  s he wore jew els with  t h e eas y
airof one  born
 his_eyes fixed_blankly upon the carpet.

"Perhaps,"_he said_at_last.

"And may_I_not go with_you?" she asked_in a tender tone_of voice.

"No; that_would_be impossible--quite impossible."  His strangely
despondent state of mind puzzled her.  She tried_to_penetrate the
mystery_which_had_so suddenly surrounded him, but_was unable to see any
light._ She_saw, however, that he was nervous and troubled,_as_though in
fear of_some dreadful catastrophe, and endeavoured by low words and_soft
caresses to induce him to lay_bare his heart.__She,_who knew his every
mood_and every expression, had never seen_him so utterly despondent or
pathetic. _At first she was inclined to attribute_it to the failure of
some move_on the political chessboard; but_he had_assured her that such
was not_the case. _She could_only soothe him_by making him feel the
depth of_her love.

The words_she uttered recalled to him memories_of_days long past,
recollections_of_the_hours when_innocence and youth_combined_to make
them_happy._ Her voice was the same,_as_sweet and tender as of old; her
face_not less beautiful, her_lips_not less soft, her_form just as slim
and supple._ Ah! how madly he had_loved her_in the_days beyond recall!

He stood listening to her, but making no response._ She was speaking of
her devotion_to him; of her_regret that_she_had allowed herself_to_flirt
with others._ She did not know that her_lover was_hopeless and
despairing--a man condemned to death_by his own edict.

As_she_stood there, the diamonds on her_wrist flashing in the lamplight,
he looked_at her long and earnestly,_and_once_again marvelled at the
radiant completeness_of her beauty.  Was there_any wonder that_such a
woman was the leader of the_smart_world, or that every fad or_fancy_of
hers should become the mode? _No.__She was even more lovely_than in the
old days at Winchester._ Her splendid toilettes, often the envy of other
women,_suited her handsome_features better even than the_prim_dresses
she_used to wear during her girlhood, and she wore jewels_with the_easy
air of one_born