Geoffrey's Victory by Mrs Georgie Sheldon — page 292: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

288 MRS. MAPLESON’S CONFESSION. since then, which made it imperative that I should find you; but oi this I will speak again later. ‘What is it, Kstelle?” he asked, as a heavy, shuddering sigh from his wife smote hia e ear; ‘thas my story been too much for you? I fear it has. Perhaps I have been selfish and thonghtless in bringing you here before strangers to listen to all this, but it had to be told, and this interview must have taken place be- tween us all. Forgive me for wounding you, and let me take you to your room; perhaps, though, you never will forgive me for the deception which I have practiced upon you.’ He went up to her and Jaid his hand upon her sonia with more of tenderness than he was in the habit of manifesting to- ward the proud, handsome woman. But she put tim from her With a passionate gesture, in which, however, there was a pa- thetic air of appeal. She arose and stood before him, her face almost convulsed with agony. “Oh!” she cried, wringing herhands, ‘if you had only tcld me all this when vou asked me to marry you; or, if [ had been true tomv womanhood, how much we both might have saved each other! Forgive you for your deception? oh! William, I have been tenfold more guilty than you. _— CHAPTER XV; MRS. MAPLESON’S CONFESSION, Colonel Mapleson regarded his wife as if he thought she had suddenly taken leave of her senses. Aueust Huntress’ heart was stirred with compassion for the beautiful and imperious woman, for he realized full well the trial that Jay before her, and could understand how humiliating it must be to have her sin find her out at this late day, when she had believed it buried forever. All these long years she, too, had treasured her seciet, believ- ing that no one save the strange physician who had attended her at the birth of her child, and those two who had adopted it, knew anything of that episode in her life, and that she had so successfully concealed her identity at the time that it could never be discovered. ‘What can you mean, Estelle?” demanded Colonel Mapleson, as soon as he could collect himself sufficiently to speak. Then, as he remembered how she had greeted Mr. Huntress, how overcome she had been at sight of him, he glanced sharply towall him and knew instantly, from the look of sympathy op his face, that he must be in some way associated with that myste- rious deception of which his wife had spoken. “T mean,” the wretched woman returned, in a voice of despair, while she sank weekly back into her chair, ‘‘that the secret which you have kept concealed from me during all our married Con) (-) DOOKS. COM