Richard Forrest, Bachelor — page 218: what you’re looking at

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

“I CANNOT BK YOUR JUDGE,” 209 you will ask. First, because I could not conquer the desire * to remain near her, even though it tortured me, and then, again, the last words she cast at me that day were, ‘Arthur Eldridge is responsible for this. Had he kept his promise to me, I would have been his wife and an honored member of society to-day.’ ‘To think of the difference, it drove me wild. To-night he lay in my power; is it surprising that I almost yielded to the frightful temptation which assailed me? Answer me; is it surprising?’’ Her head fell upon her breast; the last words were spoken in a whisper. Dick put his hands over his eyes; he could not bear to meet the supplicating ones which sought his. ‘‘T cannot be your judge,’’ he murmured, inalow, broken voice. Gomichbooks.co im