Stella Rosevelt — page 364: what you’re looking at

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

358 “I HAVE BEEN MAD.” sacrifice too great, she thought at that moment, for her to make in exchange for the prize she wished to win. “*Wkat can I do for you, my friend?” he asked again. ‘Love me/” burst most unconsciously from her trembling lips. He started violently. He had not imagined that she would dare to give utterance to such words as these; while she knew, the instant that they were spoken, that instead of gaining his affection, she had forfeited even his respect. There was a mornent of awkward silence. Then Lord Carrol said very gravely, but still very gently: ‘‘ Miss Richards, you have become so excited over what has transpired, that I think you are hardly conscious of, or respon- sible for what you have said. Shall we go in now?” ‘“No!” she answered, lifting her head proudly, and stifling her sobs, although she still clung tightly to his arm, as if she could not let him go. ‘‘No; I will not goin yet. Having said so much, I must say more. You are right. Iam not responsible for the words which I have spoken. I did not mean to speak them—they escaped me unawares; but since I have spoken them, I cannot recall them, and my secret is mine no longer. Oh!” she continued, with a heart-breaking sob, ‘‘ pity me, have compassion on me, /orgive me!” ‘‘] have nothing to forgive,” he said, kindly; ‘‘and, believe me, I am very sorry that your nerves should have been so over- taxed to-night; but,” and his face flushed, ‘‘ perhaps it will be better for both of us if I tell you that, however much I may esteem you, my heart could never respond to the wish you have expressed ; it has long been given to another. I thought you knew this; I thought your knew that—I loved your cousin, Miss Gladstone.” Her hands dropped from his arm as if they had been burned, while keen, quivering pains shot all over her body at this avowal. (EO MMINCEl COXON KSn(EC)