Stella Rosevelt — page 365: what you’re looking at

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

“7 HAVE BEEN MAD.” 359 Her head came up with a haughty gesture, her eyes blazed with sudden anger, her red lips curled with bitter scorn. She had humiliated herself—she had bowed her proud spirit to the dust to win him, and now he dared to tell her this—-dared to tell her that he loved the girl whom she hated, whom she had triple cause to hate in that she was far her superior in every way—she had won the heart of the only man whom she had ever loved, and had laid her under an obligation which she could never repay. ‘*T believe I have been mad/” she whispered, fiercely, through her tightly shut teeth, which shone like lovely pearls in the moonlight. ‘‘ Yes, I must have been mad,” she went on; ‘‘some spirit of evil must have possessed me to make me tell you what I have; for—hear me, Lord Carrol—I do ot love you; I fat you! If I ever had any love for you, it has turned to hate now, and I detest the girl whom you profess to love, and for whom you have dared to confess your affection, know- ing how I hate her.” She pressed her hands wildly to her temples, with a low moan. It was not so easy as she thought to hate where she had loved so passionately. ‘Do you think it is a light thing,” she asked, hotly, ‘‘ fora girl to reveal the secrets of her heart, as I have revealed mine to-night? Do you think there has been no sacrifice of pride or modesty on my part to tell you what I have told you?) My heart has been burning to ashes while standing here by your side, and you have pitilessly tortured me still further by telling me that you love Star Gladstone—that girl who has only crossed my path to mar my every prospect in life. I thought half an hour ago, when I stood beside you during that mock ceremony and spoke those sacred words, that if they could only have been real—if I could indeed have been made your lawtul wife, it would have been like the happiness of heaven for me. If you could have but called me by that fond name only once—if you CONMIEOOOXKS.s