Thrice Lost, Thrice Won — page 240: what you’re looking at

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

> 7 , J dl | yy " , ty NA | Se aro : “ ee Feed ie cM head oY OOP Nar oft eae var fa ee ; eye ’ - onl Ni \ “ath “ cre on Le coe "4 Da Ary os +) A sy ay - 5 ; t io r- Nic - ohh Je aie i Y Eo mee ga A 2 © ay pile Se oe e tat. 5 ie 7 Wa 4 sale ar ~ , s +N a Mien 7 sf A \ a 5 ,. - 7 : > "es a ‘blind instead of ‘tnad, or you eaald have Winer eb ago that pee love you!” He absolutely staggered back, so intense was the shock— 4 such bliss as this. ie “Love me!” he repeated, bewildered. “You, Estelle, iste Be <me??.. - ie “With my whole heart.. Oh, Alwyn, so dearly—so long! E pes AT Have Been Blessed.” al ME te 235 199/ ie surprise. Never tor one instant had he dared dream of © & —-Her head dropped upon his should er, her voice was lost in ~ 4 -asob. All her strong self-reliance fell away; the weary years dropped from between them—the old time came back with an ecstasy that was almost pain. . He realized at last-his crown of life was won; he had suc- _ ceeded where every one else had failed. The “Refuser” was ~ made him half frantic, half delirious—that left him speech- less. But she extricated herself, and at once. . “That will do,” she said, with a smile. “No need to prove the strength of your affection by such Bruin-like embraces. And some one may enter. Pray sit down here comfortably, _. Mr. Bartram, and drop that dazed and ecstatic face. One would think some wonderful piece “a ggod fortune had me fallen. you.” “arth holds no ihe fortune helt So good, halt SO esa Oh, Estelle, I cannot realize it. You love me—you? My F. darling, if I am not dreaming, say it again.” — . Wis But. Mlle. De Montreuil only looked at him saucily. “How impassionedly monsieut makes love—like a very hero of romance! But then the practice. Used you to take to Leonie like this, sir ?’” his. He eaught her and strained her to him with a joy that . “Ah, you know that old folly, of course. And that re- ae minds me, Hsteile, of the miserable story of the past—the pee story you must hear.” “IT think I have heard it alroady~it is of your wite, Leonie told me.” - “But not-one half my cold-blooded cruelty—she could not. trusting, the tenderest heart ” He stopped short, his voice hoarse. “Not even to you, Estelle, can I talk of this. -I » drove from my side the most devoted wife man ever was _ blessed with—drove her to her death.” “How did she die?” Estelle De Montreuil asked, Fz] _ tremor so in her clear tones. ‘& sare do not know. All is wrapped i in miserable uncertainty.” ™. 5 I have been the greatest wretch alive;' I broke the most (E(0)