Puck — September 5, 1877 — page 12: what you’re looking at

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

12 “two faves and a fee. iRARe Banne (This Story was begun in No. 4. Back Numbers can be obtained at the office of PUCK, 13 North William st.) CHAPTER XXI. (Continued.) s§ y ND loves Mattie as he loved her before, TX he will surely follow her.” FOS" “No, he won't,” said René reso- lutely. “If you will take care of your wife, I will take care of my cousi She was unusually excited, and impatient to set the machinery in motion for the good work her mind already saw completed. When Mr, Gray returned she attacked him at once. “1 want a basket-shop,” she said. “Certainly,” said Mr. Gray, with as much composure as if it were a matter of every-day | occurrence to have basket-shops demanded of | him by beautiful young clients, “You can get me one “Of course it is to be had.” “When ? “There will be no difficulty in getting one in a few wecks or a —"" “ Weeks! I want one this afternoon.” ‘This knocked even the imperturbable soli- citor off his legs. His chin fell, and his whole face was a note of exclamation. “This afternoon —to-morrow at latest,” con tinued René. “If I wanted one next year I should tell you next year. What /s the use of delay? When you have settled what you want, why should you hesitate to obtain it? 1 know ing of business, but it seems to me that 1 seen something like advertisements in newspapers. “Oh, it is quite possible to execute your wish.” “Then oblige me by executing it.” | René looked as if she were surprised that he | did not immediately fly off for a basket-shop, and he was more nervous under this treatment than he had felt ever before, “You can take the cab, I will find my way to the hotel; there you will find me. I shall be anxious until I hear of your success. I will look at the newspapers myself; I might be able to assist you. ‘That will’ expedite matters,” she said to ‘Tom, as Mr. Gray left. “ Now I dare say we shall be able to get what we want in a week. If 1 had left it to him we might have waited whilst he wrote three hundred and sixt five expensive letters.” ‘Yom was frightened by Rene’s rapidity, fear- ing that Mattie would be alarmed by the sudden control put upon her. Seeing this, René sub- dued her spizit, and spoke calmly of the advan- tages that must attend her project. Whilst she was speaking ‘Tom raised his finger, listening. “ [tis her step," he said, Mattie entered the room quickly, and stopped. for a moment, surprised to sce René; but her surprise did not prevent her going to her hus- band, kissing him, and asking affectionately if he were better. “ Either he is mistaken altogether, or she is a deeper hypocrite than even | imagined,” thought Ren She was yet more perplexed by the delight Mattie evinced as she heard of René’s proposal. “Then J shan’t have to | dear ‘Yom," said she; “and we will arrange some part of the shop for you to make your baskets in, so that whilst we do our work we may talk to cach other. 1 do really think it is through having no one here on a morning to talk to that you have lost heart lately. 1 do wish [ you a little bit, | PUCK. knew how to thank you fitly, Miss Biron, for giving me this happiness.” “It is a speculation of mine, Mattie, and if itsucceeds [ shall be sufficiently paid without thanks. Mattie colored high and dropped her eyes under the steadfast searching gaze of René's. Few would not quail who thought one trying to read their inner secrets in that way. René could read little that was certain in Mattic’s face, for truth and deception were mingled there; but it seemed to her that truth preponderated, and she began to regard ‘fom as the victim of his 3wn credulity. She wished to verify her opinion, and presently she said: “T have desired my agent to. procure this shop at once; he may have taken it already, for my orders were immediate. So it will be well for you to prepare everything for removal. Of course you will be unable to return to. your occupation.” “No, no,” said Mattie, looking perplexed; and continued; “1 must goand explain that to my employer. “Yes, Mattie, that must be done at once,” said René; and then, looking full into the wife's face, she added, “and / will go with you: CHAPTER XXIL. Fottowep by René, Mattie descended to the street, bewildered by apprehension, and unable to avert disclosure of her secret. She felt sick and giddy, and held the door for support. René looked into her ashen face, and asked remorsclessly: “ Which way shall we go?” Mattie caught her hand, and by a gesture implored silence, looking up the stairs as fearful | of her husband overhearing. René stopped a cab that was passing; and when they were seated, and the cabman was waiting for instructions, she once more asked: “ Where are we to go?” “ Anywhere,” Mattie whispered, her whole frame quivering with emotion, “ The Russell Hotel,” said René. “The cabman looked from the girl on the front seat, cowering and nerveless, to her on the back, crect, glittering like a beautiful pythoness waiting to strike, and mounted his box with just so little of pity for the weak as to feel that he “would not be in her shoes for an annooity. Neither spoke until they were in René’s apart- ment at the hotel, then René said “Thisagitation means that you ha your husband, I suppose ? “Ves,” answered Mattie faintly, bowing her head. “There is only one sin you could be tempted to commit, only one crime that a husband can- not forgive.” “Crime!” exclaimed the wife. “Under the pretence of minding a shop for a friend you have gone day after day to whom ?' “"To—to Mr. Biron, “ Your former lover—the man for whom you jilted ‘fom Reynolds before he was your hus- band 2” Mattie strained her twined fingers, and was speechless. “ Does this young man know you are married, or have you deceived him as well as your hus- band 2” | He knows that Iam married.” “Then his principles are not greatly in ad- vance of yours. And when do you propose leaving your husband 2” Mattie looked at her bewilderment. “Task, when de husband entirely ? “Tdo not mean to leave him." “Mr. Biron has not asked you to do so?’ ve deceived ator in dumb interro; you intend forsaking your “ Never!” said Mattie, eagerly. “That is a sufficient good reason for not leaving your husband, isn't it? Besides, it must be pleasant to you to have the love of an honest man as well as a puppy's; and I daresay it flatters your vanity to see how much a good heart can suffer for you.” “Who suffers for me ?’ “Your husband. You are not such a fool but that you can see by his unhappiness that he detects the falling off in your love. You could not, if you wished, hide from that loving soul your alicnation. O you wicked, wicked little idiot! ‘To think that you should come from that man who is no better than yourself—who liked you for a month, forgot you in a week and dare to caress that great-souled man you are wronging! Do you ever think where, but for your husband, you would be now? Have you ever felt regret for the pain he endured in saving your body from the flames? Do you ever fecl how much he lost, and how little he gained, by his love for you?” “Oh, yes, yes!’ My God, what have I done? No wrong willfully. I love none but my dear, dear husband.” “Was it your love for him that made you do a thing which you know would give him pain to discover ?” “Yes,” answered Mattie, boldly. “Do you think I would risk giving him pain but that I thought to make him happy ?” René laughed; but Mattie continued carn- estly: . “ He was troubled because he could not earn sufficient to pay for our support; and when this engagement was offered me, I saw no harm in accepting it, knowing that I loved only my husband.” “Did you feel you were doing no wrong in concealing this from your husband ?”” Mattie did not answer, “You felt that even he, so generous and trusting, could not believe in the purity of your intentions?” * “That is what I felt. “Then how do you expect to persuade me?” “T do not wish to persuade you, I care not what all the world thinks, so that my poor hus- band shall not think ill of me.” “In other words, you do not wish to be sent back to your father, or cast upon the charity of Mr. Biron; and you would like to stay with your husband, he being kinder than others to you.” Mattie was too numbed to feel the whip. She bent her head silently. ‘Thinking her indif- ference mere callousness, René whipped harder. She was prejudiced and unjust. She had pre- pared herself to find deceit, and saw nothing clse. ‘The purest flower may be trodden under foot fora vile weed if our sight be short, and we start with the belief that the clay can bear no sweet thing. Rene lost her judgment, together with the control of her temper; and feminine spite getting the better of her, she knew no mercy until she was exhausted. ‘hen she said, in calmer accents: “Fell me what has taken place between you and my cousin.” “1 have sat before him in different costumes, for which he has paid me.” “Ts that all?” Mattie looked at the girl before her for a few moments. Her lips moved; and then, covering her face with her hands, she began to cry plain: tivel. «Yo think that you, who are so kind, should think so ill of me! Oh, how shall I bear it if my husband takes your bitter thoughts into his heart!" she sobbed; and then, suddenly throw- ing herself upon her knees, she cried passion- ately: “Oh, scold me, beat me, punish me how | you will, for 1 have been a wicked cruel girl; but spare my poor husband. It is not for myself cry. I will not say a word to shield myself, comicbooks.com