The Argosy — page 123: what you’re looking at

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

Princess Eleanor. : III * Poor little flower,” he said, “over whom the frost of the earth has spread sosoon! Could I but have spared you that scene! You will distrust men of his sort all your life now.” Amy, dear, you would, like myself, have distrusted Ernest for the first time. I went to work very slowly, however, wishing to impress him by degrees. “‘ Have you no doubt whatever as to the artist’s guilt ? His love for old pictures is great, I know, but he could not conceal such a master- piece as that! Of what use is it to him, if he can never look at it?” - “My innocent little dove! It is not a question of love of art. That man is the agent of some villain, and he has committed this act for money. He is poor, and may have been tempted by some large sum.” “ Old Baron Gerhardt ?” I timidly suggested. “ My child, I must not hear you utter such things. Your nina goes astray in this labyrinth of wickedness. A true nobleman is not capable of anything so mean !” “ What will you do?” I asked in my anxiety. “‘ Leave him a short time to repent. If the picture alone were in question, I should give it up, and let things rest as they are. But to permit a villain such as this to go about the land unmarked would be: contrary to my sense of justice. Try and forget the whole episode, my love. I will do the same until I am forced to think of it again.” He kissed me on the forehead and went away. He was scarcely gone when I sprang up. With the contending feelings that filled my heart I could not lie still. “ Forget the whole episode, Ernest! ’Twould be ceasing to exist !” I lived over again the last few months of my life ; the long time I had been together with the man I have trifled with. Yes, Amy, I have trifled with him, for how could I be blind to the thousand evidences of his love? I received them daily, hourly, and took them as something natural. How shall I exist now ? how bear life without him? In the dreadful discovery I have made, I see naught but a just punishment for the arrogance peculiar to our rank, which deems it more likely that one of its daughters should fall in love with her lap- dog than with a youth belonging to any class below it. But why should I atone for the sins of a whole caste? Why must I see him outraged, mocked, degraded, at the very moment wlien I feel that I love him with my whole heart? And I have no power to do anything! Tell Ernest of his last protesting glance? Such. things cannot be described ; they can only be felt. And everything speaks against him. Why did he copy the picture in secret? Why did he turn pale when the question was put to him ? Why" does he not come forward now, and clear himself to me? Amy, I am half out of my senses as I writd this. Surely: he has comicbooks.com-