The Argosy — page 178: what you’re looking at

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166. The Missing Rubies. She paused ; but Beatrice had nothing to say. “ His first love,” she repeated pensively. “He will never love another woman as he loved me. We were boy and girl together, and - everyone said that we were made for each other in those days.” ‘But not.in these days!” said Beatrice, with a little smile. - : “No.” Alma did not love her any the better for that smile. “ It is rather more than a year since I broke off the engagement. Circumstances compelled me to give him up.” ‘‘T daresay you acted wisely,” remarked Miss Ward, in an in- different tone. ‘‘T hope he has found friends and an occupation.” Alma was becoming more and more exasperated, although her self-control was perfect. ‘ But if he has made money—and papa thinks that he has—he ought to send some to the Countess Gradizoff. She hada very heavy loss through him. I almost wondered to see him looking well and happy last summer ; there must be a burden on his mind, I suppose. But I could not understand his apparent cheerfulness.” “ You thought he ought not to be cheerful, perhaps ? ” “Well, it seems hard to say that. Yet, if I were in his case, I could not enjoy life till I had made a certain act of restitution.” “He will make it; he is devoting all his energies to getting money. The Countess will be fully compensated for the loss of the necklace.” “Oh, then you know the story of the necklace,” said Alma, with a hard look coming. suddenly into her face. ‘“ That means, of course, that you have heard his version of it?” Beatrice’s temper got the better of her at last. The bitterness in Alma’s voice, the base insinuation conveyed in her words, were more than Godwin Earle’s betrothed could bear with patience. - She drew herself up haughtily, looking a magnificent embodiment of youth and vigour, and dwarfing into insignificance the pinched face and figure by her side. ‘‘T have heard the truth,” she answered, proudly. “I know that he has been the most unfortunate and most unjustly accused of men. The people here may say and think what they choose, but they will never shake my faith in my promised husband!” “Oh, I was not aware that there was an engagement,” said Alma, with a polite little sneer. ‘If I had known, I should, of course, have been on my guard. But you are young; and it would have been wiser, perhaps, if you had heard both sides of that painful story.” ‘Tam perfectly satisfied,” returned Beatrice, coldly ; and she rose without another word and turned towards the house. . As she walked steadily up that long garden path, her eyes were dazzled by the low sunlight. The vivid gold on shrubs and bushes smote her almost painfully after the soft shade of the arbour; and. the scents of wallflowers and sweetbriar had lost their sweetness, It comicbooks.com