The Argosy — page 339: what you’re looking at

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

| 318 Her One Chance: and His. for my wife, not my family’s.” Nevertheless a qualm of conscience took him as he spoke, in spite of his bravery and his defiant feeling. She slightly shook her head; sie knew. Reginald had released his own hand and imprisoned hers. ‘Besides ”—rather hesitatingly—“‘ our ages are incompatible. I am older than you.” ““T am twenty-one. I am my own master.” ‘‘T am _ twenty-five,” she quietly rejoined. ‘‘ You—forgive me, Reginald, for saying so—are but a boy.” ‘“‘T am not a boy,” retorted Reginald. ‘I am master, I tell you, of myself and of my fortune. It is two thousand a-year ; it will be more later.” Two thousand a-year, versus her life of toil! What a vista it was! —what a temptation ! ‘‘ At twenty-five a woman seems quite old, compared with a boy of twenty-one. The world knows it to be so, Reginald.” ‘““T am old enough to know my own mind and heart, and I love you, Katherine. Oh, my dear one, I cannot give you up!” She had risen; one slender hand lay on the elbow of the chair, with the other she held her shawl together at the throat; and Reginald, his handsome face full of entreaty, stood beside her. ‘‘ Katherine, speak to me,” he said. But she stood silent. It was her one chance, she told herself; the one only chance she should probably ever have in life. Here was Reginald Lanster willing, pleading, to make her his wife in love; no more dreary teaching, no more worrying care. It was an overwhelming temptation: but still Katherine Maverick stood silent. On the soft hand which rested on the chair, a golden band with a sapphire stone glittered : it was a ring which Dot had given her ; and it brought the loving, innocent little girl forcibly to her remembrance. She thought how the child had opened her heart to her in perfect and entire trust when whispering of her love for Regy. She thought how fragile and delicate the girl was—how cruel would be the shock to her when she learnt the extent of the treachery enacted against her by the two beings she esteemed most in all the world: “and she loves him,” added Katherine. ‘No, I cannot do this.” The warm pressure of Regy’s hand fell on hers, hiding the ring from view. ‘‘Why do you hesitate, Katherine?” he breathed. But she stood yet in silence. It had not quite passed, the temptation. How strong it yet was, she never afterwards liked to recall. “Treachery, and worse than treachery,” she thought; “ treachery in more ways than one, and to others beside Dot. Shall I ¢hws requite Mr. and Mrs. Lanster—who have been kindness itself to me? —worse than all, shall I store up for myself before heaven a remorse- ful conscience that would never be at rest ? No, no, #e, Painful days and weary nights to my life’s end, rather than that.” ECOPMICLIOO KS, (Eo)