The Argosy — page 372: what you’re looking at

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

Extracts from the Diary of a Young Lady. 351 you do zot. ‘There is a secret in my life which I have never told you.” “Yes, I know that,” I replied slowly. He looked quickly at me. ‘‘ You know it?” he said in a sort of breathless whisper. ““T mean that I thought there was. I have fancied you had some past grief in your life.” He breathed freely again. ‘““T was a wild young fellow, my love,” he said, ‘‘and there is such in my life I would gladly blot out of it.” ‘“* You ?” I cried with incredulous tones. “Yes J—even I,” he replied very sadly. ‘“ Would you love me less, dear, if you knew I had sinned ? ” His eyes were fixed on me, those blue eyes of his, with an ex- pression of desperate entreaty in them. How pathetic they looked! I felt ready to cry, and in some strange way I seemed to recognise their expression. A thrill ran over me, and I felt hke one remem- bering. _I had seen that very expression in those very eyes before ! And yet I had not, because it was impossible. Then I recollected that he had asked me a question, and I had to reflect before I could answer it. “We are all sinners,” I said, with a thought of papa’s teaching in my mind; ‘‘but don’t talk so, dear Marcus. I don’t like it. Your beautiful conscience has made you think more of little faults, and I believe all quite young men are silly; but don’t get into a habit of calling yourself a sinner, please. It is so unpleasant. Just once for all in church every Sunday does nicely for the week, and we ought to be content with that.” He could not help laughing ; but even while he laughed there was a sorrowful, yearning look in his eyes as they gazed down into mine. Then he recovered himself and said very tenderly : ‘‘ What is past is past, and my work now is to make you happy, my own sweet little wife.” March 2znd.—My husband has to leave me for a few days. A first separation! How earnestly we hope it may be a-last! But im- portant family business calls him to Paris. A brother he loves is in a difficulty out of which he can get him by his personal intervention. Iam not very strong just now and the doctor forbids the rapid journey he must take, so farewell must be said. Oh, my darling, how shall I be able to live even a few days without you? How sad and lonely it will be. Alas! for the poor women who have to spend the rest of their lives separated from their husbands. How do widows live at all? I cannot imagine it, and the mere thought of them makes me cry. But then, there are few husbands like mine. If he were not so good and noble, if he were not perfect, I should not feel about him as I do. We have been married nearly six months and I have not detected a single fault in him. When we married, I took it as a matter of ; CoOnnicoooks (CO)