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Show nlCIIA P.D IIURDJS. "\VI1y tlid I not answer l1cr in plain langungc 1 n:ow often l!i\YC l repC11ted that I did not! Uow mucl1 sorrow ll11J;ll~ hnYc been spared me else! But I wns proud of lu~mt ns Luciferproud in my own clcS}Jilc, stuLboru to my o;vu sorrow. . . "1'1inn·. ask me not," I rtBswcretl. "'\ lwt matter 1s 1t to know, w.l1(' 11 , C\·<'n were ILC to lose tltat wlticl.t I envy I_Ji.uJ;,it might be that I would not Lc esteemed wortlt) to. posbess 1t. "Riclt:ud, tilcro is somct l:ing strnngc to me m your tones, nnd mystCI'ious in your language. " ·by do you not spenk to me as formerly 1 " ·by arc you cluwgcil-wlty should you Le cl~:m..,ed to me 1 You scarcely f-. peak now witl1out saying something0 which I do not tilorougldy comprelten~. 'l'berc is a. lliddcn meaning in everyllting you sny i :mel 1t seems to me that you arc sus11icious and di!;trustful of tl1e lwnesty of every body." . . ".And ~hould I not be, l\lary 1 He 1s 11 0t. a w1se man wl1o ]enrns no lessons of cnulion from the deception of others; wl10, wronged once, suffers ltim sclf to Lc wronged a second time from the same source. I may Le distrustful, but I am pruUently so, J\Iory." . . "You prudent, Riclwrd! I fc:w tl1at eYcn 11o'''. you cleeen e yourself, as it seems to me you must l!:n·e decen·cd yourself before. You lwve not said, Richard, by wl1om you lttn-c bern wronged-by whose disl1oncsty yon l~:1xe acquired all these lessons of prudence and circumspection." How could I answer tl1is 1 "·hom could I accuse 1 I could only answer by replying to an other portion ?f l1er remar~ s. I "You t!Jiuk me chang-ed, l\fary, and I w111 not deny Jt. am certainly not so happy as I k1xc been i Lut my chnngc lws only corresponded with the chaHgcd aspects of the world aronncl me. I know tl1at I lt:wc uudergone no greater changes tlwit others that I know-titan you, for cxmnplc. You arc changel • Mary, greatly chnnged in my sight." d to ench The deepest crimson and the utmost p:tllor succeeJe '. other in rapid alternatiO. nS upon 11 01 . c1 ·I CCI'"· · llcr bosom• he:nI c d -her hand trcmLied within my own. I thought nt fust t J:1t she would have fainted, and, dropping the bridle of my lJOrs~, I supported her sltrinking form with my ~rm. But she ~:~o;f crcd herself almost instantly i :mel, achancmg from the ct I 43 my nrm, whicl1 lwd rncirclcd lt C' I' wnist, with a sutldrn eomposurr "'l1iclt n.stoHisltN1 me, &hr ,·rplicd :- " r did not thiHk it, Jlicl1nrcl; I mn not conscious of any clt :wg-c in me, hut it 111:1)' Le enn n.s you sny. I could l1m·c wis!JC<I you had not seen it, if' it Le so; for, of a truth, I hrn·e not striven for clt:'mge, :llld it gi ,·cs me pain to think that 1 do ser 111 so- to my friends at lrast.'' "Jt is so, lllary. I once thougltt- Lut 110! wiJcreforc sl1onltl I spC'nk of suclt Hlings now?-" f-;l1c intf'rrupt cd 1110 Ly a sudden and IJUrried effort-seemingly :111 impulsive one:- " Oh, speak it, ltich:ml- spenk aloud-spenk free ly ns you m;ed to srlcak when we were hn.ppy cl1ildrcn togetltcl'. De no longer estrangcd-tllit1k u:c not 80 ! Speak your t!toug!Jt, nud, ns I !tope iOr kindness from :til I love, I will ns free ly utter mine." "No!" I exclaimed coldly, nnd !t:df-rclensing h('r fingers from my grnsp; "HO, J\fary, it were Lut a folly l!OW to say wltat were my thoug·hts once-my ferlings-my fancie s. I might l1ave done so in a former clay i Lut now I can not. I ncknowledgc the clmngc, and so must you . It is a wise one. Ere long, :l\ rary, long before I return to 1\l"arengo, you will undergo another clwngc, perltaiJS, wltich ] shall not witness, nntl shall not desire to witness.'' "'Vlmt is it tlmt yon menn, Uicltanl1" "Notl1ing-no matter what. It will Le a hnlJ]l)' clmngc to you, .i\l:ll'y, and that slLould Le euough to make me snt i!;licd with it. Cod knows 1 wish you ltappiness -niiiHtppiuess-ns complete as it is in tn:111 's power to mnke it to you. !must leave yon now. 'l'he sun is gone, and I kl\'o to ride over to Can-ington's to-11ight. Good-Ly, Mmy, good-Ly." "Arc you going, Riclutnl1" sl1c saitl, without looking up "·res, I have loitered too long nlrcndy." "You will write to u.s-to father 1'' "No; of wl1at usc to write 1 "\\'hcrd'orc tax your sympntllics Ly telling the story of my suflCrings 1" "But your successes, Uichan11" "You will believe them without tlJC writing." u So cold, Richard 1" |
