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Show tr:latlamc•s llngc:c Glil> llose anl> Sil1ler moment. Nobody expects you to marry a man whom, for any reason on earth, you do not love well enough to marry. Kindly consider that as something to be settled in accordance with your own wishes and desires." . .. , "Certainly," interrupted the gul. I d like to see anybody force me to marry him!" Madame compressed her lips into a thin, tight line, and her face became stem, even hard. She clenched her small hands tightly and her breath came quickly. A red spot burned on either cheek. Never having seen Madame angry before, Rose was almost frightened. She herself was not angry, but hurt-for him. At the mome.nt she heard of the accident, her love for h1m had transcended the bounds of self and merged into prayer for him and for his good, whatever that might prove to be. "Isabel," said Rose, very softly, "will you do one thing for me? " "What?" Isabel demanded, suspiciously. "Listen, dear. For me, if not for him, will you go to him, and-well, simply be kind? Don't let him think that this terrible thing has separated him from you or changed your love. Wait until he is strong and we~~ again before you tell h1m. Will you, please? Isabel's flushed face took on the expression of outraged virtue. "I don't know why I should bo\1? 11sabel a:ame be expected to lie," she remarked evasively, with a subtle change of manner. Madame Bernard cleared her throat. "Your Jove was a lie," she said, in a tone that neither of them had ever heard her use before. "One more won't matter." Isabel fidgeted in her chair and nervously tapped the edge of her plate with her fork. "I haven't heard anybody say," she began, with the air of one scoring a fine point, "that his father doesn't love him, and yet he hasn't gone near him-hasn't even seen him since we were hurt. If Colonel Kent can stay away from him, I don't know why I can't." The argument seemed unanswerable, for neither Madame nor Rose spoke. They sat with averted eyes until the silence became oppressive, and Isabel, with ostentatious difficulty, pushed back her chair and limped painfully out of the room. When she had locked her own door, she was more at ease, and began to survey her unpleasant situation. Nobody seemed to consider her at all-it was only Allison, and everything and everybody, apparently, must be sacrificed for him. Just because she had promised to marry him, when he had both hands, they wan ted her to go on with it, in spite of the fact that he saw it was impossible. Isabel sighed heavily. Nobody knew how keenly disappointed she was. She had written ¢I nil? lUUaonf |