large/8432/henrydunbar_1309_librivox_64kb_mp3/henrydunbar_34_braddon_64kb_31
large/8432/henrydunbar_1309_librivox_64kb_mp3/henrydunbar_34_braddon_64kb
English
8432
"I may go now, Mr. Austin?" said Margaret. "Yes, you may go now—_you_, who once were the woman I loved; you, who have thrown away the beautiful mask I believed in, and revealed to me the face of a skeleton; you, who have lifted the silver veil of imagination to show me the hideous ghastliness of reality. I MAY GO NOW MISTER AUSTIN SAID MARGARET YES YOU MAY GO NOW YOU WHO ONCE WERE THE WOMAN I LOVED YOU WHO HAVE THROWN AWAY THE BEAUTIFUL MASK I BELIEVED IN AND REVEALED TO ME THE FACE OF A SKELETON YOU WHO HAVE LIFTED THE SILVER VEIL OF IMAGINATION TO SHOW ME THE HIDEOUS GHASTLINESS OF REALITY
trong to stand against temptation? I seized upon the one chance of my miserable life; I plotted to win your love. Step by step I lured you on until you offered to make me your wife. That was my end and aim. I triumphed; and for a time enjoyed my success, and the advantages that it brought me. But I suppose the worst sinners have some kind of conscience. Mine was awakened last night, and I resolved to spare you the misery of being married to a woman who comes of such a race as that from which I spring." Nothing could be more callous than the manner with which Margaret Wilmot had made this speech. Her tones had never faltered. She had spoken slowly, pausing before every fresh sentence; but she had spoken like a wretched creature, whose withered heart was almost incapable of womanly emotion. Clement Austin looked at her with a blank wondering stare. "Oh! great heavens!" he cried at last; "how could I think it possible that any man could be as cruelly deceived as I have been by this woman! E ME NOBLE OR GOOD OR STRONG TO STAND AGAINST TEMPTATION I SEIZED UPON THE ONE CHANCE OF MY MISERABLE LIFE I PLOTTED TO WIN YOUR LOVE STEP BY STEP I LURED YOU ON UNTIL YOU OFFERED TO MAKE ME YOUR WIFE THAT WAS MY END AND MY AIM I TRIUMPHED AND FOR A TIME ENJOYED MY SUCCESS AND THE ADVANTAGES THAT IT BROUGHT ME BUT I SUPPOSE THE WORST SINNERS HAVE SOME KIND OF CONSCIENCE MINE WAS AWAKENED LAST NIGHT AND I RESOLVED TO SPARE YOU THE MISERY OF BEING MARRIED TO A WOMAN WHO COMES OF SUCH A RACE AS THAT FROM WHICH I SPRANG NOTHING COULD BE MORE CALLOUS THAN THE MANNER WITH WHICH MARGARET WILMOT HAD MADE THIS SPEECH HER TONES HAD NEVER FALTERED SHE HAD SPOKEN SLOWLY PAUSING BEFORE EVERY FRESH SENTENCE BUT SHE HAD SPOKEN LIKE A WRETCHED CREATURE WHOSE WITHERED HEART WAS ALMOST INCAPABLE OF WOMANLY EMOTION CLEMENT AUSTIN LOOKED AT HER WITH A BLANK WONDERING STARE OH GREAT HEAVENS HE CRIED AT LAST HOW COULD I THINK IT POSSIBLE THAT ANY MAN COULD BE AS CRUELLY DECEIVED AS I HAVE BEEN BY THIS WOMAN
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