large/11477/eagles_shadow_1702_librivox_64kb_mp3/eaglesshadow_07_cabell_64kb_82
large/11477/eagles_shadow_1702_librivox_64kb_mp3/eaglesshadow_07_cabell_64kb
English
11477
"Why, have you thought of a plausible lie so soon?" she queried, sweetly. "Dear me, Mr. Woods, what is the use of explaining things? It is very simple. You wanted to marry me last night because I was rich. And when I declined the honour, you went back to your old love. Oh, it's very simple, Mr. Woods! It's a pity, though  isn't it?  that all your promptness went for nothing. Why, dear me, you actually managed to propose before breakfast, didn't you? WHY HAVE YOU THOUGHT OF A PLAUSIBLE LIE SO SOON SHE QUERIED SWEETLY DEAR ME MISTER WOODS WHAT IS THE USE OF EXPLAINING THINGS IT IS VERY SIMPLE YOU WANTED TO MARRY ME LAST NIGHT BECAUSE I WAS RICH AND WHEN I DECLINED THE HONOR YOU WENT BACK TO YOUR OLD LOVE OH IT'S VERY SIMPLE MISTER WOODS IT IS A PITY THOUGH ISN'T IT THAT ALL YOUR PROMPTNESS WENT FOR NOTHING WHY DEAR ME YOU ACTUALLY MANAGED TO PROPOSE BEFORE BREAKFAST DIDN'T YOU
uch a splendid actor, such a consummate liar, such a clever scoundrel, Mr. Woods, that I scarcely recognise you now." And there was not a spark of anger in the very darkest corner of Billy's big, brave heart, but only pity--pity all through and through, that sent little icy ticklings up and down his spine and turned his breathing to great sobs. For she had turned full face to him and he could see the look in her eyes. I think he has never forgotten it. Years after the memory of it would come upon him suddenly and set hot drenching waves of shame and remorse surging about his body--remorse unutterable that he ever hurt his Peggy so deeply. For they were tragic eyes. Beneath them her twitching mouth smiled bravely, but the mirth of her eyes was monstrous. It was the mirth of a beaten woman, of a woman who has known the last extreme of shame and misery and has learned to laugh at it. Even now Billy Woods cannot quite forget. "Peggy," said he, brokenly, "ah, dear, dear Peggy, listen to me!  YES YOU'VE DEVELOPED INTO SUCH A SPLENDID ACTOR SUCH A CONSUMMATE LIAR SUCH A CLEVER SCOUNDREL MISTER WOODS THAT I SCARCELY RECOGNIZE YOU NOW AND THERE WAS NOT A SPARK OF ANGER IN THE VERY DARKEST CORNER OF BILLY'S BIG BRAVE HEART BUT ONLY PITY PITY ALL THROUGH AND THROUGH THAT SENT LITTLE ICY TICKLINGS UP AND DOWN HIS SPINE AND TURNED HIS BREATHING TO GREAT SOBS FOR SHE HAD TURNED FULL FACE TO HIM AND HE COULD SEE THE LOOK IN HER EYES I THINK HE HAS NEVER FORGOTTEN IT YEARS AFTER THE MEMORY OF IT WOULD COME UPON HIM SUDDENLY AND SET HOT DRENCHING WAVES OF SHAME AND REMORSE SURGING ABOUT HIS BODY REMORSE UNUTTERABLE THAT HE EVER HURT HIS PEGGY SO DEEPLY FOR THEY WERE TRAGIC EYES BENEATH THEM HER TWITCHING MOUTH SMILED BRAVELY BUT THE MIRTH OF HER EYES WAS MONSTROUS IT WAS THE MIRTH OF A BEATEN WOMAN OF A WOMAN WHO HAS KNOWN THE LAST EXTREME OF SHAME AND MISERY AND HAS LEARNED TO LAUGH AT IT EVEN NOW BILLY WOODS CANNOT QUITE FORGET PEGGY SAID HE BROKENLY AH DEAR DEAR PEGGY LISTEN TO ME
large/11477/eagles_shadow_1702_librivox_64kb_mp3/eaglesshadow_07_cabell_64kb
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download/librilight/large/11477/eagles_shadow_1702_librivox_64kb_mp3/eaglesshadow_07_cabell_64kb.flac