18 



THE AMERICAN BEE-KEEPER. 



Jamcary 



ixnptM'-lbie and njODs^trous do, and he 

 Viw fo abso.-li'd iu it that he did not 

 Jiw*. 1 f ooti-toy coming through the open 

 fiorrr, aiid fitaiUid violently when a hand 

 W»o IhUI on l;is arm and Lilian's voice 

 said I 



"Whatever are you scowling at so fe- 

 rociorjHly?" 



"On, nothing of any consequence — a 

 stupid letter," he said confusedly, try- 

 ing to crumple it up; but his wife put 

 her iinyer on it. 



"JVii! you eo anxious I shouldn't see 

 jt?" she said r'iprn;tchfully. 



•'It isjj't v;hat you think at all, Lil, " 

 he sail!, gacssing her suspicions. "It's 

 not a lettei- from a woman — at least — I 

 nibau it'B of no importance." 



"Let ine see it. then," she persisted 

 gaatly. trying to draw it away. 



"^ih. don't read it, dear. • It's an 

 Bbominahl.?. sijiirneful letter ! I wouldn't 

 Lave yon poUnto your eyes by reading 

 it," ho gaid. talceii off his guard. "I en- 

 treat you !;i5f to read it!" 



"Why, yon luusf. think I am some- 

 thing iuor<3! tb'.uj a woman to refrain aft- 

 er that." j^iiid Mrs. Stanhope, smiling as 

 ^be drpv it fiojn his reluctant fingers. 



Bho ^*ti,) ft vMry lovely woman, slender 

 and I'jit with piuheiic gray eyes and a 

 8ersyi-W fud Uiouth, and the smile gave 

 jun u»M ht'^l u>'.i>-ii nor boauty wanted. 



"7>.::>'t 111 uk L I'.eed it for an instant! 

 I knov-' v.cii »'!;ough who's done it," 

 paid ^.'harlie nob]y, but she held up her 

 band f'->r silence, as she quickly read the 

 fibeet. Ho oDxild see her eyes traveling 

 from lino to line ; could see a flush 

 ^juickly ri.so to her forehead, and as 

 futfflT o.hai}.!<e to whiteness. 



■ -* I il, mj darling! I knew you 

 Bouid not irLiiuii it; I ouj^litn't i < have 

 let you read it," he said, catching at 

 her as she swayed slightly, but she freed 

 herself and stood facing him, with part- 

 ed lips. 



"Then you don't believe it?" she said 

 Blowly. 



"Believe it! My God, what a ques- 

 tion from you to me! My queen, my 

 Baiut ! As if I'd believe all the world 

 pgainst you !" lie broke out, passionate- 

 ly. "I've been a bad lot myself, but do 

 you think I don't know a good woman 

 when I find one ?" 



"You'd believe mo against all the 

 world," sheechoed, "but if I joined the 

 World against myself what would you 



believe then?" 



"I don't know what you mean. Don't 

 jest on such a subject, and, trust me, 

 I'll make the woman who wrote those 

 lies smart for it. " 



"But they are not lies," said Lilian 

 Stanhope slowly. "It is the simple 

 truth. ' ' 



He looked at her in utter bewilder- 

 ment. What did she mean? What was 

 she talking of? Was she out of her mind? 



"You don't seem to understand," she 

 said quietly. "Every word in that let- 

 ter is true. " 



He did not answer, but still stood 

 gazing at her. She had crossed over to 

 the mantelpiece and stood with one el- 

 bow resting on it, her face turned to- 

 ward him. The sleeve of her morning 

 wrapper had slipped down, and he could 

 see the curve of her round, white arm. 

 Perhaps he would still have believed her 

 if she had no« suddenly smiled such a 

 smiJe as he had never dreamt of on her 

 face. 



He did not know what he said — per- 

 haps he only made some inarticulate 

 cry — but he sank into a chair and hid his 

 face iu his hands from that look. 



Neither of them spoke. It seemed to 

 him tliat minutes were merging into 

 eternity. The ticking of the clock on the 

 mantelpiece was like the strokes of a 

 hammer on his brain. His heart seemed 

 shrinking under the touch of redhot 

 iron. 



Lilian vile I Oh, it was incredible, 

 impossible, some hideous dream ! 



He raised his head again to look at 

 her. Surely a lifetime had passed since 

 that smile, and yet the clock had only 

 marked three minutes. 



"I am glad you know, "said his wife. 

 "I was so tired of pretending to be 

 good." And she stretched her arms as 

 one laying down a heavy burden. "I 

 wonder you have never guessed it be- 

 fore. " 



"Guessed it! I — I reverenced you too 

 much to insult you by a thought. " 



"You mean virtue was my role, and 

 it was for you to play sinner. Oh, you 

 were too egotistical. You wanted always 

 to play lead. " 



"Oh, what did it matter how much I 

 sinned? I was never good. But youl 

 You have been a saint in heaven to me. " 



"No woman is ever a saint, and, re- 

 member, I have been your wife five 



