For Woman's Love Part- 2 by Mrs. E. D. E. N. Southworth (i love reading books txt) 📕

Every Brilliant Pulpit Orator Is Not Necessarily A Saint. And As For His

Quarreling With His Wife And Ill-Using Their Step-Daughter,  We Have

Heard But One Side Of That Story."

When They Entered The Rockhold Drawing Room They Found Mrs. Rockharrt

Alone. She Arose And Came Forward And Received Them With A Smile.

"Your Grandfather,  My Dear," She Explained To Cora,  "Came Home Later

Than Usual From North End,  And Very Much More Than Usually Fatigued.

Immediately After Dinner He Lay Down And I Left Him Asleep."

"Where Is Uncle Clarence?" Inquired Corona.

"He Remains At The Works For The Night. Will You Have This Chair,  Love?"

Said Rose,  Pulling Forward A Luxurious "Sleepy Hollow."

"No,  Thank You. I Must Go To My Room And Change My Dress. Will You

Excuse Me For Half An Hour,  Uncle Fabian?" Inquired Cora.

"Most Willingly,  My Dear," Replied Mr. Fabian,  With A Very Pleased

Look. Cora Left The Room.

"I Will Go With You," Exclaimed Rose,  Turning Pale And Starting Up To

Follow The Young Lady.

"No. You Will Not," Said Mr. Fabian,  In A Tone Of Authority,  As He Laid

His Hand Heavily On The Woman's Shoulder. "Sit Down. I Have Something To

Say To You."

"What Do You Mean?"

"I Should Rather Ask What Do You Mean,  Or Rather What Did You Mean,  By

Daring To Marry Any Honest Man,  And Of All Men--Aaron Rockharrt? It Was

The Most Audacious Challenging Of Destruction That The Most Reckless

Desperado Could Venture Upon." Fabian Rockharrt Continued,  Mercilessly:

"Do You Not Know What,  If Mr. Rockharrt Were To Discover The Deception

You Put Upon Him,  He Might Do And Think Himself Justified In Doing To

You?"

Rose Shuddered In Silence.

"The Very Least That He Would Do Would Be To Turn You Out Of His House,

Without A Dollar,  And Shut His Doors On You Forever. Then What Would

Become Of You? Who Would Take You In?"

"Oh,  Fabian!" She Screamed At Last. "Do Not Talk To Me So. You Will

Frighten Me Into Hysterics."

"Now Don't Make A Noise. For If You Do,  You Will Precipitate The

Catastrophe That You Fear. Be Quiet,  I Beg You," Said Mr. Fabian,

Composedly,  Putting His Thumbs In His Vest Pockets And Leaning Back.

"Why Do You Say Such Cruel Things To Me,  Then? Such Inconsistent

Things,  Too. If I Was Good Enough To Marry You,  I Was Good Enough To

Marry Your Father."

"But You Were Never Good Enough To Marry Either Of Us,  My Dear. If You

Will Take A Little Time To Reflect On Your Antecedents,  You Will

Acknowledge That You Were Not Quite Good Enough To Marry Any Honest

Man," Said Mr. Fabian,  Coolly.

"Yet You Asked Me To Marry You," She Said,  Sobbing Softly,  With Her

Handkerchief To Her Eyes.

"Beg Pardon,  My Dear. I Think The Asking Was Rather On The Other Side.

You Were Very Urgent That We Should Be Married,  And That Our Betrothal

Should Be Formally Announced."

"Yes; Because You Led Me To Believe That You Were Going To Marry Me."

"Excuse Me. I Never Led You To Believe So,  Simply Allowed You To Believe

So. What Could A Gentleman Do Under The Circumstances? He Couldn't

Contradict A Lady."

"Oh,  What A Prevarication,  Fabian Rockharrt,  When Every Word,  Every

Deed,  Every Look You Bestowed On Me Went To Assure Me That You Loved Me

And Wished To Marry Me!"

"Softly,  My Dear. Softly. I Was Sorry For You And Generous To You. I

Gave You The Use Of A Pretty Little House And A Sufficient Income During

Good Behavior. But You Were Ungrateful To Me,  Rose. You Were Unkind To

Me."

"I Was Not. I Would Have Married You. I Could Not Have Done More Than

That."

"But,  My Dear,  Your Good Sense Must Have Told You That I Could Not Marry

You. I Have Done The Best I Could By You Always. Twice I Rescued You

From Ruin. Once When You Were But Little More Than A Child,  And Your

Boy-Lover,  Or Husband,  Had Left You Alone,  A Young Stranger In A

Strange Land--A Girl Friendless,  Penniless,  Beautiful,  And So In Deadly

Peril Of Perdition,  I Took You On Your Own Representation,  And

Introduced You Into My Own Family As The Governess Of My Niece. I Became

Responsible For You."

"And Did I Not Try My Best To Please Everybody?" Sobbed The Woman.

"That You Did," Heartily Responded Mr. Fabian. "And Everybody Loved You.

So That,  At The End Of Five Years' Service,  When My Niece Was To Enter A

Finishing School,  And You Were To Go To Another Situation,  You Took With

You The Best Testimonials From My Father And Mother And From The

Minister Of Our Parish. But You Did Not Keep Your Second Situation

Long."

"How Could I? I Was But Half Taught. The Warrens Would Have Had Me Teach

Their Children French And German,  And Music On The Harp And The Piano. I

Knew No Language But My Own,  And No Music Except That Of The Piano,

Which The Dear,  Gentle Lady,  Your Mother,  Taught Me Out Of The Kindness

Of Her Heart. I Was Told That I Must Leave At The End Of The Term. And

My Term Was Nearly Out When Captain Stillwater Became A Daily Visitor To

The House,  And I Saw Him Every Evening. He Was A Tall,  Handsome Man,

With A Dark Complexion And Black Hair And Beard. And I Always Did Admire

That Sort Of A Man. Indeed,  That Was The Reason Why I Always Admired

You."

"Don't Attempt To Flatter Me."

"I Am Not Flattering Anybody. I Am Telling You Why I Liked Captain

Stillwater. And He Was Always So Good To Me! I Told Him All My Troubles.

And He Sympathized With Me! And When I Told Him That I Should Be Obliged

To Leave My Situation At The End Of The Quarter,  He Bade Me Never Mind.

And He Asked Me To Be His Wife. I Did Consent To Be His Wife. I Was Glad

Of The Chance To Get A Husband,  And A Home. So All Was Arranged. He

Advised Me Not To Tell The Warrens That We Were To Be Married,  However.

So At The End Of My Quarter I Went Away To A Hotel,  Where Captain

Stillwater Came For Me And Took Me Away To The Church Where We Were

Married."

"You Had No Knowledge That Alfred Whyte Was Dead,  And That You Were Free

To Wed!"

"He Had Been Lost Seven Years And Was As Good As Dead To Me! Besides,

When A Man Is Missing And Has; Not Been Heard Of For Seven Years,  His

Wife Is Free To Marry Again,  Is She Not?"

"No. She Has Good Grounds For A Divorce That Is All! To Risk A Second

Marriage Without These Legal Formalities,  Would Be Dangerous! Might Be

Disastrous! The First Husband Might Turn Up And Make Trouble!"

"I Did Not Know That! But,  After All,  As It Turned Out,  It Did Not

Matter!" Sighed Rose.

"Not In The Least!" Assented Mr. Fabian,  Amiably.

"After All,  It Was Not My Fault! I Married Him In Good Faith; I Did,

Indeed!"

"Did You Tell Him Of Your Previous Marriage? That Is What You Have Not

Told Me Yet!"

"N-N-No; I Was Afraid If I Did He Might Break Off With Me."

"Ah!"

"And I Was In Such Extremity For The Want Of A Home!"

"Had Not My Father And Mother Told You That If Ever You Should Find

Yourself Out Of A Situation,  You Should Come To Them? Why Did You Not

Take Them At Their Word? They Had Always Been Very Kind To You,  And They

Would Have Given You A Warm Welcome And A Happy Home. Now,  Why Need You

Have Rushed Into A Reckless Marriage For A Home?"

"Oh,  Fabian!" She Exclaimed,  Impatiently,  "Don't Pretend To Talk Like

An Idiot,  For You Are Not One! Don't Talk To Me As If I Were A Wax Doll

Or A Wooden Woman,  For You Know I Am Not One!"

"I Am Sure I Do Not Know What You Mean!"

"Well,  Then,  I Loved The Man! There,  It Is Out! I Loved Him More Than I

Ever Loved Any One Else In The Whole World! And I Was Afraid Of Losing

Him!"

"And So It Was Because You Loved Him So Well That You Deceived Him So

Much!"

"Didn't He Deceive Me Much More?"

"There Were A Pair Of You--Well Matched! So Well,  It Seems A Pity That

You Were Parted!"

"Oh,  How Very Unkind You Are To Me!"

"Not Yet Unkind! Only Waiting To See How You Are Going To Behave!"

"I Have Never Behaved Badly! I Was Not Wicked; I Was