Stella Rosevelt — page 178: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

j 172 “WHY HAS HE DONE THIS THING?” _ the young man, his breath almost taken away by these startling accusations and by her wild words, so full of derision and pain. ‘*T will of listen to you!” she cried, passionately; ‘‘I have listened to you too much already. Oh! why did you do this wicked thing? Why could you not have left me alone? Had you not enough already, with your riches, your title, and your life of pleasure, without coming in cruel sport to spoil a poor young girl’s life? Was it not enough that you could woo and win the heiress, the belle and beauty of Long Branch, without the amusement of trying to win and break my poor heart?” ‘Star! Star!” he cried, drawing nearer the excited girl. ‘What wild, wild words! Every one is like a dagger plunged into my heart. You do not know what you are saying, dear. I try to win and break your heart! My poor darling, you have been misled by having learned of my title. I should have told you before, but : ‘‘Then you are Lord Carrol? You own it—you acknowl- edge it?” Star interrupted, with a ring of wild despair in her tones. When she had looked up into his face, into his kind and loving eyes; when she had heard his voice, so low and eager, yet tender; when he had called her ‘‘his poor darling,” and said her words were like a dagger plunged into his heart, her own had begun to thrill anew, and she. almost hoped against hope that there was after all some mistake, in spite of what she had seen and heard. But now he owned it. He was not Archibald Sherbrooke at all; he was the titled peer, and he had sought to win her love under false colors; and all the pain, and bitterness, and scorn returned, even while she waited breathlessly for his answer. i ‘’Yes, Iam Lord Carrol, of Carrolton; but, Star-——” ‘‘That is enough; I want to hear no more,” she said, stop- Gomilcbooks,