Stella Rosevelt — page 366: what you’re looking at

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

360 “I HAVE BEEN MAD,’ had looked tenderly into my eyes and owned me yours, I could have asked no greater bliss in life. But, heavens! when I break every barrier down, when I forget my womanhood and modesty and tell you how I idolize you, you coolly inform me that you love the girl 7 hate. Beware! you have made me an eternal enemy to you both, and I will ruin do// your lives, as you have ruined mine, if I can.” She would have dashed wildly by him after uttering those last fierce, revengeful words, but he placed himself directly in her path and would not let her pass. He saw now that all his sympathy and kindly feeling had been worse than wasted. He had read her character aright from the first; she was totally selfish, and her love—if an un- reasoning passion like hers could be called love—would have made any true man miserable, for her ambition would never be satisfied. He did not wonder now that he had not had more faith in her, and his sympathy and sorrow for her were at once turned into contempt. — ‘‘Miss Richards,” he began, in a stern, cold voice, and look- ing down into her angry, blazing eyes with a glance which cowed her in spite of her passion, ‘‘ what respect I may have entertained for you heretofore, what pity or compassion I may have experienced for your apparent suffering to-night, and the only emotion which ever made you appear really womanly or gentle in my eyes, has wholly vanished during those last vin- dictive words of yours. I had begun to hope that you had learned lessons of charity and kindness during the past year— that you had come to realize there was something more required in life than a continual seeking after pleasure and the gratifica- tion of pride and ambitious desires; but I perceive that I was mistaken, and I am sorry, for you will be the greatest sufferer. Your declaration of hatred, and your threat that you will ruin Miss Gladstone’s and my life, are but idle words; for our love GEomicbooks:. Go