Stella Rosevelt — page 367: what you’re looking at

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

“7 HAVE BEEN MAD.” 361 is something that malice can never touch, and a month hence I shall be on my way to America to make her my wife.” Josephine uttered a cry of mingled pain and anger at this, and made another effort to leave him, but he would not let her go even yet. ‘‘T have not quite finished what I wisn to say, Miss Richards,” he continued, ‘‘and we may as well come to a full understand- ing at once. I have been told of the change in Miss Glad- stone’s fortunes. I have, indeed, learned much regarding her life while she was with you that has both pained and surprised me. I know, too, of some things which occurred this year, when. you were both visitors at the same fashionable resort. You are, it appears, to 1emain a resident of England, and we may meet occasionally in society; but let me tell you I shall never allow any such indignity to be heaped upon the future ‘Lady Carrol as that-of which you were guilty this summer at Newport.” He saw her start as he said this. ‘‘What do you mean?” she demanded, haughtily. ‘‘T do not think you are so ignorant of my meaning as you appear,” he returned, his handsome lips curling with scorn; ‘‘but if you wish to be reminded of the fact that you publicly twitted Miss Gladstone last summer of having once performed the duties of a chambermaid in your family, I can doso. But do not let it ever happen again, or I shall feel it my duty to make a// the facts of the case public.” ‘Who has told you all this?” she demanded, angrily. ‘“That does not matter,” he replied, coldly; ‘‘it is sufficient that I know it.” ‘‘Ralph Meredith has told you!” she cried. ‘“Mr. Meredith is my friend—but that is a point we need not discuss, I think,” he answered, quietly. She beat the air frantically with her hands. She felt how little, how contemptible she must appear in his sight. GOmMmicbdooks (EO)