Thrice Lost, Thrice Won — page 241: what you’re looking at

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

236 “YT Have Been Blessed.” the fatal words that drove her from him—the dying man’s vindication—his fruitless search—his | undying repentance and remorse. The count’s daughter listened to all, her lovely: face very pale, her large, dark eyes fixed on the carpet. She raised them, as he finished, full to his face. “Then, Mr. Bartram, you do not know whether your wife ~— is alive or dead 2” “T do know. She is dead. All hope that she might be = alive ended long ago. The search I made was long and thorough. If she were alive, she must have been found. INo; Esteila is dead. She will never stand between us, poor child! reece “And yet [ am not convinced. She may be alive. Fancy, Mr. Bartram, on our wedding-day, your first wife. appearing to stop the ceremony! I have read ot such things often.’ “Yor Heaven’s sake, Estelle, don’t raise that as an ‘ob- ae jection!” he exclaimed, impetuously. “T tell you it is im- — possible. She is surely dead. And yet, if you wish to make conviction certainty, I will begin the search over again—I | will leave no stone unturned to trace her fate.” “And it you find her?’ she slowly said. “I will never find her—I will not admit such a possibility.” “Because you do not wish to do so. Ii you found her to- morrow, it would be the old story. over again, with me for © rival, instead of my cousin Leonie.” “No, ” Alwyn Bartram said, earnestly, oy trust not—l think not. Dearly as I love you, Kstelle—and you can never know how dearly—I should leave you forever, and try to do my duty by her. Happiness I would never know apart from you, but I would never willfully look upon your face again— ~ never willfully admit a thought of you into the heart that should be my wife’s. But I pray God that I may never be put to the test. Estella is happy in heaven. Oh, my love, let me be happy on earth with you!” Again she gave him her hand; again the light of her en- chanting emilé shone full upon him. “You shall. If I may not call you husband, I shall vo to j my grave Estelle De Montreuil! But you must search for your lost wife; you must wnake conviction doubly sure. Take the next six months, Alwyn, and devote them to the search. I do not tell you to use every human means to discover her, — 4 if by any possibility she be still alive. I know you will do | that. If, at the end of six months, nothing has been dis- 4 covered, thenacome to Estelle and claim her as your own.” “My darling!” He lifted the slender hand to his lips in a ~ 4 dizzy trance of joy. “And meantime is the world to. know of Y: this ?” : comicbooks.«