The Fallen Leaves

lady spo

est possible politeness, "perhaps you will

ilence. "Here I am, in another scrape with a woman!" he thought

maliciously. "Everybody in the house is

ch humility on the part of a man has ever really found its way to the indulgence of an irritated woman. The best and the worst of them al

offended you?" Amel

no! I am not offended. Only a little surprised

rkled; her smooth dusky cheeks glowed with a warm red flush; her tall supple figure asserted its full dignity, robed in a superb dress of silken purple and black lace, which set off her personal attractions to the utmost advantage. She not only roused the admiration of Amelius-she unc

ss Regina," he said. "You may as well blame

. "I don't understan

toe, I should have said-well! I should have said something I had better not repeat. If a man had stood between me and the door when

quickness of perception. "I can't offer any opinion," she

thought better of it. He wisely went st

on myself. I merely wanted to remind you that I was put in an awkward position, and that I couldn't civilly find a way out of it. As for your aunt, I will only

at point. "I suppose it's a

Mrs. Farnaby has-well! has filled me with kindly feeling towards her. She has a claim, poor soul, to my truest

rom his heart-and the woman's heart felt it instantly. This was the man whose ridicule she had dreaded, if her aunt's rash confidence struck him in an absurd light! She sat down in si

s hand on the back of it, said gently, "

es: she silently folded an

. "I can't tell you how sorry I should be-" He stopped, and put it more strongly. "I shall

had troubled the tranquil temperament of this woman. He had found his way to those secret reserves of tenderness-placid and deep-of which she was hardly conscious herself, until his influence had e

on his first familiarity with her-he kisse

rt," Amelius reminded her, with a pleasant inner convi

s she drew it away. The peace was made without another word of explanation. Amelius took a chair at her side. "I'm quite happ

g the subject. But there was another reason, more cogent still. Her first painful sense of having treated him unjustly had ceased to make itself keenly felt; the lower emotions had their

eet," she began slyly, "if I ma

confession: it would pave the way for

Regina proceeded; "but what astonishes me is that she should have admitted you to her confidence a

riend?" Amelius asked. "I mean," he added, wi

sumed. "I have been with her since I was a little girl-and yet she has never told me any of her secrets. Pray

ve told her that she was incapable of doing anything which was not perfectly becoming to a charming person, if she had only given him time! She was too eager in the

you of her dream?" he asked,

en. I am often in and out when she is disturbed in her sleep. She was talking in her sleep, and I heard your

am really had something to do with her trusting me. You may no

ve interested you-what right have I to object? I am sure I shall say nothing. Though I a

opportunity of retiring by rising from her chair. He made a last effort to reco

uld like to give you one of my secrets to keep-onl

; she was at a loss how to answer. After an awkward silence, she made an attempt

nd stared at a plump young giantess with enormous eyes and rotund hips, vacantly boring holes in the grass with the point of her parasol. Perfectly incapable of explaining itself, this imbecile production put its trust in the printer, whose charitable types helped it, at the bottom of the page, with the titl

at?" he said, pointin

understand him. "

at firs

e told him a lie. Let the milder form of expression be, that she mode

lius remark

ction of imbecility in that fatal work? She was too simple to u

at first sight is,

of the magazine. "Ah," she s

answered. "I know what I felt myself

a sly smile. "A young la

plainness of speech. "In this very street," he resumed, seizing her hand before she was aware of him. Too much bewildered to know what else to

something in her eyes which warned him th

in, soon?" he a

door which they both recogni

rference, following on the earlier events of the day, had touched the young lady'

to him, put her hand in his ar

u as long as it flatters her vanity; and she will throw you over, as she has thrown other men over. Have your fling, you foolish fellow, before you marry anybody. Pay no more visits to this house, unless they are visit

ing-room window. He kissed his hand to her: she smiled and bowed. "Dam