ROGUES IN PURPLE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 15553, 7 September 1912, Page 2

ROGUES IN PURPLE.

(PnhUsbed by Special Arrangement,)

Br' Flobekce Wabdbn, Author of "Tho'House- on UuvMaph," "Wedded But Not a Wife, ' A Princo ol Darkness," " iho Love that Never Dies," etc., etc, [Copyright,] •sisoi»3is o'f.'frbviow chapters. CTAPTF.R J.—Sir ltandolph Aoil is attacked In % n<x U.IIO br a gang ol swell mobsmen. A Saiw II l« 01.™ Interna, and helps Uio toinc baronet. Jto Introduce, hlm«U a» Colonel SrcX The young man thanks (he cote. SSdtoi -li bli nil dw. Colonel OarW-nok "in bail bcjlth, and Is anita about h» dWfct*". Pauline- Sir Haodolph cUls on his friSd. Madame Cwlmlr Brandt, and learns Umt SHisbad 1 f ruby ptndunt stolen, The poHoo %*1 the (belt to ! 'Ooutlemiti Jwlc. 1 ' Cohnel Acol 10 his daughter I'mUnT Sh«i thTwung man finds very charming. Within' a nwnUi, 8& - llandolnh is engaged to 3L His m tier,' Lady fchrliUbel. oppo** hi" Swiiai" to this unknown- girL---Alter toe which is a rery quiet allair, the .colonel S« rt. «S» ■«»? " MWJE whM no brcallast, and saj* that he has ,a war»nt lor U* arrest ol Colonel Oirlitatf, otliw wl» "Gentleman Jack." / . "■ CHAPTER 11.-A DILEMMA. Sir, Randolph reeled-back as if ho.had received a blow,between tli© eyes. "Impossible!" he ejaculated hoarsely. Tho dctectivo looked at hira with veiled sympathy. . , , . „ " I'm if raid yom'll find it s true, sir, he said; "We've had a tough job with him, aaid it don't soem to bo done with yet, but there is no doubt that he is our man, and ono of the cleverest rogues •going." ■••■*' ■ Tho baronet, however, scarcely heard tho last words. He was by this time deeply preoccupied by thoughts of even a graver cast than-these. H was not so much tho colonel who concerned him, it was tho colonel's daughter-lhc woman whom Iw'had just made his wife. What was hor position! ' For the first moment, suddenly. filled with 'suspicion and mistrust of everyone, Sir Randolph asked himself whether sho wore a partner in tho guilt of her father, whotlicr eho, knew of the .trap that was being laid for Uio man she was marrying. This doubt was inevitable, but luckily for his peace of mind, ho was able to thrust it from him as degrading even to himself. Tho girl was as ignorant as himself, ho believed, of tho wilts of " Gentleman Jack," and saw in her beloved father only tho kind guardian, the tender relation.

'.' My wife!" \. Tho words were scarcely uttered, but tho expression of dismay and distress in lik eyes said more than the words. Tito detective hastened to speak. " Sho Hon't know anything, you may no bound, Sir Randolph. You must keep it from tho poor lady if you can." But tho baronet could not trust himself even to think, for on all sides ho perceived pitfalls, dangers, annoyances, such os ho had never dreamed of. Rallying with a great effort, he said : "What am I to say to tho people! To —to everybody ?" " Say that the colonel's met with a slight accident, and that he can't, come to the breakfast in consequence." . . "That won't satisfy his daughter. She adores her father." , "WohVsir, I. can't think of anything that would satisfy them.' Certainly tho truth wouldn't!" said tho officer drily. ".Better say that; and chance it. And Ihcnyouand tho lad); can bo off out of Uio plnco .on your trip, and tho sliock won't bo so groat, when it does conic, as it (mo hadn't been sort of prepared. You will know how to break it gently, and during tho honeymoon even-tho worst blow from outside falls light." 'lints tho detective, out of the wisdom of years/ Sir Randolph, nevertheless,'foil himself shuddering al tho thought of the road before him. Without -wishing to •visit the sins of tho fathers upon the children,'it is certain that ho would never havo married Paulino if he had known that sho was tho daughter; of a scoundrel. And tho first thought in bis mand was, maluially, rcflcntnir.nl at finding that he 'had-been entrapped. Although ho was iinxioiis to bo just, it required ft strong effort not to sco Pauline in a new and idisagtecablo light, now that he knew tho tiuth about her father.

Tho thought of a honeymoon spent away from'.England and his friends, m tho society or tho bride who was thedaughtcr of a thief, was intolerable lo him. Yet justice and mercy both forbade him to bo other titan gentle and kind to the unfortunate girl whoso guardian and busKind ho how was. Nevertheless, he fell himself seized by an infinite repugnance which ho tried in vain to conquer, at tho Ibonght thai he had been beguiled into this-unequal and most undesirable marriage. « Inepito of himself be (ell Hint he haled her. After tho first shock had passed, Sir Randolph began to think for himself, 'and-he rapidly decided that the lxwtthing ho could do would be to place Paulino within tho shelter of Gable Hall, in Hie care of.his molber, and 10. remain himself in town for.a while, until he had at least got over the first shock of his awful discovery. ....-, , - Although Lady Chnslabcl had already prepared to retire to the collage which hnd boon fitted up for her, she had not vet moved into it, as it had been arranged that she .should not do so until the honeymoon slay abroad- was over. Sir Randolph,foresaw that there would bo cmlloM difficulties , : ih die way of explaining, tlm (dlimtion In her, and that sho might even decline- to remain under the same roof with the' unhappy bride. Rutit "was useless to meet troubles half-way. when so many wero ai'liis feet, and he tot himself resofoUy to do tho thin? that Dressed.! ' He turned to tbo deleelivc.

" Well,'/ said he, " I can give you no information about him, as you know. I'll go and -'moke the • best, lata 1, can to—to Lidv Acol and the' rest. Good-day!" He returned te tlw room whore Pauline and the guests were seated at the table, and cast a glance which was full of an inexpressible- sick disgust at the. huge erection of white and silver in the middle, (ho festive significance of which, at- that moment, struck him-with a hon-iblo sense of contrast. ■ ■ '~.',' . , The bride, who was looking pale and anxious, "sprans" up as'.ho' entered. " What's the matter, Randolph? What has become of papa Y\ And all Hie faces in the room wrre turned towards the baronet, wlio was aware that his own looks must bo some sort of betrayal. _ He tried not to stiffen, as ho felt himself instinctively doing, as Pauline, in her white drew, came up to him, stating with keen eyes into hi?. He tried to smile, and laid a hand, with what was meant to ha a reassuring tap, oil hor sleeve, ~.,., " Don't bo alarmed. he,oa«t; 'here is nothing to bn greatly troubled .about. Hut—tho'coloncl has met with a slight ac. cidont—" , ' " Accident!" echoed Paulino in lorn* of dismay and distress. . And Uw word was repeated by others, in different tones, but without the least touch of suspicion in any. He went on quickly. " Yes. but it s nothing serious." , Paulino's white faoostiH presented itself to his eyes, convulsed with grief. "Will, you swear." gasped she, " that he is notr-tiot dead!" ■'' On triv honour I hehevp it. is nothing that will lead to anything so droadful as that," replied he quickly. " But he can't appear at breakfast, and he sent word that he hopes', his absence will not prevent vonr—our enjoyinc ourselves.' Although thcro could be no doubt that ho was minimising the extent of the harm dono by the alleged " accident," and nllhouch Paulino -was furtively wiping away her tears, and mimrmruig broken requests that she might be told "the truth-all the truth." the rest of the parly iiwlly concluded from tlie baronet's words irnd maimer that the worst could not Ivivo happened. Paulino, however, would not sit down again, but stood apart, a pathetic fignro in lier long white trained gown. t!»magnificence of which afforded such a strong contrast- to Ihc shyness and abject misery into which she iid shrunk, and

whispered to her husband to take her to hor father. S'ruck with a sudden acntc pity tor tins forlorn creature, who was bo certainly ignorant of the whole pathos of her silimtion, Sir Randolph asked one. of tic colonel's friends to preside at Uio break, fast, and excusing himself and his bride, lod Pauline into the adjoining room where, amid tho hats awl coals of the guests, He made her sit down and then, taking a seat beside her, told her of his suggested change of plan. "It's roaliy true,' ho. said earnestly, " that as far as I know your father is in no immediate danger. But he hae to keep quiet, he can bcc no one, and to, as, in the circumstances, I suppose you would not care to leave England " " With papa, ill! No, of course not," put in Pauline impetuously. " Exactly. .Well, then, I propose that I should take you down to Gable Hall to-day—"

" Gable Hall! But that's right away in Yorkshire! Why.can't we slay: in lowil?" . ..

Ho hesitated,

"You're keeping something from mo," she broke out, impatiently. " Nothing about your father's accident, indeed. But—it will leave mo free to Gcttlo somo business which he would have taken in hand himself," he floundered on, conscious that he was making a sad hash of his. recital, and hoping that Pauline might not suddenly pounce upon somo specially weak spot, to his undoing—and 'hers. , ;•

"What business V demanded she. " Have you. ever heard of such a tiling as settlements?"

She looked *t'him suspiciously. • Sho was ignorant, but she was not stupid. "You haven't said anything about them before," said she. "They have to be attended to though. And what I propose is that I should lake you down to the Hall—it isn't very far, it's in the south of Yorksliire—and leave you there for a day or two '" . "Leave me there! All by myeelf?" "No, no. My mother will be there.' ■ Pauline was too well bred wilfully to make a, grimace,-yet that is perhaps what her chango of expression amounted to. " Oh, yes," she said coldly. Sir Randolph bit his lip. Not all his entreaties had availed to make Lady Christabel do moro than write a cold and formal letter, to:hor intended.daughter-in-law, and ho knew that it was not in human nature—especially Pauline's—to lake such a slight without resentment. " Well," ho said, in a tone of somo irritation, " thefe's nothing clso to bo done. And, of course, if you would prefer it, my mother -will leave you in sole command."

" Can't you go down there and let me stay in town?" was her 6uddon spirited anil disconcerting request.

He shrugged his shoulders. " As yon please," said ho. ; Thcy wore far enough from the endearments of tho honeymoon already, and as Sir Randolph sat back, and glanced at his forlorn bride in her rich dress, with the woebegone look on lior countenance, ho became uncomfortably conscious of this. Ho leaned forward and touched oho of hor ■ink, girlish hands. Well-shaped they were, llioso hands of hors; but against tho whito satin of her gown, on the cold October morning, they looked discoloured and pinched by the gloves sho had taken off.

" Yon do caro for me enough to trust me to. do everything-'that's.for tho best* 'don'l you!" ho said gently. But slio noted, with a girl's quick instinct, thai the lone of the lover had merged into something different, kind, considerate, but—different.

She drew her hnnd away.

.',' I've got lo do wliat you want, I suppose. There's no help for it," sho said, ;ni melancholy mutiny against a fate which ■seemed to havo\ grown suddenly unexpectedly hard. "We'll, I won't, ask you to do anything very unpleasant," ho said in a nwrH coaxing tone. "Only to trust me, and to leave mc frop lo act in a position which :iias unexpectedly become one of difficulty." She looked at him askance, shyly. \. , " Why don't you tell me everything?" sho abruptly demanded. "So I will. All in good time. Hut now we have, no time for more talk. Our friends will wonder what h;is happened, and we don't want to disturb tbcm again. What I propose is that wo slip away now, and leavo word that they are not to interrupt the festivities, as we hnd to catch a train and preferred to go quietly." Sho nodded in silence and bewilderment. 11 had suddenly struck him as im. possiblo that ho could allow his friends and those.of the colonel lo give them tho "send-off" for which they were all preparing, with rice and slippers and laughter. ■ In , tho circumstances, tho utmost modesty' was the only thing to bo striven for, and fortunately. Pauline agreed with him. in this.. She sprang up and nrn away to the Toom where sho was to change her dress; and while she was gelling ready, Sir Randolph walked up and down the room, in feverish impatience, until the door opened and one of the colonel's friends came in. He was a Major Transfield, of the iArmv Medical Corps, a merry, goodiiatuicd fellow, who, to judge by tho laughter the baronet beard from the adjoining room, 1 was causing the parly lo forget the contretemps that had occurred. It was evident,'however, from his face as he came in that!ho thought there was •more to bo told. " What is really the matter with onr friend?" lie asked "in a low voice. "Something inoro serious than you've let us know, I suppose. - ' Sir Handolph.' hesitated. Then he looked the colonel full in llic eyes. "Have you known the colonel long?" he asked drily. ' " On and off for a couple of years." " F.vcr heard anything—fishy—about him?" "(!ood Heavens,, no! What is it! "Hush! There are detectives after him."

"Hv .love! What for!"

" Complicity in a jewel robbery." Tlie major stepped back, appalled. The next moment the inevitable question came:

"And his daughter! What does she know ?" •

" Nothing—l hope—and I believe." "Sir linndolph, I'm sorry, with allm; heart. What's to be done!"

" Well, I don't quite know. It all donends, I suppose, upon how far tilings have gone. At present all I know i 6 that there is n warrant out for him, and that in the meantime he has had the common prudence to disappear." "When did he manage it! He was at the church!"

"Yes. the last that, was seen of him was in the vestry."

" l!y Jove! The old fox must have suspected that something was in the wind and have got away in the nick of lime." Sir llojulolph frowned. "Yes," said he slmrtly. "Aftermakinc things safe for his daughter." The major nodded significantly. •' It looks like it." There was an awkward pause. Then the baronet said :

" 1 want you to go back to our friends, to whom you had better say nothing about this. Tell them that Pauline is so much upset hv her father's accident that we have IhoHuht it best to go away quietly at once. Say good-bye to everybody for us."

"Yes. You cross by the afternoon boat from Folkestone!"

" Oh, no. Not now. f take Pauline down to Gable Hall, my place in Yorkshire, snd—leave her tliere with my mother."

" Uivc hor!" asked tlie major sitnificantly. Sir Randolph shrugged his shoulders. •' Iter the present, Th' s ncws > s 100 overwhelming not to—rot to make a difference in one's—plans. 1 '

The pauses in his speech were full of meaning, which the major caught. " I see that," said he. "But it's rough on the girl." "It shall not. be, if T can heln it. Tt'« a most awkward situation, shocking, terrible. And she will have to choose, presently, which side she will take. Whether she will break with her father or break with me."

"Yes. Rut of course there's no doubl of hor choice!"

Sir Randolph, however, did not look confident.

"Wo shall see," ho said rather chillingly. The major, alarmed by liis tone, Bpoko earnestly and with kindly warmth. " It's an awful situation for you," ho paid. " But remember it is worse for her. T could swear she's had no more

dca of there being anything w-rong than I've had, and even now I can't help linking, hoping, there may have been ;ome mistake of identity."

" I should have thought so myself but for this disappearance." "To be siire-there's tho rub." "However, you may trust mo not to be unjust.''

"Of course. But you will have to bo more than just. Excuse me for speaking so frankly, but I'm an old stager, and I've seen a <;ond many odd thines in my time. And women are odd creatures. Pauline looks a shy girl and nothing more, but there's heaps of character in her, and somehow one feels that phe will suffer more from such a discovery than a moro insipid sort of girl would. She's very proud, for ono thing. It will go near to breaking her heart." There was a pause, and while it lasted Sir Randolph noticed that the door of the room, which the major had carefully closed on entering, was ajar. Crossing

.he room quickly, he pulled the handle iharply, and found Pauline, in her traveling dress, standing outside in the attitude of a listener.

Tho sight was another shock. Just at tho moment when ho would have liked to find her in all respects the typo of injured innocence, flawlessly sympathetic in every word and act, ho found her eavesdropping, listening to privato conversa-

He felt moro repulsed even than he had a right to do. Instead of making allowanco for tho alarming and suspicious circumstances iii which tho forlorn brido found herself, ho could not help feeling attracting fear that sho herself was moro akin to the wily and criminal " Colonel Carisbrook " in principles and conduct than he would have wished his wifo to be..

The feelings influenced his look .ami manner as lie held the door -wide for lier to enter, and at once perceived, on her guilty and troubled countenance, that she must have heard something of what passed between himself and the major. As they had kept their voices low, and as she could not have been at the door long, ho know that she could scarcely havo heard very much. She glanced up at her husband shyly and guiltily as she came in and said in a trembling voice:

" I'm quite ready. I've left Robinson to finish packing my things. Is she to come with us!'' " Let her follow this evening. I want to gel away at once. I'll leave word with Harvey, and he'll tell her how to come."

Paulino was sliaking hands with Major Traflsfield: Although they did not oxcliango ono word excqil of a trivial nature, and no allusion to Pauline's father passed between them, Sir Randolph watched them both with suspicious eyes, as if wondoring whether ho should find himself the victinuof a conspiracy instead of the contrivance of a single knave. But nothing was to bo gleaned from what he saw and heaid; and five minutes later he and Pauline had shaken hands for the last tunc with Major Transfield and wero in a taxi on their way to King's Cross. Their plans having been thus thrown into confusion, none of the usual honeymoon signs betrayed them; there was no one to sec them off from the hotel, there jwas.no carriage reserved for them, and

they jumped into tho Iwo vacant seals of a compartment, having narrowly escaped missing the train. "By Jove!" ejaculated Sir Randolph, as ho threw himself into his seat, which was, of course, one of the two middle ones, the'corners having been all annexed,

" I've forgotten to wire to my mother. She'll be surprised,' I'm afraid."

I "Yes," said Pauline with a certain ilimid reserve which betrayed her fears of her mother-in-law.

What she had already learnt about the autocratic Lady Christabcl was not encouraging to a bride; mid the evidentconsternalion in which her husband was thrown on discovering his omission to warn her of his change of plan was decidedly not reassuring. The journey, although it was not really long, socmod interminable to both bride and bridegroom. Sir Randolph, who was unable, through the presence of strangers, to 'converse with Pauline, except for an exchange of trivialities, was wondering how much sho knew, and what she was thinking. The bride, on her side, was evidently uneasy and abstracted. Her cheeks were glowing and her dark eyes seemed to burn with the steady light of fierce excitement, but what the causes of it were ho could only guess.

It was not the passion of love that burned in her eyes, and glowed in her checks; of that at least ho wa.s sure. Whether it was animosity, anxiety, ot anger, or a mixture of all three, he could onlv surmise.

She looked exceedingly handsome, in her black beaver hat with its trimming of gold galloon and white ospreys; while her dress of silk, in very small black and white check, with black fox stole and muff, and pale lavender gloves, was the most becoming costume in which Sir Randolph had ever seen her.

He told her they would have a drive of a couple of miles from the station to the house, hut when they pot. out of the train and into a fly, in the dusk of a chilly November evening, ami jogged along a country road in an atmosphere ro thick with mist-that she could see nothing, it. seemed to Pauline, who said very little, that they went on for hours and hours.

" Here we are!" cried Sir Randolph at last, in tones which seemed to Paulino to betray a certain nervousness. And the fly stopped dead in front of nn unpretending wooden gate at the en-

trance to a long, dark avenue.

From a small lodge a boy ran ont and swung the gate back, and the fly went slowly along what looked like n tunnel until it came out in front of an oldfashioned gabled house, of which Paulino could see but little in the gathering dark-

IICSS. " Don't bo afraid of my mother. S!ic isn't really a dragon at all. but a most kind-hearted woman," said Sir Randolph. Pauline, made no reply. But when an old manservant had come to the door ami her husband had led her into a plainly furnished hall and asked where Lady Cliristabel was, she was made to understand, if only by the look on the man's face, that she wis an intruder. "This way, my dear. My mother's in the dining room," said Sir Randolph. A moment later he had toten his bride bv the hand, and was leading her into a cosy, old-fashioned room, very long and low", in which a tall and stately-looking lady in snuff-coloured silk, with silverwhite curls elaborately dressed, was knitting by the lire. "Randolph!" The very tones of the old lady's voice had less of welcome in them, less of joy at seeing her son unexpectedly, than of reproof of his want of consideration in taking her by surprise. "Mother, my poor Pauline has had a misfortune to-day, for.which 1 want you to comfort her. Her father, Colonel Carisbrook, has met with an accident, and so she does not wish to leave England vet, and 1 have brought her here." Shv though she was, Pauline was dignified and graceful as she stepped forward and held out her hand.

'flow do vcu do. Lady Christobcl, I

hope vou won't look upon mo as an in. trader, and be angry with me for marry' ing your son."

Tin- girlish voice touched Sir Randolph, but it did not appear to have any softening effect upon the old lady, who drew herself up, scrutinised the appearance of her daughter-in-law carefully, and taking her hand only to drop it rather frigidly, replied: "Of course not. I had expected him to marry. Although I was not honoured bv an introduction to the lady he chose."

'it was nn unpromising opening, and Sir Randolph, glancing at Pauline, saw

.that' aho was biting her lip and that there wero flashed sombre, lightnings from her dark eyes. . He hastened lo throw himself into the breach and talked as fast as he could about 'tho journey, until a servant camo in to lay the cloth, for dinner, when Lady Clnistabel gave the order, with a touch of resignation, to lav two more places, for Sir Randolph, and Lady Acoi. Pauline was glaJ to escape lo a largo front room which was being hastily propared for tho newly-married pair, where sho sat down, looking forlorn and cold, in a chair in front of the small oval toilet-mirror, which was placed on a long deep table covered with pink chintz, draped with white mnslin. There- were bows of pink ribbons at tho corners, and pink ribbons on each sido of the mirror. "What a funny dressing-table!" cried Pauline, who had never seen a mid-Yic-torian bedroom of, the typo bcfore._ Lady Christabol's own "maid, a dricd-up old person with thin grey hair parted :n the middle and brought down plainly at the sides, whom Sir Randolph had begged to.attend upon his bride, pinched her lips in disapproval. "I'm afraid yon will find the house and its ways * very old-fasluoncd, my lady," sho said primly; " I'm afraid I shall," said Pauline with a frank sigh, as sho noted how feeble was the light given by the two wax candles on the dressing-table and tho two on tho mantelpiece. "You haven't got electric light here, of course." "Oh, dear no," replied Orme, in the lono she would have used if she had been asked whether they stabled their horses in tho drawiug room. " Have you the key of your dressing-bag, my lady?"

" Tliank you," said Pauline. " I'll put my brushes and tilings out." She did not like the idea of her things being handled by thoso bony fingers. "In fact I think I can manage everything for myself if you will unlock my trunk and lake my dinner dress out." Orme obeyed, and laid upon tho bed tho pretty dress of pale pink silk which Pauline had destined for wear at Continental theatres.

" Will vou, wear this to-night, my lady?" asked the maid, in a tone which caused Pauline to answer:

"No. I suppose Lady _ Cliristabel would think me overdressed if I did. "Her ladyship doesn't dress showily. I believe it's not. considered correct in the country, in quiet houses like this." 'Paulino turned quickly. "Put it away," she said, "I'll keep on the dress I'm wearing. I dare say that will be enough." " Yes, my lady." # Pauline was already wishing the old woman at the bottom of the sea, with her cold eyes and disparaging manners, when sho heard a stop outside, and then saw her husband in the doorway between the bedroom and tlic diessing-room. • Pauline gatliercd courngo to dismiss Orme shyly, and tlien sprang up to meet her husband. "Now," sho said in a fierce whisper,

"you can tell me everything. I confess I heard something. Overheard it rather. But not all. What is the truth about my father?" He looked at her earnestly. "Don't you know?" said he. "No, no, I don't. I swear I don't. Only that there's some mystery, something you wanted to hide. Whero is he? What has he done?" "Then vou do know!" " I don't. ■ Only I can guess that it's something he doesn't want to have known. What is it? Tell me, tell mo. I must know. I will know." " Better not.'' " Oh, it's too 'ate to tell me that. Come now! I'm ready." There was nchelp for it, and perhaps, after all, it was as well that she should hear the worst and make her choice. "Do you know that a detective camo in search of him to the hotel?" Pauline clasped her hands. " Ah! I thought it was something liko that!"' "I'm horribly sorry to have to tell J' 0 "-" She turned upon him. " Why should vou mind ? Do you think I mind his bein? what you call wicked? I hate good people. Lady Cln-isl-ibel is pood, isn't she?" ; " Of course." "Well, I hate her. She has cold eyes. Sho is hard, horrid. And poor papa, who is so wicked, is kind and lender and sweet to me. Oh, I love him, T love him just thc shmo., and T wish T were with him now lo comfort him, to tell him T don't care!" " Pauline, don't. You don't know whit you're Faying!" " Yrs, I do. And I mean it nil, every word.'' Sir 'Randobh looked al her, appalled. Was it possible that (he liant in her father's blood h«d passed into her veins? Tint thc woman he had just made his wife cared nothing for the difference between right ajul wronc? H was the most awful thought of all 'those that had lormented him that day:and Sir 'Randolph, speechless with horror, held on lo the bnek of the chair from which his wife had just risen, and met her flnshiim eyes with an aconisfd gaze which should have pierced to her very soul.

(To be continued.)