and now they are well punished for their pride and ambition. George Lorraine—although, by the way, that isn’t his real name—is as poor as a church mouse, and lazy withal. He——”

“Stop!” shouted the bridegroom, springing toward her, and she quailed a little at the fire in his black eyes, as he continued sharply: “It wasn’t in the bargain that you should abuse me[Pg 67] to the girl you made me marry, for I love her, and I’ll work for her, and her mother, too—yes, I will!—and perhaps she may forgive me yet, if you do not, like the fiend you are, try to poison her against me with your malicious tales.”

[Pg 67]

“Hear him, hear him! The Italian organ grinder!” exclaimed Belva, with disdainful mockery; but he had turned from her and flung himself on his knees before his bride, whose big brown eyes looked out of her lovely, blanched face with scorn and disdain.

He held up his hands to her, and cried abjectly:

“Oh, Fair, if only you will forgive me, I will work for you—slave for you—for I love you madly, and it may be that some day I can make you rich. Oh, Mrs. Fielding,” frantically, as that lady was about to speak, “do not speak, do not interfere between us! It is her affair and mine alone, for she is my wife. I love her, and perhaps she has some little love for me that will make her forgive me some day.”

At that Fair found her voice, and, holding up her hand for him to be silent, she said, in a clear voice:

[Pg 68]

[Pg 68]

“Tell me the truth, George Lorraine, or whatever your name is—was this deception carried out in all, or was I only deceived about your riches? Are you, or are you not, the cousin of Bayard Lorraine?”

“Ha, ha, ha!” laughed Belva Platt, and Fair’s husband answered shamefully:

“I am not any kin to Bayard Lorraine. I never saw him, nor heard of him, until Belva Platt told me about him, and the plan to pretend he was my cousin was hers, not mine. But, Fair, I love you, in spite of the way I was led to marry you. I’ll make you a good hus——”

“Hush!” she almost screamed, and the fire that flashed from her brown eyes almost frightened him. He started, and sprang erect, listening with sullen patience, as she went on scathingly:

“You are a coward and a 

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