She whispered a few well-directed, words into the young man's ear,
and taking his arm led him to the conservatory.
"I can only stay a couple of minutes at the least, so I wish you to
be all attention."
Hubert Tracy seated himself beside Mrs. Arnold and listened to her
dear confiding tones.
"Mr. Tracy, I despise that Yorkshire bore, with his coarse English
and stupid manners. And his effrontery in presuming to play the
suitor to Madge. It is all your own fault. You follow at a distance
and have not the courage to claim your rights--"
"Rights!"
"Yes; I say rights, Mr. Tracy. I say that you have a right to claim
Madge, because we always looked upon you as her future husband. The
girl knows not her own mind, but she will never go against mamma's
wishes, and I know that she cares for you, though she will not own
it."
"If I thought so I would be happy, for if any woman will ever
reclaim me it will be Marguerite Verne."
"Such talk, Mr. Tracy; I'm sure you are no worse than the general
run of men. Pray don't talk of reclaiming; that sounds as if you had
committed something dreadful."
Just then there arose before Hubert Tracy's vision the sad picture
of a brave young man, struggling so hard to prove his innocence when
circumstances are all against him.
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