Page:The Father Confessor, Stories of Danger and Death.djvu/183

Rh good, as pure, as proud as her own. She is going to marry your son."

"She cannot marry my son."

Lady Geraldine rose to her feet, her face white and stricken as her friend's. As she stood thus the door opened, and the two young people came in. They did not notice the stern women who watched them from the window. The girl passed with her hands full of roses, and the youth with eyes for nothing else followed her, and sat by her side upon a couch.

"So you do not love me, after all," he said passionately, trying to take her hands—and the women at the window gave a start, the one with hope, the other with disappointment. The girl laughed, and put her hands behind her.

"Look into my eyes and tell me you don't love me." He caught her hands, but she would not face him, and all the roses tumbled to the floor.

"No, I won't look."

"You are afraid," he said, laughing softly, "to tell so big a falsehood."

"You make me ashamed, looking at me so," she said; "your eyes seem to say too many flattering things."