Page:The leopard's spots - a romance of the white man's burden-1865-1900 (IA leopardsspotsrom00dixo).pdf/332

 "Impossible. I've been the soul of deference to him."

"He's a very proud man when his vanity is touched, are you sure of it?"

"As sure as that I live. No, some scoundrel has interfered between us and in some unaccountable way covered me with infamy in the General's eyes."

"But who could have done it?"

"I used my utmost power of persuasion to get it from her. But she would not tell me. I have been stabbed in the dark."

"Whom do you suspect? She has a dozen suitors."

"There's only one man among them who is capable of it, Allan McLeod."

"Nonsense, child. He is not one of her suitors," she protested warmly.

"Then why does he hang around the house with such dogged persistence?"

"He has always had the run of the house. His father committed him to the General when he died on the battle field."

Her face clouded, and then a great pity for his sorrow filled her heart. She stooped and kissed him.

"Come, Charlie, you must cheer up. If she loves you, it's everything. You will win her."

"But what rankles in my soul is that I have been treated like a dog. If he objected to my poverty that was as evident the first day he welcomed me to his house as the day he dictated to her his brutal message, refusing me a word. He welcomed me to his house, and gave Miss Sallie his approval of our love while I was there. There could be no mistake, for she told me so."

"I can't understand it," she interrupted.

"Now he suddenly shows me the door and refuses to allow me to even ask an explanation. If he thinks he