to laugh at her assertionas some absurd fantasy of the imagination. Surely no evil could lurkbehind such a face as hers?
"You are not one of the accursed," I protested, smiling.
"But I am!" she answered, looking me straight in the face. Then,starting forward, she exclaimed, "Oh! why did you press me to come here,to you?"
"Because I count you among my friends," I responded. "To see me anddrink a cup of tea can surely do no harm, either to you or to me."
"But it will!" she cried in agitation. "Have I not told you that evilfollows in my footsteps--that those who are my friends always suffer thepenalty of my friendship?"
"You speak like a prophetess," I laughed.
"Ah! you don't believe me!" she exclaimed. "I see you don't. You willnever believe until the hideous truth is forced upon you."
"No," I said, "I don't believe. Let us talk of something else, Aline--if I may be permitted to call you by your Christian name?"
"You have called me by that name already without permission," shelaughed gaily, her manner instantly changing. "It would be ungenerousof me to object, would it not?"
"You are extremely philosophical," I observed, handing her my cup to berefilled.
"I'm afraid you must have formed a very curious opinion of me," shereplied.
"You seem to have no inclination to tell me anything of yourself," Isaid. "I fancy I have told you all about myself worth knowing, but youwill tell me nothing in exchange."
"Why should you desire to know? I cannot interest you more than a merepassing acquaintance, to be entertained to-day and forgotten to-morrow."
"No, not forgotten," I said reproachfully. "You may forget me, but Ishall never forget our meeting the other night."
"It will be best if you do forget me," she declared.
"But I cannot!" I declared passionately, bending and looking straightinto her beautiful countenance.
"I shall never forget."
"Because my face interests you, you are fascinated! Come, admit thetruth," she said, with a plain straightforwardness that somewhat took meaback.
"Yes," I said. "That's the truth. I freely admit it."
She laughed a light, merry, tantalising laugh, as if ridiculing such anidea. Her face at that instant seemed more attractive than ever itappeared before; her smiling lips, half-parted, seemed pouted, invitingme to kiss them.
"Why should a man be attracted by a woman's face?" she argued, growingsuddenly serious again. "He should judge her by her manner, herthoughts, her womanly feeling, and her absence of that masculineaffectation which in these days so deforms the feminine character."
"But beauty is one of woman's most charming attributes," I ventured toremark.
"Are not things that are most beautiful the most deadly?"
"Certainly, some are," I admitted.
"Then for aught you know the influence I can exert upon you may be ofthe most evil kind," she suggested.
"No, no!" I hastened to protest. "I'll never believe that--never! Iwish for no greater pleasure than that you should remain my friend."
She was silent for some time, gazing slowly around the room. Her breastheaved and fell, as if overcome by some flood of emotion which shestrove to suppress. Then, turning again to me, she said--
"I have forewarned you."
"Of what?"
"That if we remain friends it can result in nothing but evil."
I was puzzled. She spoke so strangely, and I, sitting there fascinatedby her marvellous beauty, gazed full at her in silence.
"You speak in enigmas," I exclaimed.
"You have only to choose for yourself."
"Your words are those of one who fears some terrible catastrophe," Isaid. "I don't really understand."
"Ah! you cannot. It's impossible!" she answered in a low, hollow voice,all life having left her face. She was sitting in the armchair, leaningforward slightly, with her face still beautiful, but white and haggard."If I could explain, then you might find some means to escape, but Idare not tell you. Chance has thrown us together--an evil chance--andyou admire me; you think perhaps that you could love me, you--"
"I do love you, Aline!" I burst forth with an impetuosity which wasbeyond my control, and springing to my feet I caught her hand andpressed it to my lips.
"Ah!" she sighed, allowing the hand to remain limp and inert in mine."Yes, I dreaded this. I was convinced from your manner that myfascination had fallen upon you. No!" she cried, rising slowly anddeterminedly to her feet. "No! I tell you that you must not love me.Rather hate me--curse me for the evil I have already wrought--detest myname as that of one whose sin is unpardonable, whose contact is deadly,and at whose touch all that is good and honest and just withers andpasses away. You do not know me, you cannot know me, or you would notkiss my hand," she cried, with a strange glint in her eyes as she heldforth her small, white palm. "You love me!" she added, panting, with ahoarse, harsh laugh. "Say rather that you hold me in eternal loathing."
"All this puzzles me," I cried, standing stone still. "You revileyourself, but if you have sinned surely there is atonement? Your pastcannot have been so ugly as you would make me believe."
"My past concerns none but myself," she said quickly, as if indignantthat I should have mentioned an unwelcome subject. "It is the futurethat I anticipate with dread, a future in which you appear determined tosacrifice yourself as victim."
"I cannot be a victim if you love me in return, Aline," I said calmly.
"I--love you?" She laughed in a strange, half-amused way. "What wouldyou have? Would you have me caress you and yet wreck your future; kissyou, and yet at the same moment exert upon you that baneful power whichmust inevitably sap your life and render you as capable as myself ofdoing evil to your fellow-men? Ah! you do not know what you say, or youwould never suggest that I, of all women, should love you."
I gazed at her open-mouthed in amazement. Such a speech from the lipsof one so young, so beautiful, so altogether ingenuous, was absolutelywithout parallel.
"I cannot help myself. I love you all the same, Aline," I faltered.
"Yes, I know," she replied quickly, with that same strange light in hereyes which I had only noticed once before. At that instant they seemedto flash with a vengeful fire, but in a second the strange glance shegave me had been succeeded by that calm, wistful look which when we hadfirst met had so impressed me.
The idea that she was not quite responsible for her strange speeches Iscouted. She was as sane as myself, thoughtful, quick of perception,yet possessing a mysteriousness of manner which was intensely puzzling.This extraordinary declaration of hers seemed as though she anticipatedthat some terrible catastrophe would befall me, and that now theinfluence of her beauty was upon me, and I loved her, the spell woulddrag me to the depths of despair.
"A woman knows in an instant by her natural intuition when she isloved," she continued, speaking slowly and with emphasis. "Well, if youchoose to throw all your happiness to the winds, then you are, ofcourse, at liberty to do so. Yet, if you think that I can everreciprocate your love you have formed an entirely wrong estimate of mycharacter. One whose mission it is to work evil cannot love. I canhate--and hate well--but affection knows no place in my heart."
"That's a terrible self-denunciation," I said. "Have you never loved,then?"
"Love comes always once to a woman, as it does to a man," she replied."Yes, I loved once."
"And it was an unfortunate attachment?"
She nodded.
"As unfortunate as yours is," she said, hoarsely.
"But cannot I take your lover's place?" I bent and whisperedpassionately. "Will you not let me love you? I will do so with all myheart, with all my soul."
She raised her fine eyes to mine, and after a moment's pause, added--
"I am entirely in your hands. You say you love me now--you love mebecause you consider my beauty greater than that of other women; becauseI have fascinated you." And sighing she slowly sank into her cha
iragain. Then she added, "You wish me to be yours, but that I can neverbe. I can be your friend, but recollect I can never love you--never!"Then, putting forth her white hand she took mine, and looking into myface with a sweet, imploring expression, she went on--
"Think well of what I have said. Reflect upon my words. Surely it isbest to end our friendship when you know how impossible it is for me tolove you in return."
"Then you will not allow me to take the place in your heart that yourlost
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