"
"Stop," he said again. "I will speak. I believe that it is true. I
believe that you are Geoffrey Bingham's mistress, curse him! but I do
not care. I am still willing to marry you."
Elizabeth gasped. Was this to be the end of her scheming? Would the
blind passion of this madman prevail over her revelations, and Beatrice
still become his rich and honoured wife, while she was left poor and
disgraced? Oh, it was monstrous! Oh, she had never dreamed of this!
"Noble, noble!" murmured Mr. Granger; "noble! God bless you!"
So the position was not altogether beyond recovery. His erring daughter
might still be splendidly married; he might still look forward to peace
and wealth in his old age.
Only Beatrice smiled faintly.
"I thank you," she said. "I am much honoured, but I could never have
married you because I do not love you. You must understand me very
little if you think that I should be the more ready to do so on account
of the danger in which I stand," and she ceased.
"Listen, Beatrice," Owen went on, an evil light shining on his heavy
face, while Elizabeth sat astounded, scarcely able to believe her ears.
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