Carrington," she said, appealingly. "Save him
from it, and let me have a little happiness in this weary world, if
such a thing there be."
"I will, Madame Durski," replied Victor. "You have already done as I
have counselled you, and you have no reason to regret the result."
The soft, dreamy smile of happy love stole over Paulina's face as she
listened to him.
"Let me be here with you as much as possible, and you will have no
reason to fear Reginald. He is capable of anything, but he is afraid of
me, and if he knows that I am determined to advance the marriage of
yourself and Douglas Dale, he will not venture to oppose it openly. But
there is one condition which I must append to my frequent presence
here"--he spoke as though he were conferring the greatest favour on
her--"Mr. Dale must not know me as Victor Carrington."
With an expression in which there was something of the suspicious
quickness which Miss Brewer had manifested when Carrington made a
similar statement to her, Paulina asked him why.
Then Victor told her his version of the story of Honoria Eversleigh,
the "unfortunate woman," whom Douglas Dale's unhappy and misguided
uncle had raised to such undoubted rank and fortune, and the wild and
absurd accusations the wretched woman had made against him.
"Mr. Dale never saw me," said Victor, "and I know not whether he was
thoroughly aware of the absurdity, the insanity of this woman's
accusations.
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