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"Andwhisper froretfully, "was an exceedingly proud wo to a family of social proossip connecting her narace of her husband's conviction She refused to

receive her former friends, and even failed in loyalty to your father

in his time of trial It is impossible now to fix the fault clearly,

or to account for her actions Captain Nolan turned over all his

property to her, and the mo you with her From that hour none of her old

acquaintances could learn anything regarding her whereabouts She did

not return to her family in the East, nor correspond with any one in

the arht seclusion in

some city How Gillis obtained possession of you re"

They kept silence for a long while, the slow tears dropping from her

eyes, her hands clasped in her lap His heart, heavy with sympathy,

would not permit him to break in upon her deep sorroords of

comfort

"Naida," he whispered, at last, "this may not be the time for me to