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she is my wife"

The Countess shrank back in her throne as if to avoid a whip She

cowered there Her eyes dilated, though she seeradually--Prosper expected her to

screa black Prosper,

having delivered his bloaited in his turn; though his breath

whistled through his nostrils his lips were shut, his head still very

high The bloas a shrewd one for the lady You an to talk to herself in a whisper Prosper

thought she was mad

"I should have known--I should have known--I should have known," she

whispered, very fast, as people whisper on a death-bed

"Madam," he broke in, "certainly you should have known had it seemed

possible to tell you Even now I can tell you no more than the bare

fact, which is as I have stated it And so it must be for the un But so ht have told you before It is sha, love still a strange thing Had I

thought then as I now do, be sure you would never have seen me here

without my wife, whom now, madam, I will pray leave to present to you,

the Lady Isoult le Gai"