Page 120 (1/1)

"I cannot forgive your putting yourself into danger," said Rivardi--"You ran a great risk--you htly lost"

"It is good of you to think it valuable,"--and her wonderful blue eyes were suddenly shadoith sadness--"To swood--"How can you say such a thing!"

"Only because I feel it"--replied Morgana--"I dare say my life is not more valueless than other lives--they are all without ulti If I knew, quite positively, that I was all in all to so ould be unhappy without me,--to whom I could be helper and inspirer, I dare say I should value my life more,--but unfortunately I have seen too much of the modern world to believe in the sincerity of even that 'one' being, could I find him--or her I am very positively alone in life,--no woman was ever ested Don Aloysius, gently

"Quite!" she answered, s--"I fully admit it I am what they call 'difficult' I know,--I do not like 'society' or its aar and senseless,--I do not like its conversation, which I find excessively banal and often coarse--I cannot set e--so I'm quite an 'outsider' But I'erie Toothe anihtly, and continued,-"That's why I say my life is valueless to anyone butthe 'White Eagle' alone"

Her hearers were silent Indeed there was nothing to be said Whatever her will or caprice there was no one with any right to gainsay it Rivardi was inwardly seething with suppressed irritation--but his handson of annoyance save in an extreravity of expression

"I think,"--said Don Aloysius, after a pause--"I think our hostess will do us the grace of believing that whatever she has experienced of the world in general, she has certainly won the regard and interest of those whom she honours with her company at the present moment!"--and his voice had a thrill of irresistible kindness--"And whatever she chooses to do, and however she chooses to do it, she cannot avoid involving such affection and interest as those friends represent--"