" THE WRETCH!
Aunt Selina drew her breath in suddenly.
"I am thinking of marrying Reggie Wolfe." This was Bella, of
course. "He wants me to. He's a dear boy."
"If you do, I will kill him."
"I am so very lonely," Bella sighed. We could hear the creak of
Jim's shirt bosom that showed that he had sighed also. Aunt
Selina had gripped me by the arm, and I could hear her breathing
hard beside me.
"It's only Jim," I whispered. "I--I don't want to hear any more."
But she clutched me firmly, and the next thing we heard was
another creak, louder and--
"Get up! Get up off your knees this instant!" Bella was saying
frantically. "Some one might come in."
"Don't send me away," Jim said in a smothered voice. "Every one
in the house is asleep, and I love you, dear."
Aunt Selina swallowed hard in the darkness.
"You have no right to make love to me," Bella. "It's--it's highly
improper, under the circumstances."
And then Jim: "You swallow a camel and stick at a gnat. Why did
you meet me here, if you didn't expect me to make love to you?
I've stood for a lot, Bella, but this foolishness will have to
end. Either you love me--or you don't. I'm desperate." He drew a
long, forlorn breath.
"Poor old Jim!" This was Bella. A pause. Then--"Let my hand
alone!" Also Bella.
"It is MY hand!"--Jim;'s most fatuous tone.
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