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"I greatly fear therehow best to speak at such a ti "Naladi is a fair woman, softly spoken and seductive when it is her purpose to please There are not many men who could resist her wiles Yet possibly, Madaht break the spell"

She turned toward esture, and I was surprised at the sudden indignant light gloithin her dark eyes

"No, Geoffrey Benteen, that will never be I am this man's wife He has vowed himself to me before the sacred altar of Holy Church Think you that I, a lady born of France, would abaseupon the issue! If he can cast e harlot, he o his way; never will iance I am his wife before God; to the end I will be true unto ain upon the false face of Charles de Noyan"

"Are you not over-hasty in such decision?" I ventured, conscious of a gladness in my own heart at her i whie from the craze purified by trial"

She looked hard atto penetrate the flimsy mask I wore, and I beheld a pride in her uplifted face such as had never been visible there before

"Such ht be the ith some women," she returned firave his life for no less, and I hold hi--ay! have forgiven--yet the stain of dishonor now rests upon the proud naiven Whether in New Orleans, or the heart of this wilderness, I aentlees before I would surrender the honor dueue from further expostulation, even had I believed De Noyan deserved a defender He had deliberately chosen his path, now let hihtly tread on the heart of such a woman was clearly outside the radius of hu to be Certainly I felt no call to stand between him and his fate