that would make it all the worse for me to speak about it."
Mrs. Horncastle was silent. A new theory flashed upon her which seemed
to reconcile all the previous inconsistencies of the situation. Van
Loo, under the guise of a lover, was really possessing himself of Mrs.
Barker's money. This accounted for the risks he was running in this
escapade, which were so incongruous to the rascal's nature. He was
calculating that the scandal of an intrigue would relieve him of
the perils of criminal defalcation. It was compatible with Kitty's
innocence, though it did not relieve her vanity of the part it played in
this despicable comedy of passion. All that Mrs. Horncastle thought of
now was the effect of its eventful revelation upon the man before
her. Of course, he would overlook his wife's trustfulness and business
ignorance--it would seem so like his own unselfish faith! That was the
fault of all unselfish goodness; it even took the color of adjacent
evil, without altering the nature of either. Mrs. Horncastle set her
teeth tightly together, but her beautiful mouth smiled upon Barker,
though her eyes were bent upon the tablecloth before her.
"I shall do all I can to impress your views upon her," she said at last,
"though I fear they will have little weight if given as my own. And you
overrate my general influence with her."
Her handsome head drooped in such a thoughtful humility that Barker
instinctively drew nearer to her. Besides, she had not lifted her dark
lashes for some moments, and he had the still youthful habit of looking
frankly into the eyes of those he addressed.
"No," he said eagerly; "how could I? She could not help but love you
and do as you would wish. I can't tell you how glad and relieved I am
to find that you and she have become such friends. You know I always
thought you beautiful, I always thought you so clever--I was even a
little frightened of you; but I never until now knew you were so GOOD.
No, stop! Yes, I DID know it. Do you remember once in San Francisco,
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