"Then you are false to me--to me, your lover, who had never a thought that was false to you!--to me, your mate of many years!--to me, your almost husband!" cried the youth, losing all self-command in the sharpness of his pain, and bursting into a tempest of grief and rage, and launching fierce reproaches upon her. She raised her hands in piteous deprecation, and then held them up before her head as if to shield it from the storm. But as he flashed the lightnings of scorn and hurled the thunder of condemnation upon her, she cowered lower and lower, holding by the bench on which she sat, until at length, utterly overwhelmed, she sank to the ground, rolled over, and lay with her face downward on the sand at his feet. But she uttered no word in self-defense; she only wept and sobbed as if her heart were bursting. By this time the frenzy of passion had spent itself, and there came a reaction that brought him to his senses. He looked down at Odalite in her misery. He saw in her now, not the faithless sweetheart, but the child of his boyish love and care. He stooped and raised her up, and set her on the bench again, laying her head upon his shoulder, and supporting her form with his arm around her waist. She made no resistance, but continued to weep convulsively. As soon as he was able to command himself he spoke to her in a quiet tone. "Odalite, why do you cry so hard? If you are going to marry this man to please yourself you should be happy, in spite of anything that I should say about it. Now, why do you grieve so much?" "Oh! I have been so faithless to you, Le! I have been--so base to you! Oh! I wish I were dead! I wish I had died before I betrayed your trust in me, Le!" These words came in spasmodic gasps and sighs from the white and quivering lips. He looked at her searchingly, incisively; he could not understand her. "Odalite," he said, suddenly, "I am full of doubt. I ask you again, and I charge you in the name of all that is pure and holy, to answer me truly: Was it of your own free will that you engaged yourself to Col. Anglesea?" "Yes, yes! I repeat it: No one forced me, no one persuaded me. My father and my mother let me do just as I pleased," she sobbed. "And yet, though you say this, you seem so miserable over it all! I cannot comprehend it!" muttered Leonidas Force, carrying his hand to his forehead and trying to reflect on the situation. "But--yes--I think I do now," he said, suddenly, as a light seemed to break on his mind. Odalite raised her pale and tearful face from his shoulder and looked at him. "I think I understand now, my dear; and it shall all come right yet." She sorrowfully shook her head.