"Miss Belmont, I--I hope you will--excuse me, but I have--have just remembered something--er--er--important--a rehearsal. Will you pardon my haste? Good-bye," he stammered, like a bashful school-boy, and instantly fled the scene, leaving Alpine to fling herself upon a sofa in a burst of hysterical tears. "Oh, why did I betray my bitter secret! I was mad--mad! and now I have driven him from my side forever by my imprudence!" she sobbed in the wildest _abandon_. As she lay there sobbing, her hatred and jealousy of her beautiful step-sister grew stronger than ever. It was for love of Kathleen that Ralph Chainey had turned from her when she had humbled herself to him and sued for his love. Some touching verses rang in sad melody through her brain. "Ah, dearest, had some happier chance, The force of fateful circumstance, Some burning thrill of love divine, But touched your heart and made you mine, How had my pulses gladly beat With love's deep rapture wildly sweet; How had my life so crowned put forth Life's proudest strength to prove its worth For love of you! "But cruel fate that shapes our ends, Dark doom that poet love attends-- The fate unhappy Petrarch sung In fair Italia's burning tongue. Such fate as, reckless, tears apart The tendrils of the breaking heart From every prop where it would twine, Such cruel fate, alas! is mine For love of you! "So when my grave is green to see, You will not let them say of me: Her talent was a wasted power, Her life has failed of fruit and flower; For you will know the hopeless pain, That palsied heart and hand and brain-- Will know that life has failed alone Because a blight was on it thrown For love of you!" She dashed the tears from her eyes and sat up, the picture of shame and despair. "I could have been a better woman if he had been kind to me--if he would but have promised to try to love me!" she muttered, angrily. "But how fast he hurried away, as if he despised me. How I wish I could hate him in return--hate him as I hate his dark-eyed love! It is for _her_ he scorns me. Oh, God! for vengeance on them both!" CHAPTER XLVII. A TERRIBLE CRIME. "Deep and dark the flowing river, Close to the feet like a serpent glides; Many a secret lost forever The deep and beautiful water hides!" Our Kathleen did not share the wakefulness of her relative. On the contrary, a strange drowsiness stole over her as soon as she entered the shabby little bedroom to which Mrs. Franklyn conducted her with such alacrity. "Get a good rest, that's a dear! and in the morning you shall see them all," she said, wheedlingly; and giving Kathleen a cold little kiss on the cheek, she retreated, leaving her guest alone.