"I wonder," mused the girl, "why the world of nature is so fair, and the world of men and women so stupid and so inane." "Pauline," said a voice near her, "I have followed you; I could not help doing so." She turned hastily, and saw Captain Langton, his face flushed, his eyes flaming with a light that was not pleasant to see. "How have you dared to do so?" she demanded. "I dare do anything," he replied, "for you madden me. Do you hear? You madden me!" She paid no more heed to his words than she did to the humming of the insects in the grass. "You shall hear me!" he cried. "You shall not turn away your haughty head! Look at me--listen to me, or I will----" "Or you will murder me," she interrupted. "It will not be the first time you have used that threat. I shall neither look at you nor listen to you." "Pauline, I swear that you are driving me mad. I love you so dearly that my life is a torment, a torture to me; yet I hate you so that I could almost trample your life out under my feet. Be merciful to me. I know that I may woo and win this glittering widow. I know that I may be master of Darrell Court--she has let me guess that much--but, Pauline, I would rather marry you and starve than have all the world for my own." She turned to him, erect and haughty, her proud face flushing, her eyes so full of scorn that their light seemed to blind him. "I did not think," she said, "that you would dare to address such words to me. If I had to choose this instant between death and marrying you, I would choose death. I know no words in which I can express my scorn, my contempt, my loathing for you. If you repeat this insult, it will be at your peril. Be warned." "You are a beautiful fiend!" he hissed. "You shall suffer for your pride!" "Yes," she said, calmly; "go and marry Lady Darrell. I have vowed to be revenged upon her; sweeter vengeance I could not have than to stand by quietly while she marries you." "You are a beautiful fiend!" he hissed again, his face white with rage, his lips dry and hot. Pauline turned away, and he stood with deeply muttered imprecations on his lips. "I love her and I hate her," he said; "I would take her in my arms and carry her away where no one in the world could see her beautiful face but myself. I could spend my whole life in worshiping her--yet I hate her. She has ruined me--I could trample her life out. 'Go and marry Lady Darrell,' she said; I will obey her." He returned to the house. No one noticed that his face was paler than usual, that his eyes were shadowed and strange; no one knew that his breath came in hot gasps, and that his heart beat with great irregular throbs. "I will woo Lady Darrell and win her," he said, "and then Pauline shall suffer." What a contrast that graceful woman, with her fair face and caressing manner, presented to the girl he had just left, with her passionate beauty and passionate scorn! Lady Darrell looked up at him with eyes of sweetest welcome.