O Margie! Margie! my wronged Margie! God forgive me for indulging
such a thought of you!"
Castrani's hard face softened a little, as he witnessed the utter
abandonment of the proud man before him.
"You may well ask God to forgive you," he said. "You deserve the depths
of perdition for harboring in your heart a thought against the purity of
that woman. Archer Trevlyn, had she loved me as she did you, I would have
cut off my right hand before I would have entertained a suspicion of sin
in her! It is true, she went North on the same train as I did, but I did
not know it until the journey was ended. Previous to that time, I had not
seen her for more than a fortnight, and I did not know that she was near
me, until in Boston my attention was attracted by a crowd of 'roughs,'
gathered around a lady and a greyhound. The lady had lost her
_porte-monnaie_, and the crowd made some insulting remarks which I took
the liberty of resenting, and when I saw the lady's face, to my amazement
I recognized Margaret Harrison!"
"And you protected her? You gave her money and took her to a place of
safety?" said Trevlyn, anxiously.
"Of course. As I should have done by any other lady--but more especially
for her. I took her to a hotel, and on the morrow saw her start on her
journey.
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