"
"I am calm now. Go on."
"I must trouble you with a little, only a little, of my own private
history, in order that you may understand what follows. I am, as you
know, a Cuban by birth, but my father, only, was Spanish. My mother was
a native of Boston, who married my father for love, and went with him to
his Southern home. I was an only child, and when I was about twelve years
of age, my parents adopted a girl, some four years my junior. She was the
orphan child of poor parents, and was possessed of wonderful beauty and
intelligence. Together we grew up and no brother and sister loved each
other more fully than we. It was only a brotherly and sisterly love--for
I was engaged, at sixteen, to Inez de Nuncio, a lovely young Spanish
girl, who was cruelly taken away from me by the hand of violence, as you
know. Arabel grew to girlhood, lovely as a houri. Lovely, however, is not
the right word; she was royally magnificent. I have seen many elegant
women, but never one who for stately grace and beauty would compare with
her. She had many suitors, but she favored none, until he came--Paul
Linmere, the fiend and destroyer! Ill health had driven him to Cuba, to
try the effect of our southern air, and soon after his arrival, he became
acquainted with Arabel.
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