It was a principle of Mr. McDonald never to lose his presence of mind or

his temper, or the smooth, low tone of voice he had cultivated years ago

and practiced since with so good effect. And now, though he understood

the state of matters at once and knew that Guy had heard the worst, he

did not seem ruffled in the slightest degree, and his voice was just as

kind and sweet as ever as he bade Guy good-morning and advanced to shake

his hand. But Guy would not take it. He had always disliked and

distrusted Mr. McDonald, and he felt intuitively that whatever harm had

befallen him had come through the oily-tongued, insinuating man who

stood smilingly before him. With a gesture of disgust he turned away

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from the offered hand, and in a voice husky with suppressed excitement,

asked: "What does all this mean, that when, after a separation of months, I

come for my wife I am told that she is not my wife--that there has been

a--a divorce?"

Guy had brought himself to name the horrid thing, and the very sound of

the word served to make it more real and clear to his mind, and there

were great drops of sweat upon his forehead and about his mouth as he

asked what it meant.

"Oh, Guy, don't feel so badly. Tell him, father, I did not do it," Daisy

cried, as she stood leaning over the stair-rail and looking down at the

wretched man.

"Daisy, go to your room. You should not have seen him at all," Mr.

McDonald said, with more sternness of manner than was usual for him.

Then, turning to Guy, he continued: "Come in here, Mr. Thornton, where we can be alone while I explain to

you what seems so mysterious now."

They went together into the little parlor, and for half an hour or more

the sound of their voices was distinctly heard as Mr. McDonald tried to

explain what there really was no explanation or excuse for. Daisy was

not contented at Elmwood, and though she complained of nothing, she was

not happy as a married woman, and was glad to be free again. That was

all, and Guy understood at last that Daisy was his no longer; that the

law which was a disgrace to the State in which it existed had divorced

him from his wife without his knowledge or consent, and for no other

reason than incompatibility of temperament, and a desire on Daisy's part

to be free from the marriage tie. Not a word had been said of Guy's

altered fortunes, but he felt that his comparative poverty was really

the cause of this great wrong, and for a few moments resentment and

indignation prevailed over every other feeling; then, when he remembered

the little blue-eyed, innocent-faced girl whom he had loved so much and

thought so good and true, he laid his head upon the sofa arm and groaned

bitterly, while the man who had ruined him sat coolly by, citing to him

many similar cases where divorces had been procured without the

knowledge of the absent party. It was a common--a very common thing, he

said, and reflected no disgrace upon either party where there was no

criminal charge. Daisy was too young and childish anyway, and ought not

to have been married for several years, and it was really quite as much

a favor to Guy as a wrong. He was free again--free to marry if he

liked--he had taken care to see to that, so-"Stop!" Guy almost thundered out. "There is a point beyond which you

shall not go. Be satisfied with taking Daisy from me, and do not insult

me with talk of a second marriage. Had I found Daisy dead it would have

hurt me less than this fearful wrong you have done. I say you, for I

charge it all to you. Daisy could have had no part in it, and I ask to

see her and hear from her own lips that she accepts the position in

which you and your diabolical laws have placed her before I am willing

to give her up. Call her, will you?"




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