Driven to bay Author:Florence Marryat Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER III. IRIS AND VERNON. ;E drew nearer to her, on that invitation, and took her hand in his. Iris trembled slightly, but she did not withdraw it... more ». ' The worst thing I have to accuse myself of, with regard to you, Vernie, is that I deceived you on our first meeting, by letting you believe I was a widow. But I was frightened into the deception. I did not know what else to say. You asked me why I was masquerading on board the Pandora under the name of Douglas, and it was impossible for meto tell you then. Now, things have gone so far, that I feel I must confide in some one, and I know you will respect my confidence.' ' I will respect as much as I shall value it, Iris. But tell me all that has happened to you since we parted. You can't think how ignorant I am. After that never-to-be-forgotten day, when I rushed half mad from your presence— but there, we won't say another word about my troubles—but since that time I have never heard anything of you except the bare fact of your marriage. I do not even know your husband's name, unless it is Douglas. I don't know where you have been living, or if you have been happy or miserable. Tell me your whole story—that is, if it will not give you pain.' ' I mean to tell it you, Vernie. I wish you to hear it. Until you do, you cannot give me the counsel of which I stand so much in need. You know thatwhen we met, I was already engaged to be married. My poor old father, who was very weak and easily taken in, had made the acquaintance of a good-looking young Englishman, fresh home from America, who seemed to have plenty of money, and to have been everywhere, and seen everything,— a man with a pleasant, free manner and a glib tongue, and no objection to tell an untruth, though, of course, I didn't know that at the time. Well, he...« less