As brightly as ever burned the fires--as ardently as ever went forth love's strong impulses with every heart-beat.

And her heart remained true to mine as ever was needle to the pole." "That is a bold assertion, Paul," said Mrs.Denison, "and one that it pains me to hear you make." "It is true; but why does it give you pain ?" he asked.
"Because it intimates the existence of an understanding between you and Mrs.Dexter, and looks to the confirmation of rumors that I have always considered as without a shadow of foundation." "My name has never been mentioned in connection with hers." "It has." "Mrs.Denison!" "It is true." "I never heard it." "Nor I but once." "What was said ?" "That you were the individual against whom Mr.Dexter's jealousy was excited, and that your clandestine meetings with his wife led to the separation." "I had believed," said Hendrickson, after a pause, and in a voice that showed a depression of feeling, "that busy rumor had never joined our names together.

That it has done so, I deeply regret.

No voluntary action of mine led to this result; and it was my opinion that Dexter had carefully avoided any mention of my name, even to his most intimate friends." "I only heard the story once, and then gave it my emphatic denial," said Mrs.Denison.
"And yet it was true, I believe, though in a qualified sense.

We did meet, not clandestinely, however, nor with design." "But without a thought, much less a purpose of dishonor," said Mrs.
Denison, almost severely.
"Without even a thought of dishonor," replied Hendrickson.