Stingaree
of feeling from her former repulsion. Even to his first glance she looked an older and a harder woman.
"I am sorry to see you," she said, with a soft vehemence plainly foreign to herself. "I almost hate the sight of you! You have been the ruin of my son!"
"His ruin?"
Stingaree forgot the speech of the unlettered stockman; but his cry was too short to do worse than warn him.
"Come round," continued Mrs. Melvin, austerely. "I will see you. You shall hear what you have done."
In another minute he was in the parlor where he had sat aforetime. He never dreamt of sitting now. But the lady took her accustomed chair as a queen her throne.
"Is he ruined?" asked Stingaree.
"Not irrevocably—not yet; but he may be any moment. He must be before long."
"But—but what ails him, madame?"
"Villain-worship!" cried the lady, with a tragic face stripped of all its humor, and bare without it as a winter's tree.
"I remember! Yes—I understand. He was mad about—Stingaree."
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