Oh , if he would only give her another chance ! She was in her room when she heard the buggy drive up again . She knew it was Spencer and that he had brought Vivienne LeMar home . Acting on a sudden wild impulse , the girl stepped out on the landing and confronted her rival as she came up the stairs . The latter paused at sight of the white face and anguished eyes . There was a little mocking smile on her lovely face . `` Miss LeMar , '' said Estella in a quivering voice , `` what do you mean by all this ? You know I 'm engaged to Spencer Morgan ! '' Miss LeMar laughed softly . `` Really ? If you are engaged to the young man , my dear Miss Bowes , I would advise you to look after him more sharply . He seems very willing to flirt , I should say . '' She passed on to her room with a malicious smile . Estella shrank back against the wall , humiliated and baffled . When she found herself alone , she crawled back to her room and threw herself face downward on the bed , praying that she might die . But she had to live through the horrible month that followed -- a month so full of agony that she seemed to draw every breath in pain . Spencer never sought her again ; he went everywhere with Miss LeMar . His infatuation was the talk of the settlement . Estella knew that her story was in everyone 's mouth , and her pride smarted ; but she carried a brave front outwardly . No one should say she cared .
She believed XXXXX the actress was merely deluding Spencer for her own amusement and would never dream of marrying him .
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