Victor's Triumph Sequel to A Beautiful Fiend   By: Emma Dorothy Eliza Nevitte Southworth (1819-1899)

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[Illustration: frontispiece portrait]

VICTOR'S TRIUMPH

SEQUEL TO

A BEAUTIFUL FIEND

BY MRS. E. D. E. N. SOUTHWORTH

AUTHOR OF "TRIED FOR HER LIFE," "THE LOST HEIRESS," "ALLWORTH ABBEY," ETC., ETC.

NEW YORK HURST & COMPANY PUBLISHERS

MRS. SOUTHWORTH SERIES

UNIFORM WITH THIS VOLUME

By MRS. E. D. E. N. SOUTHWORTH

Allworth Abbey.

Beautiful Fiend, A.

Bride's Fate, The.

Capitola, the Madcap.

Changed Brides.

Cruel as the Grave.

Curse of Clifton, The.

Deserted Wife.

Discarded Daughter.

Hidden Hand.

India.

Ishmael; or, In the Depths.

Lost Heiress, The.

Miriam, the Avenger.

Missing Bride, The.

Mother in Law, The.

Mystery of a Dark Hollow.

Retribution.

Self Raised; or, From the Depths.

Three Beauties, The.

Tried for Her Life.

Victor's Triumph.

Vivia.

Price, postpaid, 50c. each, or any three books for $1.25

HURST & COMPANY PUBLISHERS, NEW YORK

VICTOR'S TRIUMPH.

CHAPTER I.

SAMSON AND DELILAH.

Thus he grew Tolerant of what he half disdained. And she, Perceiving that she was but half disdained, Began to break her arts with graver fits Turn red or pale, and often, when they met, Sigh deeply, or, all silent, gaze upon him With such a fixed devotion, that the old man, Though doubtful, felt the flattery, and at times Would flatter his own wish, in age, for love, And half believe her true. TENNYSON.

As soon as the subtle siren was left alone in the drawing room with the aged clergyman she began weaving her spells around him as successfully as did the beautiful enchantress Vivien around the sage Merlin.

Throwing her bewildering dark eyes up to his face she murmured in hurried tones:

"You will not betray me to this family? Oh, consider! I am so young and so helpless!"

"And so beautiful," added the old man under his breath, as he gazed with involuntary admiration upon her fair, false face. Then, aloud, he said: "I have already told you, wretched child, that I would forbear to expose you so long as you should conduct yourself with strict propriety here; but no longer."

"You do not trust me. Ah, you do not see that one false step with its terrible consequences has been such an awful and enduring lesson to me that I could not make another! I am safer now from the possibility of error than is the most innocent and carefully guarded child. Oh, can you not understand this?" she asked, pathetically.

And her argument was a very specious and plausible one, and it made an impression.

"I can well believe that the fearful retribution that followed so fast upon your 'false step,' as you choose to call it, has been and will be an awful warning to you. But some warnings come too late. What can be your long future life?" he sadly inquired.