The Carolina Spartan. [volume] (Spartanburg, S.C.) 1852-1896, 1856-09-04
alum! Complicated"

Patience, belle dame, this is not an af-
fair Of yes or no in the first five minutes.
l must consider it,"
"How long time do You require for
considerations"
81 require until the day after TO morrow,
at this same hour"
"And you will tell me nothing till then!
II you doubt my possessing the means to
reward your services, here is only small
portion of what have both the power and
the will to bestow, in the event of your
aiding me effectually;' and she held the
purse out to him. He waved it back
quietly.
"Keep your money for the present. You
have OH your hand jewel, which if you
choose to confide it to me, shall in the event
of my deciding to accept this task be
made the instrument of accomplishing your
wishes, and shall, in any case, be restored
to you in safety.
His eye was fixed on ring she wore
serpent studded with diamonds and bear
ing on the head an opal Of singular fire
and splendor.
"This ring! 1t belonged TO my mother
and grand mother, and promised never to
let it out of my possession. There is n
family superstition attached to it."
"As you will, madame. have no wish
to undertake the affair, and can only do so
on my own conditions"
With fiery impatience she toro rather
than drew the ring from her finger, and
held it out to him. The opal and the en-
erald eyes of the serpent shot forth prismat-
ic CLEANS, and the folds seemed TO undu-
! late as he turned il about in the light Of
the lamp.
mo common jewel this" he said, con-
templating it; "the opal is a stone of pecu-
liar influence in the occult sciences, and /
can see that this opal is more than usually
gifted with such virtues. You did we'll to
bring it; it may aid the accomplishment of
your desires more than anything else"
"Ihen you promise me"
Nothing. Understand fully that day
in no way bind myself 10 anything in
the affair. The day after tomorrow you
shall have my final decision"
Ho rose. The lady following his exam
pie, he rang a hand bell, and the dwarf
again made her appearance to lead her
through the intricacies of the house. When
she got into the street il was almost dark
and as yet the few Lanterns that at distan,
intervals were suspended across the alley,
by lines stretched from house TO house
were not lighted. With uncertain steps
| therefore, she made her way over the slip
perry, filthy pavement
More than once she was uerv ously con.
scious Of attracting tue suspicious attention
Of denizcn of this iniquitous haunt; de
spite her resolute nature, her hcait beat
| high at tue sensation of encounteriny u
very real danger; and when she emerged OH
the broad open thoroughfate, still only in
the light, load OF alarm and anxiety wa.
removed from her breast. As she turned
a corner she suddenly came on Il group oi
three persons, au old and young man, with
4 girl of about seventeen. She cooled al
the sight, as if something had slung her
and the young man, taucying she W..
startled at iiuding herself in such immedi
ate contact with them, drew back with 4
Pardon, madamel" standing out of tn,
way, hat in hand, TO let her pass. Sh,
rushed past him, AMI her dark yelled figure
was soon lost in the dim light.
Meanwhile tie little party strolled on
talking cheerily by the way. That Castor
de Montrouge and Genevieve Rouviere.
were lovers, was most unmistakeable fact
They were, moreover, aifanced The ed
erly man on whom the girl leaned was he
father. He belonged TO family Of tht
bourgeoise, aud had made considerable,
fortune in commerce, from which he haC
not retired. His sister had married tn,
Chevalier de Monlrouge. and, by virtue o
a family compact, II was agreed that hel
only son should giId the somewhat thread
bare nobility of his fathers race with tn,
louis dor, Of his uncle's only daughter
when both should arrive at years of diScre
ton. At an early age, CASTOR, through
the influence of his pa,ernal relations, en-
tered one of the most brilliant regiment
Of the guard. Soon after, his parents dice
and from thence his uncle's house became
his established home, when away from hi
duties-an arrangement which the worth,
man in nowise objected TO us bringing th,
young people together, tending to cemen
the contract already entered into between
the senior members OF the family, by en-
gaging the nclinations Of the parties NOR
especially concerned.
The result was eminently successful
CASTOR found his pretty, gentle cousin, witl
her nut brown hair and hazel eyes, entircl
10 his taste, and Genevieve thought-an,
not perhaps without reason-that the bear
cousin was by far the most accomplished
cavalier she had ever encountered. Unfor
tunately, though, other and more expert
enced judges were of little Geneyieve.
opinion.
At grand gathering of the great folk;
oi the Faubourg st. German, the Marquis
lie Naucrasson, a lofty lady who had jus
cast oil the weeds she had put on and pu
oil with nearly equal satisfaction, particu
iarly distinguished the handsome youn!
garde, and took every means, short Of de
cIarlng the fact, TO make him aware of tn
favorable impression he had produced
CASTOR was, however, sincerely aud seri Gus
ly attached TO his cousin, and he had