The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1860-05-30

/ felt half ashamed that had not feetralncu
| myself; but his low .(3od bless yon for THIS.
Helena. )" dispelied all doubts. and thrilled me
with joy. Those few words seemed ~ w~
| us closer together than could once nave
deemed possible and l strove my "''No'' W
| hold fast what had gained by tneoA'
CHAPTER TX.
l One dav 7 was returning slowly nome, aiter
| a morning spent at the schooi, Waen saw
tine doctor rush pa'' servant followed him
| not and ont Of breath. 1 glanced at the livery
1T was Sir Edwards!
| aWho is i'll At the Hall ~ l asked. The
| man a stranger to me, stared Mt me for, l
| snn,,ose. looked wild and eager.
| "Sir Edward" he said, "he's got fever. I
| told him last night he had better have the
doctor, but he wouldn't listen 70 me, and now
he'll want the doctor and the parson both"
Terror seemed to give me strength. got to
the Hall without stopping TO think. opened
a side-door that knew was left unlocked,
into Sir Edwards presence. A wild, ringing
laugh greeted me-
"Ha Helena ~ he screamed in his delirium,
sis that you and where is Lawrence poor
bleeding Lawrence y His eyes glared with
fever.
Paul stood at the bedside; brought there,
face to face with his enemy, by a summons
which he had not dared to disobey-a sum-
one who. the messenger had said, lay at the
point of death. He saw me as l entered but
he did not send me away. The past was for
gotten In that awful present.
Long, weary days of watching followed.
Out of-doors, remember, everything was so
bright and joyous in the summer-weaher.
All day the belling OF the deer, and the low
sweet notes Of birds calling to each other, came
floating through the open window into the
darkened room and could hear, too, the peo-
pie passing through the park laughing gaily in
the sunshine. 1t seemed as if the full measure
of my misery, beneath the weight of which
fhRn II
aelittle drop of sorrow in the great stream Of
glad life, that eddied sparkling on untrou led
Implying. 1t was terrible to see Sir Edward
suffer and to be able to give no relief; to hear
him shrek in his de!irium like one torment ted,
and have no power to soothe. Lawrence's
death-scene seemed to haunt him like ghast-
ly vision. He men toned his name perpetually,
in rapid, inc oherent sentences, that were some
times half Italian, and of which could only
guess the sad meaning. Often his voice sank
TO low moaning for Helena; but, when
came forward and spoke to him-hoping that,
as at first he would recognize me-he shrunK
shudderinS away with shut eyes, seeing in me
only my likeness to Lawrence, whose face, as
he last looked upon it, was not, l think, more
white and wild than mine became in those
hours of misery.
1t was during the second night of our watch
Ing the physician, for whom Paul had teie-
graphed from London, arrived. heard the
hoarse grating OF the carriage-wheels over the
gravel l knew that he was come, and with
him, hardly doubted. relief for Sir Edward
He came up stairs Immediately, and entered
the room with quiet, cautious tread. l could
hardly bear the suspense ofthose moments.
crept out into the dark ante room, and stood
there straining with expectation, and vainly
trying to forget that it was for verdict of Ii fe
or death that l waited. Sir Edwards great
dog left the side OF the door, where he had lain
ever since his master had been taken i'll, and
came to me with a strange, piteous whine.
At length the physician left the patients
room, and Paul followed him, pressing him
for an opinion. They did not see me standing
there in the faint moonlight, and l was too
| anxious, too eager, to move; SO they spoke out
the cruel truth plainly, and drank in their
words AS some poor creature mad with thirst
might snatch and swallow poison.
ibid you say there was no hope r. said Paul.
My breath came and went quick.
mot shadow the physician replied IL
do not see chance OF recovery with that pulse,
and am notapt to give upa case. You haven't
gained much BY bringing me down here you
see,' he added, lightly, as he and Paul passed
on i'll TO the gallery.
l tried to 20 towards the room; but my
strength failed. l sank 20 the ground like one
paraiyZed As crouched there, in the dark
ness, heard m. name loaded with reproa-
ches. In delirious anguish my taithlessness
was denounced for killing its victim, and, in
that manner, ayenging Lawrence These re-
proaches had enough of terrible sense in them
to sound more than mere rawlings. Bat,
through the tumult OF my grief. holy words
OF promise rose to my remem braEce-"Ask,
hands in an agony ofsupplication and prayed
for Edward is recovery with n'ense longing
40 not know why longed for it so ear
nestly, remembering always As did that
when he got we'll l must leave him. l sup
pose l had unconsciously some ex pecIa
that, if he lived, he would in some way learn
how true had been to him and before
DEATH give me one word or look of gratitude
/ rose, strengthened and comforted, and went
to him.
The crisis Of the fever passed. Sir Edwards
strength had been spent in the fury of his do
lirium and he Law PROSTATE and weak as a
little child but ha lived, my prayers were
heard. Death had lowered very near; but at
His commands, he spread his black pinions
and fled. watched on day and night by Sir
Edward till he was out of danger. and his
consciousness returned. Then Paul babe me
go home, and there was gentle pity in his
voice that filled my heart with a new hope
He still stayed at the Hall, nursing said Ed
ward. Twice or three times every day he
sent me short bulletins and, on the expecta-
ton Of these, seemed to live. Each day Sir
Edward was getting better, Each day 1 felt
him, and yearning more and more to proffer
forgiveness. One day Gt was more than a
week after the crisis) Paul's note was longer
than it had ever been before.
81 have told Sir Edward everything-my
threat, which Heaven has taught me to re-
pent, and your sacrifice. His joy when told
him why you had parted from him, was 80
great that l was quite afraid lest it's effects
he says; for. at present, it would be dangerous
for him to see you. He declares that I was
quite deceived in thinking that he felt no re-
morse in meeting us; and that it was only from
strong desire to make every reparation in
his power, that, by giving me this living, he
insured our home SO near his He says that
he had shuddering reluctance to meet those
whom he had SO deeply injured; but that,
directly he had seen you, he felt it i'm
possible to stop his intercourse with u.s.
He blames himself bitterly for the sorrow he
has caused you by the cowardly concealment
Of his crime when he engaged himself to YOU
When he heard of your determination to part
from him, he naturally concluded that it re-
suited from Indignation at his conduct. with
which had told him we We're acquainted.
But he now knows how it all was. He saws
that ever since then he has been making most
earnest efforts to subdIe the passionate heat
Of temper which drove him to his crime but
that he had determined not to plead for your
forgiveness TIL ne could prove, by his having
conquered his evil disposition, that he had
striven hard to earn it. These are nearly his
words. believe that he meant to have seen
you, to tell you all this himself, during this
visit to Lichendale; and that his anxiety as TO
your answer, in great measure, brought on the
fever. His repentance has been bitter; but q
day CT gladness has dawned.-Y0urs, p. NJ"
My tears fell fast and thick as finished this
letter, but through them / saw LaWrence's
eyes shining from his portrait on the wall
bright and glad, and it seemed to me as if his
spirit spoke through them. rejoicing with me,
and sanctioning my perfect happiness.
"Helena," said Sir Edward to me the other
day, "miserable as those three years were,
even if it were possible, l would not have
them undone. They taught me how precious
You were; and. in striving to win you back,
my love for you helped me to overcome evil
In many a fierce conflict"
trhat time has done us all good" said.-
ut made Paul and me love each other, as we
should never otherwise have done. / see now
how sorrow is sent with divinely merciful