, 1864-03-05

restlessness; until feeling akin 70. lOathlng
reared its deformed head in her throbbing
heart. She conttasted his passioiiate !deVo-
ton in the early years Of their marriage
with his late neglect and disregard. From
whence could it emanate, she thought, but
FROM his love for another !. Had he not
told her that the casket was the gift of one
who loved him She fell into q deep rev,
erie train Of thoughts passed through
her brain, leaving nothing but suspicion, Sc,
hind. An hour or more elapsed, and she
never moved-scarce seemed to breathe;
but the expression of agony on her fair face
increased with every minute. At length
deep sigh rose from her anguished ,heaEt
and broke the spell Of her moody hcdita-
ton. She raised her head, and suddenly
her eye lighted on the uneopscious casketi
She rose from her chair; her hands closed
rOund it in angry tierceness, and she was
about to dash it the ground, when, at that
instant, the door was opened, and she taa
pidly replaced it unharined upon the table
and sank back into her scat! Her maid en-:
tered, and presented her with choice bou-
quot OF flowers. ,sJd5 (, .il!Gi, =, s-fl Iss,.
:ttWho sent this y she asked, with as
sumed ihdiferebce. .u-..f..Is y.
81 do rot know; ma'aMy' replied the
girl "They came from your Aorkt's,
believe" .a f..a~ ~ 81 a 2s, .-nr
"There is some mistake" said Mrs.
Sherwood. 81 have not ordered any Aow-
ers to-day" Suddenly new thought
seemed to strike her, and she asked quickly,
I" Is your master at home ?" ~ > ar,I
"No, ma am" replied the giil, "he left
the house an hour Since, ~ .,oi,.
"There, don't stand looking at me- Co."
said Mrs. Sherwood, giving an angry ges-
ture Of dismissal to the servant. ia
a" From him !" she murmured, while hot
tears blinded her eyes and n choking sob
rose in her throat. What is this:WeaE.
ness ~, she added, suddenly subduing her
emotion, ."Tears for him |? Nc, he shall
find i atfi not so easily conquered. l will
show him that his outraged wife can repay
him scorn for scorn." iA . q =. ,6dI.
She rose from her chair, and her gaze
fell upon the casket, when conyulsiSe
spasm passed over her pale features. Try
ing to be firm, she gathered her whole
strength with o painful effort and walked
with scornful air from the room.
When she reached the drawing.rooln the
bitter feelings Of her heart again gushcd
forth. An intense and burning Jealousy
devoarcd her better thoughts. ervacant
gaze fell upon the innocent bouquet Of flow
ers, which she still unconsciously retained
in her hands, She ruthlessly picked one
by one to pieces, scattering, their fragile
leaves around her. until nothing remained
except the bare, thorny gten5s. 1s.
He sends his petted plaything flowers
to please her." she murmured iiercelS;
t" and my hand tears and spurps them. He
has so stripped my heart Of its bloom, and
can not retaliateg What is this r" she
asked, with sudden eagerness, as she fixed
her eyes intcntly on the plucked bouquet;
" a note-a-a prayer of pebitence, No. doubt
A confession Of his guilt, perhaps, and y
plea for PARDON She hastily broke the
seal ,"No, the handwriting is strange "
me-" she said, and an expression blending
incredulity, shame and anger, mantled her
pale beauty as she read the following: :aaq
diA MADAM-Are you ignorant Of the
consuming secret have SO long concealed
in burning silencel No,you must have di''
vined its existence thGdsand times. A
passion 30 enthralling 4ad lofe so ardent
as mine cannot have escaped your suscepti-
bic heart Permit me then, in secresy, to
steal 10 your side and vow eternal fidelity To
my soul 3 idol. u EvERARD D'0YIEY.HJa
Insolentv' she exclaimed, crushing
the note in her trembling fingers; the let.
ter must be 9 forgery q s i y !. !hst I an. am
under the influence Of sohte horrible sbelll
What have done How have I compro.
missed myself that he dare write to me,
the honorable wife Of an honorable man
words Of such unrighteous meaning p
She continued to breathe forth her indig:
nant contempt in language Of unneasured
bitterness, when suddenly the French win
dow overlooking tie tcrraced garden .Nas.
pushed noiselessly 6pSn, and tie, AftAof If
the NOTE stepped into the room. ., GRACE
looked DIP p his figure cSne IetFsen her
and the light. A withering froyn .oter:
shadowed her angry beauty is her eyes
rested on him. She rose erect and con
ffonted him with flashing gaze, !,
aYou here, Sir Eyerard!"' she exclaimed
(" What is your business \" 5.I
aYou cannot 81 ignorant" fie began
with 4 polished Smile; !" that letter-"t';,I
"And you have the boldness to speak Of
this insult 7" she asked, pointing 70 TIC
crushed note in her baud. 49,, n. -,
"Do not, he sRid with servile blandness,
/" so unjustly misinterpret my esteem and
devotion. In what am Iculpable? AMI
wrong in prizing a gem that another. sees
no lustrein, and heedlessly negleets Il There,
are no bounds to my homage, no limits ~
my respectful alteration. If you but re-,
quire proof Of my sincerity, you have
but to speak, and / obey you."'' d,sz,.3sIiv
The wife paused, her bearing changed!
The lynx-eyed libertiue, watched the shift.
ing expression Of her face, and with dex-,
ferrous hand scattered the evil seed her
mind, already narrowed by jealoGsS,, $A2
too well prepared 70 receive lie, gave IN
sidious hints Of her husbands treachery,
pointed at his marked absence frop her
side in public, recalled to hsr, his ,listlcss
vacant manner, and finally spoke in covert
terms Of his p ssion for another, until Grace
saw the man, who, despite her many foibles,
her woman's heart still loved purely and