, 1864-03-26

struggled with Isabei's indignation agains
this denouncer Of his brother, and she wa
silent
"Thrust aside once more for him." c.iet
George. "This time shall be the last
Isabel, good bye"
And before a word or gesture of her
could reach him, the light was Pickering il
gust from the wide open window, and h
was gone.
CHAPTER II.
"Isabel, we want ysd."
A chorus of voices greeted her as sht
re-entered the drawing-room, with the bur
den of that interview and its strange end
ing upon her. Was it possible that MOI
halt an hour had passed since she quilted
thissame room? ltsaspectw was unchanged
knots Of takers were congregated here aud
there the Squire was still victim to thai
long, lean Col. Cardan, who took SO pre-.
found an interest in Italy, past and present
and the young cornet with coal.black nous
taches was yet talking bagatelles with the
group of young ladies who had called t.
her as she opened the door.
Before her was party Of guests to whom
as hostess she owed her attention, and be-
hind her the moonlight, wide open win.
dow, and dark figure hurrying away across
the park who knew whittier!
Duly she listened to the buzz of conver.
sation around her with some faint effort to
separate the topics Of the different speak.
ers, yet hearing them all in confused
maze which refused to clear itself; for to
add to her preoccupation, one single guest
Of all those whom she had left there was
absent-Godfrey Rcdfern. Where could
he be!
Somebody asked, What has become Of
Mr.. Redfern 7" ...H. ..r.
lie is gone to look up the keepers.
Some one heard shot, or fancied they did,
in the direction Of the Beeches, and God.
frey volunteered to save my old legs. What
are you ladies about there? Isabel, are
we to have no music tonight"
Isabel sat down at the piano, but other
sounds were in her ears as she touched the
keys, and other sights blurred her vision Us
she looked ut the notes before her.
Then, when her mechanical performance
was over, she got up aud resigned her seat
to some one else with the air Of one who
had accomplished q tiresome duty. And
again snatches of the conversation between
the Squire and his tormentor reached her
but this time the subject was not Italy
II drew her attention in spite of herself;
it seemed to be imbued with an impor:u'
nate power Of fascination for her, as Il was
for the Squire himself, who had started il
upon the dissolving image of San Marco,
and the state gondolas. -.
The subject of the conversation was cir
cumstantial evidence. The Colonel as.
serted that hundreds Of innocent men had
been hanged because circumstances were
against them, and the Squire excitedly took
the opposite side.
Isabel had heard enough. What was
such discussion to her that it should have
drawn her 10 listen with strained interest
She could bear il no longer. In the belief
that the two speakers were too much alb.
sorbed to notice her absence, she wandered
into the hall; the vexcd subject haunting
her with vague oppression, falling as it
did upon those other circumstances which,
in themselves unusual, were sufficiently
disturbing. It did not seem o sible to
stay there playing her part calmly, as
though no urgent question Of life and
death had found its unwelcome way into
her brain. What was happening in the
park just then? What malcvo,ent spirit
had drawn out Godfrey Redicrn on that
Septemptcr night!
Oh! if all the game in all the Squire's
covers were gone past recovery, what would
it matter compared to that grave dread
which hung like cloud over the moon
light ..-lt M
If they did meet If George Redfern
encountered his halfbrother with the pas
sion Of rage and disappointment she had
seen unabated; encountered him suddenly,
unexpectedly, what might happens
A step on the gravel, slow and measured !;
the step of man full Of thought; and
she sprang forward, and leaned against the
door.post. .tar
"Godfrey
But for that cry he might have passed
on without seeing her, in his abstraction.
His hair had fallen over his eyes, and he
had no hat; and he looked at her hastily,
us though struggling with some distant
mlge which had shut out the present.
"lsabel! my love!"
And then his face cleared little, and O
light came into it half tender, half re-
proachful.
"Was it tho gun, and the poachers !
Little coward! All, Isabel. what is it
worth, think you, to a lonely fellow such as
l am-was mean y
"Godfrey, your sleeve is all wet, and your
hair; your coat is muddy, and your check
what have you done to your cheek 7"
as it bleeding! had a fall, Isabel, in
the coppice above the beechcs. Never
mind. 4 bit Of plaster will set all right,
and my coat is easily changed"
"And your hat, Godfrey"
"Have lost it! Say nothing s5out il
in there, Isabel; they will ask questions
Some time, will tell you about my fall
but not tonight. Why, Isabel, you are
trembling still. What is il ~ ...
Aud Isabel, looking up at him, did net
utter the name which had been on hel
lips. She could not tell him what it was
that George had said to her, neither could
she saw {. IL WAS mn fear ~ Doaclfers that