, 1864-03-05

ai'er ms return 70 Glenavin, Margaret's gov
erness informed him that the young lady
still kept company with Walter Mandeyille,
who was but child when he went to the
Continent, and that they mad partiality
for each other? He worked himself into
q tolerably decent passion, and was on the
point Of seeking Margaret upon the subject,
when the Count de Baisseaux entered the
apartment.
The Count confessed that the scenery
around the castle, the castle itself, ard eve
rything in it, were beautiful; but moth
ing" said he, "seems 30 lovely to me as
Margaret Maxwell"
ain love alreadyy' cried Sir Hubert.
Do not mistake me-" replied the Count
al admire Margaret, and, as my wife, shall
cherish and respect her. In love 1 can
never be. Once felt its sway-felt it in
all its fatal, mad excess. was its dupe-
its slave-its victim" After short pause,
he added: any deceased wife was not the
object Of my love, neither is she now the
cause of my regret" ..
Upon being pressed by Sir Hubert to in.
form him who was the inamorata he so be-
walled, he confessed that, at the age of twenty
two, when we are libcrtines rather through
constitution than from vice, he became enam-
ored Of lovely girl. She was an orphan
Of q good family, but slender fortune; her
person was exquisite, and her age sixteen.
He vowed, and was forsworn she trusted,
and was deceived. A child-a nameless
child was born, amidst its mothers tears
and bushes. He still continued to promise
reparation, and still delayed it; when a
marriage with one Of the richest heiresses
in France was proposed to him by his family.
At first, conscience started, and he refused
to comply; but his relatives insisted-nay,
threatened disinheritance; and, at the altar
Of an insulted Deity, he pledged to another
those VOWS which were the rightful attri-
butes of her he had betrayed. Immediately
ON his union with the heiress, he offered
Independence, nay, affiuence, as an atone
ment for her wrongs; but she spurued his
offer with scorn, and, unknown to all, with
her infant in her arms, she suddenly Quilted
her abode. Although twenty years had now
rolled past since then, he had been unable
to learn any tidings either of her rthe child.
Shortly after her flight, death prematurely
robbed him of his Countess; and her son,
the only issue Of their marriage, while yet
an infant, perished in the Ano: his float
ing garments only were recovered from the
stream.
Such was the story Of the earlier years Of
the Count de Baisseaux. His reason for
again wishing to enter the matrimonial state
was, that his proud name and vast possess
sions might not sink with him into oblivious
dust unclaimed. He wished his own blood
to inherit them. ...-..
Acting upon the information he had re-
ceived from the governess regarding Marga-
ret's partiality for Walter Vaudeville, Sir
Huberts first step was to forbid that young
lady from visiting in future the cottage Of
Dame Vaudeville, or holding any intercourse
with her or her family. Ere Margaret had
well nigh recovered from the state Of aston
ishmeDt and yexation into which such COM
mand had thrown her. hastily-written note
was put into her hands. She knew the hand
writing at once, and, speedily unfolding it,
read the following:
"Pardon, dear Margaret, the strange ab-
rIPtness Of 'hls 1ots. E.nS u 'iae.u -, S.a.ns ~ ]
pllng manu- ana ulcTa.eu ,;oa Iy IS''u ~ leu
heart na lew houlS n....s;m" I'M uU W. ~ 's~ somI
tne vaiiey, you, - sSJ c'e T., 80 SIs
prizes am ITrpIuuea ~ !. ,,sS i.. ."T S~'.
ou. maoneSs viii De my iT'o T ui.e'. : '0 ~" yvu
before my departure; NI~e " Me' .Ie, "%a,i
put lot amomrI'- s1 n ~ ~ nan ynnrS % nO"' : '""
be at the old OAK tree, iour,
mui, WALTER "ANDh''
Margaret had not power to resist. The
letter was no sooner read than her course
was determined on. Despite Of prudence,
and all the fathers in the world, she must
see walter ere his departure. Yet, although
IN this sbe acted contrary to Sir Hubert's
command, be it not for moment supposed
tbat Marraret Maxwell would, in any other
th;nc have disobeyed her father. She loved
Waller Mandeyiilo-ay, loved him more
,hsn her narent: and what will not woman
.dvcntnre In The service Of her affections?
True to his tryst, Walter Vaudeville was
\, the oIJ oak tree fully ten minutes before
tbo amounted time. Straining his eyes in
the direction Of Clcnavin Castle, to en-
deayor to obtain the first view Of Margaret
~ % shs entered on the scene, his attention
,v.s arrested bv n horse. and its rider, gal