The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1866-07-14

so vile that to couple womans name
) with his is a passport to dishonor a
sharper and blackleg, who has been
| twice hooted off the Newmarket course !;
) a bankrupt so desperately involved that
, only by a wealthy marriage-with such
a one, for example, as the hcircss of
Glcdhills-can he hope even partially to
retrieve his fortunes. Bah! what can
+; thy country-bred ignorance know of
these things?"
, "lIard words, Colonel Lomond, very
r hard words" said Sir Dcrwent, disdain-
! fully; "but | am happy to think, utter
ly incapable of proof"
; "IIard words! ay, hard enough to
D have moved an innocent man to right
I eous anger, but not, as it seems, to flut-
ter thy slow beating pulses ever so faint
| ly; and that because thou knowcst them
to be true. Proof! Here's one out of
r a dozen. Who lured sweet Mary Doris
= from her home in yonder valley, and
t hid her away in London past the finding
of her friends? Who held the simple
c village beauty lightly for q month or
two, and then discarded her to starve or
die as she might think best? Who but
!, you, Sir Derwent Narrel, unless this let
1 ter also lies--a letter signed with your
name, and found in the poor child's
a pocket when she lay with white staring
face and dripping hair in the dcad-house
I by the river. And now it is my daugh-
ter thou SpokeSt to entraDID
AS Colonel Lomond drew from his
< pocket the letter of which he had been
b, speaking, Lenorc, with low cry of
: anguish, sank fainting to the floor; and
, the horror-strickcn Narrel roeled back
f ward like one suddenly stabbed.
t "Reptile! it is time the score between
us were settled" said Colonel Lomond,
n with Il venomous ferocity of tone. "Only
t one of us two must leave this room
G alive"
v 81 cannot-I dare not fight with you,"
t murmured Narrcl.
|, "Oh no! do not think to escape me
o thus. You refuse to fight. Then take
5 the punishment of cowards." And with
o that the heavy thong of Colonel Lo-
d mond's riding-whip whistlcd through
t the air, and came down on Narrcl's necl;
IS and shoulders twice, twisting round his
o face on the second occasion and leaving a
e thin livid whcal across his check where
k it had cut into the flesh. Narrel's first
Il impulse was to shrink backward with 6
" mingled cry of rage and pain but the
:! next instant he closed with the Colonel
and wrestling the whip from his hands,
= flung it to the other end of the room.
h "Give me a sword-a pistol--a weap-
it on Of any kindw he cried hoarscly
d "This vile treatment absolves me from
all consequences. Colonel Lomond, YOU
e blood be upon your own hcad!"
= The Colonel smiled sweetly on him
ii "Well spolien," he said, "only that yor
l. express yourself somewhat after tn,
= Furioso fashion. Your cry to arms i,
t. worthy of all praise, and | hasten tC
IS comply with it. In this cabinet, sir, are
IS a couple Of as pretty playthings as ever
IL gladdcncd the eyes of gentleman
JoHa! they are both alike in every par.
l. ticular. The choice is yours.
|, Varrcls fingers closed the hilt of one
e of the rapiers thus presented to him
= and while he tried its edge and temper
g by running his thumb and finger appre
20 ciativcly along its length, and by bend
g ing its points back nearly to the hilt
e, Colonel LomOnd disCmbarrassed himsCl
n of the cumbrous Overcoat i'll which he
ie was envelopcd; and next minute the
', two men fronted each other.
e "Gardcz-vous, Monsieur" cried Col
:! onCl Lomond, as he made the first pass
Fl 1t was thoroughly understood by boil
of them that they We're fighting for deal
% life-that neither of them must look
l, formercy from the other. Both of them
IS were excellent swordsmcn, but Sir Der
went had the advantage of youth and
y agility on his side, and he pressed the
Is Colonel hardly, who, while keeping VI
le his defence warily, yet felt himself COM
l. PEELED to retreat step by step before the
desperate lungs Of his antagonist"
< The clash of the swords seemed tC
Ie rouse Lenore from the stupor into whicl
is she had fallen. With her hands pressct
to her temples, and with glaring eye
l. balls, that followed every movement OF
Il the combatants, she staggered to hel
II feet. Her lips moved, but no sount
Ie came from them. Perhaps she was
asking herself whether it were not all {
d hideous nightmare, which the frs
e breath Of reality would dissipatc forever
is With the same mingled look of horrO
and unbeief on her face she watched tn
Q, two men coming slowly down the room
= again, for Colonel LOmond was still slight
IT ly overborne by his more youthful an
tagonist. The rapicrs clashcd together
d bright sparks flew from their polished
Sc blue-black surface, rs they struck eacl
1t other, and bent and quivered Ike thing
II of life in the grasp of the sineWy hand
e that held them.
II The cOmbatants were just opposite tn
G. spotwhere the ehalf-dcmentcd LcnoreWa
,e standing like one incapable Of motion
ID when suddenly, at 4 movement in tiercC
NJ the point of Colonel Lomond's rapie
IN snapped of; an advantage which Nauo
l instantly followed up with deNtrou
&c stroke, which sent the ColoncPs brOkcl
IN weapon hyingacrosa the room. Lenoro
Sc with the quick instinct Of love, diVine'
lc her father danger; and the same mo