The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1866-11-17
THE COUNTESS MEL UstME.
BY MRS. II. WOOD.
CHAPTER w

to-VdS iiuo never more CQaTmlQS.
Her manners had warmer shade
than usual, and were more familiarly
caressing; and, for the first time, she
spoke Of her private affairs. Hither-
to she had only alluded incidentally
to herself as the daughter of prince
with harrow-load of consonants,
and name unpronounceable, by
any but compatriot; or as the
widow Of the Count. She never gave
has name, though the German Baron
had written il in his letter OF intro
duction, but so in, that whether it
were Russian or Roumaic no one on
this side Of Babel could tell. For the
rest she was tho Countess Melusine.
From speaking of her parentage and
condition, touching feelingly on the
various troubles she had undergone,
and letting her sweet eyes, beaded
with heavy tears, rest lovingly on
Anthony's eager face as she spoke of
death and disappointment, and the
fresh hearts early SORROWS, she glid-
ed by easy transition into the more
worldly matters of money and
expense. Lightly and without COM
plant, laughing in her natural bird
like manner, she confessed to tire
some momentary embarrassment,
and to her need for n paltry three
hundred pounds-just for few days,
certainly not longer than q week
merely to pay an insolent tradesman
who would not wait her convenience.
And then she appealed to her cher
Monsieur Antoine to tell hef-she so
Ignorant OF English business-how
she could raise that three hundred
pounds for see-touching her brace
lets and pointing to her furniture
what grand security she had to offer !;
and Jewels and plate, she had often
heard men say, were only consoli-
dated bank-notes. And again she
laughed; but her cheeks were paler
than before, and her dark-brown eyes
were troubled.
Anthony's whole fortune was just
one compact three hundred pounds
his, though his sister dealt with it
as her own, even sometimes, when
| irreflectively irate, threatening to
leave 1t away to strangers. Simple
boy! he had told this to the Countess
the very first visit he had paid her;
but he had forgotten now; and her
request came as an unhoped-for op-
portunlty to be of service. Eager,
proud, glad, he spoke to her of this
sum, which to him seemed, rs it was,
q fortune. ''And would she not
honor him by taking it? She might
repay it at her leisure, for he could
scarcely hope that she would honor
him so far as to accept his little offer
ing as gift. Yet he would be so
glad, so proud, to offer it. Would
she not, then, render his whole life
blessed with the remembrance that
once he had been enabled to spare
her half an hours embarrassment? ?
Would she not prove the sincerity of
her friendship for him, and test the
loyalty OF his devotion, by suffering
him to aid her? Oh, would she not
grant him this, when, if need be, he
would aid her with his ife?"
Powerfully moved, but respectful
as ever, he took her plant hand and
pressed it between his own, all his
honest love in his eyes and quivering
like sunlight over his face. The lady's
eye flashed with painful, half
frightened glance; she looked fear
fully at the door, then bent forward
with caressing movement, as if to
thank him. And then a longing,
loving look yelled that painful glance
her cheek flushed, her lip quivered,
and tears gathered up into her eyes.
She laid her hand on the boys fore
head, and, with a voice full of
genuine tenderness, said sadly: "No,
no, my poor child, not youp'
"-Naudite bete'' growled Justine,
the maid, watching the scene through
the key-hole. ''She shall pay for
'this!'
That touch sealed Anthony's fate.
He flung himself at her feet; he did
not know what he said, scarcely what
he felt; he only knew that the barrier
was broken down, and that the love
which had hidden deep in his heart,
scarcely daring to confess itself in the
silence OF his own thoughts, now
leapt forth into the like of words.
The Countess Melusine was used
to hear 1nen talk of love, but this was
something different to her uses She
listened gently, tenderly, and tears
more than once fell from her eyes.
Then STOPPING forward, so that her
scented hair fell lightly over the young
face upturned to hers, she put her
arms, with q gesture of almost ma
ternal tenderness, round his neck,