The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1867-12-25

| person OF Madame Dorl She half got up, half
looked over her broad shoulder at Vendale, and
pumped down again, Was she at work? Yes.
Cleaning Obenreizer's gloves. as before No -,
darning Obenreizer's stockings.
The case was now desperate. Two serious
considerations presented themselves to Vendale.
Was it possible to put Madame Dor into the
stove? The stove wouldn't hold her. Was it
possible to treat Madame Dor, not as q living
woman, but as an article OF furnituref Could
the mind be brought to contemplate this re-
spectacle woman purely in the light OF q chest OF
drawers. with q black gauze head-dress acct.
dentally left on top Of It'll Yes, the mind could
trining effort, Vendale's mind did it. AS he took
his place on the old-fashioned w~indow-seat, close
by Marguerite and her embroidery, a slight
movement appeared in the chest OF drawers, but
no remark issued from it. Let it be remembered
that solid furniture is not easy to move, and
that it has this advantage In consequence-there
is no fear OF upsetting 1t.
Unusually silent and unusually constrained
with the bright color fast fading from her face,
with q feverish energy possessing her fingers
the pretty Marguerite bent over her embroid-
cry, and worked as il her life depended on 1t.
Hardly less agitated himself, Vendale felt the
importance of leading her very gently to the
Rvowal which he was eager to make-to the
other sweeter avowal still. which he was longing
to hear. Awoman's love is never to be taken
by storm it yields lnsensibly to q system OF
gradual approach. It ventures BY the round
| ABOUT way, and listens to the low voice. VEN
dale led her memory back to their past meet
ings, when they were travelling together In
Switzerland.
They revived the impressions, they recalled the
| events, Of the happy by-gone time. Little by
little, Marguerite's constraint. vanished. Sne
smiled, she was interested, she looked at Ven
dale, she grew idle with her needle, she made
false stitches in her work. Their voices sank
lower and lower; their faces bent nearer and
nearer to each other as they spoke. And
! Madame Dor? Madame Dor behaved IKE an
angel She never looked round; she never aaio
a word; she went on with Obenreizer's stock
left arm. and holding that arm aloft from time
to time, to catch the light on her work. there
were moments, delicate and indescribable mo
ments, when Madame Dor appeared to be sitting
upside down, and contemplating one OF her own
| respectable legs elevated in the air. AS the
minutes wore on, these elevations followed each
other at longer and longer intervals. NOW and
again, the black gauze head-dress nodded, drop
ped forward, recovered itself. A little heap OF
stockings. cid softly from Madame DORIS lap,
| gious ball of worsted followed the stockings, and
| rolled lszily under the table. The black gauze
| head-dress nodded, dropped forward, recovered
itself. nodded again, dropped forward again,
and recovered itself no more. a composite
sound, partly as Of the purring Of an immense
cat, QAIUy Us v u lit pihuLuS Va . oo4
over the hushed voices Of the lovers, and num-
med at regular intervals through the room.
| Nature and Madame Dor had combined together
10 Vendale's interests. The best Of women was
asleep.
Marguerite rose to stop-not the snoring-let
MS saw. the audible repose Of Madame Dor. Ven
dale laid his hand on her arm, and pressed her
back gently into her chair.
"Don't disturb her." he whispered. 81 have
been waiting to tell you q secret. Let me tell it
now"
Marguerite resumed her seat. She tried to
resume her needle. It was useless; her eyes
failed her; her hand failed her; she could find
nothing.
ave have been t~alking,i' said Vendale, "of
the happy time when we first met, and first trav-
eled together. I have q confession to make. I
have been concealing. something. When we
| spoke Of my first visit to Switzerland. ! told you
OF all the impressions I had brought back with
me 70 England-eIcept one. Can you guess
what that one is p
Her eyes looked steadfastly OF the embroidery,
and her face turned o little away from him;
Signs of disturbance began to appear IN her neat
velvet boddlce, round the region Of the brooch.
She made no reply. Vendale pressed the ques-
ton without mercy.
"Can you guess what the one Swiss impress
sion is which Thaye not told you YETI"
Her face turned back toward him, and q faint
smile trembled on her bps. -
A impression OF the mountains, perhapsl"
she said, slyly.
"No; Q much more precious impression IMAM
that"
"Of the lakes p
"No. The lakes have not grown dearer and
dearer in remembrance to me every day. The
lakes are not associated with my happiness in
the present, and my hopes in the future. Mar
| guerite all that makes life worth having hangs,
for me, on a word from your lips. Marguerite ]
/ love you'll"
Her head dropped, ss he took her hand. He
drew her to him, and looked at her. The tears
escaped from her downcast eyes, and fell slowly
over her cheeks.
co. Mr.. vendale," she said sadly. cit would
have been kinder to have kept your secret. Have
you forgotten the distance between us2 1t can
| never, never bel
"There can be but one distance between Us
Marguerite,-a distance Of your making. My
love, my darling, there is no higher rank in
goodness, there is no higher rank IN beauty,
than yours Comet whisper the one little word
which tells me you will be my vile"
She sighed bitterly. "Think of your family"
| abe murmured "and think Of min ~
vendale drew her q little nearer to him.
7 M"H you dwell on such an obstacle as that, " he
} said, 81 shall think but one thought shall
| think I have offended you"
CLo ok..k.a oal 1ooGa1 I'M En mn 10 oha nv