The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-12-24
CHRISTMAS STORY
FOR 1867.
NO THOROUGH ARE.
CHARLES Dickens AND wILKIE COLLINS
tCbntinted from our last isate.l
ACT III.
IN THE VALLEY,


IN THE VALLEY.
1t was about the middle of the month of
February when Vendale and Obenreizer set forth
on their expedition. The winter being a hard
one, the time was bad for traYellers. So bad was
it that these two travellers, coming to Strasburg
found its great inns almost empty. And even
the few people they did encounter in that CITY,
who had started from England or from Paris on
business journeys towards the interior of Switz-
eTland, were turning back.
Many of the railroads in Switzerland that
tourists pass easily enough now, were almost or
quite impractcable then. Some were not begun;
more were not completed. On such as were
open, there were still large gaps of old road
where communication in the winter season was
often stopped; on others, there were weak points
where the new work was not safe, either under
conditions of severe frost or of rapid thaw,
The running of trains on this last class was
not to be counted on in the worst time of the
year, was contingent upon weather, or was
wholly abandoned through the months con-
sidered the most dangerous.
AT Strasburg there we're more travellers stories
aHoat, respecting the difficulties of the way far
ther on, than there were travellers to relate
them. Many of these tales were as wild as
usual but the more modestly marvellous did
derive some color from the circumstance that
people were indsputably turning back. How.
ever, as the road to Basle was open, Vendale's
resolution to push on was in no wise disturbed.
ObeuTeizer's resolution was necessarily Ven.
dales, seeing that he stood at bay thus despe.
rately; he must be ruined, or must destroy the
evidence that Vendale carried about him, even
If he destroyed Vendale with it.
The state of mind of each of these two fellow
tO tba 9TH
reizer, encircled by impending ruin through
Vendales quickness of action, and seeing the
circle narrowed every hour by vendale's energy,
hated him with the animositY of a fierce, cum
ming lower animal. He had always had iustinc-
tive movements in his breast against him; per-
haps, because of that old sore OF gentleman and
peasant; perhaps, because of the openness of his
nature; perhaps, because OF his better looks;
perhaps, because of his success with Marguerite;
perhaps, on all those grounds-the two last not
the least. And now he saw in him, besides, the
hunter who was tracking him down. Vendale
on the other hand, always con.ending gene
rously against his first vague mistrust, now felt
bound to contend against it more than ever,
reminding himself, He is Marguertes guar.
dian. We are on perfectly friendly terms; he is
my companion of his own proposal, aud can
have no interested motive in sharing this unde.
srable Journey To which pleas in behalf of
more, when they came TO Basle, after journey
OF more than twice the average duration.
They had had late dinner, and were alone in
an inn room there, oyerhanging the Rhine at
that place rapid aud deep, swollen and loud.
Vendale lounged upon couch, and Obenrezer
walked 10 and iro-noW stopping at the window,
looking at the crooked reflections OF the town
lights IN the dark water (and peradventure
thinking, 'If could fling him into t!n), now
resuming his walk with his eyes upon the hoor.
Where shall | rob him, i | cam Where
the room, ran the river, ran the river, ran the
river.
The burden seemed to him, at last, to be
growing so plain that he stopped; thinking it as
well to suggest another burden to his COM
panion.
''The Rhine sounds tonight" he said with a
smile, like the old waterfall at home That
waterfall which my mother showed to travellers
(I told you of it once). The sound of it changed
with the weather, as does the sound of falling
waters and flowing waters. When / was pupil
of the matchmaker, l remembered it as some
times saying TO me for whole days, Who are
you, my little wretch? Who are you, my little
WIetchT ] remembered it as saying, other
times, when its sound was hollow, aud storm
was coming up the Pass, "Boom boom, boom.
Beat him, beat him, beat him. Like my mother
enr6 ged-if she was my motber.p
'If she was ?" said Yendaie, gradually chang
ing his attitude to sitting one. 'If she was
Why do you say 'iPY"
"What do know ~ replied the other, negli-
gently throwing up his hands and letting them
fall as they would. what you would have
am so obscurely born that how can say? |
was very young, aud all the rest of the family
were men and women, and my so called parents
were old. Anything is possible Of case like
that.n -.r-
"Did you ever doubt-Y"
al told you once-I doubt the marriage of
those twO,n he replied, throwing up his hands
again, as If he were throwing the Improbable
subject away. ''But here l am in Creation. /
come of no fine family. What does 1t matter"
Eat least you are SWISS" said Vendale, after
following him With his eyes to and fro.
"How do knoWp he retorted, abruptly, and
stopping to look back over his shoulder. "I
say 10 you, at least you are English How do
you know ~
"By what have been told from infancy"
"Ah / know OF myself that way.n
"And,n added Vendale, pursuing the thought
that he could not drive back, "by my earliest
II also. know of myself that way-if that
way satisfies"
'fDoes it not satisfy your"
''It must. There Is nothing like 1T must in
this little world. II must. Two short words
those, but stronger than long proof or rea-
''You and poor wilding were born in the same
year. You were nearly OF an age" said Ven
dale, again thoughtfully looking alter him as he
resumed his pacing up and down.
"Yes. Very nearly.n
Could 0benIeizer be the missing man? In the
unknown associations of things was there a
subtler meaning than he himself Thought. in
that theory so often on his lips abont the small
mess OF the world? Had the Swiss letter pre-
senting him, followed so close on Mrs. Gold
had been taken away TO Switzerland, because
he was that infant grown MANI In word,
where 60 many depths lie pnsounded, 1t might
be, The chances, or the laws, Gall them either,