Delaware tribune. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1867-1877, 1868-08-13

hands, and this is what he has done for me.
can only assure you, my dearest aunt. that
l was no party to the fraud practised on
you; and though the reparation be very
poor one, l mean to cut the man who did
it,"
AS he spoke he moved across the room,
and throwing his pelisse on his arm, and
gathering up his other stray articles of tray
elling gear, he turned to face me. "And
now, said he, 81 distinctly beg your par
don, and hope you will not refuse me this
as say goodbye! !"
sprang towards him and cried out, " 1t
is have to ask forgiveness. 1t is whose
selfishness has SO far blinded me that have
only seen one half of the sacrifice my friend
has made for me. Forgive me, Ponsenby,
| entreat you, and do not let me hate myself
forever.
Our reconciliation was complete, and so
hearty, so real, and so sincere, that we were
not driven to avoid the painful topic which
had so excited us, but continued to talk it
over for hours, and without a trace of the
late unpleasant alteration.
"But what am to do ?" asked l show
answer my aunts letter."
''For the moment do nothing One of the
abiest diplomatists we have in England once
said to me, There are letters which should
never be replied to till time dictates the ans
wer.' Who knows what few days may
bring forth at all events watt
There was no great hardship in according
to this counsel. could twait where 1
then was without any very marked i'm
patience, though how long was to "wait :"
or what for had not the vaguest imaginable
idea.
Ponsonby had so much to do now that for
several days scarcely saw him. We met,
indeed. at breakfast, and always awoke
him when | returned at night, to ''reportn
myself, IS he called it, and answer a host of
questions he would put to me about my ''go
ings on" at the convent, and whether my
relations with Katinka were still confined
withn the limits of mere friendship.
The landlord had told Fred that was
watched, that was always followed about
by two or three men and that such survcil-
lance was generally the forerunncr of some
thing worse. In fact, he assured Ponsonby
that if / set any value on my life, had no
time to lose in getting away over the from
tier. l will not say that heard all this
with indifference was fully aware that
amongst the company / frequented there
were men who bore me no especial goodwill.
| The marked favor with which was admitted
to Katinka's intimacy was an offence that
many would have thought very cheaply
atoned by my blood. Nor were they fellows
to conceal their feelings-they very palpably
let me know that was no favorite amongst
them.
| Fred urged me to greater caution, particu-
laIly as to the hours kept, for rarely re-
turned home before daybreak i; but though
promised to be more crcumspect, my heart
was far too full Of other thoughts to waste
time on personal safety.
One night that 1 came back somewhat
s~ttiSt 't"h AiJ "oht, iouhd ibhh hotCOP
across the threshold OF the house-door-a
not uncommon practice in countries where
the slight shelter of porch or an cave is
deemed protection enough against the wea-
ther. In the act of pulling the bell slightly
touched him with my foot, but before had
time to say word of excuse he had sprung
to his feet, and dashed at me with knife.
The night being warm, had carried my
cloak on my arm, and in the thick folds of
the cloth three stabs were quickly received,
the last of which penetrated the cloak and
went deep into my flesh. An exclamation
of pain broke from me, and at the instant a
window opened over my head and two pistol
shots followed in quick succession The
ruffian broke away at once and fled, and ere
could hare my arm to see my wound Pom
sonby was beside me.
1t was an ugly cut, and severed one of the
arteries. This was secured by a surgeon of
the place, and the whole incident strictly
shrouded in secrecy, for as the landlord said,
so long as nothing is spoken about these
things, the assassins are always convinced
that measures are being secretly converted
for vengeance. With my arm carefully
bound up and carried in my waistcoat, re-
sumed my place next day at the table, and
only TO Katinka herself did l relate the ad-
venture.
Though she grew deadly pale and her lip
trembled as told my story, she said very
| l;ff1a ;ti,,r In ,yov nf ao f,r tn
gret. She urged me, however, TO get away
from Belgrade; she said these things were
never done by halves there, that assassina-
ton was regular trade; and The men who
followed it for livelihood were not worse
looked on than scores of people who earned
honest bread must own that when de-
clared would never yield to a menace, nor
shrink back before peril, she looked at me
with her great eyes and her lips parted, with
an expression that to have won such
would have faced hundred deaths.
About ten days after this occurred, as /
was entering the breakfast-room one morn
ing, Ponsonby met me, saying, "You heard
the arrival this morning2'
g l should think did-such tramping of
horses feet and such jingling of bells would
have awoke the dead"
I" But you don't know who has Gomez"
"No; ! never asked"
"Your Aunt Dinah true, on my honor"
added he, as / sank overpowered on the
chair. 81 take it, that, not hearing from
either of us, she was determined to come