The Vermont transcript. [volume] (St. Albans, Vt.) 1864-1870, 1868-05-15
General Miscellany.
e Q L K Z w Q Q ID:
Or
Lillian VernOn's Companion
BY a. a. DAYTON.
CHAPTER l.
LILLIAN AND VERONICA.

NO; YOU do not disturbme, Veronica
come iun
But the speaker did not move from the
couch on which she half reclined. to
greet the newcomer. The girl called
Veronica giided softly-stealthily YOU
m ight have called it-across the gorg-
eoUs carpet, and placed her arm carress-
ingly about the lady's form.
\ on haVegOOd news ~ and her keen
gray eyes bent eagerly over a letter
which her friend held.
Lillian Vernon did not speak for a
moment, though she clasped the hand
that laid upon her shoulder. Ii was as
IL bright morning dream. which she
feared to dispel, had bound her with it,
mild thall. There was a soft light in
her gentle eyes. and a sigh, low and
tremulOus, yet not of pain, parted her
lips II seemed to recall her once more
from whatever reveries she had indulg-
ed hu, still She did not move, and
spoke with doWncast eyes, and q voice
80 subdued that Veronica knew the
memory Of pleasant thoughts Vet linger-
ed.
&" I have a letter from Charles Herbert,
nay fathers ward. / have not heard
from him in years-yes, it Is years
since he sent me that little cask-
ct from Venice. II stands upon my
dressing-table, Veronica. He was lead
ing an idle life then; and his letters to
my poor brother We're filled with des-
criptionr Vi gorgeous fetes and beautiful
women, and moonlight seas. How lac
loved the beautiful. Harry and he
were such friends And then Harry
died and my father. who is SO proud
and cold, they never wrote except on
+ business and at last Charles ceased to
speak of me in his hurried letters. He
il coming TO England again.
Veronica did not answer. She waited
a. if to hear more.
"He is come, | should have said and
he VIII be here, in this very house, TO-
night. He wrote so kindly. | thought
ne had FORGOTTEN me, but lie Is just the
+ sameas ever. / wonder if he will think
me altered. He SAYS he hopes to find
me the same, bot ] am a woman now,
and he left me a schoolgirl. o, Ner0ni-
ca, he is so beautiful. Did you ever
wish to be beautiful, Veronica TO have
those who looked upon you confess that
YOU arcrc so. with involuntary homagel
Somehow, I could almost wish il for
myself this afternoon. Charles loves all
that is beautiful
IfI4illian's ewes had been appraised, she
/ most malignant, pass over the face that
/ bent above her. Ungraccful in person,
and cold in her exterior, the companion
! and deDeadent of the heiTess Of Holly
wood had often cursed in her heart the
/ adverse fate that had denied her all eX-
ternal attractions. Often, as she had
wreathed the beautiful curls, of whose
4 grace Lillian was unconscious, or array
cd the form. whose every motion was
grace itself, "a bitter, enviOus thought
poisoned the better feelings of her nature
until she had almost come 10 hate the
gentle girl, who loved and trusted her
with all the earnestness of an Affections
( ate, guileless nature.
Fortune beauty, love, ali showered
mon her.r Veronica had muTmured;
"while !, born her equal, must rest in
obscurity, because q 1.-THE of these gifts
has been denied me. 0, if | We're but
( beautiful, how / would win mems
hearts How they should acknowledge
the spell OF my presence, and bow down
/ before me, forgetiul that my loveliness
was my only dOwry!'
And then mirror would reflect a face
pale with envy, and features harsh ana
contracted. Alas, for Veronica She
remembered Charles Herbert. Could
she ever forget MIN. For in his rude
bovhOOd he had tainted hef with her
dependence-she could have borne that
and of her plainness, of which she
hated even then to hear. She could re-
call every incident Of that scene-his
frank, manly face, and her own glance
of defiance.
$50 he was coming home, and no
doubt would WOO and win his old play
fellow. He was Sir Charles Herbert
Il, I ! aIf ton
/ Thus ran Neronica's thought. And
she viii be mistress of all her fathers
wealth, and |, still in the shadow, must
stand by and see the bridal pageant, and
guard the Jewels that she is now to wear,
and smile when | could weep, and bless
when my heart curses"
1t is sad to see a human heart given
up to such evil guidance; but it was the
/ fostering thought of a lifetime, and YER
ronica was a rare dissembler.
.'Nav. confess it, she cried, playful
Iy. as she still looked down upon the
letter. filled with kindly words and
] authorizations "you love your father
ward. Lillian? Your brothers. friend
I that is not all. Well, he will be hap
DIV. for he could not refuse such hom-
age"
II offer him homagel But you must
be iesting"
"Nay; do you think | have been blind
! all this while to the love-dream that Ill
led your heart There are orange fiow-
ers in that little casket; withered, 1t is
true-but Sir Charles gave them to you
ere he sailed from England. There is a
curl of brown hair beneath the velvet
cushion il is marvellously like some
curls have seen on his forehead. And
perhaps you forget standing before the
picture that hung in your brothers
room. ere it was closed, and signing a.
YOU turned away ?'
No wonder that Lillian blushed, and
and Withdrew her hand impatiently.
"And your eyes will welcome him
back again; and your lands may nm
ish the conquest" she half murmured.
"There 20. Veronica my eyes shall
never tell unmaidenly secrets. Did i
NOT love WI so well, L could chide you
/ for speaking thus. l hear hustle in
the COURTYARD; am not ready to receive
nv fathers guests-you must do 1T for
me. They have entered the drawing
ROOM
IT needed not Lillian's impatient en-
treaties, for Varonica's heart beat last
with the wish to see Charles Herbert
first, alone; and yet she complied as one
who confers a favor Then Lillian
sank back upon the couch once more,
and seemed to forget what was required
of her. The rich fall Of lace trembled to
/ the quick beatings of her heart, and heI
hands clasped the letter nervously. She
listened eagerly to catch the sound OF