The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1873-12-05

! gees departed, and were seen no more.
The moon had just risen when Lady
! Daneham, closely mufieed in thick
black mantle, entered the hazel-copse.
As may be imagined, she found no one
there; but those she expected might
have been unayoidably defained, and she
waited. An hour-two hours passed; no
one came She still fingered; what could
have happened-why should they have
sought an interview and failed to keep
the appointment-who could they be
how came they in possession of to-
ken she had believed in the hands of
one person alone in the world? All
these questions occupied her mind as
she waited, and waited in vain. No
one ever came; and, at last, a prey to the
most harassing anxiety, and bewildered
by thousand eonjectures, she was fore
ed to leave the eopse and return home.
For two days Serena remained undis-
turbed, though enduring an anguish of
suspense and dread never to be describ-
ed But, on the third morning, the
clash of arms and the clatter of hoofs
in the courtyard announced the arrival
that she had (but did nat dare to con-
fess that she had) expected and feared.
White and trembling, but striving to
be composed and to collect her thoughts,
she entered the room where her unin-
vited guest awaited her Boisterous
laughter and rude jests were to be heard
as she passed along the corridor; but
even the rough merriment of Colonel
Kirke and his men was hushed for a
moment at sight of her pale face and
stately carriage. Her beauty might be
dimmed by time, but the majesty of her
presence was unimpaired. She had no
difficulty in recognizing the chief of the
party-the man for whose actions chari-
ty itself has found no excuse, whose ex-
cesses even the veil of time has never
softened. To others, Percy Kirke was
the petty tyrant, the rapacious, cruel
monster, the dissolute rufian, the fitting
agent of one as ruthless, if not as fero-
/
as all this, bnt to her he was more; he
was the avowed enemy of her and hers
the lover of her youth.
No other. On this man, then COM
paratively innocent, she had wasted her
first and best affections; to this man,
while yet unstained by crime, had her
first vows been addressed. This man
had sworn vengeance on her and hers,
and he was all-powerful now; and an
agony of mingled shame and fear pos
sessed her as she thought of her past
dread.
| But there was no outward reason for
fear. Whoever the hapless fugitiyes
had been, she could say with truth that
she knew nothing of them, and the wife
of Sir Lionel Daneham could not be
even suspected of disafiection. So, with
a great effort suppressing all signs of
emotion, she saluted Colonel Kirke, and
inquired, with cold politeness; to what
reason Daneham was indebted for the
honor of his presence.
"We are grieved to incommode lady,
but we have been informed that two
noted rebels have been seen hiding in
the park, and we demand permission, in
the kings name, to search the house
and grounds"
1 He looked hard at Serena, but she did
not finch nor change color. The ask
ing permission she knew to be farce,
and was surprised that it had even been
gone through. The reason appeared af-
tefward.
at is scarcely needful," she said, with
an added shade of stateliness. "This is
no place of refuge for rebels. King
James has no more loyal subject or serv-
ant in his dominions than Sir Lionel
/, Daneham."
eve are quite aware of that, madam;
but we also know that Sir Lionel ia in
London, and that advantage may have
been taken of his absence"
HOf course, can have no objection
to your search; but believe you will
find it lost labor"
Oh, how fervently did she pray thai
> it might be so, but with what sickening
dread did she see them depart on their
errand! Oh, those unhappy men, whom
she had been unable to shield or serve
Where were they? Where could they
be safe from the blood-hounds now upor
t their track? Why had they not KEEP
{ the tryst with her? Why had they no
accepted her aid? Matthew could have
5 answered her, but he held his peace.
Hours passed-she hardly knew how
q and the sun was low when the soldier
3 and their chief returned. She soor
learned the result of their expedition
q She had feared what she dared no
, think; the reality was worse than he
worst fears-her brother, Ralph Curtis
r was in Kirke's hands.
With that refinement in cruelty o
which he was a master, he caused thu
/ brother and sister to be brought togeth
p er, and to hold in his presence their las
t interview. Not that Serena believed
n to be the last; hope is very difficult t.
e kill in the human breast, and it is yer.
e difficult to believe that we are especial.
e singled out for misfortune. Ralpl
d knew that for him all was lost. Trea
n son, until successful, is a dangerou
o game; and he had purposely kept hi
# sister in ignorance of his share in tn
one lately lost, until sure of the stalk
1. he played for; but the die was cas-
d against him, and he was willing to pa
8 the forfeit. He was at the mercy of on
to whom mercy was unknown, and h
e had resolved to meet his inevitable fat
with the fortitude that became the las
e of valiant race. In learning that
Ie was through evil mischance alone tha
n, his sister had failed to shelter and SUI
D cor him, and in receiving her assuranC
that she would have died for his SAX