Litchfield enquirer., 1874-06-11
went rapidly into the house. She remain

went rapidly into the house. She remain
 cd with me and, as she seemed greatly perplexed, and We had, moreover, often I discussed our companions situation and
 prospects, I immediately told her that
 Scrope had just been relating his present ] troubles. s'Ehey are very unexpected" :" l she cried. ''Its thunder in a clear sky.
 Just now Adina laid down her work and 1 told me solemnly that she would like to
 see Mir. Scrope alone; would kindly call
 him? Would she kindly tell me- I in- l qu1red, 'what Ill common sense was the
 matter with her, and what she prosposed to
 say to hlm. She looked at me moment
 as Ii were child of five years old inter-
 rupting family prayers; then came up l gently and kissed me, and said I would
 know everything in good time. Does she
 mean to stand there in that same ghostly
 fashion and tell him that, on the whole, l she decided not to marry him? What has
 the poor man done?"
 ''She has ceased to love him." I sug-
 gested.
 ''Why ceased, all of sudden?" Perhaps it's not so sudden as you
 suppose, Such things have happened, in
 young women's hearts, as gradual re-
 vision of first impression
 ''les, but not without particular mo- | tive-another fancy. Adina is fanciful, ! that 1 knew; with all respect be it said, it
 was fanciful to accept poor Sam to begin l with But her choice deliberately made, what has put her out of humor with it?-
 in word the only possible explanation
 wonld be that our young lady has trans ferred her affections. But it's impos-
 sible?'
 ''Absolutely so?'' I asked.
 Absolutely. Judge for yourself. To
 whom, pray? She hasn't seen another
 man in month. Who could have so
 mysteriously charmed her? The little l hunchbaok who brings us mandarin or
 anges every morning? Perhaps she has l lost her heart to Prince Doria. I believe
 he has been staying at his villa yonder. D found no smile for this mild sarcasm.
 1 was wondering wondering. ''Has she
 literally seen no one else?" asked when
 my wonderings left me breath. 'I can't answer for whom she may have seen, she's not blind. But she has spo-
 ken to no one else. nor been spoken to;
 that's very certain. Love at sight-at sight only-used to be common in the ! novels I devoured when I was fifteen; | but l doubt whether it exists anywhere ! else.''
 had question on my tongues end, but hesitated some time to risk it. de- bated some time in silence and at last l 1 uttered 1t, with a predatory apology. "On | which side of the house is Adina's room?" ''Pray, what are you coming to?" said | my companion, ''On this side ''It looks into the garden?"
 E'Fhara if iS in the second story D. Be so good--which one?'' "The third window-the one with shut | ters tied back with handkerchief" The shutters and the handkerchief sud- | denly acquired q mysterious fascination | for me. I looked at them for some time, l and when l glanced back at my compan- 1 ion our eyes met. I don't know what she l thought-what she thought thought. I | thought 1t might be out of a novel-such thing as love at sight; such thing as an
 unspoken dialogue, between a handsome young Italian with Q '' wrong" in starlit 1 garden, and faneiful western maid at a ] window From her own sudden impress l sion Mrs. Washington seemed slowly to ! recoil. She gathered her shawl about her. l sEivered, and turned towards the house.
 ''The thing to do,' I said, offering her my | arm, Sis to leave Albano tomorrow. On the inner staircase we paused; Mrs. Washington was 10th to interrupt Adina's
 interview with Scrope. While she was hesitating whither to turn, the door of her
 sitting-room opened, and the young girl
 passed out. Scrope stood behind her,
 very pale, his face distorted with an emo- tiOn he was determined to repress. She herself was pale, but her eyes were lighted
 up like two wlnd-blown torches. Meeting fbo nl1nr loIx, cha cko cLo l moment, looking down and hesitating, and
 then..took Mrs. Waddington's two hands
 and silently kissed her. She turned to me,
 put out her hand, and said ''Good night!' | shook 1t, l imagine, with sensible ardor.
 for somehow, l was deeply impressed. There was nameless force in the girl, before which one had to stand back. She | fingered but an instant and rapidly dis appeared towards her room, in the dusky
 corridor. Mrs. Washington laid her hand kindly upon Scrope's arm and led him l back into the parlor. He evidently was
 not going to be plaintive; his pride was ranking and burning, and 1t seasoned his self-contrOl.
 ''Our engagement is at an end" he sim
 ply said.
 Mrs. Washington folded her hands.
 ''And for what reason?''
 "None."
 It was cruel certainly; but what could we say? Mrs. Washington sank upon the sofa and gazed at the poor fellow in | mute motherly compassion. Her large,
 caressing pity irritated him; he took up | book and sat down with his back to her.
 l took mp another, but I couldn't read; I sat noticing that he never turned his own l page. Mrs. Washington at last transferred
 her gaze ureasily, appealingly, to me; she moved about restlessly in her place; she was trying to shape my vague intima- ions ill the garden into something pal
 pablo to common credulity. I could give
 her now no explanation that would not
 have been gratuitous offense to Scrope. ] But felt more and more nervous; my own vague provisions oppressed me. 1 l flung down my book at last, and left the
 room. In the corridor Mrs. Washington
 overlook me, and requested.me to tell her
 what l meant by my extraordinary allu-
 sions to-''in plain English,'' she said,
 ''to an intrigue"
 ''It would be needless, and it would be 1 painful. l answered, ''to tell you now and
 here. But promise me to return to Rome | tomorrow. There we can take breath
 and talk
 Nk1-, H0 SuttII Duuul0 OH, l pfOm1Se! l she cried. And We separated. I mounted
 the stairs to go to my room; as I did so
 l heard her dress rustling in tho corri-
 dor, undecidedly. Then came the sound
 of knocher, she had stopped at Adina's l door. InvoluntariIy paused and listen
 ed. There was silence, and then an- l other knock: another silence and a third l knock: after this, despairing, apparently, l of obtaining admission, she moved away, 1 and went to my room. It was useless
 going to bed; knew should not sleep.
 l stood a long time at my open window,
 wondering whether had anything to say
 to Scrope. At the end of half an hour I
 wandered down into the garden again,
 and strolled through all the alleys. They
 were empty, and there was a light in
 Adina's window. No: it seemed to me
 that there was nothing could bring my
 self to say to Sorope, but that he should
 leave Albano the next day, and Rome and
 Italy as soon after as possible. wait a 4l,or, H., P-,,