Litchfield enquirer., 1874-06-11

Her expression was so peculiar that for
 some moments 1t disguised her face and
 left me to perceive with a sudden shock that was watching Adina Washington
 I looked round for her companions, but she was evidently alone. It seemed to me
 then that I had no right to watch her COW
 ertly, and yet I was indisposed either to l disturb her or to retire and leave her.
 The evening was approaching; how came | 1t that she was unaccompanied I con-
 cluded that she was waiting for the oth-
 CTS; Scrope, perhaps, had gone in to see
 the sunset from the terrace of the convent garden-a privilege denied to ladies; and
 Mrs. Washington was lingering outside
 the church to take memoranda for sketch
 I turned away, walked round the church
 and approached the young girl on the oth- | CT side. This time my nearness aroused
 her. She removed her eyes from the al-
 tar, looked at me, let them rest on my
 face, ahd yet gave no sign of recognition.
 But at last she slowly rose and l saw that she knew me. Was she turning Catholic and preparing to give mp her heretical
 friends? Igreeted her, but she continu
 ed to look at me with intense gravity, as if her thoughts were urging her beyond 1 frivolous civilities. She seemed not in
 the least furried-as I had feared she would beat having been observed; she
 was preoccupied, excited, in deeper fashion. In suspecting that something strange was happening at Albano, appar- ently was not far wrong What are you doing, my dear young lady," I asked
 brusquely, ''in this lonely church? 1 'I'm asking for light" she said.
 ''I hope you've found it P I answered smiling
 '.i think so p and she moved toward the door. 'I'm alone," she added, twill you take me home?" She accepted my arm and we passed out; but in front of the church she paused. ''Tell me-" she ! said suddenly, ''are you very intimate friend of MT. Scrope's ?'
 ''You must ask him." I answered, ''if 1 he considers me so. at least aspire to the honor.' The intensity of her man. her embarrassed me, and I tried to take refuge in jocosity.
 ''Tell me then this: will he bear dis ! appointment keen disappointment ?" She seemed to appeal to me to say yes 1! But felt that she had project in hand, l and had no warrant to give her license. 1 looked at her moment; her solemn l eyes seemed to grow and grow till they made her whole face 8 mute entreaty. "No;' said resolutely, decidedly not!'' She gave heavy sigh and we walked l on. She seemed buried in her thoughts; she gave no heed to my attempts at con versation, and had to wait till we reach ed the inn for an explanation of her soi- tary visit to Capuccini. Her companions had come in, and from them, after their welcome, learned that the three had gone out together, but that Adina had presently complained of fatigue, and ob- l tained leave to go home. ''If I break down on the way" she had said, II will go into a church to rest.' They had been surprised at not finding her at the inn, and were grateful for my having met her. Evidently, they, too, had discovered that the young girl was in singular mood. Mrs. Washington had forced smile, and Scrope had no smile at all. Adina quiet Iy sat down to her needlework, and we confessed, even tacitly, to no suspicion of her being nervous" Common nervo1is- ,-~~-- -----,t~i.AlsE 1Eaa mi. she hent her head calmly over her embroidery, and drew her stitches with a hand innocent of the slightest tremor. At last We had din- ner; it passed somewhat oppressively, and 1 was thankful for Scrope's proposal. af- forwards, to go and smoke cigar in the garden. Poor Scrope was unhappy: l could sec that, but I hardly ventured to hope that he would tell me off hand what was the matter with Adina. It naturally occurred to me that she had shown d1s- position to retract her engagement. I gave him a dozen chances to say so, but he evidently could not trust himself to utter his fears. To give an impetus to n1r oODvarSatIan ' bio, of Iii nearness to Larriccia, and asked whether he had had glimpse of Angelo Beat1.
 Several" he said. ''He has passed me in the village, or on the roads, some half dozen times. He gives me an inn pudent stare and goes his way. He takes it out in looking daggers from his dark eyes; you see how much there Is to be feared from him p
 ''He doesn't quite take it out, I pres ently said, Sin looking daggers, He hangs about the inn at night; he roams about the garden while you're i'll bed, as if he thought that he might give you bad dreams by staring at your windows" And l described our recent interview at dawn.
 Scrope stared i'll great surprise. then slowly flushed in rising anger ''Curse the meddling idiot!" he cried. elf he doesn't know where to stop, I'll show him."
 'Buy him off P said sturdiIy. "In buy him horsewhip and give it to him over h1s broad back p
 Iput my hands in my pockets, I believe, and strolled away, whistling. Come what might, washed my hands of mediation But 1t was mot irritation, for I felt strange, half-reasoned increase of pity for my friends want of pliancy. He stood puffing his cigar gloomily, and by way of showing him that didn't altogether give l up, asked him at last whether 1t had yet been settled when he should marry He had told me shortly before that this was still an open question. and that Miss Wad- dingtop preferred to leave it so. He made no immediate answer, but looked at me hard, ''Why do you ask just now?'
 Why, my dear fellow, friendly curios- ity-" began.
 He tossed the end of his cigar nervous ly upon the ground. ''No, no; it's not friendly curiosityl' he cried. ''You've notlced somethlng-you suspect some thing!'
 Since he insisted, I confessed that did. ''That beautiful girl" :" said, .sseems to AlO 1hS5AOtS0Oo eAAN PAOOCCup1OO5 WOuueEeu whether you had been having quarrel 9 He seemed relieved at being pressed to speak.
 '"rhat beautiful girl is a puzzle. I don't know what's the matter with her; it's all very painful; she's very strange creature. never dreamed there was an obstacle to our happiness-to our union. She has never protested and promised ;!its not her way, nor her nature; she is always humble, passive, gentle; but always ex- tremely gratefully for every sign of ten derness. Till within three or four days ago, she seemed to me more so than ever; her habitual gentleness took the form of a sort of shrinking, almost suffering, de precation of my attentions, my petits s0i'as, my lovers nonsense It was as if they oppressed and mortified her and she would have liked me to bear more lightly. l did not see directly that it was not the excess of my devotion, but my devotion itself-the very fact of my love and her enqagement that nained her When I did