The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1875-06-02

recognize in it the soft accents, once so sweet
to his ear. ~ gs$:iff
"Is it at your command that an sum-
moned here ?" she demanded. Y /" Could you
not have spared me this .ordeaEg'
Malcolm redeemed ~
Miss Derwent must be strangely mis-
taken if she thinks that presume to lay
any commands upon her." \: '5'stss
She waived her hand impatiently. t
"Atleast, you can spare me your sarcasms.i
Is it not enough that you have dragged me
here ?-that you compel me to endure the
torture these prying, cold-hearted lawyers
will infict with their questions, their pitiless
gaze, their covert smiles and sneers p
He had never seen her so moved before,
and he hastened to defend himself.
"Miss Derwent you labor under mistake
it is no fault of mine that you have been
called upon to 20 through all this
She looked at him increlulously.
ri suppose you would say the fault is mine
for deserving it. That /, who showed you
no mercy, can expect none in return. Well,
we'll, must bear it then; yet I did not
think that you would have avenged yourself
thus!''
Charles Malcolm Indignantly interrupted
her.
Madam-Miss Derwent, can you think
80 meanly Of me as to believe that should
revenge myself in any way, except that of
despising and forgetting the heartlcss wo-
man who could win my heart only to fling
it from her2'
She WINGED palpably, but she was not
convinced.
"You tell me this, and yet you have conf
m need On inquiry that may-nay, that must
cover with me disgrace If nothing worse
comes of it, will it not be openly told that
Walters scorned me, as one who had sought
to win him for his wealth? Have L not
writhed under the remembrance Of those
words ever since he taunted me with theln9'
As she bowed her proud head in an agony
of shame at this recollection, Malcolm could
not wholly restrain his pity.
.sWho shall tell this? = he exclaimed,-
"not Vernon Aubrey. He has carefully
shielded your name from censure or noto'
riety."
"Who shall tell?' Sybil repeated. "Wil
they not force me to condemn myself with
my own lips? Shall not hear mocking
whisper, 20 from one to another rs have to
repeat the words he dared to say to me
those words for which l would have struck
him to my feet had l but possessed th'
power p
"Do you forget that my unfortunate
cousin has terribly expiated all his faults
and folies, Miss Derwcnt?' said Malcolm,
grayely-for, however natural her rescut-
ment might have been ut the time, he shud-
dered us he thought of the lengths to which
there was every reason to fear it had led
her.
eyes" said Sybil, in hoarse whisper,
"he is dead. His scurrilous tongue shall
never pain me more. His triumph was o
short one-a very short one" And then
drawing her breath quickly, rs though some
sharp pang had shot through her frame, she
closed her eyes, and pressed her hand to her
heart, murmuring, "Dead in his youth and
strength; no sighs, no tears, no prayers
shall bring him back, or undo the sin of that
fatal night! Oh, it is horrible indeed ="
Malcolm started from her, and walked to
the other end Of the room, in state of mind
that battles description. How could he
understand these muttered sentences, except
as an acknowledgment of her own guilt ?
repeated them. Why had she spoken thus
in his hearing2 Had he not been solcmnly
enioined by the dead to avenge him And
must he, in obedience to that request, de-
nounce the woman he had loved so tenderly?
Had lored Oh, misery he loved her still
still 1t was agony-it was madness to
be obliged to know this! Where was his
boosted philosphy-whero the strength Of
mind on which he had prided himself, when
his heart told him that it was still in the
keeping of murderessP
His blood ran cold as the word was in
wardly spoken. With great effort he con-
trolled himself, and returned to Sybil, who
was standing where he left her; too much
absorbed in her own thoughts to notice his
disorder.
"N1iss Derwent." he said, touching her
arm to enforce her attention, "you act un-
wisely in making such allusions in my
presence, as those which have just escaped
you. For your own sake, I should counsel
you to be more guarded"
She turned toward him in great perturba-
ton. "What have said ?-what have l
saidp Am losing my senses that talk 80
wildly2 Then added, eagerly, "But let
me have been as indiscreet as may, You,
MIR. Malcolm, are too honorable to take a
base advantage of it"
She looked at him so imploringly, that he
hastened to answer: cit is because l have
no desire to injure you, that 1 spoke this
warning"
"You have no desire to injure mel" she
slowly repeated. Z" If this be true-f you
have indeed forgiven all that seemed cruel In
my conduct in the past"
He interposed with stern "Hush, hush |!
For your sake, if not for mine, let the past
rest. Are you utterly shameless, that you
thus refer to what it should cover you with
bushes to name in my presence ?"
But though her lips quivered, and her
face famed at his reproaches, she went
steadily on. "f you have forgiven me, be
merciful now.'
"I don't understand you, Miss Derwent,"
said Malcolm. "Such appeals as you per-
sist in making, are in very bad taste when
addressed to me. You seem to forget that
for some time we have been but the merest
acquaintances, and that have no interest
in your affairs or your wishes
She was silent for minute; then, in
broken accents, she exclaimed, "I am humb-
led sufficiently in seeing you look at me as
you do, and in hearing your cold and scorn-
full speeches. Yet must abase myself still
more, and plead with you till you will grant
my prayer. Mr.. Malcolm, am but q weak
and helpless woman. Let my weakness aid
me. In consideration OF it, be merclful, and
let this inquiry drop. Alas it cannot bring
back the dead, however it may punish the
iving Be merciful, entreat you!"
Was this suppliant the proud Sybil who
would have stood dry-eyed at the grave of the
nearest and dearest, friend rather than have
betrayed her SORROW to the rude ear Of an in
different person? Charles Malcolm knew
that there must have been long struggle
between her pride and her terror, before she
stopped to this. Her beautiful eyes were
raised to his with depth of entreaty in
them that he would have found it difficult
to resist, If, in her conyulsed features and
rigid locked hands, he had not seen some
tokens of how much it cost her to plead to
him.
He grew angry with himself for having
listened so long.
"She does but try her power on me-" he
muttered to himself. 81 must be an idiot to
waste my pity on one so cold-hearted and