Litchfield enquirer., 1875-07-22

l 41uo O0Cu RO Ou uO RIGdb while before Aunt Paget's lynx eyes began to follow it's manifestations. She, with l Uncle Martin and the rest of them, had | been so persuaded of Lawrence's com plete comprehension of the necessities of his case that they had thought it needless to take trouble with any espionage, and would, in fact, have as soon mistrusted one of themselves. But all at once a sus. picion started up, black-winged, in the sunshiny field before Aunt Paget's vision "It's all very well," said she. ''for Law renee and Emily to pass the time pleasant ly. But though Emily is still such a child, so much of this strolling and phi landertng isn't to my mind It's just as necessary for Emily to make good mar rlage as 1t Is for Lawrence"
 ''As she hasn't piece of silver to cross her palm wit, said Uncle Martin, unless you leave it to her."
 'And I'm not in the way of leaving '' said Aunt Paget, sweetly, 'sNo," she ad- ded; eff there's one established axiom, it is that young folks think old folks fools, but old folks kno,O young folks are |! And if you leave fools together, they will cer- tainly hatch mischief"
 "We must take measures accordingly" :" said the other old conspirator.
 ''I will lose no time. I will telegraph Valerla this very morning." said Aunt Paget.
 And while these wary guardians were laying their wires the young victims were on the balcony, ln the sunshine, leaning over the little parapet and feeding the swans in the miniature lake below, admir- ing the splendid plumage of the peacock perched on the stone vase beneath the old blasted white pine, laughing gayly, and reckless of every thing but the happy present; especially reckless that it was Valeria Gueltan's swans and peacock with which they amused themselves-her gift, at least, to Aunt Paget.
 ''Come and sing to me. Emily" said Lawrence that evening after dinner, throw ing himself lazily on the lounge, where the last bright ray fell on his head before the soft twilight gloom stole up; and En- fly, sitting at her harp, sang to him the songs he loved the best, and others he had not heard before. As the twilight deep- ened> round her, and Lawrence, lifted on one arm, gazed upon her, her fair hair loosened, as 1t chanced, and falling round her face, her white hands gleaming across the strings, she seemed too ethereally lovely for earth, and the voice, too. had such 8 delicate sweetness in it as that with which spirit might sing-all the more when by-and-Ey 1t took on an exquisite pathos, and she sang, with dropping head, and as if with a boding of melancholy:
 When passions trance is overpast,
 If tenderness and truth could last
 Or live, whilst all wild feelings keep
 should not weep, should not weep!"
 "Why do you sing such heart breaking things as that r demanded Lawrence, sud- denly starting to his feet. s'Do you want to drive a man beside himself with possi- bilities?' he cried. rudely, ,and in strange, hoarse voice. For all at once, remember ing some words of his aunt Paget's that day, those possibilities and the strait in which he was had struck him and over powered him. ''Do you want to madden g man with your. sweet voice and your fair ssaafkeGd rthf 6Gganfi6fs fif of despaiE2". he out upon the balcony. He was leaning over the parapet, breathing hard, when she followed him and fingered, leaning be- side him.
 ''I don't know what you mean, Law repce," she said
 He turned and looked at her. The moon had not yet risen above the woods, but it's light already filled the upper heav. ems, while the distant fields and the gar den beneath them, the flower beds and the old half-choked fountain. were in shadow. and a reflection of that light lay upon her face, and lent her again that al- most unearthly loveliness.
 'You don't know what 1 mean?" he cried-''you don't know that love you Yes, that love you, that see your love for me, that you are mine-mine before Heaven-and that all the fates stand be- tween us; that never in this life can I claim my own; that we are forbidden each other"
 ~"Oh, Lawrence she said, shrinking back and pulling down the branch of hon. eysuckle with it's shadow about her.
 By the Lord, will P he cried. And in another moment he had taken the step between them, and had clasped her in his arms, clasped her to his heart and sealed her lips, her sweet, warm, loving lips, with his tender kisses. ''What do care for all their forbiddingr p he exclaimed. ''I have a strong right hand that can earn our bread. Luxuries-let them go. We shall have the luxury of love"
 And just then gay voice was heard within, and an imperious step; and Law renee released Emily only Tn time to turn and meet Valeria Gueltan, as, obedient to Aunt Paget's telegram, she appeared upon the scene, and lifted the curtain behind them.
 "What, incoming on the balcony with little Emily?' she cried; and she came out into the first broad dash of moonlight that fell across the crest of the wood and light ed up her dark cheek with it's carnation flush, the blaze of her black eyes, and all her sumptuous curve and color. 'I should have known you in a million !' she ex- claimed ''And l suppose you are my correspond ent of ten years," he answered. Introduce us in due form, Emily" she sad. ''It is ten years since we spent long weeks together"
 For the instant, but only for the instant, she seemed half hideous to the gaze of Lawrence but later that night, when the vision recurred to him, he felt, in the midst of the palpitation, as if, after all, Emily were but a phantom beside such a reality-yet how beautiful a phantom, he said. as he tossed feverishly how tender l being. how pure a soul And what was the end of this to be? His love was like a wave, he feared, in his self-knowiedge, beating itself against rock only to be dissipated-the rock of his fate, his train ing. his long expectations, his self-indul- gent love of luxury and splendor that would make 1t almost impossible for him to forego fortune for the sake of pas slon. And how base a nature is that '" he cried. And in the ardor of his self condemnation he sprang up and hurriedly dressed himself, and sallied forth to cool his disturbance in the night and the dew. He was coming up the avenue an hour later, after a good tramp across the fields, when he glanced up at the windows of the house, all silvered over with the full flood of the moonlight, and saw Emily sitting at one of the open easements with some slight wrap abont her, half hidden behind the muslin cloud of the curtain, but the white light beaming full upon her face and fallen hair till she looked like glo- rified spirit. He stopped a moment be- l heath the shelter of the beach trees, and gazed at her as though she were the image of saint in shrine, and he worshiper. Then he plucked stem of the great fra grant lilies. heavy with dew and tossed