The Morning herald., 1877-08-16

which tears my heart in twain"
''Remorse'?" cried Margaret, raising her
head.
'Listenv he continued, his voice be-
traying a strange, wild, terrible exalta-
ton.
"NIargherita, if some one told you that
the man you loved-him to whom you
have given life, whose name you consent
to bear,-if you were told that he had COM
mitted terrible deed-even a crime
what
"What shqnld thinkY austin, would
not believe that person."
yet, if ii were true-if, IN moment of
rage, fury. he had dared mortally to strike
o human being
She turned deadly pale, ano shrank from
him.
, And it," he cried, "by fearful fatality,
that wound Brought. death with it"
"Be silent--be silentW she cried instinc-
lively.
"No"he walled; II have begun, and I
will make an end to it. This secret is k jill
ing me. 7AYOu must condemn me, or alb
solve me.
Again she called upon him to be silent
but he could hear no longer; all his senses
were enwragped in his pleading voice..
He was now on his feet his hands before
him, stridiug up and down the room, in
agony.
.'Listen" he cried, "and know me.
Calm as l usually am, am sometimes SO
little master of myself that have no self
contrel whatever. had dined, on that
particular night, at Verey' IS, in Regent
Street, and as was much tormented and
worried about money affairs, l am afraid l
drank more than l was accustomed to
take. Dinner ended, called upon a gen
tleman, with whom I had already quar-
relied over money matters. owed him a
large sum of money. Twas unable to meet
my engagements, and wished to inform
him of the fact. I found him at home, and
alone. He received me very harshly. l
explained to him the serious position In
which l wasRlaced, and told ls'm tnat
was fearfuNtspushed for cash. l prayed
him to be 90 enough not to issue writ
against ms 3nrged, You will completely
ruin me, sEaxlso the little credit which
yet remains u me ig the City and by
which live.' He replied that it mattered
little to him whether lived or didn't. l
entreated him, and he remained quite in
sensible to my prayers. 'Thereupon, raised
to pitch of evaporation, cried, You'll
find that you will cause serious disaster!
Rather than be humiliated, pursued by
legal processes I will destroy myself"
~ 1. "a in, fnnns
'You kill YOURSELF Hyou think fit, here
is sharp poniard, quite at your service. l
offer it to yeu as present, quite certain
that you will turn it to no bad use!'
"Quite mechanically, I took the knife,
but my blood was by this time coursing
through my head. The wine l had drank
mastered me. no longer supplioated my
creditor. l complained of his rigor, and
reproached him for his harshness. Harsh
nessp be cried, 'there!-here are your pre-
cious bills! Take them-I want to have
nothing more to do with you! But shall
have the right to say over the City that
Won are a rogunp "A rogue! | cried. flung
| myself upon him, and he struck me IN the
| face. TAereupon, mad with rage, struc
him in turn, but unfortunately, with the
knife he had placed in my hands. He ut
tered one cry, and fell, while | cast the
| blade from ne, and fled. So 1t all happen
| ed, and this swear"
Austin Sivory stopped for moment
| w, ,rcame the bursting sobs which were
sitting himNnd continued.
81 believed that I had only slightly
| wounded him, but had killed him. Some
| Gavs afterwards, received a letter from
,|sNir. Caclicn, the magistrate, requesting me
! to call at his court, where l saw him. AL
first, determined to confess all, convinced
,kHhat no Jury would have found me guilty
fnf murder. was unfortunate, rather than
II GraninM | had caused death, but had
\, no intention of doing so. Suddenly re.
bmembered the bills of exchange that hao
sef1lsed to take, and which he had torclbly
'ItfHrust inio a pocket of my overcoat
..bfrhere they were, and they would condemn
lime if told all, for. they gave motive 1ol
\ murder. felt that l should be looked up
| on as common murderer, who killed 1ol
money. Then resolved to defend myself
| TO exert all my intelligence. to save my
life. | thought, if my existence becomes
burden to me, If the memory OF my CRIME
is cdious, and renders it insupportable' II
viii then be time enough to die,by my owl
hand. not by that Of the common hang
man. and as will-not as the law chooses
| NV innocence was believed in, ana the po 20
lice abandoned watching me. And then
whan I had determined to die, when exist
ence was a burden to me, you appeared
vou, and recalled me to life. For saw
YOU. and l loved you. Now, Mareherlta
sneak" he continued, advancing toward
| her, but not daring to look at her, SPEAK :
you know my crime. DO you absove ~e'
Her face was hidden in her hands
| She made no reply.