The Morning herald., 1877-10-24
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smiled, and shrugged ner meaere shorIlders
as if she thought her cousin was speak;no
very absurdly.
~ will call it what you please, but such
would be the act should commit she
! contipued, chat I must practise this vile
deceit or my child IN forever lost to md"
Augusta slightly bowed her head In as.
sent. s h.'.,-r. 81. 10 .-I.- - -
But would he not be equally lost to me.
should | do as you would have meY dues.
tioned hosalie, and her cousin did not ans.
wer' only looked coldly and kuesnly at the
lntenOSater. 20
''Ihe deceit with which I should enter
! into second nuptiaas, it would be imbera-
1--WE should continue 10 long as should
endure marriage, the very foundation OF
'wnlch, on my side, would be vilest ,treach.
cry, most. abominable falsehoo1 = DENY.
ny a first husband TO obtain second how
should ever dare again, even to nv lowu
"1art, to whisper his name, whom. do what
goa may with me, never shall cease to
.nnunY"
! Mistress Camelfard again indicated! bv
her gestures only, that her cousin had
liade another very absurd observation.
J Rosalie understood, but took no heed oa
Augusta's offensive manner. She went On
TO say: vi
"Since the deceit into which You would
drive me, must be lasting, how then should
be able, before the world, to acknowledge
my poor boy7"
Rosalie gazed penstratiagly. and as d.
rectly as Mistress Canlelford would suffer
her to do, into that lady's cold and shifting
eyes, expecting to behold her troubled and
confused; but she saw nothing Of the kind.
Augusta was perfectly unembarrasbed.
and replied coolly and deliberately, show
ing that she had been quite prepared to
hear that question. and was nov equally
ready to answer it.
"You would not be permitted, that is very
clear" said Mistress Camelfold. publicly
to own your sob, but you would be able
often to see and to embrace hiir, and he
would know you were HIS mother
"And what, as he older grew" Rosslie,
painting with Indignation, cried. What
would he think Ola mother who was
ashamed, and dared not own him ?"
"You would make Infamous every hour
Of my future life; would cause me to stalk
through the world a living lie; would over
whelm me with eternal shame and reinorse;
only that, when it should please you, I
might creep into some corner, and crouch
there, hidden with my darling boy-my all
OF love, and pride, and joy on earth md
stealthily embrace him, as though were
poor, unhappy, fallen wretch" -
"Hearken to me, Rosaks,' began Angus
ia, with furious accents; but Rosaie wssaA
not yet be interrupted. aad proceeded:
II will not, Augusta, become that WHICH
you would make Of me. Should you kiu
my son, will rejoin him and. his father in
the grave; but will proclaim your infamy
to the world, Augusta, and have still hope
in the laws which you 80 recklessly defyS
"Onoe more" Mistress Camelford savage |
ly exclaimed, II hsve spoken; act as I
would have you, or never more behold your |
son. Where would be your evidence that !
had stolen him from youp Or were it even
possible you could prove SO much rs that,
none the less would he be lost to you for
ever"
Rosalie weeping1y reelected. Much was
she prepared to sacrifice that her boy might
be.restored to her, but not to commit thht
which Mistress Cameliord had demanded m
her.
Rosalie's silence was now too greatly j.
ritating to Augustus patience; sopresently
she exclaimed
Enough of this! VIII you become tie
wife Of Clarence Hartleyp For the Last
time, your answer-yes or no." .a |
Eyes and no, do reply to your question: /
said Rosalie, and her cousin was at lsst
surprised, and greatly puzzled.
eyes and no! What can you mean ?" she |
inquired. -. IL
eyes if you shall accept the conditions Ii
ain about to propose to YOU No." proceed
ed Rosalie, If may become his wife but
on the terms you have already dictated toA6
me - that way, consider all concerning
Hartley and Myself entirely ended, and !
Will trust, first to Heaven and next to hp.
man laws for the recovery Of my little son
Iro,a tb, hands which have 30 barbarously l
s!ylen nm from me-" II
Am I really to be batasd by her, now +
hat have gone 80 far, and when I have 4
reached the very threshold Of that without il
which all the rest, that has gone befores {
will be rs nothing7' VIII she dare thus n
% brave lnep Oh, if she should-if she il
,hould?"
These were the unspoken thoughts Of 8
Mistress camelford as she rapidly paced thei tt
'oom. , Ia
Stopping suddenly before Rosalie, and 81
striving to conceal rage she found it I'm
,ossible to subdue, she muttered: IC
"Well, will listen to your conditions" h
and she dwelt strongly, and with malig- tb
lnnt irony, on the latter werd "that will fat
ost me only little patience. and I can ts
pare you that" i.
"Well, then,' resumed Rosalie, RI must Ia
isclose myself to Clarence Hartley Al re- b'