The Morning herald., 1877-10-29
CHAPTER XIV.
THE CONSEQUENCES OF SIN.

CHAEIEh AV.
THE CONSEQUENCES OF SIN.
Miserable, to the three most important
persons Of our story, was the night which
followed the events related in our Last
chapter
sleepless, and full Of painful thought Ia
all of them.
Rosalie's reflections ended in deterlni-
nation to fly with her boy, leaving behind
her 4 letter for Clarence Hartley, which
should tell him how he had been dupel,
and how she herself had been tortured
into becoming, as she believed, his
wife.
She would, in short, tell him all the
truth
But would he credit her revelation?
Would he not believe that she had, In
reality, herself deceived him, as Mistress
Camelford had SO long insisted that she
should. .,.... .,
He might credit that she had supposed
her husband dead, but that would not alb.
solve her from duplicity.
As the widow Of his friend, the mother Of
Gresham s son, Hartley would have had
no thought to make her his wife, Rosalie
row well knew, as at the first she had be-
leved. 0,
Would not, then, the thoughts of Hartley
accuse her that she had tlickel him into
h4omine her husband for the s,ke only OF
13 ,r.st wealth which she had known
i't h4po+s'Tsed.
IT, 'sH1li3 .ook back, and would find arr
r. tvisHnce that she had never entyr-
fN5,sf !or him ono single spark OF
Would believe sha had not even esteemed
him, sirce she had made of him her
dupe; had made him wretchod and
contemplate in his own eyes had silcri-
feed herself to him for the wealth Of which
he was the master.
She would tell him of that lettor which
he had written. and which Mistress Camel
ford had suppressed, but would he have
]jjcfI Ill that, since it WAS certain that her
ro''sn wonid deny that such b lot. ar had
eVer existed.
W!,t!c" he woull think her guilty, or
sAc1t! heli..e t.s7t she hat h3lu tore
greatly wronged th.ta H. 1iDsuif, Ho.Sl-
lie "oaI4 not know, uld you'd 1T pause TO
CONSIDER.
Her fut4re,!cr only care baN"e "o,th,
would he h Il son. 50 njr,trlt'plsiy restored
70 her and she was wildly Ion: :;ing for the
tour OF his arrival, that she might Hy
with him, far away-heyond the seas, if
only so she might havt nope to bs secure
with him, to feel assured that he wo,..i
not again be wrested from her.
And Gresham, through the long night,
had paced his room, lamentiug the icreyo ~
bic past, and striving to shape out t'}At
which would be best for future, wi.cl
must be hopeless and joyless.
Should he fly and leave Rosalic still with
Hartley, and with her son to rsnler her
almost happy?
No his friend had been already more
than sufficiently deluded; and Gresham
would neither aid in, nor connive at further
treachery towards him.
And, besides" reflected Gresham "if
hosalle should desire to remain with Hart
ley, it would be because she loves him now,
ind long years have obliteratod from her
''''t hm w nose image once reigned there
supreme and alone!'
II she could wish to continue with Hart
icy, Rosalie had ceased to be an object of
pity and would be no longer worthy that
,1resham should resign to her their son, since
ne would not be at all needed for her hap
plnnss.
And Gresham looked to Arthur for all
'he consolation that now, on earth, could
come to him.
=, And more torturing than to either Of
these, had been the past night to Mistress
Camelford.
On no account must she quit Rosalie
now; must be near to direct, and to behold
and gloat over the effects which would ba
produced by the completion, at last, Of her
terrible revenge.
30 Mistress Camelford had eagerly ac-
cepted the invitation which Hartley had
given her, to remain for some time at his
mouse, and to be the companion of her
cousin.
but even for Mistress Camelford's iron
nature the events of the last four-and-
twenty hours had been too overpower-
lny.
=. her brain, constantly, for SO many years,
strained to its utmost tension; her heart
;;teIh'ng - incessantly with the evil passions
t ~ was nourishing; her wiry frame, as we
,'ave law seen, had already bent beneath the
esNfusgle, and sosn was to be entirely
broken.
J., her conscience would speak, admonish it
now she might to silence.
nrooding on what she had accomplished
Nv omnF.ellectlng 81 darkly through the past night
VI. '.:t mat which yet she had to do, striving to
ovI1e the still small voice which nevcrj
ceased v repeating to her that already size
h' las .C Done too much,-the morning found
'er mei, III IN mind and body both, writhing and
plp3Slrate, rp; prey to an increasing fever
"'ncn was consuming her.
II ntthur Gresham had again arrived at
InI 'Il'eys mansion, but had not sought