The Morning herald., 1877-10-05

| oehind him. It was tHen, and tlS1 onYv.
that the girl sawrthe face of her lover. -
How changed it vast How pale! How
haggard! .'..-
"What's happenedi" sAe gasped.
| Noel made no answer. He had sunk
into chair, and was wiping his forehead
and hands with his pocket handkerchief.
"For heavens sake, speak," said Nellie,
"You are as white as a ghost! You are i'll!
Let me call Jeannette."
| springing to his feet hs caught her by
the hands.
"Nellie," he asked, in I hoarse voice,
king on her his haggard, bloodshot eyes,
--"Nellle, be sincere! Speak the truth!
DO you love me2"
She divined-sho felt that something ex.
traordinary had happened and that some
great misfortune was pending, yet, with
the extraordinary triviaity that sometimes
possesses her sex, she commenced coauet-
ting with him.
"fou naughty fellow" she said, "you
re fishing for compliments, and if you
think you'll fish any out Of me, you'll find
yourself in the wrong boat"
"Stop" interrupted Noel, stamping his
foot violently upon the ground. ave
asked you simple question; can't you
give me an answer1" And, as he spoke,
he seized the tiny, dimpled hands of Nell
ly, and pressed them between his own
till she WINGED with pain. "Yes or MOI
do you love me?"
A hundred times she had played with
the passionate temper of her lover, anus
ing herself with exciting him into rage,
and equally amused at patting and
smoothing him down again into placid
and happy frame of mind. -,
But she was frightened now. She had
never seen him like this. Something
dreadful must have happened!
"Of course! You know I love you!"
she stammered. "Haven't proved it to
you2 Why do you ask mcl"
"Why2" answered the barrister, throw
ing the girls hands from him. "What I
mean is this-that if you lovo me,it is now
necessary you should prove it! Follow
me on the instant-this moment-noao!
Throw up everything-quit everything
this moment-do you hear2"
The girl, was white to her very lips.
She had never been so afraid in her life.
"You frighten me, Noel! What is it
what do you meanl"
He burst into a strident laugh.
"That I've been fool, and have loved
you too much! Yes, my love for you,
Nelly, has been my ruin. The day that
saw me without money sufficient to sup
ply your luxuries and indulge your ca
price, ceased to be an honest man! For
your sake, l have committed crime-a
terrible one! The officers of Justice are
now on my track! If there be any truth
in the oath you have so often sworn, come
with me! Five minutes delay means
DEATH"
Nellie looked at him in wide-eyed as
tonishment.
"Crime! You have committed a crime
for aneq"
"Murder, that's allw he said, with .
sort of stold indifference.
'For met" she repeated-"for mel"
"For who else7 It was my mad love
that did it all. But for my madness
frenzy-call it what you wil1-my hands
would still be as white as yours. You
do not answer. Well, it is but the COM
pletion of my loves mad folly to believe
in the possibility Of woman's graft
tude.' y
He turned towards the door, when, with
a cry and bound like young panther's,
she was upon him.
Her arms thrown round his neck, her
hands tightly clasped, her lips touching
his, her wild eyes fixed on his.
~ love you," she murmured Then
throwing back her head, but without re-
leasing her hold, she continued to speak
rapidly, her voice rising 10 scream
Eyes, love you. Noel. You are in dan
ger Of your life-you are hunted-tracked
and all for me-for met never believed
in man before-never thought that you,
of all men, were capable Of this. Quick
quick! Take me with you! 1t shall be
sacrifice for sacrifice, and we will never
--neuer be parted more"
Then, for the first time releasing him,
she, with all the wild energy Of her i'll
regulated, half-feline nature, dashed at = |
splendid buhl cabinet, tore open tho door
and began to drag out lace and jewels,
and cram them into a,smau valise which |
was ready to hand.
Suddenly the valise dropped from her
grasp, and a groan burst from the breast |
Of her miserable and desperate lover.
A loud ringing of the door-bell poaled
through the apartment.
1t sounded to both what 1t was-the
knell of approaching doom!
"My Godr' and the barrister turned his
haggard eyes everywhere about him, as
seeking some means of escape-"tAey are
here"
They stood together, these two unfortu-
nates-the woman tightly clinging to the
man; the man lost-utterly lost in the
knowledge of the immensity of his dam
ger.
Again that awful bell--terrible as the
one that startled the ears of ScOtland's