The Centre reporter. [volume] (Centre Hall, Pa.) 1871-1940, 1878-04-11
VOLUME XI.

which the steward has condemned Won ?"
"Yes, my lord, she answered., i'll a
low, calm voice" death.
Before confirming the laws sentence
have desired to see You, to ascertain
from yourself whether YOU have no ex-
tcnuating circumstances 10 allege.
Nothing.
"You are a smuggler, then ?"
"Oh, no T.
"Why, then. do YOU cross into France
every nlghtg What other motive could
induce you to expose yourself ~ such
peril e.
THAT | will never disclose"
"Recollect that the only means Of
saving your life is a frank and unresery-
ell declaration Of --"
- know il, hut / viii not DO il,
will reply 10 You, my Lord, rs | did TO
your Judge / have never snuggleL
Whether l cross nightly into France or
not is NV own business, and my motives
are my own. Nv doom is spoken let
il be executed am ready 10 suffer 1t.
NV L0rl, ! shall not answer another III
quiry'
From that moment she was iusensihle
10 advice, menaces, or entreaties. Moth
ing could overcome her obstinate silence.
During three DAYS | WAS constantly with
her. and did all that could 70 extract
her secret from her but she treasured IN
the bottom Of her heart what she wished
20 conceal from me, while she soon
guessed what dared not disclose 20 her.
Yes, II was in her chill and comtortltss
cell that her Judge, her lord, the ar
bitter Of her hfe-fell az her feet and re-
yealei IN passionate accents what she
had already read in my looks and ges-
lures. Ii was in her prison that she
coldlyrepulsed my love and rejected her
pardon ON the terms l offered il. No one
who had seen us then would have said
:" He is the Judge and shels heuctim. -
She was always calm, cold and resigned,
while endured all the fortunes of dis
appointed love irriated by repulses.
The vault Of the prison resounded with
my entreatles and angry ordinations,
with my sighs and passionate appeals;
and ] momentarily was tho prey of every
contending emotion-now ready to kill
NIilanetta, and now resolving % save her
az all hazards now begging her b be
mine, and now determined to bid the ex-
ecutoner perform his fatal office. was
no longer myself loved for the first
time, and the being to whom | poured
ont my heart and soul IN protestahons
OF alteration, transport, and idolatry,
coldly answered: u cannot listen 70
you | love another" After an awful
outbreak of rage at such an announce
ment, / insisted upon knowing who my
rival was, but she replied, with the same
calmness OF tone and look, THAT yon
shall never know"
At this iuneture violent knocking
was heard at the prison door. Ny people
were looking for me on all sides, as a
French nobleman had just arrived in
great haste az the castle, and demanded
TO see me Immediately. | went 10 HIM
nj once, striving in vain 10 hide from my
servant the emotions with which | WAS
agitated, and at whose violence | myself
was alarmed made nv appearance in
the great hall, prey 10 the most gloomy
forehpdings. there saw young man
who was pacing the hail with hurried
steps, and who desired 10 converse with
out witnesses
81 am the Marquis de Clairyal, said
he; "I possess q castle in France, which
like yours, is on the very frontier, and
like you | am engaged in suppressing
smuggling and executing justice against
those engaged in il. "
The name Of the Marquis was familiar
to me, as we had corresponded together
TO devise measures for the security Of
the frontier
"But, 4" continued he, "however rigid
and unrelentinz may be our justice
against those taken IN the act, II is
rather too much that we should condemn
innocent people 10 death merely because
they refuse 10 give reasons for their be-
havior.
"To what do yUu allude, Monsieur I"
Listen 10 me. A young girl, named
Milanetta, has fallen into the hands Of
your officers"
"Ha can you explain-P
"That il the sole object OF my visit
II was but this morning that heard Of
her arrest, her condemnation and that
she declined disclosing the motive OF her
frequent trips into France by night. |
know the cause aud am come 70 unfold II
to you; but il is ia full confidence Of
your honor and discretion. MilanettA is
mine r.
"Yours? You Milanetta's lover T.
"You seem surprised nj this-because
such beautiful creature as Milanet;a
did not reside with me in my castle, or
that did not take her with me TO Paris
during last winter. You may be also
astonished that noble of France should
be sufficiently enamoured OF peasant
girl 10 submit to the constraint of mys-
terry aud the harass and trouble OF night.
ly and dangerous interviews. But Mil
anetta is not one Of those women who
yield easily, nor is she one whose influ-
ence can be easily shaken off.
"I think / know her character" ]
added.
"Oh, mo- You never can know the
deep well of love and energetic feeling in
the heart of that young creature. She
has risked everything TO see me and 10
love me in secret-and now you have the
object Of her nocturnal journeys, which
she would not disclose 10 vou because
she would have had to blush at the con-
fession, and least public declaration
made to her Judge should come TO the
ears Of her father. To prevent this she
would have died without opening her
lips. Now. my Lord, l have said suffi-
cient 10 convince you that she is unjust
ly condemned. You are absolute here.
/ ask her pardon of you and feel assured
that you will gladly concede il. :"
The Marquis's language, the love
which he confessed, and Mllanettas
passion for him, OF which he boasted 80
proudly and fervently, threw me into
rage and despair. Ideas Of vengeance
and Of blood rushed through my brain
till grew giddy. Without conscious
ness Of what / was doing, or going 10 do,
l rang the bell impatiently and ordered
Milanetta 10 be brought Immediately
before me.
"Do not let her see me r. cried the
Marquis "let her not be made ac-
quainted with what have done II she
learned that it was TO me that she owed
her life, herfeelings towards me would
be all absorbed in gratitude, and it is
her fove only that desire"