Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-09-18


credit for knowing me better. Shall ]
supply the answer!''
eyes,
"Love."
"In its spiritual aspect?"
&C. am mortal, Harold"
"Mauvain, am beginning to envy you.
You are a gentleman, as the saying is.
You are not only brave but rash where
your self-love or honor is concerned, and /
doubt not would give up your life in sup
port of a conviction. And you value life,
know"
cit is the highest gift, Harold
"Yet we are told that thereis something
higher, to which most men cling"
$50 do not I. The present is my anchor.
leave theology to the priests.
"Long live to-day shall consider
seriously whether it would not be more
profitable to myself to turn epicure. y
at would add to your enjoyment of
life, Harold"
| "Indeed, believe so-or it would if
one were born to the inheritance. For
these things are not always matters of
choice. Selfish men suffer least. Those
who have no faith have all the world open
to them. I would I were a fatalist I
would pluck the ripest fruit, without
thought to whom it belonged. Reproduced
for taking what is not my own, l should
answer, 1t is fate. A convenient creed"
"Harold, you wander from your
theme"
"And my theme is-?'
Mauvain faces his friend with some dis.
position of seriousness, which lasts for a
moment only. With gay laugh he offers
his snuff.box again.
"Mauvain," says Harold, barking back,
81 asked you in what you believed. You
supplied me with an answer which | de-
cline to accept. 1t is impossible that a
man shall live to your years without
thought of the past, without dread of the
future. If you had the realization of a
wish, what would it be?'
That might be young again and live
hundred years. Speaking in earnest,
Harold, you are growing somber it was
not always so. There was time when
you accepted pleasure without question"
"Say that l seemed to do so, Mauvain. !"
"And did not betray the seeming One
must judge from the outside. If you
choose to conceal your feelings, you must
take the consequences. You smile
through all the days, and suddenly you
come to your friend and say, THE smile
was on my lips, but not in my heart.
How is your friend to Judge you He may
say with fair reason, You have deceived
me through all the days; you are deceiv-
ing me now Then at once is introduced
into the friendly bond sentiment which
feeds like a worm upon the heart of friend
ship, and robs it of its pleasant aspect.
From that moment it becomes a burden.
1 do believe" says Mauvin, abruptly
breaking off, "that 1 have allowed myself
to be betrayed into a lecture. The effect
of bad example, Harold. Reflect up
on what l have said, andJ extract a
lesson from it; else you will soon cease
to be amusing. As for myself, take me
as am and for what 1 am, and be con-
tent-and grateful. You have.wit enough
to read me better than you profess to be
able to do; have the wit to understand
that can read you better than you sup
pose. What there is in life that affects me
closely belongs only to myself. Not to any
living being do 1 choose to lay bare my
heart. Ii have opened window in it
through which you have hitherto not seen,
I close it now. forever. a pinch of snuff
So-now we are as we were it will be
your fault if things do not go on smoothly
between US. do not wish you to alter.
Be yourself, as l have known you but
be careful not to go beyond the line Of
safety"
By the time they have arrived at this
point in their conversation they have
reached home, and the last words are
spoken as they stand at window over
looking the garden.
GA visitor, Mauvain," says Harold.
"Our stroll has borne fruit. A woman,
too, SO the interview is likely to be pleas.
ant"
He has already detected who the woman
is who is now walking toward the house 4;
but Mauvain's sight is not as keen as his.
Young, Harold p
''I am afraid not she has a matronly
walk. Shall we receive herr"
Certainly, if she desires it. Play the
host for me !; my lecture has wearied me. y
" You, also, are an actor, Mauvain, is
Harolds thought, as he watches the prog.
ress of the woman but if you think you
have deceived me, you yourself are griev-
ously deceived. A fire is smoldering
which any chance spark may kindle into a
blaze. Not much is required to make me
your deadly enemy"
To a servant who announces that a
woman desires an audience, he gives in.
structions to admit her, and Margaret Syl-
vester enters the room. Her face is as
white as death, but she has come in pursu-
ance of a purpose which can no longer be
delayed; the agony of her mind is 80 great
that she cannot continue to endure it with
out an effort to satisfy the doubts which
are racking her soul. She looks around the
old familiar room with dim eyes the &C.
ton is mechanical, and means nothing.
She sees the form but not the face of Maui
vain, for he has moved into the shadow
the only face she sees and recognizes is that
of Harold, with whom the purport of her
visit is Immediately connected.
| He steps forward as she enters, and with
a courteous motion of his hand invites her
to be seated. She scarcely notices the
courtesy, and for few moments her agi-
tation deprives her of the power of speech.
Meanwhile Harold waits in patience.
! "Do you know me:" she asks, when
her strength returns to her.
eve have met twice " replies Harold,