Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-10-02
TIE
SET TN A SILVER SEA +!
ROMANCE BY B. L. FARJEON.
HOLLAND" PENRAvEN." ETC
pnMANnH DIV p 7. FARLEON.
CHAPTER xxXIv.-CoNrrSUED.


"The entertainment you furnished,
continued Harold, "was princely. No
wonder your friends were always ready to
stand by you; you gave them ever of your
best, and there was no stint to your gen,
erosity. After dinner we adjourned to the
theater, some score or so OF gentlemen,
flushed with wine and eager for pleasure.
But Won, Mauvain. were cool and collected
| have noticed that wine does not intoxi-
cate you, and that in the midst of the
greatest excitement you never commit
yourself to an indiscretion of speech. This
is one of the qualities which have enabled
you to retain your supremacy over those of
weaker minds with whom you associated.
You spoke of the girls whose performances
we were about to witness certainly with
enthusiasm but at the same time with
moderation and self-possession. You i'm
piled that they were of class with which
we were all familiar. and that you were in
sense their master. 1t seemed as if
you said, i will show something of rare
excellence, but understand that it is mine.
There was no question on our part as to
your right, and when the sisters appeared,
and danced and sang, we envied you the
possession of prize SO exquisite. At the
conclusion of the performance some among
US were wild for an introduction to your
fair ones, and l remember your saying
gravely and with decision, Gentlemen,
the play is over; goodnight. They took
the hint and departed and l was also
about to depart when you begged me to
remain. 'On one condition, l said; that
you afford me another glimpse of these
strangely beautiful girls. You shall be
gratifed, you replied, and asked me, with
the air of a conqueror, if l was smitten.
Now, Mauvain, let me make the confession
to you that I was deeply agitated by what
had occurred. The girls were so different
from any l had seen-there was so genuine
an air of innocence and simplicity about
them-they were so beautiful, so young,
and so apparently guileless, that it was
with difficulty l could bring myself to be-
ieve they were not pure-minded. You
convinced me to the contrary you spoke
OF them lightly and fiippantly, and intro
duced into your remarks so much of world
wisdom that accepted these fair creatures
with the brand you placed upon them, and
b hot
they were. 1t panied me to the heart to
do so, and frequently my better self whis
pered to me, 1T is impossible; believe
him not. 1 was compelled to depart early
in the morning, and 1 had task to per-
form before 1 left with reference to COM
mission for a piece of sculpture was at
that time an enthusiast in my art; left
you to execute my task, saying l would
join you in an hour. 1t was an hour past
midnight when l returned, and then, to
my surprise, found you in the company
of the scoundrel manager; you and he
were gambling for high stakes, higher, l
saw in an instant, than such man as he
could afford to play for. However, it was
no business of mine, and, having conceived
an intolerable aversion to the fellow, sat
down and watched with pleasure the tor
lures you were infiicting upon him by
winning from him sums of money which it
was impossible he would ever be able to
pay. No one could excel you in this kind
of work; your GOODNESS, your finesse, your
imperturbable good temper, were terrible
weapons against man OF low breeding and
Indifferent education, who trembled with
eager greed at every shuttle of the cards,
and rallied at fortune in the coarsest and
vulgarest terms. Whispered to you once,
What is your object, Mauvain ? To
ruin this scoundrel irretrievably, you re-
Piled; ito punish him for impertinence
against my goddess and release her forever
from his guardianship 1t was reasonable
enough, thought, and wished you sue
cess in your endeavor. Success was yours,
for fortune was on your side, and every
ticking of the clock added to the entangle-
ment of the scoundrel. 1t is unnecessary,
Mauvain, unless you wish it, for me to
continue my description Of what passed
during that night; it has already been re-
lated by Margaret Sylvester in tones which
are ringing now in my ears. :"
Consider, then," said Mauvain, that
the story of the night am beginning to
weary of it, Harold-is finished, and come
at once to what it is evident you desire to
say. Upon that point am curious"
1.-THE gambling duel is over" said Har-
old. land the scoundrel is ruined. In the
intervals of the shuffiing and cutting of
the cards certain words passed between
Won and your antagonist which were evil
IDENTIFY not intended for my ears, and of
which the purport was not plain; but l
asked for no explanation, not feeling my
self justified. You and l are standing in
the clear mornings light outside the hotel;
my horse is saddled and / am ready to
depart. The past vanishes, Mauvain. |
see you, with no signs of fatigue upon
your face; you are calm and collected,
and, your hand in mine, are wishing me
goodbye. There is something very sweet
and pure in the air the town lies hushed
in sleep the windows of the hotel we
have Just quilted are beaming with rosy
color. 1t comes upon me to speak once
more of the girls we left sleeping side by
ance, Mauvain, I should never have be.
lieved that an impure thought could reside
in the hearts of either of these sisters,
especially of the younger Were you
ten years older, Harold you reply, you
would not find it difficult to believe. Let
me undeceive you; the girls are not sisters.
They call themselves so for their own pur.
poses. It is probable, Harold, that we
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