Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1881-07-02

tive regards between Lady Matilda, who
sat, prim and rigid, exactly opposite him,
and her daughter Elsie, his companion of
the afternoon, who had beer established
far down the table, with an insuperable
barrier of two county members, their
wives and a clerical dignitary between
them. Elsie was very pale, and sat out
the dinner, eating nothing. and sending
away her plate untouched after each course.
There seemed to be sense of constraint
on all present, and conversation languished,
seconded by her brother.
'!We were speaking this afternoon,
Lady Matilda, of the magic emerald, !"
said Langton.
Lady Matilda remembered the conversa-
ton.
"That is the stone in the center. piece
of my sisters necklace"
1t was not stone of extraordinary size,
and would have shown but poorly in that
respect beside some of its famous sisters.
But its color and brilliance were marvel
! GUS and its water as pure as that of the
famous treasure for love of which
poor Isaac Levi went mad. Its men
ton gave a flip to the CONVEX
sation !; and though Lady Matilda still
maintained stony silence, and Roderic
and Elsie remained tactiturn or monosyl.
Liable, the rest of the guests found plenty
to talk of regarding the histories and
legends of famous jewels.
Dinner.over, it was proposed by Bertha,
and carried with reclamation, that tea
should be partaken of in the garden, where
the ladies accordingly repaired. During
the after-dinner symposium, Langten no
ticed that Vane drank much more than
his usual quantity of wine, swallowing
glass after glass in rapid succession, and
with countenance of unaltered gloom.
On rising to join the ladies, who could be
seen wandering round the terraces of the
garden, the young man took Langton's
arm, and drew him away down seques-
tered alley, which led into the park. The
wide expanse of green stretched in one un-
broken wave-like roll until it met the over
arching blue. The birds, recovering from
the languor of the day, were giving the
preliminary trills of their evensong. 1t
was such an evening as is made for lovers
condolences, when not filtered through a
third party. So thought Stephen Lang
ton; but being fairly caught, he braced
himself up for silent endurance.
81 must school myself" he thought !;
"and here is an opportunity for lesson.
What's the matter, Vane?" he asked
aloud 81 never saw you look SO glum."
81 never felt so glum before, Steve.
I'm gone COON"
"Will you TRANSLATED"
"Im in love"
"For the first time 2"
eyes, to anything like this extent.
Look here, Langton, must tell somebody
or burst. Let me tell YOU"
Langton dropped his hand on the young
mans shoulder.
"You young muff! As if I didn't
know all about it %
Vane stared his companion smiled.
swell, it saves me the trouble of tell
ing you, and you the bore of listening
You're good fellow Langton, and you've
been very kind to me. What would you
advise me to do? Lady Matilda knows it,
| | swear. She cut me dead this afternoon,
and Elsie came into dinner looking like
ghost so suppose she has been having a
bad quarter of an hour, too You see, I'm
only younger son. The governor won't
stand penny more than three hundred
year, and l get another three from the
office. I can't marry Elsie on that. Her
mother won't hear of it. / suppose she's
life of ease and comfort to live, and per-
haps rear family, on six hundred year.
If Lady Matilda were another sort of wo-
man, she might make things straight for
Us. But that's past hoping for. l must
give her up, old man, and get out of this.
I've got enough coin to buy an ak and get
passage to Canada and I'll 60 there and
live it down. But it's hard lines" he said,
with break in his voice. "It's hard
lines"
"Keepup your heart, my boy" returned
Langton, touched by the young mans art
less expressions of grief It's bad but
might be worse. If the girl loves you, it
won't matter to her if you have six hun
dred a year or sixty thousand. And if she
doesn't mind, why should you? There
are better chances on the cards than Can
ada, anyway. Hang on and watch, that's
my advice, since you ask it..
One by one the guests wandered back to
the hall, and distributed themselves over
the carpeted desert of the great drawing
room, while the ladies officiated at the
piano. Miss Elsie being warmly pressed
to sing, begged to be excused and Roderic,
after several vain endeavors to get within
conversation distance of his inamorata-
each attempt being cleverly frustrated by
Lady Matilda wandered off to smoke
sadly contemplative cigar, and muse upon
her manifold projections and his own IN
worthiness.
Lady Matilda, buried in the downy
depths o. n armchair, her eyes apparently
exploring Vacancy, but in reality keenly
watching the movementsof Langton, waited
with feline patience. She was too wise
woman to NEEDLE actively in the matter
and court another rebuff; but Langtons
affectation of indifference had by no means
and she hoped still. Elsie sat apart, be-
the food Of moonlight which partially Lit
the drawing-room. But Langton, with
the exception of a few phrases, of course,
did not trouble her with his conversation,
and presently retired quietly, leaving Der.
tina at the piano.
He sat at the window of his room, and
looked out over the moon.f flooded park,
past the thin ribbon of silver which marked |
the course of the river, past the rich
leaved trees that stood like islands of
shadow in a sea of light. He was looking
beyond them into his own future. He was |
calmer now, and could look at it quietly, |
in spite of the terrible gusts of passion
that still shook him for moment, and |
passed, leaving the calm deeper. So far
he had done well, and was satisfied with |
himself upon the whole, as he had a right
to be. The prime temptation OF his life
was overcome, and his passion had made
him false neither to love nor friendship.
The calm beauty OF the night seemed to
draw him from the house out into the
alley in which he had heard the condolences
of the lovelorn Roderic. He could not
pass the spot without something of
tremor. His hopes lay buried under that
grassy mound, and great wave of some
nameless emotion, made up of love and
sorrow and hopeless hope, rose in his soul.
And before it sank again he saw before