Litchfield enquirer., 1881-02-24

ao "Ah! don't say that Spare me little. " , s'Not sorry, because am sure it is for the best.q What would your father say to such a aaesalAancs as you have had in your thoughts? ? what would he, a French officer and gentle. man, think of it, power n the Senate, . Minister of the State Have you not told me more than once how proud he is-and is there not that about my life, which is not, to bs ex- plained?' ] di She spoke fearlessly now, now but she was start led by my answer. Prepared for many co. centrlcities on my part, she was not prepared for this. .,.... ,.;a....,.. .,.., ''My father is proud, but he loves his son, ? said. a"Here7 is his answer to your qnes. tion."s Iadi .ifa9> has sd1ud lneda ,19sf7io 1 ,,,,' '''His answer r she cried, in her amaze ment. "
 II have no seerets from him. Twrote and told himall that was in myheart. I saida ''I spoke;of my love for, you, and, of the ono chance of peace and happiness which it afford ed me. "d ia .sa7hauh 1t1 sa1 F 3H5aii2 9a2 . .'This was unwise, beforeyeu knew. or
 Read his letter, virginie, and ds see what he says for himself and-fo me nieYaH H2iass J7 put my father letter in her hands, which trembled very much as she received it--the face was of 8 new pallor also, and the fresh young lips were compressed as with grief or pain Her emotion gave me new hope, and my heart bounded at once from the depth of its despair, 4, aa.d,...,-a,7a, ci f.;,,q,g,s
 watched her read the letter. had a strong faith in it's contents impressing her. It was the epistle of loving father to an only ,sOn-Of 3 man who WAS nyery. anxious for his sons welfare, and had been, for years terribly solicitous concerning him. '' '' "''" s2s'tl shall be only too happy to see you united to lady well aducated. d.l well, born, and ami able, Y he wrote. s,t II can know no bar to such a union, and have not q word to urge against it. Strange as you are, Armand, I think | can trust your judgment in this matter,s and believe. you are not the man to have set your affection on this lady hastily and without full reflection More, believe in her, as you do yourself ? You give no particulars of her family-ask her. should She favor your suit .in due course of time, to put me in ,communi- cation with her parents, and let us all meet to- gether with full and happy hearts "
 These was more than this-news of home and of old friends, but. the epistle returned to my love for Virginie again. .,., af .r,fl Q. .t
 Bring her to us at Dieppe, were we have gone for a holiday-she will be welcome, '" were his last words. Virginie read the letter carefully, and by degrees was firm and calm again. ,..ro. p. al qss, ,.o,,7s .,,,,r, ,ae..es.. mured, ''snd have always thought him cruel and execting-one,p r she added quickly, ''who by his austerity and want of sympathy with you had driven you from home. See how easy it is to judge, and judge falsely!"
 You thought this of my father, vir7 ginie!" S7el%0a2"a eld a5iY"13 tj g" 'H f'H I"You You were man so ill-trained and xurS1 1H ntn hat IL been uncared for, or cared for too much. l felt assured. But what would he think of me 2 You have not toldShidi that am alone here, to many an object of suspicion, and to many more-incomprehensible., al am "a, woman alone-and there is always doubt over. such an anomaly, and the world has a right to be warv of her. "id e Sqpd fiGBa. sa9T ln -4
 She spoke indignantly, and beat. the letter had given her on, ii, the palm of her egloyed hand
 "But you can defy the world d-thero is no mystery which you cannot clear-there is-"
 ''There is nothing but resignation to my po- sition," said Virgnie. Il cannot defy the world. and it is beyond my power to ex- plain"
 ''I ask for no explanation-I will be content with you, l cried. Give me only hope to win you. and shall care for nothing else.'
 That IS romance, and we are in prosaic world, Armand. Still," she added, after a pause, ''I thank you for all your. faith in me i; it is far more than I deserve.
 "And you will-'' n;H....r.. Ie.s. "a.
 'I will think again." she added, with the old puzzled, plying look returning to her face. ''Give me four days to consider every thing leave me this letter to offer me some strength, seyenz-your fathers words of faith in the woman his son loves-and meet me here four days hence, in the Christmas week ap- preaching. Will your" 't''''' '' '''''i
 s"Will II" I cried. "Oh! with what hope and with what prayers will wait And meanwhile-" !..., ;.. ....,... ...
 Meanwhile, leave me to myself-don't watch me, :" she added, with new and terri fed look, ,"for om affaid of you and of niy own strength, and am desperately unhappy. may remain here, may disappear; but do not say wold to me again until we meet in this place :" Promise!' y '.t '"" s- -t' ''' ! }I1promised her and she rose, and in an i'm! patient, agtated way waved me from her. The ordeal of my silence had commenced the be- ginning of many hopes and bright visions from "a foseate cloud-land had set in to be followed by hours of deep regrets and unavailing doubts s....,,..,t .r,.., 4 ..f k,-s,,f te ff,,I 1 It was the traveller Saunders who turned my secret joys and hopes to a grief bitter and in- consolable. He had been away some months in lieu of weeks, and was full of spirits at the result of his travels and the commissions he had obtained. In, his horrible frankness b he told me what he had earned, what business he had transacted, and how immensely he had been admired abroad by everybody-m lie and female, he added, with a wink. ,io iu .lol,ii
 '.'And that reminds me of the gray lady you remember the gray lady who was here when you came down ?'
 "I met her in Paris yesterday y-and of all places in the world, guess where ?"
 e'H am not handy at guessing,' said, with sickening feeling at my heart ;. Fl do not care to guess. ,,,.,t,..,f.,,,, ,.,f ,.4.,.f, .,
 '.At the Bal-masq,ulee at the Opera, then half dozen swells wi:h her, and she the big gest swell of all. No more of your gray suits and simpering smiles-oh trust her. 9. '''Are you sure of this? This must be lie for certain.
 1 "Ha1lolidraw it-mild, old fellow, please, '' he cried
 "She was at a masquerade ?" s5,.2t
 F.1ll swear to her when she took her mask of, there, wasn'ta doubt about it. Why, never saw another face like hers"
 t''Nor I, ,"'was my hoarse reply; land what @Ou! l uIunL run 6ICCF Ter, you may Oe certain. It was just for moment, and them poof -rgOnetm ssi 1a ao;!Etnavq {st6,03 A.sI
 ,' You may have been ,deceiyed,'"' taa 4,le
 '"l was never deceived in my life,'' was the boastful reply; 1T ain a laundering sight too cute for tiaia" "5wol nfae 'iis4aggs adf |, .4e
 It seemed impossible that l, could place cred ence in tfiis, but it Impressed me. She had disappeared frorp the hotel-the waiter whom l bribed into my confidence, told me she had left for France by the mail boat On the very day she hadiimplored my silence s,Itwas 50 like the truth, and yet so like a base inveniioD l stole away from the hotel-l was afraid of the man Saunders, and all that he might tell me presently-I was hauDted, aud more mis- srable than ever. When the four days had expired Fl returned to- Folkestone in Tiie cold. boisierous Ci,ristmss,9 week. and took up my place at the the little liittl light. house ,whers had parted from her las, l believed she would return. In all my agonizing doubts of her. I did not doubt her word. And after that, tue accnsatien-an the last farewell. The wo- man triumphant, perhaps but the man no fls,A osrfl