Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1881-01-20

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as this upon your shoulders-and all through
your love for me?'
81 would--wilingly joyfully, as Heaven
is my witness
Then" she exclaimed with sudden, des-
perate resolve, Il will brave all for your sake,
even as you would brave all for mine but
remember, you have wrung this concession
from me-you accept the results at your
peril"
"At my peril" he joyfully echoed, covering
her hands with kisses "How can l thank
you? How can bless you for this price
less boon ?" =.
"You will never reproach me-never blame
me, if these results prove disastrous! II
you find, as predict, that only unhappiness
is in store fof your
II will never blame you, Miriam, no matter
what happens
Then be it it so,' she rejoined, strange
CLEAN lighting up her features. 81 have
striven against my Fate, but it is too strong
for me. I can contend with it no longer.
Take me, Cyril Such as am, am yours,
though all unworthy of your great love"
As if weary of the conflict of which she
had spoken, she sank upon sofa near by, and
yielded herself passively, INCREASINGLY, to
his caresses. Suddenly the door opened, and
old Priscilla entered. A shrek broke from
Miriam's lips She started away from Cyril's
encircling arm, and regarded the ill-omened
intruder with frozen horror in her gaze.
Cyril, equally amazed at the old woman's
appearance, and dismayed at its effect upon
her mistress, looked from one to the other in
mute inquiry. Then, as Miriam, at Priscillas
nearer approach, cried out to him "Save me!
save mel" at the same time extending her
hands as if to defend herself, he strobe for
ward and placed himself as barrier between
them
mot step nearer" he sternly command
ed. "Do you not see that you terrlfy Lady
Hepburn? What is it that you want p
Without any apparent anger at his inter.
ference, Priscilla regarded him earnestly tor
moment.
young gentleman" she presently said, in
singularly gentle and serious tone, "it is tor
your sake that l am here now. Though |
seem out of place in this fine room-a poor
old servant like me-my errand is too impor-
tant for me not to fulfill it. I'm come to warn
you to fy-fy from the serpent's den. Don't
stop to think-you've no time for thought.
Fly. fy!"
She raised her voice as she uttered this
warning, and stretched her wrinkled hand to.
ward the door. Astounded, Cyril turned for
an explanation to Miriam.
"Who is this old creature" he asked, "and
what does sh mean ?"
Don't list m to her, Cyril! She is mad.
She does not snow what she says Even as
she made this response, she kept her fearful
gaze fixed, as f fascinated, on the old woman's
face, and her voice, as she spoke, was unnat-
ural in its tone. With a sudden fierce change
in her aspect, old Priscilla turned toward
her.
"Aye! that's what she says. That's what
she'll tell you, aod everybody. But she may
call me what she likes-it don't alter the
truth. Young gentleman, I'm sorry for you.
You look coed and true, and you ought to
find some one who isn't stained and wicked
like her"
"Hush How dare you utter such words?'
wrathfully cried Cyril. But Miriam cover
ed back, sill with that Fixed, frightened gaze
on her accusers face.
How dare you, wicked, false old witch,
SANDER one Of the noblest and best of beings?
Has not Lady Hepburn grief enough Of her
own to bear, without being tormented by
your crazy accusations? Begone, or l shall
call in some of the servants and have you
dragged away"
Cyril was greatly excited, or he would
never have spoken thus. To his interiors he
was invariab y kind and gentle, and especially
so to the aged a1d he pless. But the oppro-
bious epithets which Priscilla had launched
at Miriam, filled him almost with madness.
Her accusations, which, wild and incompre-
hensibe as they were, seemed yet to have
some meaning attached to them, and aroused
in him the deepest anger of which he was ca
pable.
Nobody III lay hands on me, young mas
ter, at your command. The servants are
afraid to touch old Priscilla. They think
shes witch, You may put me out, if you
will; but you don't look like one as would
harm feeble old woman. Anyhow, before
60, 1 must speak one word to save you
from destruction. You love that beautiful
lady-my masters wife-stting there before
you. You think she's as pure as she's hand
some; but I tell you her soul is more black
than ink. Ask her about her husband. Ask
her when and how she left him last. Ask
her to show you the trap-door of the old stone
vault below the cellar stairs-and see what
she'll say
Utterly bewildered, Cyril mechanically
turned toward his beloved, as if to seek an
explanation Of these mysterious words, utter
ed, as they were, with a deliberate emphasis
that almost seemed to refute the suggestion of
their being the emanation of disordered
mind. But Miriam's eyes were closed, her
face devoid OF every particle of color. She
lay back on the rich cushions Of the sofa in
dead faint.
"Wretch you have killed herr he fran
ticaly exclaimed, as he bent over the rigid
form.
"Not so," vas Priscilla's composed rejoin.
der "If her own conscience hasn't killed
her before this, my words won't do it now.
AS stand here before God, speak true
when I tell you that this lady that you love,
that's bewi,ched you so that you can't believe
any evil of her, is nothing more nor less, in
her Makers sight, than uurderess.
Cyril staggered back, and his face grew as
white as Miriam's. Something in the terri
BILE earnestness of the old woman's manner,
combined with his remembrance of Miriam's
own words, her frequent illusions to the dark
mystery of her past life, impressed him with
the conviction that there must be some ground
for this dreadful accusation.
"This can be nothing but wild delusion,"
he rejoined, forcing himself to speak with
something like outward calmness, though the
mere suspicion of the possible truth of what
L. L. L...J Gllol Liz, n eo, op;pr