Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1881-12-10
She was silent ; but her silence was elo.

s. shall be happy to have you, Mr..
Goodwin. Indeed, you owe it to yourself
and-to me-after what has passed. |
think / am stronger now; at least can
command myself
"Shall 1 be entirely frank ?"
&c Entirely. This is no time for conceal.
ment."
"And you will not misunderstood me ?"
"That were impossible now, think.
"Then will speak to you as if I were
your brother
''And will listen like sister,"
Goodwin then recited his impressions of
Barigues and of his relation to the family, to
her especially, and of the deepeningof those
impressions from what he had observed.
He could not, and would not believe her
engaged to the Count, often as he had been
told of the engagement, until he had heard
it from her own lips. He was confident
now, from what she had declined to say,
that some controlling cause, outside of
herself, had led to this complication of her
happiness. Ytu would not entertain the
idea, he continued "of such marriage,
if the matter rested entirely with yourself
would you?"
Not for moment"
"Does not the Count bind you to him
by come secret, corrupt influence, exer.
cised over some member of the family?"
eff have such knowledge, am 1 priv.
legged to disclose it?
"Under the circumstances, l should say
yes. But I will answer for you, Miss
Royden. The Count, am sure, has by
some means learned something about your
father which your father breads to have
divulged, and that something he holds
over his head in terror. By such wicked
agency he bends your father to his will. !"
Is it daughters place to acknowledge
this, if she knew it Is it not her duty
rather to hide it for very shame?"
THAT depends. If the daughter could
by acknowledgment relieve her father from
the man who barbarously persecutes, and
Furnishes him by threats, it would plainly
be her duty, in my judgment.
so, ii that were only possible But,
alas tbs not" Then she added half IN
consciously, as if speaking to herself, "The
wicked, wicked scheme must be carried
out"
"No, no, Margaret" he exclaimed We
hemently, the wicked scheme must not
be carried out. It shall not be. If live,
1 will avert it.
The wicked scheme? Did l call it so !?
What have said ?"
"The absolute truth. I know the
whole, as if you had confessed it in SO
many words. Listen. There can be no
doubt of Barigues' character. He must be
a desperate adventurer, gross impostor, a
man who lives by evil. have seen such
creatures before they are not uncommon
abroad. They are as shrewd as they are
vicious; they are dangerous to the last
degree. My intuition tells me can un.
mask this villain. A man like him must
have record that can not be concealed.
From this time forth / shall devote myself
to the discovery Of his antecedents, and 1
shall succeed"
But how will you begin? What clue
have you? What ground have you for
procedure
"Nothing as yet. have no idea where
to begin but, be sure, shall begin some
where, somehow. How l loathe that
man
"Has he injured you also, Mr.. Good
| VIM"
"No; but he has injured you; he is
bounding your father to his grave"
81 have not said so.
"There is no need to say it, It is pal
pable as light. | have but one thought
to prevent the dreadful sacrifice which you
are prepared to make"
elf your surmise be correct, can a
daughter do too much for her father? He
who gave her being deserves some return
at her hands.
"There are two sides to that question.
But all I think of now is to free you
from marriage which is abhorrent and
unnatural. Have you any doubt that
Barigues is villain?"
"Please do not ask me, Mr.. Goodwin.
1t would i'll become woman to denounce
the man who, from whatever cause, is re.
garded as her possible husband"
"But if l can demonstrate to all the
world that he is villain, you will not
blame me it will not add to your unhap-
piness?"
eff you can save-if you can perform
your self.appointed task, it must not be
delayed. Time is most valuable. l can
not promise what may or may not hap
pen. Alas, alas !" che cried, wringing her
hands, " l am bewildered; do not belong
to myself."
"No wonder, my poor girl. 1t is enough
that you do not belong to him. Promise
me that you will keep me in your mind j;
that when you need friend, a counselor,
you will call on me. l SO long for an
opportunity to prove myself your friend
both in need and deed. You seem to be
singularly alone
at is the fate of some natures to be
solitary"
cit certainly shouldnot be yours, best
and bravest of women. You stubborn
refuse to reveal yourself. Otherwise you
would be at the head OF an army of enthu-
siastic friends"
"You must not fatter me, Mr.. Good.
win. Life is too serious for fattery."
81 do not fatter you; I could not, if
wanted to; but I honor you always. l
have no hope of happiness but in serving
you. Accord me some title that will quail
ify me-"
"Do you wish to be my knight?' she
asked, smilngly.
81 fear that l am too modern, too
American, for medieval nonsense. The
knights of old were, as you know, shams
and shabby fellows really. May be your
brother?''