Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1883-12-21
THE BLACK PEARL.
An Exciting story of Modern LILO.
CHAPTER VIII.

on Cecils arm, and whispered, eagssly
Look to you right y
Cecil did so, and saw inside carriage,
pulled up Just little ahead of theirs,
the dreaded features Of Seshaya Sastri.
"He did not see you-hc was talking to
woman opposite him." said Mr.. Fol
jamie. ~ just caught glimpse of her
ID very fair woman, with man sitting
beside her."
As he was saying this, gap occurred
in the maze of vehicles, the carriage shot
into it, and then the crowd closed over its
course before they had time to follow.
"Kcep your eyes sharp about you when
you go out, was the music-critic's part
ing counsel and rs the easiest way to
follow it, Cecil went out rs little as posi-
BILE.
In our modern civilized life, young
Chesterton's experience is necessarily
strange and uncommon, for it demands a
conjunction of circumstances scarcely
possible to Western enlightenment
BY his proprietorship Of the Black
Pearl-innocently and unwittingly &C.
quired--he had directed against himself
the animus of deep-rooted and heredi-
tary superstition, which, backed by ORR
entail cunning and persistence, would
track and pursue, worry and dodge its
victim, till he succumbed or died.
Cecil knew enough OF Indian implaca-
bility to be aware of the risk he ran but
if the East is implacable, the West is OBJ
stinate, and the young Englishman regis
tered vow never to give up the legacy
of Sakra Mum whilst he had life to de-
fendi it.
OF his four remaining lectures, three
passed without incident beyond the deep
ening curiosity excited in him by the
strange couple already described, who
were regular in their attendance, and oc.
cupied the same seats on each occasion.
Many times and often Cecil caught the
gentleman's shining black optics fixed
upon him, though directly he returned
the glance they were removed.
But the lady's calm, clear eyes always
met his unfiinchingly, except once.
That exception occurred during the de-
livery Of his last lecture. He had reserv'
ed the story Of Gautama's personal life
| for the end, and was relating the touch
ing incident Of the young Prince abdica
ting his royal heirship, and quitting bis
home on the night Of his tirst-born'
birth, a5staining in the last moment from
embracing his babe lest he should wake
the sleeping mother, when happening tC
glance towards the lady, he saw her eyes
fixed upon him, filled with tears.
She averted them at once, and Ceci
saw her shade her face for moment will
her hand. When she took it away, al
trace Of emotion was gone.
But it had been there, and he had seer
it and those proudly-repressed tear
had more power to move him than a hun
dred smiles.
| A feeling of regret stirred in his hear
that, after that evening, he would proba
bly, never see her again-never know wha
was the secret sorrow which made it s,
much easier for her to weep than smile.
Like sees like ; the sad-hearted ar
drawn to the sorrowing mourner clasp:
hands with mourner in the twilight-tim
of grief. A subtle sympathy attracte,
Cecil to the unknown lady.
When his peroration was concluded
and the last public word had been spoken
he took long look at the white, still
face, mentally saying "Good,bye.'
To seek her out, rs he had once sough
out Estelle Dacicr, was course that new
er suggested itself. The lassitu1o tina
follows uprooted affections still depressed
his spirit-his Tyre was attuncd only t
tears and pain.
The audicuc. had almost all dispersed
and the lecturer, with his hat and coat on
was passing from the empty hall into tn
lobby, when some one who had been wait
ing on one of the benches provided 70
footmen cautiously advanced toward
him with uplifted hat, and said, "Pardo
! the liberty | take, sir, in venturing t
thank you personally for the great pleas
urs and profit / have derived from you
lectures. My interest in such subjects
great, though unfortunately my acquain
ance with them is small"
Cecil looked into the face of the speal
err with singularly mixed feelings, for
belonged to the venerable gentleman VIII
had had half-share in SO many of h
curious speculations.
81 believe l have to thank you for yer
courteous attention to my poor efforts,
he said, in reply. "You have been pre-
ent at all the lectures q
"All," repeated the gentleman, vii
,, spoke with slight foreign accent. 81
my youth l devoted some attention
Eastern study, but the business Of m
manhood is politics, and that, as yo
/ know, leaves little time for anything els
o.. Permit me to introduce myself as Coui
. Silvestrelli, of the Italian Embassy, m
] to beg the honor of shaking hands with
1 scholar of such distinction as yourself.
"The honor is mine, Count" said OF
, hero, bowling over the proffered hand.
"Pardon-no,' insisted the elder gel
tleman. "Our relative positions are lii
those of d mas id the French Genera
,, You know he story? What mo Wei
our brave, reckoning his social ord
higher than the authors, required d
mas to call On him, to which Dumas r
piled that France possessed ten marshal
. and the General was not one of them
but she only boosted three great writer
: Of which he was the chief. |. Silves.rcl
am an attashC. of whom there must be
= least hundred in London Mt this minut,
you, my dear sir, IRE an Oriental scholn
without dozen equals in tho world I"
This was very graceful speech from
man old enough to be Chesterton's fathe
and he received it with as much courte
rs he was master of.
"Now, which way do yougo, Mr.. Che
terton your name is already hous
hold word, l assure you-becati,. nv C,
riage waits outside, and if yoa are n
!. otherwise engaged, you will confer
: vor on me by accepting a seat in it.
D. 81 go eastward, Cecil reptile,
y Through the Strand"
FL GLOW fortunate ! travel the sa,
W route, SO you will give me the honor
% your company, / hope"
The young man hesitated. One
lie those unaccountable impulses which ser
IF almost like an external warning, prompt
" him to decline But another intiuent
IS equally indefinite but stronger, urg
u him to accept.
+ He made his decision, and two minut
N afterwards regretted that it WAS irrevo,
~ BILE.