Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1884-01-04
THE BLACK PEARL.
An Exciting story OF Modern Life.
Continued from last week.
CHAPTER XII,

CHAPTER XII.
Her voice grew uncertain towards the
end her lips quivered, and she turned
away her eyes. Poor Ice Queen she had
heart
Cecil forgot his suspicious. His breast
swelled with gratitude and pity, and with
stronger feeling than either, to which
he dared give no expression.
"Would I were less unworthy Of such
consideration rs yours !" ho exclaimed,
with all the fervor consistent with deep
respect. 81 can only beg you to believe
in my gratitude, as / believe in your
generosity. l was ignorant that fresh
danger awaited me. The Italian Embas-
sy is the last quarter whence / should
have expected it. SO far as know, L
have but one enemy, whose malice I'M
willingly aroused in Ceylon, and he is q
native Indian. 1 have seen no Indians at
Whitehall Gardens"
Lucia started, and turned pale.
"There is q Hindoo," she said, in low,
quick tone, "who sees the Count frequent
ly. He was at the house twice last week.
And once, after one of your lectures, he
rode home in our carriage !"
1t was Cecil's turn to be startled now.
the face he had seen by the light of q
carriage-lamp at Piccadilly Circus.
He could hardly command his voice to
ask if she remembered any special incl
dent connected with that ride.
"Only that horse fell down and caused
block in the traffic." Lucia replied,
looking questioningly at his white face.
could you tell me where ?"
W 30 l.
Indian up in Regent Street. 1 had only
seen him once before, when we we're
crossing from Calais to Dover last Novsm-
Der, and we travelled in the same carriage
to London. / was too i'll to take much
notice, but he talked English perfectly,
and the Count seemed interested in him. "
Cecil leaned back against the wooden
partition. The stage and the sea OF heads
swan before his eyes. He felt sick, dazed
maddened.
Must he eventually fall into the clutch
es of the ubiquitous foe? Where could
he flee beyond his reach 1? What shore
could offer him a sanctuary =?
A spasm of horror seized him like q
bodily pang.
When it passed, and his consciousness
of present objects revived, he saw Lu-
cia's white fngure bending above him,
and her eyes resting on his face, eloquent
with such sorrow and compassion as he
had never seen conveyed by a look be-
fore.
Nothing takes our confidence by az
sault like unexpected sympathy-the
mute, mystic intercourse between heart
and heart.
Before he had time to form a resolve,
or even to remember the necessity for
prudence, he found himself telling this
large-souled, pitiful woman, whose own
heart sorrow had pierced SO deeply, the
history of all his dread.
The curtain went up, and the play went
on, but n more serious drama was enact
ing in one private box; and its two occu-
pants, absorbed utterly in what they were
telling and hearing, told, saw, and needed
nothing else.
pray acquit me of any impertinent
design in asking you what gem you pre-
ferred," pleaded Cecil, when his long tale
was told, not even excepting Estelle's
share in it for, with those truthful eyes
upon him, he could make no reservations.
"Ihe question was quite unprecedented
Directly it was uttered, l wishod it re.
called"
81 did not tell you my reason for max.
ing such choice" responded Lucia
simply "but will Ny father mad two
black pearl studs, the only ornaments he
ever wore and when | was little chic
1 often wanted him to give them to me
One day-it was a winters day in Poland
for was all he had, and he took me every
where he went-when 1 had been more
than usually eager to get these studs, ant
cried because he refused them, he tool
me on his knee, and said, impressively
Little one, these two pearls will nevel
leave me whilst 1 live. They were thu
gift of the mother you never saw. Som,
Que wanted her to be false to me in m,
absence, and because she would not, sh'
was forced to run away from her home
and take n long journey, at the end o
which she died. You are too young t.
understand all that now; but remembe
what l have told you, and when | die
and the pearls become yours, let them b
emblems to you of purity and faith Blu
strangled sob. IA week after that h
was murdered, and"
An abrupt pause ensued, and the lad
, fixed terrified stare at a spot just abov
Chesterton's head.
"What is it ?" he exclaimed, startin
up to be in his turn struck with amaze
t mcnt at seeing hole bigger than Il five
r shilling piece cut in the wooden partition
= and letting in stream of light from til
next box. "What could she have see
through it ?"
He WAS in the act of applying his ey
to the opening, when dull thud benin
: !, made him turn.
, The Countess had tainted.
- AS he stopped to raise her, the door ;
4 the back opened, and the Count entere
= the box.
"Ddvcdd ;" he exclaimed, in concerl
o Gas | feared Your divine Shakespeal
t. is too stimulating for the female constit-
: ton. And my angel--she is so suscept
. BILE !"
Z Cecil shuddered. The smooth-spoke
n Italian inspired him with invincible no
= ror.
e In some unknown, awful, inscrutab
ne way, he WAS the Nemesis of the innocel
d girl he had got into his possession. Th
q he was the friend of Seshaya Sastri can
u as a second thought, stoadying his min
and enabling him to act with GOODNESS n
~ decision in the present emergency.
l.; He assisted the Count to carry Luc
to the ladys room waited till the ne
+ came that she had revived and the
- thanking the attachc for the evening
10 entertainment, took his leave, saying tn
If he should do himself the honor of inqu
is ing after the Countess's health on t
10 morrow.
ns CHAPTER XII.
r.
s. Fog-Shnntoms
~ "DEAR Nh. CHEsTERToN,
: nct iol,f IN tho l