The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1885-12-26

our dispensing with his permission, and
has told me that if we marry without it
he will not give you one sixpence while he
lives"
eff my estates were not mortgaged for
almost their value, or if you had fortune
from your mother, as your sister had, we
might afford to do as we please, but now
it is impossible"
Grace threw herself upon couch, and
wept, and declared that he didn't love her,
and she sobbed and cried, and altogether
made herself exceedingly ridiculous; but
Victor was not sufficiently infatuated to be
imprudent, and as her father happened to
come in just as this scene was at its height
Miss Grace was ordered off to her own
room, and desired to remain there until she
had regained her senses.
Then Mr.. Lilburne talked quietly but
kindly with the young man, and it was
agreed between them that, if nothing I'M
foreseen occurred in the interval, the mar
riage should take place Immediately after
Christmas Day.
When Miss Lilburne heard of the ar
rangement, and found that she could not
have her own way, she resigned herself to
the tyranny of circumstances with the best
grace she could assume.
The rest of this terrible year must be
lived out at Silverton Castle, for Mr.. Lii
burne, with the morbid expectation of his
eldest daughters return, would not go to
London or Scotland, or to any Of the places
on the Continent that it was almost his
yearly custom to visit.
Here at the castle he remained, and here,
sorely against her will, Grace was obliged
to stay with him.
As the days shortened, and the nights
grew dark and chilly, and Christmas was
again approaching, horrible fascination
seemed to draw her to the room under
which she had consigned her sister to so
terrible fate.
At last she could resist the feeling no
longer, yet when she at length yielded to
the desire, she dared not move the sliding
floor and look down upon the body Of her
victim
She had no earthly doubt that Kate
lay there as she had fallen, or, if not exact
ly in the same position, if she had not been
actually killed by the fall, the guilty girl
was equally sure that her sister was lying
dead at the bottom of that horrible pit
But though she would have given half
of all she might ever possess to look upon
the face of her victim, she dared not re-
move the floor that hid the murdered girl
from view, because she feared that as sure
ly as she did so, she should be irresistibly
impelled to cast herself down beside her.
AS Christmas came nearer, however,
and the wedding was fixed for the succeed
ing day, Grace became rather wild and ex-
cited.
Since they must spend Christmas Day
at Silverton Castle, they would be merry
over it, she said, and as her marriage was
to take place Immediately afterwards, she
invited a great number of guests to come to
the castle for the Christmas festivities, and
stay over the wedding-day.
ave will forget last year if it is to be
forgotten" she exclaimed to her lover al
most Historically; "apd whatever We do we
must keep papa cheerful. [ dread Christ
mas Day; oh, how do dread it!''
She broke down, and began to sob and
tremble as she said this, and it was some
time before Victor could soothe her.
But when Christmas Day really dawned,
Grace was calm and cheerful, and only
those who knew her well could detect the
under-current of excitement which she
suppressed with so supreme an effort.
Tomorrow is my wedding-day," she
kept whispering to herself, "and then I
shall be free-free from the nameless
terror that in this house always haunts
me"
'To-morrow But what will even to-
day bring forth?"