The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-08-16

CUT BY THE COUNTY.
A NOVEL BY MISS NJ E. BRADDON,
Ihm" Audys Phantom Fortune Dead Mems Shoes ETC.
PART Ix.-CHAPTER XII.

been we'll enough to sit UP for an hour or TWO
He looked the pale ghost of his old self, as he
sat by the fire, wrapped in long brocaced
dressing gown bordered with sable, as pictur-
esoue as the robe of Venetian senator in
the sixteenth century. The gown had been
planned and chosen by Lady Darnel. and made
in secret, as birthday gift for her
husband. He remembered that fact when his
valet handed him the garment, and would have
avoided putting it on-but his only other dress
ing-g gown had been stained with blood on the
fatal night He could not reject the obnoxious
robe withouttoo plainly indicating his antlpathy
and he did not want to make his wifes disgrace
common talk in the household.
He sent for his wife and daughter, and they
came to him, side by side. Grace flew to the
hearth where he sat in a spacious arm chair.
She flung herself upon her knees beside him,
and nestled her bright head in his lap
"Oh, father, what delight to be with you, ="
she murmured.
Clare stood little way off, calm, erect, but
very pale. If she stood before him thus as a
criminal, conscious of that last worst crime of
which a wife can be guilty she was, indeed, the
! most audacious among women. But though her
face expressed proud tranquility, and her eyes,
grave, sorrowful, reproachful even, looked at
him unshrinkingly, she was content to stand
aloof, as one who knew there was an impossible
gulf between herself and him. So Allan Darnei
thought, in his agony, as he looked at the wife
he had loved.
| Had loved! Is there ever END to such a
| love as this9 Did Lucius Junus Brutus cease to
love his sons when, as their judge he condemned
them to death9
Never had Allan Darnel loved yonder pale,
beautiful woman more intensely than he loved
her now, in this supreme hour of remuneration
Grace have sent for you because l have
! that to say to Lady Darnel which | wish
you to hear he began gravely. There are
some fathers who would keep such sorrow as
mine forever secret from daughter, who would
hush up and gloss over facts, leave all things in
darkness and mystery, something to be won
dered about for afterwards. But / have
chosen to act otherwise. You are woman, and
| it can do you no harm to know that there are
wicked women il this world as we'll as good
women. give you my whole confidence, Grace.
because | believe you wise well as loving"
| Father" cried the girl, looking at him with
horror what arc you going to say? Not one
word against my mother"
| Hush" exclaimed Sir Allan, putting his hand
| upon her lips. 'You must never again call that
woman by such name. You look upon her to-
| day. hope, for the last time Lady Darnel and
| l are going to part, Grace, for ever. There is
no need for me to enter upon the reasons for that
parting. Sheknows what those reasons are as well
as |. There need be no public scandal, no dis
| grace for her-whom we have both loved Lady
| Darnel is comfortably provided for under her
settlement She will do we'll to live abroad, al
leging any reason she may please, not dishonora-
BILE to me, for separation l would spare
her all the pain l can, although her infamy we'll
| aIfrh a ~ir1%
visitor did his best to murder me-"
Father, father" cried Grace with wild
Shrek of horror, you are wrong-deluded-
deceived-deceived by me, your wretched daueh-
ter 1t was in the hope of seeing me that the
man came to this house. He had been lurking
about all day. He wanted to get an interview
with me-to claim my promlse-perhaps to ask
me for money, since he was brought so low"
Grace, what are you raving about! You are
mad" exclaimed Sir Allan, looking from his
daughter to his wife, in sheer bewilderment.
| Clare had said not word. She stood before
him SILENT imperturbable, waiting to hear his
accusation in all its fullness. She wanted to
| hear him to the end-to learn the lowest depth
she uttered one word in her own defense. And
now Grace had come to the rescue Grace the
generous and impulsive; and the whole story
! must needs be told.
mo, father, dearest, / am not mad; but |
have been foolish, blamable, wicked even; for
it was wicked to keep the secret Of my folly from
the best and kindest of fathers / am deeply
ashamed of myself. If that dreadful wound had
| been fatal | should have been the most miserable
creature in this world. [ could not have gone
| on living, knowing that my folly had been the
| cause of my fathers death"
| And then briefly, bravely, without DISCUSSES
| or sophistications of any kind, Grace Darnel
| told the history of her ENHANCEMENT, told how
she haG seen her scampish lover upon Chicksand
Common when they We're out ub-hunting in the
morning and how she had seen no more of him
You did not see him again at night, them"
questioned her father "How do you know that
it was he whom saw in the next room-the man
who fired the shOtF
Il do know it-as well can know any
thing from circumstantial evidence, but it is a
long story. Hark! there is q carriage" cried
Grace rushing to the window. sit must be the
Colonel. had a letter from him this morning
saying he should try to be back to day. He
knows everything. He can convince you that
ain telling the truth"
He knows" said Sir Allan. "You trusted
him. then, when you dare not trust your father?'
Because was not one little bit afraid OF him.
dear, indulgent, old thing" cried Grace. May
! he come upstairs at oncel | am dying to see
him9"
| Not yet, Grace, we must have this story out
/ first. Tiff have wronced your step-mothera as
| deeply as your words imply"
You have wronged her, deeply, cruelty, out
rageously There never was more devoted
! wife. l know how she has suffered all through
| your illness, poor thing; and she stands there
like statue, accused of crimes of which alone
| am guilty"
Glare" cried Sir Allan, holding out his arms
! to his wife, trying to RISE but almost too weak
! to lift himself from the capacious depths of the
| low arm chair
| Glare, can you forgive me?"
''AlIan, my beloved husband"
She flew to his arms. On her knees with her
head upon his breast, she sobbed out the fullness
of her heart.
mo, Allan, no." she gasped. when her passion
ate tears had exhausted themselves mo, l am
not without guilt. | too have been weak and
cowardly. Like this poor girl here, l have had
my secret. l nave kept one Bluebeard chamber
in my life, locked from you the best and most
generous of men. Grace is mistaken. Her I'm
in Paris called himself Victor de Camillac, came
to this house on that dreadful night to see me,
to obtain money from me, from me whose