The Sunday herald. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1866-1887, 1885-07-26

Before he could rally his forces or speak
again she was surrounded by circle O
courtiers, all eager 10 claim q glance, q
word, even " the shadow of n soundn from
the queen of the hour. Revenge Ia sweet
cruelty sweet to all even the martyr soul.
cry with loud voice 10 be avenged The
angelic host alone are exempt from this
human weakness.
On that night Of dark despair when Ellice
Dayrell had fled away she had prayed with
anguislied bitterness for vengeance. Attbis
moment, the first time she had come face to
lace with the man who had thrown insult
upon her, she felt that her prayer was
granted.
Lady Ausburgh witnessed the scene with
some pity, and some curiosity.
Two lives spoilt - she thought
81 wonder II she cares for him still. II
would not make bad incident for play.
How will 1T end But things never seem 10
end, even when somebody dies.''
Laughing and talking with twenty guests
she watched Sir Philip, and observed that
he was moving slowly toward her through
the crowd. Al last he reached her, and in
basty whisper said :.
You remember the story | told Won al
Mrs. Thornley's garden party"
| " Yes. ~
Did you know"
81 knew nothing at,the time," answered
Lady Ausburgh.
| NowY''
can guess. You have met her, and
you did not recognize hertz
No cannot imagine why. II was 40
sudden and never dreamed of meeting
her like this. Can you--will you-may /
beg of Won to try 10 obtain for me 1--WE min
ntes talk with her ~ urgently entreated
Sir Philip.
az am afraid it would bs impossible-but
will try, responded Lady Ausburgh. al
don't see how II can be managed. in the
midst of all these people. And don't think
lit Is quite fair TO her. Can you not wait.
and find another opportunity Though |
must own have heard she is to leave Eng
land at the end OF the week. What do you
want to say TO her 20
Say lhave q thousand things to say
Lady Ausburgh drew back one or two
steps-i mperceptibly, idly flirting her fan.
Second thoughts are best" she muir.
INJURED. The Duchess of Darlington was an.
preaching amid the little court attending
her Grace cleaned n sombre visage, and this
visage acted as n warning signal to Lady
Ausburgh. Once she had interfered, only
to do irreniediable mischief when she had
sought TO play guardian angel. A shudder
ran through her frame: a shiver as if the
shadow of death had fallen across her path,
iou must forgive me, she hurriedly said.
" feel worried and bothered-these recep-
tions are such a responsibility, even for me.
| am awfully sorry--but it is very stupid to
get excited about what is really only a
dream, she concluded, raising her beautiful
blue eyes to his face for moment, half
angrily, half regretfnlly.
Only dream Yes, after ALL il was but
dream-and as in dream the victim of a
strange fantasy cannot escape from dream.
land, the young man stood spellbound, one
OF those terrible storms of emotion which
often wreck human beings life sursing
over his soul. 1t was dream-nothing but
dream. Would there be any awaking to
cold sense and reality The mingled per-
fumes, the wax lights, the subdued muir
muir of laughing voices, the soft frou-frou of
silks, satins, aud laces, the butterfly flutter
OF fans, the sparkle and CLEAN of ten
thousand diamonds, the silvery Skinner of
pearls, combined to make visionary In
ferno cloud, in which his lonely spirit tloated
rs II lost in utter solitude. A curious.
dreadful sensation of loneliness struck on
his heart like an ice chill the agony dis.
titled from the slow fortunes of a thousand
years fell upon him like the clutch of
demon.
A man must always argue. even IL the on.
position be held only by the mysterious alter
ego, who haunts the human being more
closely than his shadow-that reflected self
who is not friend, nor enemy, nor Judge,
but who stands "a sunlight unto shade, az
echo TO sound, as sadness to laughter, as
all things nearly akin, yet ever antagonistic.
Only dream !" he repeated to himself,
as Lady Ausbnrgh glided away to greet the
hn I,l
moment on her assembly. "Only dream
Why do suffer like this 7 It ia but folly,
perhaps, when all is said and done. Yet the
pain at my heart is crnel.''
IL might have been year since lie had
looked at the white fingers of the Princess
touching the ivory keys Of the pianOforte,
and scarce second since the cold, discourag.
ing words of Lady Ausburgh had fallen on
his ears. At all hazards he was resolved 10
speak to the Princess, were it Int for
moment. He turned to the place where lie
had left her; she had disappeared.
Could he, dare he, ask ons of the servants
If she had departed The agony of suspense
was too great to bear.
The very menials Of the house were alb
sorbed in the business of the hour. 1t was
impossible to gain the attention of the most
insignificant among the hs-plushsd circle,
The perfnmed, idle, laughing tfrong of
guests increased every instant, and the heat
became intolerable to Sir Philip the scene,
to his distempered fancy, was worthy of being |
placed in the Inferno.
delicious, alluring breeze Aoated in from |
the conservatory leading down to the illumi- |
mated garden, and, with the instinct of seek
ing relief from deadly faintness which had |
attacked him, he made his way toward it.
The conservatory was half deserted here |
and there group lOitered, a couple of lovers |
lowered among the tropical plants, their
voices snbdued in harmony with the softly |
cleaning lamps, the musical plssh of the |
water in the fernery,
BY the marble edge of the fanciful arrange. |
ment walling in the fernery, apparently gag.
ing at the falling, translucent water, sat one |
figure, partly concealed by the branching
foliage of some tall plants placed in the form
of a screen.
Ths'sight of this slender form, droopinp.
solitary, motionless al a white marble figure
coldly cleaning behind her shoulder, made
Sir Philip Rayner's heart heat fast. With
ons step he reached her, but as he was about
to touch her she turned swiftly, and stood
up naughty, divinely fair, majestic as Diana
surveying audaclous intruders, or Venus
rising from her ocean hath. As ahe moved
a glow of yelled light from some clusters of
""P' "po'o icii upon ner IlK6 wave OF
moonlight. From the circlet on her head TO
he buckles ON her shoes she was sparkling
with diamonds for moment, as she rose,
The appeared as fsplashed with tears.
Sir Philip, almost suilocated with emotion,
Unable TO speak, placed his hand with a
lervons grip over the diamond bracelet unon
ler right arm. She looked steadily at him
ears ilicksring at the edge Of her long lashes
"a passionless, calm look,
"Ellicei"
The Princess gazed at him steadily, with
he look OF one walking in her sleep. Shs
neither by word or sign, and did not
attempt TO loosen her arm from his grasp.
have fonnd you--at last | Oh, my
iarling, in what anguish and pain have |
iot atoned for those foolish words which
made yon fly me. Have you no word of
pardon for me do not think quite de
served such cruel treatment, such utter de-.
ertion, although | own did play a towards
part. Speak TO me, Rlliee--only one word.
cannot conceive how It happened that did
not recognize yon at once when | saw you
or you are really not changed-yst you are
! thousand times more bsautifnl than in the
Nd days. All, those days when You loved
ne, when yon were mine-I would give all |
ave ia the world coull recall them IA ia |