River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1886-11-04
TIE DASILISK-
A STORY or TODAY.
CHAPTER VII.



was no business of hers, and in no way
due to her or hers, if had marvellous
ly recovered my vision. / felt that it
was not a thing to be lightly revealed;
and, indeed, how could 1 tell that the
restoration would be permanent?
My father is little br7sSque aud
nervous. shc said, when we were seat
ed in the library. .'Iie was rather star
tied by your appearance just now"
Il am sorry" said. ITO have begun
by making a false move, but it IS really
very difficult for me to find my way
about in q strange house"
Miss BcaUfoy apology was spoken
in the most convent lnallv polite man
ner conceivable. and would have sug-
gested 10 my mind nothing more than
the idea Of a particular and petulant
Old gentleman who had shown too
plainly his irritation at an unwarrant-
ed intrusion. But what / had seen
was the face of guilty terror, and q
hand laid readily and instinctively up
on "a deadly weapon. There was a ter
riblc discrepancy between these things
and Giulia Beaufoy's piacid explana-
nation 81 my speedy exit from the
regions into which l had unwiltingly
str8yCd.
lyon will soon learn your way, she
answered; 1T Is q very commonplace
house. But nv father does not like
anybody To 90 10 his study without
being asked. He IS afraid OF his pa
pcrs and things being misiaid.
..Mr. Buauiuy is q student?'
''He is very fond of philosophical
experiments, and likes to be very much
alone.
DO sou help him at alp"
III? she said. laughing. "Oh, no.
But / have the entree 10 his rooms
when | want TO see him.
She rose and moved towards the
window. | stole look at her with
much caution. She stood between me
and the light, tall, graceful figure,
with head finely set upon her shout
derS, and thick. dark hair. As
( looked. filed with strange haunting
memories Of / knew not what. she
turned and flashed upon me the light
of wonderful dark ewes. Ia an instant
it al came back to me. Ny boyish
/ infatuatiOn with the beautiful stranger,
my distempered visions and feverish
7 walks The look that had been the
I last thing | bcheld ere darkness had
/ closed upon met was she once more.
/ The first eyes that looked straight into
miU6 after | had realized recovery,
/ were those which had last seen, cruel
/ and hard. outs de ST. James Hall that
/ wet night. four years before. The eff
/ feet OF the surprise somewhat INSTEAD
I led ne. but | COntrived not to betray
| myself, except by a 81 ght start.
What is it?i size asked with soRs
| Kindness.
Nothing" I answered. "the eject
/ of the electric shock. partly"
Jet ms have some music, she said,
I If II viii not worry you.
Ii would suit me admirably, for
7 did not feel quite in the mood for 8
I calm and continued conversation.
Then she sang. and sang admirably,
7 some of the songs which we had pre-
/ viOusly practised together.
{ / began 10 feel 4 certain disinclina-
/ ton for the tete-a-t ete, which she was
evidently in no hurry TO abridge.
I thought, perhaps, that 1t was to my
/ blindness that owed her complacency
/ and in the new-fouud pr.dc of rc>tcra-
ton despised such eleemosynary
4 favOrs.
Il ought not to be idle. - 1 said in a
I pause at the end Of > song;
II am quite well enough to get
to work. Is Miss Fortcscue disposed
/ for any music this morning.
Mary could not think OF taxing you
! TO dav.' she answered. win he touch
I OF contempt and dislike in her tone
I which | always heard. or fancied |
/ heard. when she mentioned her cous-
/ ms name.
Il should rot find it in tho least a
tax, said
/ was. in truth. becoming very an
xiOus TO test my sight again, and 10 see
[ whether the uncertain but beautiful APP
/ partition, which had first brought the
/ notion of recovery to my mind. was
/ indeed the form and face of Mary For
I tescue. Was there anything about her
Z t. justify the way her cousin spoke Of
and 70 her?
Miss Beaufoy did not give me much
nance of pursuing tie subject. even
had any justification for SO doing
Il will play to YOU. she said, and,
uiding me 10 a low eaSy-chair close
beside the muSic-stoOl, she seated her
elf at the piano. and began to play.
4 de>ultOry fashion. but with the
sill and taste of an accomplished per
lrmer She talked through the music
4 msnner which was rather fasciaat-
~ and undoubtedly flttering. But
vas curiously on my guard, and actual
q by a strange feeling Of latent hostll-
". Still, we talked on all kinds Of
ubjects; music supplying, as It We're,
he base of our themes. had had no
Uch conve SatiOn for ages. There
we're poetry and passion IN her music
nd her thoughts. and ! felt that If |
Iad dared TO look in her face. and feel
he power Of her eyes, as l did of her
music and her voice, my instinct OF
Ijstrust would have stood too great =
4 chance Of being charmed away. | did
7 glance occasionally, when by her voice
f kew that she was not looking toward
me, aud / saw n pale, clear complex
ION. and the fringe Of long lasheS upon
the rounded cheek, snd the firm but
beautiful mouth. till she slowly turned
her head toward me sgaiu as she talk
ca and played. and it needed all the re-
membrauce Of DIR. Sh w IS rliEg Stor-
les. and Of all the crGeities of tone. and
/ Of the strange uEcauuy whispers while
+ i was recovering from the shock. an
II the curious scene in hr. Beaufoy 5
little room, 20 bring back 10 my N nj
the assurance that l was not the COM
panion merely of a stately asd Crac-
ious woman. but dangerously enthrall-
ed by a mysterious and decidedly
unwhOlesOme influence. Still. The
situation had lis charms. not the least
f of which was the notion that in this
strange fashion l had actually met at
last the woman Who had been so curl
ously and so disSstrously impressed