Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1886-11-03
THE BASILISK:

THE. BASILISK-
AsTORY OF TODAY. j.
CHAPTER VII.
THE SHADOW OF THE FUTURE. =. /
Miss Beaufoy laid her hand on my
arm, and led me out of the mysterious
room. In the library I brea:hed freely
again. There was no air of mystery
there, and the smell of the grass, and
the September leaves was sweet and
wholesome,
. I resisted with difficulty the impulse
to look with eager curiosity upon the
face of the woman who had occupied
so much Of my thoughts of late. A
prudent instinct came to my aid. 1t
was no business of hers, and in no way
due to her or hers, if had marvellous
~ recovered my vision. J. felt that it
was not thing to be lightly revealed;
and, indeed, how could tell that the
restoration would be permanent
my father is a little brusQue and
nervous" she said, when We were seat
ed in the library. ''He was rather star
tied by your appearance just now.''
Il am sorry" l said, s'to have begun
by making false move, but it Is really
very difficult for me to find my way
about in strange house."
Miss Beaufoy's apology was spoken
in the most conventionallv polite man
ner conceivable, and would have sug-
gested to my mind nothing more than
the idea of q 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 deadly weapon. There was ter
rible discrepancy between these things
and Giulia Beaufoy's placid explana-
nation of my speedy. exit from the
regions into which had unwittingly
strayed.
"You will soon learn your way" she
answered; lit is very commonplace
house. But my father does not like
anybody to 60 to his study without
being asked. He is afraid Of his pa
pers and things being mislaid."
"Mr. Beaufoy is studentP''
He is very fond of philosophical
experiments, and likes to be very much
Alone
DO you help him at a1lp''
ZIP" she said, laughing. lob, no.
But I have the entree to his rooms
when I want to see him.
She rose and moved towards tho
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 I
! looked. filed with strange haunting
memories of knew not what, she
turned and flashed upon me the light
of wonderful dark eyes. In an instant
it all came back to me. My boyish
infatuation with the beautiful stranger,
my distempered visions and feverish
walks. The look that had been the
last thing I beheld ere darkness had
;; closed upon met was sbe once more.
The first eyes that looked straight into
mire after I had realized recovery,
were those which I had last seen, cruel
and hard, outside St. James Hall that
wet night. four years before. The Of
feet of the surprise somewhat unstead-
led me, but contrived not to betray
myself, except by slight start.
| s'What is itp" she asked with some
kindness.
"Nothing," + answered, "the effect
of the electric shock, partly"
LET us have some music" she said,
If it will not worry you.''
1t would suit me admirably, for ]
did not feel quite in the mood for q
calm and continued conversation.
Then she sang, and sang admirably,
some of the songs which We had pre-
viously practised together.
1began to feel certain disinclina-
ton for the tete-a-tete, which she was
evidently in no hurry to abridge. I
thought. perhaps, that it was to my
blindness that owed her complacency
and in the new-found pride of restora-
ton I despised such eleemosynary
| favors.
II ought not to be idle,' said in a
pause at the end of q song;
II am quite we'll enough to get
to work. Is Miss Fortescue disposed
for any music this morningP"
MARY could not think Of taxing you
to-day" she answered, with the touch
of contempt and dislike in her tone
which always heard, or fancied I
heard, when she mentioned her cous-
Il should not find it in the least a
q tax" 1 said TT ~ I
was. in truth, becoming very an.
xious to test my sight again, and to see
whether the uncertain but beautiful ap-
partition, which had first brought the
notion of recovery to my mind, was
indeed the form and face of Mary For
tescue. Was there anything about her
to justify the WAY her cousin spoke of
ana 10 herr ..a.~>.. s ~
Miss Beaufoy did not give me much
chance Of pursuing the subject, even
if l had any justification for 30 doing.
Il will play to you," she said, and,
guiding me to q low easy-chair close
beside the music stool, she seated her.
self at the piano, and began to play.
in desultory fashion, but with the
kill and taste of an accomplished per.
former. She talked through tho music
in . manner which was rather fascinat-
.ng and undoubtedly fattering. But
was curiously on my guard. and Actual
I'd By strange feeling Of latent hostil-
ity.. Still, we talked on all kinds of
subjects; music supplying, as it were.
the base of our themes. | had had no.
such conversation for ages. There