New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-11-21
XIV.

dragged from his lis
My right to be here or not to be does not come
from YOU.
Nevertheless l said "since Miss Gramercey
is my promised wife shall hold myself bound 10
respect her known prejudces."
saw his hands, they hung at his sides. clf.ncf
themselves IL had intended never TO hold the
slightest intercourse with YOU sir" he said, h'isIy
81 think you must know why
by all means pcseverc in your resolve
rctorted 1T is not yet too late to reconsider it,
A certain effect of moonlight brought to his
duh ewes o grcenish flicker as he now scanned my
face HIS lip was half curlci, not in scorn, but
as if from the prompting of deep spite and malice
"You put upon me in Paris he said with the
same logged muttcr he had at first used "a vic
outrage 1t was the action of coward; your
superior strength made it So Perhaps you wish 10
repeat the act
"Only.p answered. ain case you wish to re-
peat the UNPARALLELED insult that called it forth.
And | think that | can afford, Mr.. Dorian to be
called q coward by you, who have proven your
self conspicuous one. ] waited q whole week in
Paris to hear from you. ana realized with aston
ishment. at last, that YOU meant to pass umotlced
what YOU now term q vile outrage"
The vicious sncer on his face decpcned. He
slowly nodded his head once or twice touch
of the old drawing, nsolcnt tone had come back
TO him-the tone | had heard him employ with
such vilanous result in Cas- Mrs Partisan studio
Yes Quito so. You thought. doubt. that
I would drag the name of lady whom l cared
for as did for Ada Gramercey into public duel
Il thought nothing of this llini," l protested,
inwardly tnCling under the meanncss OF his lmpll-
cation though many another than | would have
tossed it aside in spirit wholly despicable MISS
tiramc.cey's name would never have entered into
the affair." and by no means concerned 1t. Much
IS | disapprove and detest duelling, | would sui
have allowed you the chance of satisfaction Tor
the pitiful beating | gave you No, do not Try To
lie out of your own poltoonery. And quit this
SPOT at once or | may repeat the warning that
| administered at Paris
l Iointed when spoke toward the little grove
of trees whence he had lately emerged, but he did
not stir.
60" / commanded, moving quickly nearer to
him As l did tIcmor passed through his
FRAME whether of fear or hate. But still nc ala
not stir.
"1he law may make you solTy for this, he said
meeting my look.
use it asanst me if you wish, l responded
But first you must prove that you are not an
intruder
ut is not for you to say that am one.
that your visits here were disagreeable to her
He almost closed his eyes for moment. and
sort of spasm passed over his face suddenly felt
all hardness leave me it was like the dropping
away of some coarse, bristly garment my feeling
of repulsion, of irritation, became compassionate
one only. | do not aver that any respect had part
in it. or that | should not still have shrunk from
taking his hand, But in voice full OF mild ana
even cOncilatOry change ! now SAID
Believe me- it will be quite useless for you
either 10 remain here or to appear at the cottage
n YOU have any thought Of meeting Miss Ora
MERCY on these rocks you will be disappointed
nor will the young lady consent to hold further
conversation with you, anywhere or at any time
rec arding q certain monetary question. Let me
beg YOU therefore TO dclart peaccably at once.
Here 1 took out my watch the face was clear
enough in that wonderful moonlight. for one to
tell the time upon it without an effort. 1T Is
now slightly after o'clock. | continued. "You
can still catch a train TO town very easily, but
ad Use YOU not 10 delay" He had dropped his
head little while | thus addressed him. AS |
ended he raised it, and the sheer on his lips had
dccpcned. | recoiled from him. "You refuse TO
OF" | said involuntaIily
He did not answer me. but he looking al
me with an expression malignant. almost satanic
thought that he was about to speak. and repealed
as | was. | awaited his anwer But for several
seconds he did not make it his lips quiN ami
seemed to be so dry from some agitation that he
more than once noticeably moistened them with his
ton.uc And then. at last, as if with difficulty,
he stolle two words. They were these:
"Otlo CLAUS"
| stepped backward many PAGES If a knife had
been plunged into me | could not have been more
stricken in all ner, Gus power. ! must have grown
shasty in the moonlight Doubtless no l least dc
tail of my dsmay escaped HIM, Tor hc now splan5
toward me.
"OthO Clauss, he said again.
| tried to he calm knotted my hands ; | shut
given me instead of the wonted pusations Of my
blood He was close at my side, but | had not
strength enough either to motion or to push him
away.
/ could only do one thing. l could simply ask
him, with gas S between the few words | spoke
What do you know p
"Wh hat do | know r.? he echoed with laugh
whose jeer seemed to take the whole mute, sweet
night un its spell AMI render it wild, dancing
,haos. What do l know, Ohio Clauss ?. he con
inucd. His voice was close TO my car wantei
@ beat il off, as | would the vans Of bat, but
could at. 81 know that you arc not Claud but
Clauss | know that you are sprung from the
.ery lowcst-the scum-the rabble Your father
he'd on the scaffold for numbering his wife
| could not 81 eax l listened could only lis
on. 1t was somehow if | listened with a
thousand ears; A flash went through my min III
y
nv father kill my mother in that poIulous street
IN that far-gCnc Sunday morning. What this |
nan said TO me was an actually, am yet
ecmed to have been led up to before by an i'm |
nensc authorization. Here was l. who heard il ; |
lere was another who hurled it at me. Ii hal
,een fatcd To come like this il had been ordained
was TO hear it again | had waited for it; my |
lrcams had told ne it would some day sound in |
ny cars Just as it sounled now
lie had put his hand on my shoulder | did |
not shake he hand OF / can not tell in what
one | questioned of him:
How have you heard p
How p he said. He laughed, and his hand. |
which had rested on my shoulder, seized it Ills
acc was close % mine. | had sense Of bis pa
rician gear; an odor bcset me from the voets |
punched in his coat How terrible these triiies |
we're at this moment How they assaulted me |
nd caught my attention. from no earthly cause j |
lie realized that he had flung me down, 30 to |
pealS-tiiat he could Say what he chose TO me |
md he said this
"Do you deny? No, you do not; you cannot |
have found 1t all out. How, you ask me?