River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1886-12-09
THE BASILISK.
A STORY OF TO-DAY.
CHAPTER MI.

words, Il hate him. she rose from
her kneeling position. and, with
almost tragic grace, left me, without
uttering another word. She did not
know that | adj in her eyes what was
repeated in the tone of her vofce-the
utter loathing which she felt for this
man Plowitz. WAS it fair to keep
back from her the secret of my
restoration of sight?'' asked myself.
WAS it just to take advantage of her
ignorance in order that l might the
more easily gaze upon the workings of
that beautiful face?' A thousand
times no. would follow her and tell
her all, trusting to her good judg-
ment, if not to her forbear-
ance, as to whether the Beaufoys
should also be made aware of the
false pretenses under which l was
living at Hanover Lodge. As l adj
vanced towards the foot of the stair
case met Plowitz coming down. My
good resolutions vanished Ike snow
before the sun. Some still small voice
(perhaps not conscience) whispered
to me, ''Stopl you are in the presence
Of an enemy. All is fair in
love cad war. Keep your Sc
eret" we all of us have pre-
sentiment of evil; do any of us have
presentiment of good from evil2 L
think | had.
We stopped simultaneously. Re-
member, could see, and he did not
know it. He was the first to speak.
MIR. Coples.one, he said,''I have a
favor to ask of you"
When ! was a boy at school we had
q common. but not classic, expression
called sucking uD to fellow" which
meant that the boy sucking up" had
q desire to obtain some favor from
the boy sucked up" to. On the pres
mt occasion the way in which DIR.
PlOwitz addressed me made me fully
aware that he was sucking up to
me. Not only was the tone of his
voice almost musical in its sweetness,
but, despite my presumptive blindness,
his lips were wreathed in the most
fascinating of smiles. / mistrusted
him on the spot. His manner was al
together too honeyed. L resolved to
be wary.
"A favor, doctor?n 1 answered.
what favor can l possibly confer on
yOu?"
''Sit down. he said. "and I will tell
you. After all, it Is not a great mat
L h. ~
chair beside mine. Il want, be con-
tinued, ''tO talk to you about Miss For
tesCsIe."
If | haE 81 known that the man
was watcEag me intently, should
have jumped up from my seat. As it
was. l repressed my emotion, and with
assumed gravity asked, ''And what
about Miss FOrtescue?"
His next question was one of start
ling abruptness.
''Do YOU think that she is perfectly
sane?"
"Sane?'' echoed with astonish-
ment
Sane" he repeated calmly. Snow,
nv dear fellow" he went on, laying
I his hand with aflectionate familiarity
I on my shoulder. believe me that | ask
I from a good motive. You, as her mu-
/ steal instructor. must have every OBJ
| portunily of guaging the quality OF her
/ mental character. Have You ever de-
/ tected any symptom of alteration oil
/ intellect in her cOnduct?
Never" replied firmly. "'never.
/ On the contrary, l shOuld say that Mis-;
Fortescue was particularly gifted with
I understanding.
'And should not, said woman
voice behind me.
started to my feet. The speaker
was Miss Beaufoy.
.sAud I should not she repeated
flashing her ewes upon me as though
they could pierce me through and
through.
why not7" i stammered.
Plowitz took up the thread.
"That is precisely what we want to
tell you about" he said softly. IAN
privileged to speakP" he asked, turn.
ing TO the Basilisk.
She merely bowed her head, still
keeping her eyes steadily fixed on me
Thank yOu," said PlowitZ. AS
an Did friend of the family it gives me
great pain 10 question the state of Mis-:
Eortescue's mind. but | am constrained
to do so in the interests Of
Here he paused.
..Of US all, put in Miss Beaufoy,
with cOntemptuoUs smile on her tine
mouth.
OF rs all" repeated the German.
''TGe reason We have for believing Mis-:
FOrtescue to be more or les:
out of her mind is this
q speak on behalf of the highly
respected Beaufoy family): Miss For
tescue asserts that she hears strange
voices in the night; Miss Fortescu'
states that she has seen strange men il
this highly-respectable household. Mis-
Cortescue goes further, and declare
that she has seen our adorable friend
Miss Beaufoy, in strange DISCUSSES
more suited to the ladies of the stag
than to a well-known benefactress o
the poor. All this is very distressin.
to worthy Mr.. Beaufoy, TO his still
worthier daughter, and-may L add
to ME.
ut is extremely absurd" said the
BasiliSk. HAS she said nothing tC
you. Mr.. Coplestone, of these mat
tiers.
Not a word" answered mechan
; ically.
: Not word?"
Plowitz and Miss Beaufoy exchanges
7 glances.
! Then" said the doctor, ''aI csl
! say is, watch her"
> ''Be on your guard" chimed in tn
!: Basilisk, land don't listen to her sill
s stories; they are too ridiculous-muci
|. too ridiculous.
: Both she aud Plowitz laughe
S heartily. But what was in thei
laughter was not in thei
1 eyes. If mine told me true. they wer
! relieved of a or, at fear.
. s'Of course" said Miss Beaufoy,
; what we have told YOU is in the strictes
!. confidence.
IAN English gentleman" pure
Plowitz, ''does not need to be n
minded of that.