The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1888-05-25

81 can form no idea why you dit it
that does not concern me-pcr:,aps II
was for your own interest They said IN
the servants hal! that Sir Jasper had left
you money; perhaps the will you de-
stroyed took it from you"
There was a fash as of fire from the
dark eyes
Il do not wish TO do you any harm,
miss. i have not mentioned what l saw
TO anyone, and l never viii. but You
must give me five hundred pounds for
keeping your secret. Give me that, and
! will promise. i viii swear that no amu-
sion TO what l have seen shal. ever pass
my lips. Give me that and / will hiring
the cEarred fragment to you. / do not
wish TO harm you, but Providence has
gwen me this chance and / must make
the most OF it. From that one moment
] said 10 myself that 1 would keep YOUR
secret unit. l could use it. Give me five
hundred pounds. and / vii. be as faith
fu. as death to you"
Then tine power of speech came to
Veronica.
you," she SAID, 81 could not / have not
hve hundred pounds of my own in the
wor!d."
"Iou have rich lover" returned the
girl, with a significant smile. ">ir Marc
would give you anything in the world
his hearts blood If you neeteL it"
"liEsh :" said Veronica, stcrnlv. 81
VIII not a..ow you TO say such words
'lou may DO what you Ike, miss-I
sha" keep to my word. If you give me
five hundred pounds. will never reveal
your secret: If not, Will bctray it.
"w.at If l refuse" said Veronica.
"Tel! me the worst" In her heart she
knew the worst must come; it WAS as
Impossible for her to find five hundred
pounds as it would have been to find live
thousand.
The worst is, that if 1 fail to get the
money from you. must Iry TO find out
wIo Is the next most :C.~:es:ei in the
matter. There is one thing that YOU
cannot deny, Miss di Cyntha-you
burned the WILL" She paused with
sudden cry.
Unperceived by either, Sir Marc had
entered through the open window, and
stood WIKI LoFIor-sir:cken face, listen
ing 10 the .ast few terrible words.
With an air OF terr: be bew:.Germent
he looked from one to the o::.--; Ncron-
lea WAS wa.,s rs death, the servant-glrl
:nso.ent in the fu.. tr:aE;h of her &C
cus1tion, in the knowledge o: her victory.
Veronica locked round when she Saw the
sudden dawn of fear n the girls ewes.
She uttered no cry when she saw her
over. hat cod terrible shuddcr seized
her. lie care TO her and took her hand
Nv aat Is the matter, Veronica? Wat
. does this !nso.eEt woman say? Why do
you allow her 10 Insult you?'
Truth is no insult, Sir Marc" put in
Norton.
SAY the word, and I viii send for a
policeman, and will give her into custody
! heard little of what has passed, aaI L
see she is trying TO extort money from
yon-why not order her from the
house >"
"Ah, why not ?" cried Morton, in
solent:y. "As you say, Sir Marc, why
not?
81 take the duty upon myself" he
said; Il order you not only to qa.t the
room, but to quit the house. Lady
Brandon will approve of w:Iat / have
done when she hears of your oondact" 3"
'fI shall not ieave the room, Sir Marc, ="
she replied ,-.-,.y, "unti; have Miss d;
Cynthas answer. She ko-w= what
want; let her say if she WI give il TO
me."
"You know that / cannot" she ans
wered.
Sir Marc looked at her in bewilder-
ment.
Surely you are not wiling to COM
promise with this woman, Veronica {?
Sc must be pun:sLeI-aEy attempt to
ex:crt money is a c-:me tat the law
Furnishes very severely. Do not speak
TO her-leave her to me-"
Then he paused in bewildered wonder;
there was something he did not under
stand-a shrinking fear in Neron!ca's s
face and an inso,cnt triumph in the
maid's S. Where was the Indignation. the
Just anger, that she should feei? What
could il mean? With n restless, uneasy
gaze he locked from one to the other
1he dark eyes of the woman he loved
had never met his own-
81 heard what passed" he said. 81
was br :...c you these Gloire dc Dijou
roses, Veroa ca. and l heard this ;nsoient
woman say that you had burned a will
tn.t you could not deny it. know the
meaning of that. She brings this false
aco-.sA: On against you, NEAR .Es TO cxIort
money from YOU. and you very properly
refuse TO give It to her. She ought TO be
sent to prison"
"Stop, Sir Mare" said the woman,
angri!y-"you speak too fast. Ask my
mistress whether my charge against her
Is ia.se or cot"
~ vii, not insult Miss di Cynthia by
any such question" he rep.:ed-
"Then you are unjust" she said. ''You
accuse me of bringing a ia.se charge ask
Miss d: CYNTHIA whether that charge is
tr7e or false-she will not deny it if you
ask her"
Still there came no words from the
white lips that were closed so strangely.
II refuse TO do any such thing" he re-
turned.
again, Sir Marc, / say that you are
unjust. / accuse Miss iii Cynthia OF hav.
inc in her own room unknown 10 every.
one. and, as she thought, unseen by
everyone. wilfully burned Sir Jasper
Brandon's last will and testament. More
than that, L can prove that she did SO.
Sir Marc, look from her 10 me
which OF US looks guilty.