The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-01-08
Countess nar0la.
BY wILKIE COLLINS.
CHAPTER XVIII.
so the second act ended.

of the manuscript differed from the pages
which he had just been reading. Signs Of An
overweight brain showed themselves here
and there as the outline OF the play APP
preached its end. The hand writing grew
worse and worse. Some OF the longer sen
fences were left unfinished. In the exchange
Of dialogue questions and answers were not
always attributed respectively to the right
speaker. At certain intervals the writer's
failing intelligence seemed to recover itself
for awhile, only to relapse again aud to lose
the thread Of the narrative more hopelessly
than ever.
After reading one or two of the more co
hersnt passages Henry recoiled from tine ever
darkeniug horror of the story. He closed
the manuscript, heart SICK and exhausted,
and threw himself Oh his bed 10 rest. The
door opened almost at the same moment.
Lord Montbarry entered tue room.
we have just returned from the opera, y
he said, ''and we have heard the news Of that
miserable woman's death. They say you
spoke 10 her il her last moments, and ] want
to hear how II happened"
"You shall hear how it happened" Henry
answered: "and more than that You are
now the head Of the family, Stephen, and
feel bound, III the position, which oppresses
me. to leave you TO decide what ought to he
done"
With those Introductory words, he told his
brother how the countess play had come
into his hands. "Read the first few pages
be said, II am anxious to know whether the
same impression is produced on both Of Us"
Before Lord Montbarry bad got half way
through the first act, he stopped, and looked
at his brother. "What does she mean by
Boosting Of TINS as her own inventionf he
asked. WAS she too crazy 10 remember that
these things really happenedF
This was enough for Henry; the same i'm
preston had been produced ON both Of them.
"You will do a. you please lie said. But if
you will be guided by me, spare yourself the
reading of those pages 10 come. which de-
scribe our tlotnei's terrible exViauou Of his
h~eartless marriage"
Have you read 1t all. Henry"
"Not all. shrunk from reading some Of
the latter part Of it. Neither you nor saw
much of our elder brother after we left
school, and for my part, | felt, and never
scrupled 10 express my feeling. that be be
haved UNANIMOUSLY 10 Agnes. When ! read
that unconscious confession of the murderou,
conspiracy TO which he fell a victim, / re
membered, with something like r%enIorse, that
the same mother bore us. | have felt for him
tonight. what ] am ashamed 10 think ! never
felt for him before"
Lord MontbarTy took his brothers hand.
you are a good fellow, Henry he SAID:
"but are YOU quite sure that yOu have not
been needlessly distressing YOURSELF Because
some of this crazy creatures writing, acsl-
dentally tells what We know TO be the truth.
does it follow that all the rest j. TO be relied
Oh to the endF
''There is no possible doubt Of IT," Henry
replied.
mo possible doubtf' his brother repeated.
Il shall 60 on with my reading, UIenry-and
see what Justification there may be for that
confident conclusion OF yours"
He read on steadily until be had reached
the conclusion of the second act. Then he
looked up.
ado YOU really believe that the mutiiated
remains which you discovered this morning
are the remains of our brother he asked.
And do YOU believe it on such evidence as
thisf'
Henry answered silently by a sign IN the
affirmative.
Lord Montbarry checked himseIf--eyi-
iently on the point OF entering an indignant
protest.
"You acknowledge that you have not read
the later scenes Of the piece" he SAID. "liont
be childish, Henry. If you persist in pinning
your faith on such stuff as this the least you
can do is to make yourself thoroughly ac-
auainted with it. Will you read the third
acts Nol Then | shall read 1t to you"
He turned to the third act, and ran % er
those fragmentary passages whlCh we've
clearly enough expressed TO be ineligible 10
The mind of IA stranger.
Here is q scene in the vaults of the palace
he began. "The victim Of the conspiracy Is
sleeping on his miserable bed and the baron
and the countess are considering the position
In which they stand. The countess tas well
as | can make 1t out has raised the money
that is wanted 10y borrowing on the security
Of her Jewels at Frankfort; ana the courier
up stairs is still declared by the doctor 10
have a chance of recovery. What are the
conspirators 10 do Il the man does recoverf
The cautious baron suggests setting the prs
oner free. If he ventures TO appeal TO the
law it is easy TO declare that he u subject 10
insane delusiOn and TO call his Own wife as "a
witness. On the other hand, II the courier
dies, how Is the sequestrated and unknown
nobleman To be put out Of the way Iass-
lively, by letting linn starve IN ms prison.
No; the baron is "a MAJ of refined tastes he
diSlikes needless cruelty. The active policy
remains. Say, assassination 10y the knife Of
"A hired bravol The baron objects to trusting
an accomplish. also 10 spending money on
any one but himself. Shall they drop their
prisoner into the canali The baron declines
to trust underwater will show him Oh the
surface. Shall they set his bed on fire. An
excellent idea; but the smoke might he seen.
No; poisoning is no doubt an easier death
than he deserves. but there Is really no other
safe way out of it than to poison bim. Is 1t
possible, Henry, that YOU believe this consul
tation really took placer
Henry made no REPAY. The succession Of
questions that had just been read 10 him ex-
uctly followed the succession Of the dreams
that had terrified Mrs. Norbury on the two
nights which she had passed at the hotel. 1t
was useless TO point out this coincidence 10
his brother. He only said, $50 on"
Lord Mnntlarrv turu.I th. M qa. until he