Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1890-02-14
81 ROBERT Louis STEVENSON,
The Celebrated Novels,


the masters paporA
Weary as l was with watching and dis
t1ess Of mind, 1t was impossible for mo 30
sleep. AL night long | walked in my cham
Der, revolving what should be the issue and
sometimes repentihg the temerity OF my in
mixture in affairs 40 private; and with the
first peep of the morning was at the sick
room door. Mrs Henry had thrown open
the shutters and even the window, for the
temperature was mid. She looked stead
lastly before her, where was nothing to see,
or only the blue Of the morning creeping
among woods Upon the str OF my en-
trance she did not 20 much as turn about
her face--a circumstance from which l au-
CURED very i'll.
MADAME" I began and then again,
madame" but could make no more of it.
Nor yet did Mrs Henry come to my assist
ance with word In this pass began gath
ering up the papers where they lay scattered
on the table, and the first thing that struck
me, their bulk appeared to have diminished.
Once l ran them through, and twice; but
the correspondence with the secretary Of
state, on which / had reckoned so much
against the future, was nowhere to be found.
looked in the chimney; amid the smolder
ing embers black ashes Of paper fluttered in
the draught, and at that my timidity van
ished.
GOOD God, madame" cried I, in voice
not fitting for sick room, good God,
madame, what have you done with my pa
peI>sm
II have burned them" said Mrs. Henry,
turning about. ut is enough, ID is too much,
that you and have seen them"
This is a fine nights work that you have
dono!" cried l. And all to save the reputa-
ton of man that eat bread by the shedding
of his comrades blood, az do by the she'd
ding ink"
ITO save the reputation of that family in
which you are servant, Mr.. Maokellar," she
returned, "end for which you have already
done so much"
at is family 1 Will not serve much
longar," / cried, 'for am driven desperate.
You have strcksn the sword out of my
hands; you have left US all defenseless. l
had always these Letters could shake over
his lead; and now-what is to do! We are
30 falsely situate, we dare not show the man
the door; tho country would fly ON fire
against Us aud had this one bold upon him
and now IL is gone-now he may come back
tomorrow, and We must air sit down with
him to dinner, 20 for a stroll with him on the
terrace, or take a hand at cards, OF all things,
to divert his leisure No, madame; God for
give you, if he can find it in his heart; for |
cannot End ii in mine"
II wonder to find you SO simple, Mr. Mac
kellar, said Mrs. Henry. What does this
man value reputation2 But he knows how
high we prize it; lie knows we would rather
die than make these letters pubic; and do
you suppose he would not trade upon the
knowledgei What you call your sword, Mr..
Mackellar, and which had been one, indeed,
against a man of any remnant Of propriety,
would have boon but sword Of paper against
him. He would smile i'll your face at such
threat. He stands upon his degradation; he
makes that his strength; it is in vain to strug
gle with such characters" She cried out this
last a little desperately, and then with more
quiet "So, Mr.. Maokellsr, l have thought
upon this matter all night, and there is no
way out of it. Papers or no papers, the door
OF this house stands open for him. He is the
rghtful heir, torsooth! If We sought to ex-
clude him, al would rebound against poor
Henry, and | should see him stoned again
upon the streets. All, if Henry dies, it is q
different matterl They have broken the en-
tail for their own good purposes The estate
goes to my daughter, and l she'll see who sets
foot upon it. But II Henry lives, my poor
Mr. Mackellar, and that man returns, we
must suffer; only this time it will be to
gether"
On the whole, / was well pleased with
| Mrs Heurys attitude OF mind nor could
even deny there WAS some oogency Ia that
which she advanced about the papers
Let uy say no more about it, said l. 81
can only be sorry trusted a lady with the
| originals which was an unbusi nessllke pro-
ceeding at the best. As for what said Of
| leaving the service of the family, it WAS
spoken with the tongue only, and you may
SGT your mind at rest, belong to Durris-
deer, Mrs, Henry, as if / had been born
J there"
must do her the justice to say she seemed
! perfectly relieved SO that we began this
morning, as we were TO continue for so many
+, years, on a proper ground of mutual indul-
! gence and respect
The same day, which was certainly predi-
cate to Joy, we observed tho first signal of
I recovery in Mr. Henry; and about of the
following afternoon nc found his mind again,
recognizing me by name with the strongest
evidences OF affection. Mrs. Henry WAS also
in the room, at the bod foot; but 1t did not
appear that he observed her. And indeed
(the fever being gone, no was so weak that
he made but the ono effort and sunk again
into lethargy. The course of his restora-
ton was now slow but equal; every day his
appetite improved; every week we were able
TO remark an increase both of strength and
flesh, and before the end of the month he was
out of bed and had even begun TO be- carried
in his chair upon the terrace.
1t WIS perhaps at this time that Mrs. Henry
and were the most uneasy in mind. Appre-
henxion for his days was at an end; and a
worse fear succeeded. Every day we drew
consciously nearer to aday Of reckoning; and
the days passed ON, and still thsre was nothing
Mr. Henry better in strength, no held long
talks with us on great diversity Of subjects
his father came and sat with him and went
r9air: md still th~-o woe no roforenco 70 the
Iase tragedy or to the former tfoupIos wnlcn
had brought it on. Did be remember, and
conceal his dreadful knowledge1 or was the
whole blotted from his mindl this was the
problem that kept US watching and trembling
ell day when VIC we've In his eempanE- and