Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1890-01-20
CHAPTER. xxi

deadly pallOr of his face, the cold CLEAN
in his eyes He has had sufficient time.
during the troubled words that passed
between his mother and Nadine, to under
stand that the game has been played out
and lost He might still deny, give oath on
oath, put all to the tOUc /, and defy actual
/ discovery; but to what end? Who would
believe him innocent among those with
/ whom he cares to associate, even should
the law absolve him? In the future the
fate Of the outcast, the leper, should be his
/ She would be the chief witness for the
prosecutiOns-she, with her soft voice, her
pure eyes! What chance would he have
| against her, even though Judge and jury
! acquit him? His world would believe in
her. And it is this same voice that has
! betrayed him-the dearest voice on earth
to him,
He goes slowly up to the girl who has
ruined him and lays his hand upon her
shoulder For the moment it seems he
has forgotten that there is any one in the
world but her.
F'You!-yOu here?;' he saws
There is unreasonable surprise but no
anger in his tone; his glance dwells upon
! her lingeringly, tenderly as ever. He is
lost in one of the old dreams. 1t is his
/ last.
''Tell them" entreats Nadine eagerly.
! ''They have been imagining dreadful
| things. I told them you were returning
! to England soon, but I did not know it
would be tonight. Paul, let them know
! at once-at Once-hoW those stones came
| into your possession"
In her extreme anxiety, she lays her
hand upon his arm. Duran makes a move
ment toward her, but Massareene, by
a gesture, stops him.
''Y0u still believe in me, then?'' says
Boyle, in q curious tone ''You have had
faith all through? You have never under
stood?''
II do not understand now" cries the
girl neryOuSly. "Oh what is this?'' She
shrinks from him and presses her hand
against her heart. ''Why do you not
speak?'' she cries again affrightedly.
lone word will reassure me. Yet you
are silent How pale you are What hor-
rible thing am to learn? Lady ValwOrth
has called you her son. Oh surely that
is',-
''Madness on the part of Lady Val
worth, - interruts he, with short laugh.
''To disown me would have been her wiser
plan"
''What is this you say?' cries Nadine,
in low voice, faint, Mortified ''YOu do
not deny that you are Grant Boyle?''
EENO' y
''You are not, then, Paul Annerley?'
E'That's true"
Nadine staggers back from him, and
presses her hands to her forehead as if in
pain.
''And what of this, sir?'' demands Sir
Thomas, coming forward.
He has lost all his pompousness, his
magisterial air has deserted him. He looks
old, distressed, shocked. Every now and
then he glances back to where his wife is
sitting, with her arms thrown upon the
| table near her and her head lying hum
bled upon them. He has taken up the
sapphire. pendant, ard holds it out to
Grant Boyle upon shaking palm.
"You-did you give this to Miss
Roche?"
''NIiss Roche has said sou
The tone is contemptuous; the glance
that accompanies it rather more so.
''And-Lady Valworth's diamond cross
that this young lady wore last night"
Sir Thomas voice is even more tremu-
lous now. He would gladly haze spared
''my LADY, (as he always fOndEy calls herr
this; but it is better the truth should be
at once known, if possible.
81 gave that also to Miss Roche"
There is pause, startling because of
the intensity of the silence that masks it.
1t is broken at last by Grant He bursts
into laughter-light, reckless, defiant.
'The game is up he says. Miss
Roche has forged the first link of the
chain of evidence against me; the rest
should be easily made. | shall save you
all trouble by giving you the exact facts
gratis. | took the diamonds. took also
the sapphires. Ha! my pretty cOusinr'
turning his handsome head to where Mil
licent is standing, and laughing gayly.
CAS- often as you acted with me in private
theatricals, you little guessed how well
could sustain part, even difficult one,
if | threw my whole will into it. / must
-, H. 1eSx,FH
by the way. [ could have wished it were
a finer one; but an actor must be perfect
even in the minor details, and a burglar
should not lie acquainted with cambria"
Here MasSareene makes dash forward,
but is restrained by Duran
LET us hear him out, - entreats the lat
ter wisely.
Don't waste your supertiuous energy
on me Massareene, y says Boyle, lightly.
''I'm not good enough"
keep it And after all am hardly
rival. Ny charming cousin cared for me
as l cared for her. I had no intention
whatsoever of depriving you of her"
you are damned scOundrel' says
Massareene, fiinging off Duran, and adj
Vancing to Boyle his face white with rage.
Beyond doubt replies the other, with
shrIg.
''Stand back, Gerald. Why should you
handy words with such as him?" says Miss
Grey, in cold, naughty tone. A step
places her between the two men.
$50, sir.'' she says, addressing Grant,,
''While holding openly to your engagement
with me, and declaring it loudly to the
world, you were carrying on an intrigue
under false name-Of which this girl
was to be the yictim!
Far from it!'' replies her cousin coolly.
''YOu were to be the victim! | had no
intention whatsoever of marrying you. L
had have-every intention of marrying
Miss ROchen'
Nadine starts violently.
Quick to see and judge, he notices her
emotion, and turns to her
II have your promise, he goes on in
low tone full of meaning; then again lets
his glance fall upon Sir Thomas.
''WeI, how is it to be?'' he asked reck-
lessly con which count am to be first
arraigned? The diamonds? Is my mother
to be the first to cast q stone? 1t is only
just! Seniopes priores. II
Lady ValwOrth lifts her head from her
arms and looks at him. Those who see
her face never afterward forget how it
was then. The agony the despair, the
deadly cold of it, all burn themselves into
the memory!
ooh, Grant! Graniti Granit!''
The mOurnful cry rises and rings
through the room. 1t is cry from a
broken heart
Silence follows on it.
The gray head has again fallen forward
anon the Outstretched arms.
If the son is moved by this evidence of
;he cruelty of his mothers grief, he gives
no sign of it. With face marble indeed,
and quite cOlorless, and therefore impas-
sive, he waits to receive an answer to his
question from Sir Thomas.
His stepfather, now utterly unnerved,
motions to him to leave the room.
Prosecution is impossible" he says
hurriedly. III that is left you is to quit
this house and this country with as little
delay as possible. This is the only kind
ness you can show-her. -
Hepoints to the motionless figure of his
wife.
GA kindness that will cost me littIe,''
replies the young man with a callous
smile. ALREADY my plans are arranged
to leave England for a foreign soil,
never. I hope, to return to it. On the
twenty-fourth Nadine and l sail for
Canada
Nadine recoils from him.
ttYOu must be mad - she saws EfWhy