, 1891-09-26
ABSolUTEN PURE

terry"
Nor And was the true criminal pun
ishedY'
Eyes; so far as the jury was con-
cerned. But he did not live to serve out
his But, really, my dear sir" she
broke off, laughing, 1--WE must not spend
our valuable time discussing these
things. 1t will not help our guests to
enjoy themselves"
81 will say, however, what was in my
mind, "rejoined he, regarding her gravely.
~ hope 10 have the honor of knowing
you better, madame; but no friendship
can be secure which is liable to the open
ing of skeleton closets. / wish to have
your assurance that you nave no secret
horror of this place on account of what
was done here? You do not fear to see
specters? You do not scent blood in the
air? In a word, madame, you are not
superstitious-you do not believe that
the influences of an evil deed are to be
felt more in one place than another?
That h ghost of your husband, or of
the man who was condemned as his
murderer, is more likely to confront you
in this house han anywhere else?7
why do you say these things to me,
Count de Lisleg' she asked, leaning back
IN her chair and regarding him between
her narrowed eyelids. "Do you think it
is quite considerable? / am not of a hys-
teric temperament, but, if l have any
nerves, you are not taking the best
means to soothe them; and what has my
late husband to do with our acquaint-
ance OF with this dinner? 1 am not su-
perstitious; / don't believe in ghosts. Iac-
cepted your invitation to come here be-
cause / wanted to come; / wanted to
greet the first guests who came to Harry
Trent's house. At the time of his death
he was planning a reception here, and if
1t had taken place / should nave been
the hostess. Our marriage, as you m a
have heard, was a secret one. had felt
for a long time the injustice of my posi-
ton, and 1 looked forward very eagerly
to that reception in our own house as a
public recognition and acceptance. In
stead Of that l was forced to tell my
own story In a courtroom.
at was more of a disgrace than a vim
dication. Now, after years nave passed,
and have kept to myself, your request
appeared to me in the light of a long de
layed opportunity. Society here knows
that this house has just passed from my
hands to yours, n l am glad to be able
to stand here beside o tonight and
say 1t was mine to give, and / gave itl
l do not mind their criticisms. L have
the means and the power to take my
placein New York society, and tonight
my new life begins. If 1 meet with
some antagonists, so much the better; it
will make life more interesting. / don't
wish to ~stagnate in success any more
han in failure. / AVE sometimes
thought that / should value a deadly
enemy more thar the dearest friend.
War is wholesome. Well" she added,
in a different voice, rising and standing
before him with a smile, ''what do you
think of mey'
81 was not mistaken in you" said the
count, nodding his head amusingly. 81
ask forgiveness for my ~discourtesy and
brutality, but l do not regret it, since it
has moved you to speak as you have
done. There is something akin in us,
madame; we may perhaps find some
means of rendering life more interesting
for each other. But l I'm not going to
bore you any further at present. Come
and see what 1 have lone to make the
house pretty"
The lower rooms of the house were SO
arranged hat when the sliding doors
We're withdrawn they seemed to consti-
tute n single large hall, interrupted by
massive, irregular pillars rising from
the polished floor to the ceiling. AS you
moved from n point of view to an
other the scene took on new changes of
beauty, the tone of the decorations in
clined to a warm depth of hue, against
which stood out here and there delicate
shafts and arcs of brighter color. Lamps
in jeweled shades hung here and there,
looking themselves like pendant Jewels,
but the main illumination of the rooms
came through the frieze, which was of
semi-transparent sheets of alabaster and
other oriental marbles, cut as thin as
panes of glass, and lighted from within,
SO as to appear self luminous. The
ceilings of the rooms had been covered
with white and pink roses, arranged in
geometrical figures. The house, though
kept at a summer temperature, was per-
fectly ventilated, and the freshness of
the perfume of the flowers circulated
through the air like an ethereal essence
of fragrant life. The deep embrasures
of the windows and the alcoves that
broke the uniformity of the walls were
curtained with eastern fabrics, soft as
gossamer to the touch and exquisitely
tinted. There were many hooks and
corners that would be regarded by hand
some youths and lovely maidens as ideal
retreats for love making. The ample
scale of the apartments was partly dis
guised by their accurate proportions.
They seemed not too large for the daily
habitation of an ordinary household, and
they would easily accommodate three or
four hundred guests. The hosts fair
colleague had nothing but admiration to
express. But at length, when they have
made the circuit of the suit, she turned
to him in perplexity and said: But
what have You lone with the dining
room-and the dinner"
They are in the back yard" replied
he with a smile; come and seer
A portiere was drawn aside from a
broad doorway, and through the open
ing came a fresh blooming of brightness
and color and a vision of new space and
beauty. Here extended a vaulted
saloon, oval as an egg, and walls and
ceiling all n solid surface of flowers.
Such a sight had never been beheld in