The Globe-republican., 1891-11-19
CHAPTER III.

900 THE DEAD AND THE LOST CONE BACK:'
Edgar Arden had gone down in the
seething depths at the foot of grim Sleat-
na-Vrecken; when he next looked up the
scene had nightly changed.
He lay in noble apartment, simply
and deicately furnished with pearly
hues sparingly Hecked with dead gold;
lofty walls with dark polished panels
finely carved: tall narrow windows heav-
lily draped with gray velvets threaded
with tarnished gold; an ancient room as
any in Hoyrood.
The bed he lay on was canOpied and
draped in antique fashion, its curtains
had been swept apart at the foot, to al
low the clear soft light of waXen taper
to fall upon his face. This taper was
held in the hand of lady who was
watching him with rapt attention.: for a
few moments he gazed full in her face
before she seemed to believe him awake
and in his right mind.
The pleasant crackle of fire in a dis
tant part of the room was all the sound
he heard.
What q strange, sad, brooding face
hers was! So wan, so transparent, that
he felt shock almost as if he had seen
q spirit 1t was very evident that she
had history: storms had passed over
that face, her eyes burned with the con-
suming fire Of an ever living pain.
She had been very beautiful, of
graceful, spirituelle type, with the re-
fined sentiment and elegant graces of
gentle birth; but the glory OF her day
was past; her noble form was wasted, q
deep melancholy darkened her express
sion.
Her dress was severely simple, no
faintest attempt at decoration relieved
it, and yet she wore it with such grace,
the lines of her form were so flowing,
that she lent majesty to the dress
which no splendor could have given.
AS his fainting faculties returned to
him. Edgar contemplated this woman as
if she had been a vision; but the spell
was broken when she moved to bend
over him with anxious solicitude.
Full recollection returned to Edgar,
and with it the darting consciousness
that here stood Lady Inchcape, his kins-
mans lost wife.
Lovely as he had heard her called, sor-
rowful, pining as under crushing and
ever present affiiction. Surely this was
EngelOnde Inchcape, for whose sake
Lord Inchcape had renOunced the world,
and buried his noble powers and ambi-
tioIs in brooding solitude in the meridian
of his days.
In sudden Overpowering excitement
Edgar sprang up, stretched out his hands
to the lady and made q gasp;ng attempt
to utter her name, but he fell back in
stantly, pressed down by the heavy hand
of weakness and pain and could only lie
white and painting, with yearnlnR look
fastened upon her.
Startled by his abrupt movement, the
lady flew to his side and took his hand
in her own small, burning ones
"Are you in pain? l am so sorry"
said she sweetly. "What can / do for
you?'
He lifted her hand to his lips and
kissed 1t fervently. and still he could not
commanS his voice to speak.
"You afe very weak, and must not ex-
ert yourse 4, " said she. soothingly. sYou
have been dreadfully hurt. though not
motally. and no bones are broken. lam
glad to have such good news to tell
you" She smiled gently, and seating
herself by his pillow, began to fan him
with q soft plumy scented fan, talking
still in low, friendly tones that sto.e
about the heart of her unknown kinsman
with . strange power. .You wantto
hear the fate Of your crew; be at peace,
they were all saved, every one A few
fractures and contusions, that is the
worst; but they are all made comforts
Bile aud Are asleeD In the cots Of the