Waterbury evening Democrat., 1892-03-04
CoPYRICHr sel ANKELL Locc KETsNPRce.


 slight stain on his escutcheon if he only knew the extent of your ladyship's di- plomacy; but as for saying that in- duced you to exploit the scheme, I in- dignantly-"
 'Pshawl You would deny anything. say that you first brought me news of my brothers illness, and pointed out how easy it would be to promulgate the statement of his death before he had defrauded his family of their inherit ance. Did I not advance you thousand pounds to send this man, Archer, out to hide him away till death, which you told me was certain and immediate, should relieve us of the danger?"
 You did, my lady, and I think that you will acknowledge that the thousand pounds was well invested" . "Yes, that I acknowledge; but you have deceived me concerning Harry Grahame's illness; and, if he recovers and returns to England, we are dis graced and ruined"
 You forget that Sir Harry Grahame is dead, my lady"
 "Dead!"
 "WelI, if not in the spirit, in the body as dead to all the world as though he lay in his ancestral tomb"
 "But there is such thing as Q resur- rection, MT. Colburn; how are you po- ing to keep the lid of this apocryphal tomb over him, if he regains his health?"
 By the simplest process in the world, by main force."
 But he is not a man to submit to force. He who could break through the barriers of an Indian temple would laugh to scorn your petty bondage"
 You are unnecessarily alarming yourself, my lady. The Sir Harry of to-day is not the Sir Harry of twenty years ago. This illness, which believe you piously hinted at in our last inter- view as an especial dispensation of Providence to prevent him from perpe- trating base injustice. has left him a wreck, and, even if he should recover his animal strength, he will be help less imbecile to the end of his days"
 ''It is terrible" the woman said, for the moment conscience-stricken.
 ''But not more terrible than if he had returned to England" the lawyer spe- ciously pleaded, where he would be immured in a private madhouse. There he enjoys, thanks to your ladyship's liberality, home on the banks of a no ble river, in one of the loveliest coun- tries in the world"
 And the climate2"
 Well, not very salubrious to Euro peans, am afraid, but in his condition life has no pleasures, no hopes, no ties"
 "And he has every comfort, Mir. Col burn?'
 'He is treated with infinite kindness"
 ''Ah! well, perhaps it is all for the best. Now, if we can only allay Lord Scarborough's suspicious, all may go we'll yet. You have relieved me of con- siderable anxiety"
 "Lord Scarborough is not a very wise man," the solicitor said, didactically, land do not think 1t will be difficult to throw dust in his eyes. The only thing that remains is to be true to each other and have mutual confidence, for am certain that the secret is known only to you and me and Frank Archer. Rest assured of that, my lady. True, I forgot for moment Aaron Gore, the man servant, but you know as weln as do that his tongue is tied. It would take an especial dispensation of Provi- dence to disconcert my plans, which l hatter myself are arranged with no mean skill; so do not tremble at shad- ows, my lady"