Waterbury evening Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1887-1895, 1893-11-04

WHAT HAD BRFALLEN TARAsp

eorTasesT. eAasGLA . CO. AHn PunLsasRs
ST sPGeIAL ARRANGEMENT
CHAPTER XIII.
WHAT HAD BEFALLEN TARAsP
l would have sprung up and retained
Mere Lucas to learn the worst and end my
suspense, but fear unnerved me and made
me powerless to move or act.
The carriage drew up before the door. |
heard Mere Lucas voice, and then Taras
spoke in reply. could not catch his words,
but there was nothing in the tone of his
voice to indicate that appalling change for
which had been prepared What had the
men-kavanagh' aEents-done to him that
night when they called him to the doorG
Had they inflicted such injuries as to de-
prive him of reasons That was the greatest
calamity could imagine
He was in the hall now. Every word he
spoke was distinctly audible
oh, there was plenty of time" he said,
we had nearly n quarter of an hour TO
wait before the train came in. The air is
soft this morning. Spring has come again,
mother | will so in the garden till lunch
time"
There was nothing in this to signify men
tai arrangement; the only thing that struck
me was that he spoke with less decision
than of old, that there was an accent of de
pendence in his tone And observed that
the sound of his footstep was not the same
At one time should have distinguished it
from a thousand, now l should not have
I known it for his 1t had been firm and
light and quick, now it was slow and heavy
and shuffling, like the step of old age. Mere
Lucas went out with him into the garden
at the back of the house, passing so near
the room where sat that heard the rustic
of her skirt Did he need her support that
she accompanied him step by step2 What
| had they done to himp Was he MANNED
| for life?
| AS their voices faded away, suspense he,
came intolerable. stole cautiously out of
the room and along the passage leading to
the garden at the back. Approaching the
door, perceived Mere Lucas coming alone
| across the lawn toward me. She saw me
and raised her finger to bid me be silent;
then, stopping, she glanced back, raised her
two hands and let them fall in pity and
beckoned me to advance.
went as far as the door, and there on
the threshold stopped spellbound. Taras
sat on garden seat on the opposite side of
/ the lawn, his hands folded idly on his knee.
/ 1t was strange to see him, of old so nerv-
ously active, sitting motionless without a
! book, paper or sketchbook in his hand
/ with nothing to occupy his eager mind, but
! it was not that which made my heart stand
/ still. His face was turned directly toward
/ me, and yet he took no notice of me
moved forward a step, stretching out my
! hands involuntarily, and still he sat I'm
moved and moticnleSs. Then l knew what
| had befallen him-what those hired villains
had done that night. He WAS blind; they
had destroyed his eyes,
! My emotion was too deep and terrible for
+ tears. could only stand there clasping
/ my hands in an agony of pity.
The tears were running down Mere l.u,
/ cas- cheeks As she came to my side and laid
/ her hand in sympathy upon my arm. She
would have led me away. but | shook my
head, refusing to go
( He will sit like that for hours" she
whispered, listening to the birds 1t is all
he can do"
Silently crossed the lawn and dropped
upon my knees before him, awestricken
by his passive Inconsistencies, his help
lessness and the calm, sad resignation in
/ his noble face, In that sweet presence no
bitter feeling could enter my heart But
when left him my soul was stirred with
1 vindictive passion, and great craving for
vengeance upon the remorSeleSs villain who
1 had wrecked the life of his friend possessed
me, | vowed that kavanagh should be
brought to account, that he should suffer
as he had made Taras suffer, and that if
/ Justice refused to punish him then my hand
should strike the blow
This burning passion sharpeued my wits.
whipped up my tagging energy and re.
animated my courage. The necessity of
secrecy was more evident to me now than it
! had been hitherto.
~ on will not betray me to any one in the
worlds" said to Mere Lucas
''lsit possible, my poor friend!' she asked
is it likely that should expose your mis-
fortunes when myself am chiefly to blame
i for all that has befallen you? Besides, you
/ forget that still love you, my dear. Nay,
will do anything in the world to help
YOU"
Could l stay hereE' | asked eagerly.
seized with the unreasoniug desire to live
again under the same roof with Taras and
to watch him day by day, even if | might
not speak to him
To be sure, my dear" answered Mere
Lucas gladly. There are half dozer
spare rooms, and the master has begged M,
again and again to have my cousin, Mime
/ Leroy, down here. Who is to know you
are not my cousins Why, truly You may
stay Mile. Judith will not be back befor,
Saturday afternoon That gives you TIVE
whole days"
No more" | said, with Il sinking heart
Why, my dear, you may stay longer i
You think it would be wise But look YOU
mademoiselle. Judith has sharp eyes, ant
when one looks at you closely it is clea
you are not so old as your gray hair. Ant
mademoiselle has feelings like any othe
woman, so you can't expect her to lool
kindly on you, even if she consents to sta.
in the same house with You
saw how unreasonable, how impractic;i
BILE my idea was, but for all that it was no
easy to abandon it. My heart was wrung
not with mere womanly jealousy, but witt
n sense of my terrible loss. 1t was dread
full to think that another had taken M
place in Taras' heart, and that l could d
nothing for him, nothing whatever at
time when a woman's love and sympath
!, were needed to brighten his long days o
darkness. And my grief was not lesSene,
by the reflection that had lost all that wa
: dear to me i'll trying to save him. At sucl
time one cannot feel that virtue isits owl
reward
j This was Wednesday. / promised that
would come again that evening or the mex
day and then hurried off, eager to see Nj
I Pelham and learn what chance there wa
of sending the money to Siberia.
} My heart misgave me the moment | en-
tered the solicitors office He was nc
nearly so eager to get me into his inne
office rs he had been the day before, nor ;
smilinGly confident as when we parted, an
there was n depressing absence of enthu
siasm as he closed the door and slowly seat
ed himself at his writing table.
Il have seen Mr. Lazarus" he begar
crossing his legs, clasping his hands on hi
knee and gently twiddling one thum
round the other, and 1 regret to say tha
he firmly declines to move in this affai
until he receives the cash.
But did you tell him that the none
would certainly be paid:"
Yes. madame. spared no pains to col
: vince him on that point. l even went
far as to assure him that the order was
safe as government stock, and that
| rnninld nrnntaa the ar-rrnannt nf hnr.