New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-09-23
CHAPTER XIV.

What daunts thee now? What shakes thee so?
Ny sad soul say;
| a Cloud Ike curtain low
Hang DER my way.-Whtter
And now Penelope must needs look her knowl-
! edge in the face. 1t awaited no longer to cheat
| herself with fond hopes and ingenious supposi-
| tions. since Mina's own assurances had merrily
| dispeled every doubt and her own lips had
| blown away the last shred Of uncertainty.
| How gay had been Mna's deceitful tongue
| how easily had 1t worked, No confusion: no
| shame: scarce d blush upon her brow! After the
| first momentary hesitation about admitting an
| intruder on her privacy she had almost seemed
| to enjoy an encounter which afforded such op-
| portunity for masquerading
| Her plausible defence had been set in smiles.
| With a fresh sckening Of the heart. Penelope
| had hardened to her glib comments. her well
feigned suggestions. and noted the ring Of tender
| ness IN the accents which called up afresh the
| warm, delicious evening turned to such ac-
| count.
Good Heavens: that one so fair and young
| could be so base!
| And then arose another AID a still more ter
| rible afterthought Could any one confronted
| by such risk as her cousin had run that even
| ing have met II as Nina had done II 1t had been
encountered for the first time? Nina was by
|
been nothing but familiarity with danger which
had eventually made her bold.
How often-and when, and where-had the
| scene In effect been acted before now, How
many times had the Idle inquiry. or perchance
the rernonstrance of tender socitude. been
| turned aside by cafeess demeanor and light
| repartee?
| Penelope herself must have been a constant
| source Of anxiety yet II was clear that even to
| her cousin the treacherous girl had grown by
| degrees habituated. She had become an adept
| I'm her art.
AS they had already done. recOectlons and
| half sumberlng suspicious stormed anew
| the heart of the tortured Penelope: while every
| trivial incident whose passing impression had
previously faded from her memory stood out
| once more to view. and refused TO bear any other
| Interpretation than that which explained the
| whole.
| She found that from the very first day OF her
arrival at Carnoustie Castle her cousin had been
| an enigma She called TO mind the first walk
she and Nina took together the bitterness ex-
pressed by the latter against her own people
| Ga warmth of condemnation which had surprised
Penelope, but which only too easily
| UNDERSTOOD and the romantic exultation with
which the fcats and p-owess of Torquil Macalister
| had been dwelt upon-eXutation which had then
seemed only In the eyes OF the stranger girl as
| anuslngy cxempn1ylns the 1amily conceit. Nina
had glored everything and everybody belonging
| to her noble race: and while nveighing openly
against their dement's. had secretly taken credit
| even for the stalwart bearing and valor Of a
family retainer.
Nina had shown absurd sensitlveness on the
| point. Her face had turned crimson with anger
when Penelope. without thought Of offence,
had quizzed Lord Carnouste's fondness for his
| fool and farm servant. CHASING them together
| Penelope. perceiving the effect OF her JEST had
| girl-like used 1t as weapon for teasing. Event
,tol al n hn n ING
Then there had been Ailsie's hints. With n
sudden start. she now remembered Aisies anx-
| iety. injunct!ons. and precautions. She had at
| tributed them. as we know. to fears on the part
Of thu old "'""'sn rseardinK her nursluRs health