Waterbury evening Democrat., 1895-04-15
to sparo him and lot him go. 7


 selves. What chance had with them, though was son pleading for n father? Nay, what argument had l savc that was his son, and that had brought him to this? No argument. Only the appeal to thcm that they would not mako mo a parricidCl And l fOlt that at this they would mock.
 And so, in viow of those stern, curious faces a new temptation seized mo-tho temptation to bo silent. Why should l not stand by and lot things take their courScS Why should I not sparo myself tho shamo which I alrcady saw would Do fruitlcss? When Master Kingston with cynical bow, said, Your reasons, sir, :" I stood muto and trembling. If l kept s! lcncc, if l refused to givo my reasons, if did not acknowledge tho prisoner, but merely bCgcvd his life, ho would die, and tho connection between Us would ho known only tu ono or two. l should bo. froed from him and might go my own way. Tho sins of Ferdinand CIuddo woro well nigh forgotten, Why tako to myself tho sins of Clarence, which would other wise never stain my name, would never bc associated with my father or myself? Why, indeed? It was a great and SOTO temptation us I stood thcrC before all those eyes. Hc had dcsorvcd death. I had given him up in perfect innocence, Had l any right to call on them to risk their lives that might go harmless in con science, and he in pCrson' Had l. What! Was thCrC after all, some taint in my bloodf Was l going to become like him--to takc to myself n shamo of my own earning in tho effort to escape from tho | burden of his i'll famC3 l rcmCmbcrCd in timo the oath l had sworn, and when Kingston repeated his question l answered | him quickly. II did not know yesterday who he was, " I snid. Il havo discovered sincc that he is my father l ask nothing on his account. Wero he only my father I would not plead for him. l plead for my | self. murmurcd, If you show no pity, | you mako mo parrtciGC
 had done them wrong Thcro was | something in my voice, l suppose, as l | said tho words which cost me SD much, | which wrought with almost all of them in | a degree. They EaZCd at me with awrd, 1 wondering faces and murmurCd, His fa- ! thcr!' in low tones They were recalling tho scene Uf last night, the moment when l had denounced him, tho curse ho had hurled at mo, the half told story uf which that had seemed tho climax. I had wrongcd them They did see the tragedy of 1t.
 Yes, they pitird me, hut they showed
 
 haps should have done in their plAvr- | Justice. 'lIc knows tol much!' said ono. | Our lives a.r as Suud ui his, muttrrrd | another, the first to become thoroughly himself again. Why should We all die for him;" The wuliish !,larr came back fast to their Vy,~. They handled their weapons impaticntly. They were longing to bC away. At this moment, when l saw | had indeed malO my confession i'll vain, Master Bcrtir struck in "What, ho said, if Master Car, ' ai:l l takr charSo of him, and csvurt,uG hItu tn his agent without, be answvr.jlc for huth ot thrmI' 1 You would bc unlS putting your nrcks into tho nooS,'!" said Kingston. "Wo will risk that" rrplivd my friend, and what a friend and what a man hO seemed amid that iguullo crew! T will myself promise you that if hc rrfusc tn r,- | wherever wr arc tn r;li~V an alarm ur culu- municatc with any un' l will run him through with my own EIud Will nut that satisfy ,uu'
 No" NJ" .tcr Kingston rvturtcd, it will nat! A hrd in tho hand k worth two in tho bush
 "Hut tho woman ,ut>,Lr:- said "nv timidly.
 W. must run that ri~l>, uuo,h l,, "ln an hour "r two w. shall l"' in hiding. | Cum.' the L.; must h. dtAWu For t}.!, | gcntlcmnu lci lim ~tll:d a~id.
 leaned .,eu,u>t th' wAll dh,vd aud horror stricken No> that l l..l id, uU tlad myself With hun It,It l. .1,ll lvuE in; {" >aNv h,m 1 ~,lt,, iy rntr,y,l the group drHwin:; pl,rr~ "t 4rr at tho ia ! hir. My every thuu&ht wl- tlhrn up with | thu low door over Ihtr,, and tn, NrVtChCU l man lying ln'I.uu in the I1lkhv>- behind 1t. What must ha thv lnrtor, the black | despair, the hAtv and q, tiAIl,y uf his Iliud aS ho lay thcrr, trapped at last like any I beast ot prey: IL was horrible, horrlhlr' horrible,
 covered my fAco and could not restrain tho cry uf unuttrrahlr distress which ru.t to my lips. They looked round. two uI three of them, from the table. But the impression my appeal had mHd1 upon them had faded away alrvAdy, and they only shrugged their shoulders and turned again 10 their task. Master Evvtir alunt stood apart, his arms folded. his face grAvt and dark. He, too, had abandoned hope Thurc scVIncd no hope, when suddenly there came a knocking at the door. Thl papers wUro dropped and while some stood as if stitTCncd into stone others turned and gaZcd at their nvighhurS. IL wIs a knock ing moro nasty and imperative than tn, usual sunlmons though giN,n in the samt fashion. At last man found tongue Ill is Sir Thomas" " he suggested. with sigl of rvliUf He k in n hurry and bring: news. know his knock"
 "Thcn up,'n the door. fool. cried King stOn. If yru can sue thruugh a two incl plank. why do you stand there like gaby?"
 Master Bcrtic anticipated the man an, himself opened the dovr and admitted th, l knockcr, PrnruldorkV 1t Was. Hr cam, in, still drumming Vn tho duor with hi fist, his rHCS sparkling, his ruddy chcvk agluw. He crossed the threshold with swagger, and looking at Us all burst int, strange pcal ot laughter. "Noirk>, Con, to earthH' he shouted waving hi> hand d If he had a whip in it. "t,onC tu earth gone forever! Did you think it was th, lOrds of the council, my lAd-:"
 He had left the door wide open hchin, him, and We now SAW in the doorway tn seafaring man who usually guarded th room above "What doc> this mean. S! Thomas: Kingston said Stctnly. H thought, l fancy, us many If Us did. tha tho knight was drunk. Have you givcl that man permission tO leave his poSt:'
 "Postr Therc are no morV posts. erie, Sir Thomas. with strange jollity. IL certainly was drunk, but perhaps not witt
 liquor. Except good fat posts, he con
 tinued, smacking Master Bcrtic on tn
 shoulder, flor loyal men who havo don
 the stato service and riskcd their lives il evil times! Posts: l shall gut so drum
 tonight that tho stOutest post on Ludgat
 will not hold mo up,'
 You seem to huvc gone far that Wa
 already" my friend said Col,ily
 So will you when you hear the news
 Penruddockc replied, morc subcrly, Lad, the queen is dying"'
 In the VaultCd room his statement Wa received in silence, a silence dictated b no feeling for the woman going before he
 Maker-hOw should wo who wcrc plottin against her feel for her, We who were fu
 tho most part homeless and pruscribc
 through herf-bUt tho silence of men i