Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1896-09-11
CRUEL
"A S.
THE CRAVE,
The Secret Of DunpaVen
Castle.
BY ANNIE ASHMORE,
Author Of Faithful Margaret" Ec2,. '-a6c
CHAPTER III.-EContinued)

the throng Far faces lit up with
pleased surprise, and Mrs Crecy's soft
eve sottlcd upon him with eloquent
satisfaction
Lord Inchape shaded his ioyless coun-
tcnance with one hand. lie too might
have had a son.
The pay went on, TO the tripping pro-
gre sion of the music which ushered in
The luttering fairies
They seemed TO p1ur out OF the Slln
ing Iala"o ui on tie moon bath"d lawn
and with rhythmic motions ana wreath
ing ANS to weave thcmselV into
labyriathinc dance in and out, ana
round and abcu. aqa'n, with the capt We
a. center and inspiring Jhemo The
captive pleaded most e,Ol lucntIy, IN DUMB
show for free ON, but they only whlrlcd
around the faster, and m0ckcd him with
delicate ICalS OF cl II laughter
These sylphicc; W re the daughters CT
nciqhbOriug gentry, there present, ana
looking on with critical cOmpacency.
For weeks past they had baunte1
Dormant to reheaYSc their roles, under
the tute,age OF c'rt.ip ST nora,
premiere danseuSc OF Royal Opera, VINO
had cCndcScendc to ran WI IRON
London TO: the purpcs'; later they had
united their genius and energy TO ar
range the floral cneS; for the fairy
extravagan Il had been c0mpGs d by
Aubrron Crccy, and they wOrshiped him
from afar with all their gui clcss hearts
II was o0ly yesterday that he had ar
ri'cj at DtrimaA after a two years
ABSENCE so that his elves perfection in
tie parts was as much a surprise TO
him as it was to the SPECTATORS rs for
Lo;eday Dc,amerc, whom tie 0 d
Duchess 80 generously presented to him
as his future wife, he had rot caugh5
one glimpse OF her yet, although she was
tho queen of his fairies, for whose sake
me had W itten the vaudeville In vain
Ae bal inquired 1Oc his Cd time play
ma a.. fa was not to lie seen a. oat
IOrmant after his arrival, and his uA:
ayOidable en- agcmcnt prevented him
from following her to the Ia,iliOn, her
mothers residence
But AuberOn knew who was coming
when he heard long drawn violin note
like an cliin hOra. and all the dancing
fairies sank down to their knees, look
ing upward at single fay, more airy
and cltin than any OF them, who came
floating out o. giant caIia cup ana
down t. earth; it was LOvc5ay-buo
Loyeday after some breath Of enchant-
mcnt had blown over her and iranG-
formed Ter ntO beautiful woman, with
woman mystic power.
She was golden blonde, Eer flowing
tresscs seemed to be saturated with yell
low sunshine; Ecr eyes were purely
sapphire, wth fire in their depths; her
Countenance was a perfect oval, with
cb cks so pure rose that the brilliance
of her eyes was increased tenfOld, while
her dcllcat y aquilinc nos gave dignity
TO her hab tual expression Of arch mock
cry. Her form was rayiShinS petite;
she was loYcSOme. attractive creature,
created for 10 and happiness.
Having descended to earth, she paused
a moment in an mimi able attitude, with
her bright head Cn one side. and a
sparkling rogucry in her eyes, while she
scrutini. ed the intrudiug carthing who
haG fallen into her power. The chm
host st Il humbIy Knelt in & itterlng
semi-circlc, tn flowers of fairy and
giowcd in rainbow Gordon around
them; but all the silvery light seemed to
gather about the Queen, as sic hovcred
aone be ore the capti}c.
Aubcron gazed at his 0 Od-timc play
mate with eyes that gradual y deepened
until they were almost back.
Astonishment at her SuIcrb develop
ment was his first sensation, then, as
his artiSt-eycs marked all and drank it
in, a smile grew in their clear depths so
wonderfully sweet and cXult ng, that the
girl turned her head away with mo-
mcnts delicious timidity, fluttc ed and
fascinated lnNo,untarily tho. Aouth
stretched ont his hand to touch hers,
for-etting his IO'c-whiCh sign OF her
power instantly restored her Self-pos'eS.
sion: and she GUIDED him with peal of
the smallest, silveriest clfn laughter
that mortal ear ever ca 1ght, and with a
wave Of her wand that sent her attend
ants drifting we i ont Of the way. she
spr ad her arms as If they were wings,
and bounded into her as dc zephyr
Tie trumpctS blew Wild meas re
that made The heart beat faster, VIII le
she foatei round and round the limits OF
Vie mead; now you caught the Hash OF
hor ewes, now her treSS 5 pun an aurc-
oe about her head, and her white arms
seemed to SUI tain Lcr airy hgu md
space Most intricate was the dance,
the time RAPID and precise, and the ste s
absolutely tw nkling: so light those
winged flights. she seemed to loat on tho
moonbeams of fairy-!and, marking, with
delicate precision, each rctuent pulse Of
the music, and each flying bounI shook
cut a shower Of 81 very thimiDGs from
the fringcs of tiny lis that edged her
tune.
This pretty sight was wat 'hel in
lrcathless delight by tn COM any, bat
with dceier emotion by one or TWO
among them.
Lud Inchcape gazcd upon this gay
sprite in all her exu tant beauty and Joy
ancc, and his own sOr ow and loneliness
pressed heavily upon h m. WI ere was
lis beautiful Viva. yong an inn cent
as this sweet girl? And lie thou yht Of
S cat-na-Nrecken, with It's swCl en- seas
around it. and the blasts that swept
them into wrath # tie old tower walls,
forgotten in fla Engllnd within VIII ch
lie Lad i'm, riSoned unhappy Engclonde,
with no consolation saw, his child to
love and bear her company,
And he thought Of the man who nal
come into h s life to spoil it; who had
stolen the errant fancy Of his wife; VIVA
had fastened u stigma upon his pubic
chara ter; who had poisoned five long
Years of the best of his life; and again