Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1898-02-09
CHAPTER XII.
AN EVIL PLAN

CHAPTER XII
AN EVIL PLAN.
As Pierre Turrian stood, like one
spellbound, reading the slip of paper
which Beryl had put into his hand bis
first struggle was to fight with the sense
Of paralyziDg astonishment which the
girls words had produced.
Then he ransacked every nook and
Granny of his memory to recall what
had passed between them at the time of
their first interview, while mixed up
cariQusly with the whole mental effort
was a recollection of his blunder, for
which he cursed himself, in mistaking
this calm, unimpassioned. quiet girl for
fool.
His first sign of a recovery from bis
surprise was laugh, forced, short, un-
natural and sneering, but still an ad-
vance from his silence Of blank dismay.
"How do you say you got this, Miss
Leycester?' be asked, waving the paper
toward her and speaking with sneer
on his lip.
"Tbe question is not how got it.,
but what it MEANS" returned Beryl
coldly.
"On the contrary, it has everything
to do with it. 1t is the most extraor-
dinary coincidence I have ever heard
Of"
"Is that your answer?" And Beryl
looked more stern than before, every
feature speaking her disbelief.
'"There is nothing to answer in such
a thing as this. If you want an answer,
all can say is that either those who
gave you this have imposed upon you
in the most monstrous fashion in the
world, or for some purpose which l
don't pretend to know you are trying
to impose on me. That is what mean
when / want to know where you got
this extraordinary document. He
laughed again now, as if the charge
were beneath serious notice.
"You are recovering from your first
surprise, and in your effort to find time
in which to invent some sort Of expla.
nation you make it kind of implied
charge against me that have been pry-
ing into your secrets. understand you
perfectly and have seen through your
pretenses from the first Please to ap-
preciate that fact in whatever you say. !"
He looked at her viciously as she
spoke, but he was almost frightened at
the cold, implacable, resolute frankness
of her gray eyes. He shrugged his shoul-
ders and lifted his white hands and
smiled till he showed his teeth as he re-
piled in tone of assumed carelessness:
"You are a delightful antagonist,
Miss Leycester. SO fair, so true, SO
straight. But tell me, if you have made
up your mind beforehand that have
all sorts of pretenses to be seen through
and that | am the villain your looks
imply, what is the use of this conversa'
tion?''
81 have said nothing about your be-
ing villain, M. Turrian. have asked
you only what that entry in the st.
Sulpice book means. That is all. "
"And in what capacity 90 you do me
the honor to catechise me? On whose
behalf do you act? In what INTEREST,""
There was no mistaking the palpable
sneer in the question.
"There is no necessity to answer that
question. You are Eot compelled to an
RIVER what l have asked you unless you
please" He was culn.ng enough OF
fence to see bis advantage and to press
it instantly.
ION the continent, Miss LeycestC,
we are not accustomed to meet with
lady knights errant who take up the
cause of men of the world whom they
imagine to have been i'll used. 1t may
be quite usual in England, of course,
but that is my reason for asking III
whose interest you undertake this en-
ergetic detective work.
HIS last words stung her, but she
showed no irritation.
"The one question is what that paper
MEANS" she said firmly There IS 10
other question of any Importance. "
"Well, that is quite my view" He
had now recovered his customary I'M.
pudent audacity and was beginning to
enjoy the incident. And in that view
this paper means that Il young lady OF
excellent family, uublemished char
acter, great mental capacity and many
personal charms" " and he bowed and
paused moment, who is not married
to Sir Jatfray Walcote, much to the re-.
gret of that distinguished baronet's
more distinguished mother, has be,l
prying into matters which do not COLI
cern her at all, except, of course, i'll st
far as they relate to that period of bel
life when-it was generally understood
she would make that marriage.
"You will do no good by evading the
question l have asked you in the at
tempt-a useless one, l assure you-tt
irritate me by insults into foleetful
ness of it. replied Beryl, seeing thai