Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1899-02-22
CHAPTER XVIII


low moan. "Vivian, do not be frighten-
ed; look up-look at mer'
CHAPTER XVIII.
The wonder and mercy were that he did
not fall dead in that moment. He sprane
from his seat with a cry Of terror on his
lips; and there. standing under the lines.
with the sunlight on her hair and dress.
was Violante, his loved, lost wife. Was
1t Violante, or was 1t the restless spirit OF
the girl he had loved?
Vivian, do not be frightened. May
come to your
He stood rooted to the spot. Had it
been to save his life he could not have ut
tered one word. Remember, he believed
he had seen her buried-and-she stood
there!
Say only one word"
ne opened his arms, and the next moment
she was kneeling, clasping his knees with
passionate tears, with passionate cries,
with passionate prayers for pardon. He
could not realize it-could not understand
it. He was like man stricken blind, deaf
and dumb. He only felt the clingins
touch of the white hands-he only saw
the golden head bowed in deepest humil-
ity at his feet.
Then he recovered himself; he bent over
her, he raised her from the ground, he took
her white hands in his.
''Violantew he cried, looking at her. I'm
the name of heaven, what does this mean
isis it you? Speak to me. Have you
risen from the dead or did you not dieY'
She stretched out her hands imploringly
to him.
"Will you ever forgive me, VivianT'
! she asked; will you forgive me, il tell
you all the truth?'
. His half-formed superstitious fancy died
away. He put her at some little distance
from him and looked earnestly at her.
{ "Violantev' he cried. "Have you been
1 Mrs. Rivers in disguiseY'
F. "Yes," she replied. II hungered and
thirsted SO for one look At you and my
! son. 1 could not help 1t, Vivian; do not be
angry with me-"
| Seated by him in the warm, sweet even
| ing light, she told him her story, word for
word, sparing Beatrice where and when
| it was possible, but telling her husband
/ the plain, unvarnished truth. She con-
cealed nothing but the wrong that Bea-
+, trice had intended to her son.
| An hour passed. and still the clear.
sweet voice never tired nor faltered. She
| told him Of her love for Rupert, and of
the boys passionate affection for her. She
laid her whole life bare before him. He
only spoke once, and then it was to cry
out:
Gould all this be, and 1 not know it p
When she had finished, Violante, Lady
Selwyn, knelt again at her husbands feet.
Judge me-" she said; II have told you
the plain, unvarnished truth. l can see
the great wrong l did. At the time
only thought of sacrificing myself: now
see that l wronged others. Only believe
me. Vivian" she cried passionately. Il
did it for your sake and for my sons.
He stopped over her and kissed her with
tears in his eyes.
at was an error, Violante," he cried;
'but, my darling, 1t was Q woman's error,
after all, and pardon II"
"You forgive mer she said.
YES" he replied: "for l, too, need your
pardon. II had not been 50 careless and
negligent, you could not have suffered so,
Violante. Oh, my darling. thank heaven
for sending you back to me; my heart lay
| in what I thought to be your grave.
The last Of the golden sunbeams died
l IaWav. the moon tOSe, tuc SIoA0 SoAse oes'
and still they fingered among the flowers
Hand in hand they walked back to the
castle. and there Lord Selwyn assembled
tbe whole household, and told them Of the
sndden and bewildering event. There wal
Of first some alarm; then, when the sweet
face smiled upon them once more. there
was nothing but JOY.
Rupert had always declared that MIS-
Rivers had his mothers soul. How he ca.
ressed her, and hung over her, and could
mot hear to leave her; how he teased heI
a bout the black hair. and the blue glasses;
how he cried and laughed!
For once the world was fairly astonisn.
~ Nothing 50 romantic had happened
o.. lon. time. The story went the
,ornds Of all the English and continental
papers. There was no use IN attempting
any disguise. The plain truth was to'd
PeonIe wondered at it, then forgot.
The last news heard from Seiwyn Cas
t,e-the happiest home In England-was
that Rupert, the heir Of Selwyn, who dis
t;neuished himself so greatly at oxioru
and afterward in Parliament, was apou
20 NARY the beautiful daughter OF the
Countess Sitani.
For Vivian and Violante peace mas come "
st last. There is no happier or more pros
nerous man in England than the master "
Selwyn Castle; and his fair, gentie WIZ
onIv siehs when she remembers the sihs''
; error of her life.
CThe end)