The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1902-07-16
A GILDED SIN
BY CHARLOTTE N. BREAMB.
CHAPTER VII.

What could you mean, Clara" SAID
Veronica, when some ten minutes al
terward, she returned to her room.
Lady Brandon was not even asleep,
and she says that you have never even
touched the door,"
"Is it all right, miss?" asked the
girl, as though she were in state OF
breathleSS suspense.
Right, Yes. Lady Brandon never
even heard you," said Veronica.
Clara answered that her ladyship
must have been asleep but did not like
to saySo
Veronica noticed that the girls
face was flushed and her manner
strange; but she did not think much
of it at the time. Presently Clara
Quilted the room, after saying a great
deal more about the fright and relating
an anecdote Of a lady whom she knew
had been found dead Of grief soon after
her husbands death. Then Veronica
wondered Just little that she should
talk so much. AS rule, the girl was
respectful and docile. Left alone again,
Veronica would not think Of what she
had done: that was all forgotten. all
past. She was Veronica di Cynthia
had never been anything else. She
looked into the smoldering fire: the
last vestige Of the parchment had dis
appeared. The papers she had kept:
they could not hurt, and she felt that
she would like to look at them from
time TO time. She went back to Lady
Brandon's room, and claSped her arms
around her.
:'I have burned it," she said-"it is
all destroyed: and am come to men
tion it for the last time-to tell you
that you may trust me as you Wouio
yourself"
Lady Brandon fell weeping on her
neck, telling her that she was blessed,
thrice blessed, for that she had saved
herself and her child from what was
far worse than the bitterness even OF
death.
"You may intrust your future to me,
Veronica" said Lady Brandon. Il
have two thousand year Of my own,
and will settle the half Of it on you. ,
So the matter was never mentioned
again by Veronica or her father
widow. Thel next day they buried
him, and his place knew him no more:
All England mourned for the dead
statesman, and never wearied of prals-
ing him, whilst the mantle Of his great
ness fell upon Lord Wynleigh.
A year had passed since the death OF
Sir Jasper. Lady Brandon had spent
it at Queens Chace. Some had ad-
Yised her to go away, to take her
daughter abroad; but the Chace seemed
to have an attraction for her. When
the wear that she had given to secluslon
had passed. their first visitor was LORD
Wynleigh. They were delighted to see
him: it was such a bright, cheerful
change. Lord Wynleigh was growing
anxious now about the time of his
probation. He made Veronica his
confdante.
81 know that l can trust you,' he
said, because you love Kate so dearly
have worked hard this last year and
a half. I have made a position. l
have laid the foundation of future
fame and fortune. grant thatI have
made no money; but that does not
matter-kate and understand each
other 50 well. She knows that if she
had not one shilling in the world l
should love her just the Same-more,
if possible: but we should have to wait
for years. AS it is, I do not see why
we should not be married at Christ
mas. DO you, Veronica?'
How she thanked Heaven in her
heart that she had done as she had
that she had sacrificed herself. II she
had kept her inheritance, then kathe-
rine could not have been married.
Lord Wynleigh wondered at the light
that came into the girls beautiful
face. How little Veronica dreamed at
that moment Of all that would come to
pass before Christmas time.
There had not been the least difficult
ty in the settlement of Sir Jasper'S af-
fairs, the will that he had made when
Katherine Brandon was an infant was
still in the hands Of the family Solici-
tor-eyerything was perfectly straight
onward. Lady Brandon explained that
she understood Miss di Cynthia affairs.
and should continue to act as her guar
dian. She had Loyalty kept her word,
and had settled one thousand a year
upon Veronica. She showed her graft
tude to her in d hundred other ways:
she was most kind to her: but the one
subject was never mentioned between
them again.
Sir Jasper's fair-haired daughter had
become Baroness Of Hurstwood: She
was called Lady Katherine at home.
and the bright days passed with naught
save pleasant hours.
One beautiful August evening, when
the red glow Of the western sunset
filed the sky, Veronica stood under
the shade of the tall lime-trees, watch
ing The evening light. \ happines
had come to her, so great: so sudden,
so enhancing, that she was oazed by
it, bewildered. For Sir Marc Caryll
had asked her to become his wife. She
did not know until then all that slept
in her heart-the love, the passion,
the tenderness and the waking had
startled her. She was lost in wonder
at herself. The crown and the glory
Of her womanhood had come to her.
She rejoiced in the new and perfect
happiness: she opened her whole heart
to it. It was such chivalrouS wooing,
and he loved her 50 dearly. No one
could ever have been so dearly loved
before. She stood there thinking Of it,