Widnes Examiner. — 1883-09-15 (Widnes, Cheshire, England)

CHAPTER XVIIL-MOMENTS OF DINGER.  The interview between Stephen and his mother, which had brought him to seriously contemplate an immediate and secret departure from his home, had been even more terrible in its conclusion for her.  " So ends inv dream !" she murmured to herself, as she paced to and fro the corridor. " All is lost. I have now nothing to, live for but to watch the progress of the wreck, and my own disgrace and humiliation !" Seeing him pass from her room in his way to the staircase—making no attempt again to speak to her, or modify his language—the incident, slight as it was, gave new ft poignancy and danger to all her thoughts. " He has stricken, and now abandons me !" she thought, as she re-entered her room, sat down on the nearest chair, and for a little space was silent ; reviewing all the features .of the position in the light of her own desperate state, and halt frantic thoughts and imaginings. Suddenly she became conscious of what she was doing: and by clasping with both hands her breast, tried to still the beatings of her heart, which began to give their old solemn warning._  In so doing she touched the ruby heart-shaped gem that lay there, tool it in her fingers, looked at it, and in another moment broke out in low, hysterical cries ; revealing such passionate distress and anguish, that for a time it seemed as if her every sense was helping to rush her into some mad outbreak tending to swift destruction. And when that state ceased, it was only to let her subside into one of greater danger, by its quietly reckless abandonment of all natural sifegaards and tendencies to self-preserva, tion.  0, my sister!" thus ran her thoughts, " when I forced this poison-chalice from thy desperate hands, didst thou ever afterwards fear lest I, too, might be tempted? Thou still had me to guard thee from the fatal draught. I stand alone. No sister, husband, and now no son•to help or save! Can I live dishonoured? Why, that is death indeed, without death's peaceful balm. One drop from this ends all. 0, sweet heaven, forgive the madness of a breaking heart ! "  She opened the secret receptacle, smelt the contents, as if to fortify her own resolve, by the deleterious odour, stopped, and dallied as it were with death.  It was at that moment when death or life seemed to hang before her vision as the scales of some supernatural balance, which the slightest mental touch one aide or the other might in an instaiat bring to an end, that she heard the voice of Stephen cuing to her in gentle tones from the threshold of the door behind, which he had just opened, unheard— " Mother !"  Jr was magical. The ruby heart WAS instantly closed; a prayer in the wildest agitation went up to God for mercy from that other, living and suffering heart; and was followed by the consciousness she was saved at least from tke wickedness of suicide. And then swiftly succeeded a sense of the imperious necessity that he should not know. Striving to compose hersclf before allowing him to see her face, Stephen—unconscious of the awful crisis his mother had passed through, and thinking her seeming attitude of reserve showed simply her continuing anger and resentment, spoke and looke.a more calmly than he would otherwise have done.  "Listen, then. If you keep your word to me, and I see nothing in your behaviour to others that would compel me to give warning I agree. And here then we part." She rose, and he did the same. Then thinking it necessary there should be no misconception in his mind as to her true feeling, and state of mind, she added,— "But if you violate either of those conditions I shall at once seek the Countess, tell her who and what you are, and abide the consequences." "You are a brave woman, and I only wish I cauld stand aside to see another man have the benefit of your frank courage, instead of me; but as that is not possible, why shouldn't we make the best of things? As strangers we are to be, and compelled no doubt often to meet, why shouldn't we as strangers take advantage of oar new relation, and make such meetings as agreeable as we can; as I believe is the custom with all well-regulated people the world over? So there, to begin," said he, holding out his band. She took no notice of the gesture, but passing him, went towards the street door at the very moment her landlady was in the passage • who saw them both leave the room, and separate at the door without any ordinary form of courtesy. The moment he had passed away, Mrs. Davis turned to the landlady, and said, "You saw that man ?" "Yes, my dear. And I own I don't like his looks, not to mention his clothes." "You will know him again ?" "Anywhere. I'd pick him out of a thousand." "Then, please, hold no converse with him if he comes again, and under no circumstances admit him to see me. He is what he looks!" CHAPTER WHICH GENTLEMAN JACK GETS AN INSTALMENT OF FORTrNE'S