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Show 366 niCII ,\IW HUHDIS. "Go to your mother, my cltiltl: tell her that it matters nolh· ing. And Jo you keep your chamber. Do not come down stairs till I call you." 'rho girl looked at him with some surprise, but she did 110t utter the question which lLcr eyes sufiicicntly spoke. Silently she left the room, and he rl'turucd to me instantly. "Hurd is, you have given me a dre:Hlful blow; and I can 110t douLt that what you told me you believe to be the trutlt. Dut may you not be deceived? 1 t is everything to me and my child, if yon can think so; it is more important, if you arc not, that I should be cm·tificd of the truth. You saw Clifton in tho swamp with these villa ins : that I doubt not. lt may be, too, thnt you heard tlLcm claim him as a collcnguc. This they wight do-such villains would do nnything; they migl1t claim mens well ns y<lu; for the horse-thief and the murderer would not scruple to rolJ tile gootl name from virtue, :md murder tho f:,ir reputation of tltc best of us. 'l'hey have sought to dest roy me thus already. '!'ell me, then, on what you ground your Lelicf'; give me the particulars. It may be, too, thnt Clifton, if he leagues with them at all, docs so for some puq_-~osc like your own." How easy would it lutve Leon to decei\'e tltc fat lLcr-to pcr-sumle him to bel ieve anything which migltt ltave fa\'orcd his desires, though against the very face of rc:u;on and r eflection! "I would I could answer you acconli11g to your wish, but I can not. 1 have told you nothing but the truth-what I know to be the truth-if the confessions of Clifton himself, in my hearing, aml to tl1c leader of this banditti, can be received in evidence.'' His own confessions? Great God! can it be possible 1- But I hear yon. Go on, Mr. Ilurdis-tel1 me all. Bot tnkc n. chair, I pray you; be sen ted, if you please, for I must." H e strode over the floor toward a sent, with a slowness of movement which evidently proceeded from n. desire to conccd the feebleness of bocly which he certainly felt, and ton ccrtni:t extent exhibited. H e sunk into the cltair, his ltnnds claspcJ. nnd drooping betwceu l1is kuees, while ltis head was bcut forward, in painful enmestncss, as I proceeded in my story. l related, step by step, all the subsequent particulars in my own . TROURLl;;.<) AT GltAPTON LODGE. 867 nanntn·e, suppressing those onl , . . ton. Ire ~1card me pntiC'ntl ', m~ '\ ~t.lch dl(: not concern Clifcnd. A smglc gronH o l ) d ''It !tout mkrruption to the one brief exclnmati~n a:1 r cs~apcd him as I concluded. and fcriug was felt- . c arc for whose sake only, ail his suf- " :Jiy poor, poor Julia I'' . " :ell migh t this be hi~ exclamation. an . ills lips, while his eyes were 1 ] ' • .a ns 1t came from upon his LrC'ast, l could see t~ Of:let' ~nd 1us head fell forward ishillg with tlte breath of. . 1~ c H~nshed hO})eS of a life vanth<' priclo of his noble J .t 8.ttg ~.moment. That daugltter was I~ <H1 I I >en• . "'oLiy l>ad he t I tC c 1erished her; with a font\ han]!, nug tt- dertrly tile pleasant paths of life .· 1 ( .e haclletl her along with cqunl care for I>Cl" ,I seen~ tng Jer from harm, and toilin..,. ' tappmes!-> A 1 11 f b !teart joined with ]tis .15 I tl .1" ll( a or what 1 My was witit dilliculty I ·~o.ulcl k lOug tt ~vcr these things, and it own-"Poor, poor Julia!" eep my tps from saying after his At this moment a servant entered tl "Mr. Clifton, sir!" Je apartment. "lla! comes he then!" was tho sudd . father, starting from his cha.. . l . ~n exclamatiOn of the aside tlte utter prostrat' o Ilf, .tn(l, I Ill :1. smglc instant, throwing ~ ' no sou w Hch appeared . 1. r tures, und which now gave pbcc toad .... . ~ m ns 1CUolution, which fully spoke for tl . t eotc~ of energy and reskindled in !tis ltenrt. JC Ill eusc u~e which had been "Show him in I" The servant di~appeared. . dauHO'l''hhtiesr nigYhot: Ml r . II ·1' l' lil( JS, t liS man was to have married my rep:ntml~C ~ lave saved us just in t ime. You speak of his ".II -y u have almost strivC'n to excuse him- b t 't \I not answer I tha k I u t ~hat you ha : 1 , n you - t tank you from my heart- ' vc sa vee us from such . S !his chamber. You shall ILc:tr wlLa con nee~ JOn. tcp now into will seck to .. . _t he will say - w!tetltcr he can y out ltJS g·unc of le r d endeavor to cons t b£ . ( . cep IOn i an , to the last, successfully begUJ~.m~~~ ~s ~:ttvt_l.lany, what his v illnny had so answers to my accusation ll light that you should hear his his brotlter scoundrels-b.u c may escape the vengenncc of -into that chamber :Mr ~m~~~e shall not escape. lie comes ' . UH IS, 1 must beg you to retire - |
