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Show HICIIAHD IlUHDlS. son to refuse me, since you cnu ha,·o no interest in keeping me to pledges which yield you no interc~t, and only bring me suf. fering! Feeling as I do now, and SI~nntecl as I am, I can do nothing for you! Command me to stnke l1erc or there, and I can not obey you! From this day forth I must withhold my service, thougl1 you do not cancel my bonds!" Foster seemed toucl1ed while the young man spokf', but this, perlwps, wns only a 1mrt of l1is cool nnd ready hypocrisy. Tic interrupted Eberly wl1cn he had said the last scrKcncc. "Your refus<1l to serve us, would, you know, be the signal for your death." ''I know it; and if you send forth tl1c decree, I must meet my doom, and, I trust, will meet it like a man. But I would escape this doom; aud to you, and you only, I refer, to extricate me from it, to effect my object, and get my release from the secret council. Tl1ere is but one man whose refusal I fear, and with him you would luwe some difficulty, I doubt not; but even tlwt I know you could overcome. '\Yebber lwtes Grafton the father of Julia, and lllltes me, because I love her honorably. It was l1e who brought her to my notice, and prompted me to the scheme by ·which J became an intimate in the family; a scheme projected for a dislwnorable :md foul PllliJOse, which has resulted so far, in one of which I have no reason to be ashamed. I would spare her t1Jc shame, lf'ostcr, of having consented to share the name nnd affections of one, who may be outlawed the very moment tl1at he confers upon her his name." I have said enough to exhibit tl10 nnture of tlds conference, which was continued twice as long. In its progress, tl1e youth exh ibited a degree of remorse and sorrow on the score of his own offences, ;.md an honorable and delicate consideration in reference to Ju lia Grafton, w],ich turned all my feelings of hostility into feelings of pity. K or was this sentiment confined to my own bosom. I conscim1tionsly belieYe, thut Foster sympa· thized with his grief, and in ly determined, so far as the power in him lay, to l1elp him to the desired remedy. The conference was ended by the latter saying to l1im, as he led tl1e way back to his place of rest:- "I must think on this matter, Eberly. I will do what I can for you, but I eRn promise nothing. I deny not tlwt I hnve DESPAflt OF 'l'J/Jo; WEAK DIWTIIER. influence, but .my iH.fluencc depends, as you well know, upon su.ch an exerc1se of Jt as will b!'st accord with t!Je views and WJs!,JeS of those whom I control. I :un sorry for you." 'J h~ yout.h stood n moment wl1cn the other lw.rl gone. 'I'hen throwmg },,s arms np to Heaven, ns J1e tnrned awny, he exc1aimed :- "At the worst I can but perish . llut sl1e! siJc, at least, sl1all suffer nothing, eitl1er from my weakness or my love. She, at least, sl1all 11ever be wedded to my accursed secret. Sooner than that, let the bullet or the knife do its work. Thnnk God amidst all my infirmities, I hare no dastard fear of dcatl1 ;~ and yet, I wonld live. Sweet glimpses of joy in life, such ns I btvc nev<'l' known till now, make it a thing of value. 0!1! that I had sooner beheld tl,em-I lJ:HlJiot then been so profligate of honor -so ready to yield t0 the base suggestions of this wretched clnn." |
