The Baronet's Bride

and then by a vivid Hash of lightning, from what quarter of the heavens no man knew. The inky sky was in

ad sunk in billows of blood-red cloud, and pitch blackness had fallen upon earth and sky and sea. Everything a

ht Sir Jasper Kingsland la

rand, vast room, paneled in black oak, hung with so

ther fire-light nor candle-light could illumine the ghostly depths of the chamber. Shadows crouched like evil things in the dusky corners, and round the bed, only darker shadows amon

st faint breaths uttered between the dying lips. With the tid

ivi

s grief by her husband's side, bent

I am here.

is Ev

head from the opposite side. It was a handsome, high-bred face-the a

e, p

-whom I have shielded so tenderly. My prec

e ice-cold face. Young as he was, he had the g

r of pain. I have kept the one secret of my life well-a secret that has blighted it before its time-but I can not face

sh wonderment. What secret was he talking of? He glanced across at his mo

at you may guard your son-that you may pity and forgive me. Perhaps I have erred in keeping any secret from you, but the truth was too horrible to tell. T

imply bewildered-Lady Kingsla

y brow and held a reviving

. "We will listen to all you have to say, and l

et you know already. You remembe

me man since that fatal night. It i

nutterable horror to come. Oh, my boy! my boy! what

nderstand-what horror? what doom? Tell me, and see how I will be

ia-priest, doctor, Mildred, and all-then come close to

inently self-sustained in this trying hour. In half a minute she had turne

I lingered with them, for the fairest thing the sun shone on was my black-eyed nurse, Zenith. We were both so young and so fiery-blooded, so-Ah! what need to go over the old, old grounds? There was one hour of mad, brief bliss, parting and forgetfulness. I forgot. Life was a long, idle summer holiday to me. But she never forgot-never forgave! You remember the woman

instant. The fluttering sp

To that child the inheritance of hatred and revenge will fall; that child, some inward prescience tells me, will wreak dee

ia said, in a const

at hour to this I have neither seen nor heard of him. Before reading your future in the stars he looked into my palm and told me the past-told me the story of Zenith and her wrongs-told me what no one under heaven but

lad asked. "What has th

rolled, the death-rattle sounded. With a smothered cry of

er-the horos

et spring-at back!

laze of lambent lightning lighted the room

Zenith's

ud, clear and distinct

*

side of London was crowded to overflowing. There was a grand spectacular drama, full of transformation scenes, fairies, dem

ilmy skirts, the supple beauty of her shapely limbs, her incomparable danci

a magic halo of romance, La Sylphine shone like a meteor among lesser

ner behind her to the tiny waist; the pale, upraised face-the eyes ablaze like black stars!

to thundering bravos for the last time that night, and now, behind the scenes, was rapidly exchanging the s

in tail and horns said, sauntering up to her. "Them there pretty

etty face," said a bro

made already, if sh

y swell a-waiting at th

Mon

the banker's s

nd demon

the side entrance. When

La Sylphine's complim

dark and winding staircase, and

fteen or sixteen at most, though very tall, with a bright, fearless l

ark; the sheet-lightning blazed across the blackness, and now and then a

hts. The house she entered was tottering to decay-a dreadful den by day and by night, thronged with the very scum of

There was a black grate, one or two broken chairs, a battered table, and a wretch

om the stupor into which she had fallen. She ope

eam! is

could come no sooner. The ba

, and encored, and crowned

never mind that. H

g, my

on her knees with

Very ill, very weak, very low

now; I heard the city clocks strike eleven; I counted the strokes, fo

ring cry. The dying mother, with a painful effort, lif

I feared to die before you came; and even in my grave I could not rest wit

leg

r great black eyes

or honors, but something a thousand-fold g

moth

iction be upon thee if thou fulfillest not the

s last command to me-this hatred of their evil race? Did I not promise

her, Zenith-you know the prediction your father made to my father, Sir Jasper Kingsland, on t

owly; but I can refuse you nothing, and I abhor the

nd work the retribution of the gods. Your grandmother, your father, your mo

Vengeance shall fall, fierce and terrible, upon the heir of Kingsland, and mine shall be

as in her eyes. She strove to speak; there was a

ith miles between them,

utcast daug

*

crept silently over th

e from her hus

late lord of Kingsland Court la

, in the death-room. More than an hour before the youthful baron

rus Green who urged my

sland," he said. "Pray retire and endeavor to

eve I will lie down, but I feel as

own. Outside the death-chamber she paused

ath. "A few hours more and it may be too

Sir Jasper's study. It was deserted, of course,

jugglery shall blight my darling boy's life while I

the safe, pulled forth drawer after draw

e," she muttered. "Surely

e fell on a tiny steel knob inserted in a corner. She

oved, the iron slid slowly back,

something wrapped in silver tissue. Greedily she snatched both out, pressed

treasures eagerly clutched. A moment recovered her; then

this," she thought

ted on ivory. A girlish face of exquisite beauty, dusky as the face of an Indian queen, looked up at her, fresh and bright as thirty years b

he has kept this," sh

nded he loved only me!

s the fabled houris of

my turn. Who knows wha

the silver paper once more. Then she lifted the fold

f the Heir o

never see," she said, grimly unfold

s and figures, and turned to the other side. There, beautif

a tomb. Rosine, my lady's maid, with a cup of tea, vent

ught Rosine, and

sat in her chair, upright and ghastly as a galvanized corpse, a written pape