The Haunted Chamber

casement, and now-the sleeves of her dressing-gown falling back from her bare rounded ar

ets almost too heavy for her to support. She is harassed and perplexed on all s

a luxuriant shower about her shoulders; her plaintive face is raised from

the foliage of the stately trees. The perfume wafted upward from the sleeping garden floats past her and mingle

es her attention. For the first time since Dora's departure she mo

comes slowly over the sward until he stands beneath her window. Here he pauses, as though almost uncons

to see that his face is grave and thoughtful, and-yes, as she gazes

he believes he loves has been his willing companion for so many hours, when

of the face in the window above, and a thrill rushes thr

hat both their hearts beat madly for awhile. They are al

, and in its place only a gentle melancholy reigns; she looks so far removed from him, sitting there in the purity of her white robes

s heart compelling h

awake, when all the

touches a chord in her breast,

ems to her a subtle joy in the thought that they two of all the household

hat no others are up in the hou

ellows are still in the smoking-room. It is early, you know-not

there. See"-stretching out her bare white arm until the beams fall full upon it, and seem to change it

e lily growing near him, flings it upward with such an eager aim that i

d me, sitting there in your white robes? A medieval saint cut in stone-a pure angel, too good, too far a

till seems to him inexpressibly hard that she can have no pity for his suffering. He gazes at her intently. Do the mystic moonbeams deceive him, or are there tears in her great dark eyes? H

treat you to confide in me

a moment since; I am not made of stone; and, alas, the grief you think me incapable of understanding is mine already! You have wronged me in your thoughts. I ha

you forget. It is no longer y

m keenly, while her breath comes

t to say so," she

r pardon," he says apologetic

et," she declares

t have said that. You will forgiv

s, she leans a little further out of the window, and looks down at

nquers all hi

in an impassioned tone, "if

inger on her lips, as t

arily led you astray. I ought not to have spoken with you. Go! There is nothing you dare to

cries; but she is firm, and presently th

What other? He is puzzled, but, reaching the window of the room, he dismisses these thoughts from his mind, and de

taken place in a neighboring county, and which had, from i

appeared at the inquest that the unfortunate man had shot himself in such a peculiar manner as to cause considerable doubt as to whet

, is endeavoring to show that the man could n

evolver," he exclaims h

ns Ringwood. "Look here, doctor, if he he

ate his theory beyond the possibility of doubt. "I want to convince Ringwood. Now stand so, and hold t

evolvers in their mouths and blew their brains out w

n calmly. "Now, Sir Adrian, you see, by holding

thur Dynecourt, who had been looking on attentively with one foot on a footstool close to Sir Adrian's

er in the scuffle had gone off! Through the house the sharp cr

rridor in a pale pink cashmere dressing-gown trimmed with swan's-down, in which she looks the very personification o

scared face, runs to Florence Delmaine's room, and throws her arms round that young

e through Adrian that some of the men are still up in the smoking-room, and fearing that a quarrel had

glad of this, and hopeful because of it, her appearance being calculated to rout any enemy. The awful character of her dressing-gown and the severity of the nightcap that crow

nce drawing back as they come quite up to it, the old lady waves her aside, and advances bol

the attractions of the cap and gown. "Have you secured him

hite gown standing timidly in the door-way, forgets to answer his inte

t sternly. "Where is the miscreant? Where

geon dryly, indicating Arthur D

continues the old lady in an indignant tone, "that I think you might find a more suitable time in which to play off your jokes,

urt, who is strangely pale and disco

I don't believe there wa

al men in the room exchange significant glances. Is it that o

about that unfortunate affair of the Stewarts, and Maitland was showing us how it migh

n a menacing tone, largely mingled with abject fear. As she speaks she retr

goes on Sir Adrian. "I'm deeply grieved, Lady FitzAlmont, that this should

eats Arthur, from betw

nderness and proper feeling, as almost all the women present mutually agreed. Almost all, but not quite. Dora Talbot, for exampl

gasps inwardly;

protests Arthur again, as though anxious t

he surgeon gravely, regarding him with a keen g

a Talbot, pressing her way through the group in the door-way, goes s

ght blue eyes. She presses his hand warmly, and even raises it to her lips in a transport of emotion. Standin

white vision in the door-way; "but you make too much of nothing. I am only sorry I have been the unhappy cause of

hand; yes, the same lily is clasped in her fingers. Has she sat ever since with his gift before her,

now you are safe," Dora

eak lightly. "Had anything happened, surely I should have been the one to be pitied. It would have been my fault, and,

. Her eyes are on the ground, and she can not bring herself to look at him. Drawi

, having made his way to Fl

tone. "I hardly hoped for so much. But you have n

eyes. You are safe. Believe me, Sir Adrian, I c

g noticed it and spoken to her about it has shown her how much importance he has attached to her doing so. What will he think of her. He will doubtless

, and does not venture to address her again. It occurs

, carries them all away to their rooms, soundly rating

by one drift away to their rooms. Captain Ringw

" asks the latter musingly, drumming

ly did for Sir Adrian this even

A

Arthur if the shot had taken effect," say

murder, sir!" rejoins