At the Mercy of Tiberius

urt. Too restless to sit still, she paced up and down the floor, trying to collect her thoughts, and at last knelt by the side of a table, and laid her weight of dread and

t prayer; unto Thee

n she lifted her white face, with the violet circles under her dry eyes, making them appear preternaturally large and lumi

or a few moments. If you are unjustly accused, I desire to befriend you, and offer you some advice. I am told you assert your innocence of the great crime of which you are suspected. I hope you

inal. I am innocent of every offence against General Darrington, except that of being my

s dwelt in irrepressible admiration upon her, his manhood d

ds every person innocent until her gu

usages of courts I am equally ignorant. If, as you suggest,

N

cause I want to hurry back to my

sel as yet, and delay

ay a lawyer to stand up and mystify matters, and my best

uilt be masked by this fair semb

prove that you were not at Elm

nows I was in the waitin

k his g

the strongest wit

nesses except-God,

his watch in his hand th

ou know we have a martinet in yonder, a regula

at her hour of woe had arrived, and she b

ou crooked questions. Of course I want justice done, and I hope I am a faithful servant of the

o lead her, bu

t please do not hold m

tifled ejaculations, to which succeeded a sudden, deathlike hush. The officer placed a chair for her in front of the platform where the magistrate sat,

ner impress you?" asked the l

best of my life in the study of criminals; and if t

are merely, in the goodness of your heart, and the fervor of your chivalry,

of her heart was almost suffocating, and in her ears the surging as of an ocean tide, drowned the accents of the magistrate. At first the words were as meanin

ors whose names are hereto subscribed; the said jurors upon their oath do say that Robert Luke Darrington came to his death on the night of Thursday, October twenty-sixth, by a murderous assault commit

have hereunto set their hands, this t

gne

tt

BATEMAN,

nor Glenbeigh made a prompt requisition for the arrest and detention of the said Beryl Brentano, who has been iden

of Robert Luke Darrington, by striking him with

e was unsteady, but th

rm, and after a leisurely survey of the girl's face and figure, pronounced her the perso

got that she was on trial for her life, became temporarily oblivious of her dismal entourage, and stood once more before a marble image in the Vatican, where the light streamed full on the cold face, that for centuries has been the synonym of blended beauty and cruelty. In her ears rang again the words her father had rend aloud at her side, while she sketched: "But he does not inspire confidence, by the smile that woul

nbar's face; his strange resemblance to the Chiaramonti Tiberius, which she had studied and copied so carefully. In days gone by, the subtle repose, the marvelous beauty of that marble face, where as yet the demon of destruction had cast no stain, possessed a singular fascination for her; and n

rassed, and in reply to inquiries touching his health, answered that he was "completely shaken up, and unnerved, by a very stormy and disagreeable interview held that afternoon with the child of his wayward daughter Ellice. "When witness asked: "Did not the great beauty of the embassadress accomplish the pardon and restoration of the erring mother?" General Darrington had struck his cane violently on the floor, and exclaimed: "Don't talk such infernal nonsense! Did you ever hear of my pardoning a wrong against my family name and honor? Does any man live, idiotic enough to consider me so soft-hearted? No, no. On the contrary, I was harsh to the girl; so harsh that she turned upon me, savage as a

d it was so oppressively hot, he wanted to sit at the window, which was wide open. Witness having s

moonlight being bright as day, witness easily recognized her as the same person he had seen earlier in the afternoon. Thinking her appearance there at that hour was rather mysterious, he asked her if she had lost her way; to which she replied "No, sir." On the following morning, when the mo

f emotion, but she met his gaze without the movement of a muscle, and he det

g her return ticket, she told him it was necessary she should take the 7:15 train, and that she would be sure to catch it. The train was a few

, and the prisoner was not in the building. This was at half-past two A.M., and the pitcher of tea remained untouched where he had placed it. It was not raining when he returned, and a few minutes after he had hunted for the prisoner, he was standing in the door of his office and he saw her coming down the railway track, from the direction of the water tank and the bridge. She was breathing rapidly as if she had been running, and witness noticed that her clothes were damp, and that some drops of water fell from the edge of her hat. A lamp-post stood in front of the station, and he saw her plainly; asked her why she d

s rose, and gave her n

) recollected that she had seen a hole in one of the lace curtains in the library downstairs, and thought this would be such a nice time to darn it. The library was opposite the drawing room, and adjoined General Darrington's bed-room. The door was open and witness heard what she supposed was a quarrel, as General Darrington's voice was loud and violent; and she distinctly heard him say: 'My will is so strong, no contest can touch it! and it will stand forever between your mother and my property.' Soon after, General Darrington had slammed the door, and though she heard loud tones for some time, she could not make out the words. The impression left on witnes

, disfigured by a scar on his cheek,

lk down the steps, and thought it singular a stranger should leave the house that way. Wondered whom she could be, and wondered also that the General had quarrelled with such a splendid looking lady. Next morning when he went back to his work, he noticed the glass door was shut, but the red curtain inside was looped back. He thought it was half-past eight o'clock, when he heard a loud cry in the bed-room, and very soon after, somebody screamed. He ran up the steps, but the glass door was locked on the inside, and when he went around and got into the room, the first thing he saw was General Darrington's body lying on the floor, with his feet toward the hearth, and his

was lifted; and on the bolster of the bed lay a bottle containing chloroform. Witness immediately sent off for some of General Darrington's friends, and also notified the coroner; and he did not leave the room again until the inquest was held. The window on the front piazza was open, and witness had searched the piaz

vered therein were taken out, and careful comparison showed that they corresponded exactly with those picked up after the murder. The case of sapphires was also shown, and Mr. Dunbar rose to say, that "The prosecution wo

laced, the head thrown proudly back. Extreme pallor had given place to a vivid flush that dyed her cheeks, and crimsoned her delicate lips; and her eyes looking straight into space, glowed with an unnatural and indescrib

o, the granddaughter o

eryl Br

brought against you. What

nocent of eve

nesses will

le truth in detail, if I m

or, Mr. Churchil

to every noble instinct of manhood, and it were indeed puerile tribute to our lamented General Darrington, to bring his granddaughter before this tribunal, without the aid and defence of legal advisers. Justice itself would not be welcome to me, if unjustly

se and bowed, i

her clear pure voice thrilled

human life more precious than my own is at stake; and if I am detained here, my mother may die. May I speak at onc

may proceed with your statement. Relate what occurred from t

ore him. He immediately recognized the handwriting, and threw it to the floor, declaring that no human being had the right to address him as father, except his son Prince. I picked up the letter, and insisted he should at least read the petition of a suffering, and perhaps dying woman. He was very violent in his denunciation of my parents, and his voice was loud and angry. So painful was the whole interview, that it was a bitter trial to me to remain in his presence, but knowing how absolutely necessary it was that mother should obtain the money, I forced myself to beg him to read the letter. Finally he consented, read

e no eavesdroppers at this resurrection of my dead.' He told me all the story of my mother's girlhood; of her marriage, which had infuriated him; that he had sent her a certain proportion of property, and then disowned and dis

l have it; not because I recognize her as child of mine,

the library door, but he called me back, and gave me the morocco case which contains the sapphires. He said my mother's mother had bought them as a gift for her daughter, to be worn when she was graduated at school; but as she married and left school without his knowledge, the jewels had never been seen by her. He told me he had intended to give them to his son Prince, for his bride, but that now he would send them to mother, who could sell them for a handsome sum, because they were valuable. He showed so much sorrow at this

ard heaven, and with uplifted eyes that seemed in their straine

ly time I ever saw General Darrington. That was

pectators, and audible excitement, which

ont, or I shall orde

ward Beryl

at sunset, why did you

sure to lay them for her on her mother's grave. When I reached the cemetery, which you know is in sight of the road from Elm Bluff, the gate was locked, and it req

to a hotel, as you

, I had no money to pay for lodging; and I asked

nd how you spe

r I remember nothing till some noise startled me, and there I saw the same man on horseback in the road, whom I had met at Elm Bluff. He asked me if I had misled my way, and I answered 'No, sir.' The height of the moon showed me it was late, and as I was frightened at finding myself alone in the woods, I almost ran back to the railway station, where I saw no one, except a telegraph operator, who seemed to be asleep in his chair. I cannot say what time

'till daylight, excepti

ked: 'When is it due

he water tank where it blows for the railroad bridg

ent along the track for some distance but saw no one; and when I came back, the ticket agent was standing in the door of his office. I cannot explain to you the singular impulse which carried me out, when I heard the dialogue, because it i

, and his handsome teeth glitter

this knotty solution of her movements that night. As

entirely innocent, or she had an accomplice, whose voic

itor rose and bowe

like to ask the prisoner whom she expect

ear to me, but who is n

e name of t

the utterance. Suddenly a new horror, a ghastly possibility, thrust itself for the

ucceeded, and the strange groping motion of her hands. She staggered toward the platform, and when the

ner was carried into the small ante-room, and laid upon a wooden bench; where a physician, who chanced to

ordinary f

eeing this was impracticable, would have unfasten

sleeve if necessary, but

you; I can easi

fe ripped the seam from elbow to shoulder, from elbow to wrist, swiftly and def

d, Dunbar, so as t

rave compassionate countenances leaning over her, a certain tightening of the hold upon her fingers, drew her attention. Her gaze fastened on the lawyer's blue eyes as if by a subtle malign fascination. The veil that shrouded consciousness was rent, not fully raised; and

ed the physician, who was

sses of the lawyer's nature, calling into sudden r

ile curved h

Tiberius. At the

ooked inquiring

riff, give her some of that bra

e officer held the tumbler to her

nk a little, it wi

o raise herself, all the dire extremity of her peril rushed back up

you acquitted yourself so dexterously with your knife, j

The heavy coil of hair loosened when they bore her from the court-room, now released itself from restraining pins, and fell in burnished waves to her knees, clothing her with a glory, such as the world's great masters in art reserve for the be

hich you are sadly in need. You will require all your strength,

some water. Jus

drank long and thirstily; then looked for a mo

ll be do

and after a painful silence

stody, until the action of the Grand Jury. Should they

vile criminals! I-? My father's Beryl? O, righteous God!

clenched hands, and twice a long viole

t search may discover the persons whose conversation you overheard at the station; and if you be innocent, we a

apparition. He suspected that she was fighting desperately an impulse that suggested succor; and he was sure she had strangled it, when her hands fell nerveless at her side, and she raised her bowed head. If t

in any way, you have

t intently, for an inst

can help

lently followed the deputy sheriff to a

ssisted her, she hau

ause I must; but do not