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the cur who has dared to win her confidence: could express the deep horror and dread she
i
one thing that will make her forget him and had of-this man! But
er gaze never wandered
turn to those who are worthy her trust-her from his dark, scowling face; she watched him
marriage with me. 1I love her too well,” he
added in a more urgent vpice, “ to -stand by
tamely) while she is sacrificed; and in time,
when this foolish fancy is forgotten, she will
understand how wisely we have acted; how
sinful it would have been to let her life go to
waste, as it is surely going now."
He pleaded eloquently, hls tones soft and
impressive, his whole manner so earnest, his
request so unselfish, that Lady 1lIerrisfield.was'
,.almost moved to tears. - - A
“You have my consent, and Sir Hector's,"
she’, said, looking at 4 him with . gentle
compassion. It was hard, she thought, that he
should have such an ill return for his nntiring
devotion; yet how grateful she would be to
him if he could take from her the anxious
responsibility her daughter was likely to prove ;
" but how will you get Vivienne's‘! ’ r
“ With your sanction and her father's, hers
will scarcely be necessary,” he replied, speak-
ing slowly, so that his words seemed to lose
their harsh signiticance. “ I do not urge this
matter for myself alone. I would be satisfied
to wait twenty years-nay, a whole lifetime
for Vivienne ; but when I think-when I know
.to what kind of marriage she may sink, I do
not shrink from losing the little esteem I may
have won from her, though it, will nearly
break my heart to take this step-to stand by
her in the light ofa tyrant. I am ready to do
battle against her will; to marry her and take
her to fresh scenes, where, with patience and
forbea’rancc, I hope to win her purest love and
trust.’ ‘ ' , ‘ ’ -
“ It is cruel to force the niarriage upon her,"
Lady Merrisfleld said, not raising any objection
to the plan; “but if her happiness is to be
studied, the pride ofour house upheld, there is
no other course. When once she is your wife
she will have no reason toregret. the day that
-ave her the, protection of your name, and I
hope you will not be unsuccessful in your
lane."
., He thanked Lady llferrlsfield graciously for
gher words--words that set his pulses heating
!,with feverish, evil triumph.
' How could Vivienne escape him now-now,
lwhen to defy him would he considered as a
iinngaiust the parents to whom she owed her
. obedience! And Sir Hector, was not his will
of iron resolve‘! “fhcn once his mind was
made up.to this marriage, would not Vivienne‘
be crushed down to subjection 2
Already her proud bright spirit seemed
nearly broken. -
The stern, silent anger of her father; the
close, gloomy confinement in which she was
kept ; had their effect on both body and mind,
and-Vivicnne’s sad, white face, and restless,
aching eyes seemed to belong to some fair
phantom rather than to the girl who had
once been like a sunbeam in the old home.
Sir Ilecfor had kept his word, and to Vivienne
he had told nothing of the dark fate pending
upon her. Yet some instinct, some strange
foresharlowing of the struggle in store, must
have made her dread the coming of each new
day, and morc,tlIan ever she shrank from Guy
Ptuthven-Guy Ruthven, who, to her, bole
resemblance to some hideous fiend.
Once he found her sitting alone in one of
the great, cheerlcss rooms, her face bowed on
her hands, her slight form quiverinn with a
storm of bitter grief, that seemed to let loose
all the anguish of her soul.
She did not hear his, noiseless steps, and
seeing she had not discovered his presence, he
stole behind her and laid his hand "on her
lowered head-on the masses of silken, golden
hair, that Cyrus had caressed with such linger-
ing tenderness.
The touch made her start to her feet,- as
though she had been stung, and a low cry of
horror and loathing escaped her, as she met his
hated azc. , '
Vivienne had shaken his hand awn from
her hair, yet, as she stood before him, ooking
into his pallid, evil face, a convulsive shudder
ran through her, and her eyes filled with a
wild terror-terror more abject than if a snake
had crept nnawarcs upon herand left its deadly
venom a liar veins.
over her shoulder as slie moved slowly towards
the door-watched him with a strange, awful
fascination, as though, when her gaze were
withdrawn, he might assume some hellish
slrapie with which to mock the agony of her
min .
I He read the.voiceless horror in her eyes-
read it as surely as he had felt the shudder with
which she had recoiled from his touch. .
‘ A gliastly laugh broke from his lips, and
putting up his hand, he dashed awa the
clammy dews that had started out on his’ row.
What had called up such a look of shrinking
terror-of loathing horror‘! What did she see
in his face-'-the face which could deceive all
save Vivienne?
- Were the cold. drops on his brow letters of
blood-blood.tliat rose dumbl y to proclaim his
uilt-to give evidence of the crime he had
gelieved no human being could discover?
The thought burneditselfinto his brain; and,
above his eyes, he seemed to see the horrible
words written on his brow, the wet, crimson
stain that ‘was visible only to Vivienne-
Vivienne for whom he had steeped hissoul in
such foul depths.
Oh, Ileuven rwhy should this sudden terror
come upon him? Why should hefear Vivienne’s
beaiitiful.strange eyes-he who had.steeled
himself against every.thought of his hidden
crime 2 ‘ >
Yet how could he escape the curse that had
followed him ?-how cover the brand which
made itself felt so deeply on his brow?
"Am I niadz" he muttered, with a short
hissing laugh. “Are your eyes driving-inc
mad? Vivienne, for God's‘ sake don’t look at
me like that ; you seem'to pierce iuy brain-to
set fire to my soul I Vivienne, turn your eyes
away I " ‘ A ,
She paused, her clear gaze unflinching, yet
with a kind of wonder in her eyes as she saw
him cowcr, and hide his ghastly face on his
folded arms. ,
“flint scorn-what loathing filled the fair
accusing eyes turned upon him!
He had dared to lay his ‘hand. on her proud
head; to look at her with the love that
seemed such dire insult to her ; and she felt
she could never forget the hot, herce bitterness
of these few moments.
When Ruthven lifted his face, Vivienne was
one ; and, wiping the moisture from his brow,
ie sank heavily into achair.
“I must get awayeriglit away l" he mut-
tered, his mouth hard and livid with the
passions distorting his face. “I thought I
could live down memory-blot those dark
hours out of my life; but Vivienilc-Vivienne
will always recall them to me 1 Or, is it only
the return to this accursed place? Yes, yes ;
once I am away with ivienne, it will be for-
gotten. I shall have left my secret far behind,
and no shadow will e er rise to haunt me 1''
The force of his own guilt seemed to reuse a
thousand demons in his mind-demons that
set his brain working with mad, burning recol-
lections.
He could not bear to be alone ; to have the
pursuing thought of his crime for his only
companion ; and wrenching himself, as it were,
from this awful mood, he composed his feelings,
and made his way to Sir lIector’s room.
' " Have you seen Vivienne to-day!” he
asked, in his unmoved tones. ."I am afraid
.we shall have a struggle to save the poor child
from the folly to which she is driving herself.
Ithouglit to break the truth to her Just now,
but sometliingin her manner warned me not to
let her know our plan; so I did not give her
your message." V
Sir Hector frowned. lie was annoyed, not
with Guy Ruthven, but with Vivienne. because
she could so long continue to def his will;
because she had not yet forgottent einan who
seemed to have so strangely darkened her fair
young life. .
- “Let the matter be settled as soon as pos-
sible," he said im aticntly. “ If you think
there is 'dan er, we ad better not trust her too
far. I won d rather see her dead, than bear
the disgrace of knowing she was bound to such
as cur. Let the matter be arranged as soon as
‘. She did not utter any word. What Inqgggg
jzosusihlea-the sooner the better."
v
o:-3:-in I'LT'ifE:I:‘?.N‘.A'I‘ICI3“.AI...
Sir Hector had never shown much feeling 7
towards his daughter.
Up to the present time, she had seemed some-
thing uite apart from his ‘life-something
with w ich he had little sympathy; now, his
manner towards her was‘harsli and bitter,
and he looked forward with relief to the day
that would make her Guy Ruj.hven’s wife-
the day that would leave him free of her. I
“ Would to-morrow be too soon ,? ” Iiutliveu
asked, while a. cruel exultation made his heart‘
throb hard, “I have only to telegraph, and
those we want will be here in the morning.‘
Shall we arrange it so? " -
“As you like," Sir Hector replied, glad to: I
end a subject so unpleasant to him. “There
will be 2). scene; but we must be prepared for
that. ‘If Vivienne carries lier defiance too far,
she will be met with a resistance she canf
scarcely be'prepared for. I am not to be
played with, he added, a look of iron, unpity-
ing resolve crossing his face. “ With her my,‘
will shall be law.” .
CH APTER XV. M
Tris next morning was one of strange and
- 4
quiet confusion at Nortlicotc.
Sir Hector had had a relapse, and another fit
threatened him. However, ' under prompt
remedies, he rallied sufficiently to be able to
disiuiss his physicians, and to receive in his
room a clergyman, who, since an early hour,
had been in the library with Ptuthven. , 3
Hearing of this fresh attack, Vivienne-had
made an effort to see her father, but had been‘
refused admittance to the ‘sick-room. A i
.“ Sir llector is much better. He will seeyou
in the library at midday," had been the
message she had received; and, wondering at ‘
the strangeness of everything, Vivienne put on
her hpt, and made her way out into the
gronnt s. , ,
She had been dreaming of Cyrus through the
night-dreaming that she was again under the
rosc-covered porch of the keeper‘: cottage, with
the brightpeaccfnl stars shining above, and the
passion(:i.te, tender %yes of the man she loved
gazln" own upon or. , ‘
Iloiir sweet the dream had seemed! How
softly his deep, far-oil‘ tones had dwelt in her
soul! How lingcringly his kisses liad thrilled on‘
her lips ! How gladly her weary hcad had found
rest on the heart which throbbcd with such a
milngling of sohrrow and love i ‘
"you now t e joy of the dream lasted with
her, and a long tremulous sigh escaped her lips
pa she gnzced t0li'3ll'tlS the spot where she had
ast seen yrus avenant. ,
A step behind her, and a harsh voice in her
ear, rudely broke her reverie. v
“Sir Ilcctor desires that you will not go into‘
the grounds this morning],” said the old‘ stolid
lilylltl-81', who had evident y been set to watch
IVICDIIC. I .
su?[l)lr(iSl.e1li'DE(i. to him quickly,licr pcyes full of
- l
.“ Why noti " she asked, then, rcmcmberincv.
Sir llector’s dangerous state of health, she half
regfgf ctilJ1i1rls?e:Y’osr'l‘i:.inurn1ured, moving slowly.
towards the house. “Sir Ilector may need
my presence at any moment. I will wait in
the morning-T00m-a message will reach me
more easily there." ‘
message did reach her there-::. message
tha‘t'came to her after long dull hours of.
waiting. ‘ .
- She was to go into the library. The appointed
time hadgarrived; it was twelve o'clock, and
they had sent for the bride“
"The bride 1".
The words fell mockingly on her ears, and
she echoed them vaguely, as though their
meaning were beyond her comprehension. , g
“The bride! Whose bride?" she asked,
looking blankly at the servant who had hrou ht
he-rd this message. "Who is waiting for c '
ri e2
“Mr. Gay ltuthven.”
,“And who else?" she said, her voice shrill‘
and frozen with sndden.fe:I.r. "Who in to be
Guy Rnthven’s bride?” .
" Sir Hector Merrisfield’s daughter."
Vivienne shrank back, her-hands cla$gi,'
pct:-gyes blanching with quick, scar , 39
ills
