A Silver Brand — page 137: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

A SILVER BRAND. 129 ure, I shrink and tremble at the fate awaiting her. See, _ read those letters; one will explain that I am lawfully in possession of my knowledge, and the other will betray to you something of the hideousness of the life planned out for this pure-souled, sensitive, spirited young girl.” He drew forth two letters, one yellow with time, and the other fresh and white. “Is there light enough for you to read them by? Or will you have a taper? They will show you the situation better than any explanation of mine.” She took the letters and the offered taper, and turned her back upon him. But the flaring blue flame she was obliged to call to her aid showed him the grim and rigid profile. The first letter brought forth no word of any sort, but she had scarcely scanned the first page of the second be- fore she gave a little cry of consternation. ‘It is not true! it is too monstrous to believe!” she cried, facing round to him fiercely as she finished. “The arch fiend himself could scarcely huve the heart for such deliberate wickedness.” | “You have named him rightly; this master who holds such power over the Foss loyalty. He is just that, the arch fiend himself,” said Nat, sternly. “That letter does not reveal one-half his guilt and wickedness.” “JT can never make them believe it,” cried Penelope, wildly. “Oh, Ican never make them believe it! And then there is the oath; the oath of fealty to his commands, which we all swore upon our knees beside our father’s dying bed. No, I can never believe this horrible thing to be true.” ‘Nevertheless it is the sacred truth. Ican give you proof upon proof. And they will send for her shortly now, and once in his power neither you nor I, nor any one mor- tal, can help her,” repeated Nat, slowly and sternly. Penelope wrung her hands, and the great drops of sweat trickled down her forehead. “Oh, how I am punished, how I am punished!” she moaned, and then suddenly she turned upon him fiercely. “Why should I believe you? Why should I trust you be- fore my own flesh and blood, against the convictions of my long acquaintance, in defiance of my father’s dying command ?” 7 “Because you feel that I am right,” answered Nat, calmly, “and because you'love Lina. I told you, in the cComicboo SS) (E(o)