A Silver Brand — page 165: what you’re looking at

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

A SILVER BRAND. 157 metrical lines—it was not a careless blot, a freak of nature. He saw in a moment that it was an indelible stamp. The baron’s hand shook, and the eye-glass dropped. “Let me bring a powerful magnifying glass that is in the library,” he implored. And Aubrey opened the door, and let him out. He re- turned promptly with Theresa behind him, who stared and shrugged, her shoulders as she saw the young man’s guard- ianship of the door-key. | | The glass revealed what seemed almost a miracle. There was no longer adoubt. What seemed little accidental dots and jagged lines came out distinct and clear upon the smooth, fair skin. There was the coat of arms again, the third time for that day before his eyes, with a new sig- nificance. : Boe | “Great heavens!” exclaimed Aubrey Dalberg “The crest of Schwarzenberg, and indelibly stamped on my wrist !” His own amazement was too evident to be doubted. His face was ghastlier than the baron’s, and his hand trembled more nervously. > “What is the meaning of all this?” stammered the baron. | ‘‘Another mystery added to the already burdened annals of Schwarzenberg,” quoth Lady Theresa’s clear, sarcastic voice; “for my part, my father, [am tired of trying to read them.” - . pCa eame hurt ow Ragen, Modes “You said you were born of American parentage,” com- plained the baron, turning indignantly upon Aubrey. “So I did, and so I suppose I have a loving and tender mother now at home. My father died a year and more ago. Never for an instant have I questioned my parentage.” And here Aubrey paused, struck dumb by a remem- brance that came up to him, and gathered significance. What was it the dying Dalberg had tried to tell him, with such a piteous look in his glazing eye? His mother had persuaded him that it was only the wanderings of a falling mind ; might. it not have been something in reference to this strange mark, whose microscopic characters were only revealed by the powerful aid of the magnifying glass? There had been something too in his mother’s manner. Aubrey was uneasy, and vaguely disquieted, and the baron even more so. “Theresa,” said he, “the silver brand ought to be in among the heir-looms. Go, sing to Von Schubert, charm him into good humor, and coax him to take you to the Gomicboo iS) (Efe)