A Silver Brand — page 244: what you’re looking at

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

236 A SILVER BRAND. his race might thus remain at our mercy. That is plan No. 2. It has its difficulties like the other. The surf out- side that horrible cave is dangerous, I imagine, and a boat might not be there. But then——” “How delightful!” interrupted Lina. “It is like a story, is it not, Serena ?” Serena had gone to the medicine chest.” She brought it out, and a bottle of laudanum was confiscated promptly. “All this by way of precaution, in case more trying times come to make desperate measures necessary,” ob- served Stephano, ‘as becomes a wise general.” “And now,” said Lina, seating herself beside him— “now, Stephano, you are to tell me all I am longing to hear—the message Aubrey Dalberg sent.” “Nay,” said Stephano, gently; “you misunderstood my meaning, little Lina. Aubrey Dalberg and I have never . exchanged a single word. Butit is justas true that I know your history, and that he has helped me bring it to you. Aubrey Dalberg is at home in my father’s—in the old ancestral home of the family—detained there unwill- ingly, I dare say, that I might escape to America under cover of his name and passport. You must know that our family have been closely guar ded to prevent this very thing—our finding you.’ ‘Winding me!” exclaimed Lina, her brilliant face light- - ing up more radiantly still; “do you mean that you came . here on purpose to find me ” ‘Exactly that, little Lina. And here we are prisoners together, every possible facility for making each other’s acquaintance.” “You came to find me,” repeated the girl, in a little ecstasy of delight. “‘And Aubrey Dalberg helped you to accomplish it?” — Serena lifted her lowered lids, and looked over to Ste- phano, who was gazing earnestly into Lina’s face. She thought she discovered pique and chagrin in his voice, as he asked : “Is this Aubrey Dalberg of so much account, then ?” Lina tossed her head, but a richer color gathered i in her cheeks. ‘‘He promised to be the delivering knight. And he kept his word, however indirectly.” And then she added, hastily : : ‘But you have not told me yet. “You came over to find me, and what then?” -: an (ee) Eomicbooks we 2 Ores t - S- txe> ar"