A Silver Brand — page 25: what you’re looking at

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

A SILVER BRAND. sis 8M Heights?” spoke the Count Roderich, leaning from his saddle to look into the man’s face. “All well, my lord,” responded the man, with a sharp, inquiring glance at the new-comer. “No company there, I hope,” pursued Roderich. “iixcept—none at all, my lord,” returned Seippel, with a flash across his bright blue eyes that Aubrey Dalberg could not help fancying held mischievous amusement, and straightway he fell to wondering a what the man had found in his companion’s ques- tion to provoke such a sentiment. The reverie was, however, quickly interrupted by the interesting objects which every turn of the smooth avenue presented. It was one succession of delightful surprises, and all the while the road was winding higher and higher, and Aubrey Dalberg would turn around in the saddle and look back over to the fair shores they had left behind, and back to the picturesque scenes about him, and hardly be con- tent with but one pair of eyes to drink in so much loveliness. His companion evidently enjoyed his delight, but withal there was a certain gravity, almost wneasi- ness, in his look. | : “T wonder I have not heard more of the place from our tourists!” exclaimed Dalberg. “Not many of them get over to the isle. My father guards it rather jealously,” returned the other, smilingly. “But I should think your countrymen at the — metropolis would all be proud to sing its praises.” There came no answer to this, and Dalberg was too much occupied with gazing about him to press the question. The road wound now almost in a circle about the base of the hill. As the travelers reached the summit the magnificent old building rose up before them, its grand, gray lines cutting sharply against the vivid blue of the sky. Worthy indeed to be called a palace, the building was itself an unspoken poem. , Dalberg’s admiration had passed beyond enthu- siasm even, into an emotion that was too deep for speech. EComicbooks (e(o)