A Silver Brand — page 62: what you’re looking at

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

54 | A SILVER BRAND. long, black robe, and clasping the ebony cross which was suspended from her neck by a jet rosary in her slender white fingers, she assumed with wondertul power a calm, composed smile, and waited for the summons she knew would come. “My lady, his royal highness desires your pres- ence below,” spoke Seippel, faintly. “Tell him I am enjoying the broad and boundless prospect of the changing sky above me, and can desire no better employment,” returned she, care- lessly. | The slighted visitor was waiting below. He gave an angry exclamation as the message was delivered. “What, untamed yet! Do you mean that she has found some other pleasure to console her for the loss of the garden?” he demanded of Seippel, sharp- ly. “Has she been in good spirits, enjoyed her . food, and kept up her obstinacy ?” “Indeed, your royal highness, I have seen little change. Where she was wont to be tending the ~ flowers, now she stands and looks up curiously and - wonderinegly to the shifting clouds.” “Incomprehensible!” muttered the august visitor, playing nervously with the mask which he had thrown upon the table.: “The woman’s nerves are made of steel. Do you know if she disturbed at all the package of letters I left with her. Speak, dolt! and not stand mumbling.” : Poor Seippel’s eyes fell beneath that ireful glance, and his knees trembled. “J cannot tell more than this, your highness, I found herinadead faint that night you left, and the papers were scattered around her.” The evil eye glittered with savage joy. . “T thought so. I have found the vulnerable spot ' -atlast. This is but an attempt to keep up a show of bravado,” he muttered. “Well, since the mount- ae will not come to me I will condescend to go to 1 dy ‘ And, with an exulting belief in his speedy tri- umph, he mounted the rude stair-way and came out upon the dreary, despoiled roof, where the Lady Pauline sat with the regal air of a queen upon her comicbooks com