A Silver Brand — page 63: what you’re looking at

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

77 A SILVER BRAND. — | BB throne. The eraceful head never stirred from its. stately poise, the calm eyes kept their quiet.watch of the somber, shifting clouds. ate ~~. “Good-day again, my lady. It seems I find you in good health and spirits. Ready, I trust, for a rational consultation, and a graceful acquiescence ‘to the proposals which are still open to you.” oo She turned her head slowly, and looked at him with those elittering blue eyes full of superb scorn. “If you have anything to say, I can listen, I sup- pose, but it seems unlikely that it can be of any | importance to me.” | It angered him almost beyond endurance that he could not move her from that scornful composure. He knit his forehead, and gnawed impatiently at his lip before he said, with a sarcastic accompany- ing laugh: | “T hardly supposed your ladyship was so securely intrenched. You are satisfied with your happy position, your luxurious castle, your unbounded privileges, it seems. You do not miss even the flowers. Happy stoic!” “You are furious because you do not find me heart-broken and abject. Man, man, will you never learn that your poor spite has no power to kill—that your cowardly cruelties fail of their deepest intent? You destroyed my fiowers, but the sky is left above me, and my own innocence and integrity fill and console and comfort my heart. These are beyond your reach!” she answered, proudly. “Go, leave me in a happier kingdom than you will ever know.” “Perverse creature! will you never be taught prudence and wisdom? Do you mean that there is no happiness in my power to grant you?” he asked, fiercely. | ; “In your power—but not in your will. It1is so useless to ask it, that I do not waste a thought upon it,” she returned, calmly. | “You have read the letters,” he said, abruptly ; “have you no word to say in regard to the girl? I have brought the picture again. Perhaps this time you will condescend to ask for it.” He took a painted oval of ivory from his pocket 7 COMIEDOO! cS cor