A Silver Brand — page 66: what you’re looking at

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

58 <A SILVER BRAND. had time I would detail some of his eallant exploits. — How many homes he has despolied, how many duels fought. What depths into the liquor chest he can 2o at a single carousal. What ill-luck it is for any churl to come in his way when once stimulated by the brandy he tosses off as freely as water. It 1s an admirable list of favorable qualities for any pur- pose, if I had time to tell them all. Well, I have already the king’s permission to marry the ward I have kept so secretly that no one out of my confi- dence dreams of her existence, to marry her before she is introduced at court, and Sebastian Schrodter will be the happy bridegroom.” The lady sprang up, quivered a moment, and then fell down at his feet, raining hot tears and catching tempestuous sobs. “Oh, I am conquered, Iam conquered! For her sake I will supplicate. You are—you must havea spark of humanity in your heart. Hearme! YFore- go this, spare the innocent heart, the high soul re- vealed by that angelic face—give not this pure girl to such an evil wretch. ‘end her to me, and let us die here in solitude together, foregoing rank, for- tune, an honorec. name. And I will forget all other wrongs, | \7iliforgivo you. I will even thank you.” The words camc as if they were choking her. The long, stern calm hitherto imposed with his presence once broken up, it seemed that she had lost all control, and she wrung her hands, and shuddered, and wept hot fioods of scalding tears, and implored:pitifully. “Hear me! Oh, hear me!” He watched it all with a pitiless smile, a triumph- ant eye. “At last!” he cried, exultantly. “I knew I could reach you at last. So you condescend to implore - my mercy, you who all these years have disdained to speak a single civil word to me. Very well, fair lady; you know my terms. You will reveal the hiding-place of those papers, and you will accept my suit?” She sprang to her feet, strengthened again by her indignation, "COmMmICDOOKsS. com