Vashti's Fate — page 293: what you’re looking at

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

288 DASCOMB—VASHTI : She drooped an instant before him with blushes trooping over her confused face, and then in the old, outspoken way, lifted her shy, brown eyes to his, saying: ‘‘Nora gave herself to you long ago; she is all yours,” | CHAPTER XXXV. e * + ve rP.' ? A bs ° i. © - : DASCOMB-——VASHTI. Pi.™ + > s 7 ’ 5 ; : aft a One dreary, cold day in December, the Hermitage lost the last tenant it was destined to have. Death came and claimed the poor idiot, and they broke the frozen clods in . the little valleyed burial-place, and laid beneath them all that was left of Roscoe Everleigh. In due time all the old servants, or just as good ones, found their way back to Everleigh. Elise recovered, and —s_— there settled upon the old place such a real tranquillityas it had never before known, but which, alas! was destined © eter to be once more rudely broken in upon. One evening, when summer had come again, Vashti happened to be alone in the sitting-room. The bay-win- dow was open, and from the music-room came the sound of Nora’s soft, sweet voice and delicate touch upon the plano. | Suddenly a bold, handsome, wicked face was lifted above the sill of the open window, and as quickly withdrawn. In an instant it lifted itself again more slowly and peered about the room. Nobody there but blind Vashti. ; In less time than it takes to tell it, the form that belonged to the handsome, wicked face, followed it, and a man leaped lightly into the room. Sleek, black-haired and black-whiskered, with his white teeth shining between his ." .