The Secret Shot; Or, The Rivals Of Misty Mount — page 25: what you’re looking at

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

\ -pursue them to extermination ! TUESDAY NIGHT. “My motive is love—passion—what you will; yours but a blind magalignity against one who never harmed a worm—whose soul is as snowy in its purity as an angel's in heaven.” “In what do they differ? My motive is the vengeance which has lived with my body and shall endure with my soul, though the Night that spheres it be as lasting as the universe. While yours — love, passion, as you call it—does it not also pluck the lily from its happiness? Does it propose to leave the vaunted whiteness of your lady- love untarnished ?” “True — true,” said the young man, mournfully. “And yet—our motives widely differ. I would have her love by a swect compulsion. I would make her happiness— her glory—my one sole aim in life; while you would destroy for destruction’s sake. The bare reflection that she is pure, guile- less, angelic, is as poison to your own fiend- ish soul.” “Tis false !” cried Judith, sternly ; “my vengeance is as holy as your passion. They are equally wicked ; you take your pleasure in one, I in the other. Your case is worse than mine. You haye not the incentive of remembered wrongs,” “ Pshaw !” “ Yes—wrongs !” cried the fierce woman, her yoice springing an octave higher, her eyes blazing, her bosom tossing like a stormy ocean, With the gathering passion that leaped to her lips. “ Yes, wrongs, wrongs, wrongs!” she cried; “ insult—trampled happiness— and the memory of a mother’s wrongs as monstrous as myown! God! God! If I at this moment stood unspotted, angel-pure, the memory of that mother’s wrongs alone should hound me on—alone should beckon me from afar with a bloody hand. I will of Gwin shall not breathe upon the earth ! And yet, how few they are!—it maddens me to think how few they are! - Oh!” cried the fury, “ Oh, if I had the power, your race should perish! I crave for slaugh- ter! My hungry vengeance starves for blood! T would kill, kill, kill, kill!” “ For God’s sake, have done!” exclaimed Teartstead, aghast, bewildered at her passion. “ By heaven, I renounce your designs! I break the plot! I will not be linked with such a being! Away! “You dare not, you can not escape me!” cried the virago, extending her hand toward him with an imperious gesture. She stood The name You terrify me!” » 23 there, calm but terrible. Ter eye: blazed fixedly upon him, like a rattlesnake’s ; her right hand was stretched toward him like-a loadstone; her whole form seemed dilated, colossal, superhuman. “You will not fail me?” she hissed. “The deed shall be done? You will cont- pel her to be your wife ?” “ No, by heaven !” he cried, “I will net harm her. I defy you. I will—” “But Cleareland—the happy Cleaveland {” “He shall not haye her, curse him?’ cried Heartstead like a madman; “he shail not have her! IT consent—I will carry her off! He shall be thwarted, if I compass my own ruin !” CHAPTER VIL A. Night of Darkness. Arratrs had gone on in the same mone- tonous but pleasant way at Misty Mount and in the little village of Valleyton, where Cleaveland’s riflemen were quartered. The gallant colonel was still a frequent visitor at Misty Mount, and went deeper in love with its lovely heiress every day, but dared not breathe his passion until assured by tims. One eyening, however, 7wesday evening, he had been all the afternoon at the mansion, and was returning with Ida from a delight ful ramble they had had among the hilly, wlien he was strongly tempted to “ trust hts fate upon a word,” she was so kind to him, and looked so entrancingly lovely in’ the mellow light which was flowing from the west. But his heart misgave him and he refrained until they were in sight of the porch, where Mr. Gwin was waiting for them, when, of course, his chance was over for that day at least. They had a delight- ful supper, and were rising, Cleaveland inti- mating his intention to return to his famiy, as he called his riflemen, when Jenny came in and said it was raining. “A mere shower should not delay 2 sol- dier,” said the colonel, opening the door ané looking out ; but it was more than a shower. There was a strong gale blowing from the south-west, the rain was pattering sharply, and it was likely that a heavy storm would burst upon them ina short time. +t “Phe equinox, or something like 1, this time, my lad,” said Godfrey. eThere's no use of your returning to Valleyton to night ; so consider yourself booked for up-stairs lodgings.” GComichbook co