The Haunted Chamber

o the gallery to keep her appointment with Arthur. Pacing to and fro beneath the searching eyes of the gaunt cavaliers

she approaches. There is a tone of

g conciliatory measures the best. "Why did you not c

; the blank looks and regretful speeches that marked my defection. Pshaw-let you and me at l

, in spite of the natural false smoothness

ough to-day up in that accursed room above-that h

ks Dora, with a foolish

ul laugh, that makes her cheek turn pale.

some way with me, you must go the rest. I want your help, and you want mine. Will you draw b

o violence," she gas

"Collect yourself; you surely do not know what you

mbling. "It was your look, your t

ey are not wanted where I am. Now to business. You want to marry Sir Adria

ng the dainty little

elessly. "We both know where his heart would gladly find its home, where he would seek a br

ooks with fierce defiant eyes at the long

goodly company," he goes on, apostrophizing the absent Florence. "But that sha

, until Dora, affrighted by the sudden change that has dis

me here to-" she

I saw, that led me to believe that my own machinations have not been as successful as I could have wished. Before going in for stronger measure

with this?" ask

iting as closely as possible, and have put his initials A.D. at the end. And yet"

rembling fingers, Dora

my love for you, but in this, dearest, you are mistaken. I am yours heart and soul. For the present I dare not declare myself, for the reasons you already know, and for the same reasons am bo

reading the letter, gl

What am I to do with it?" she stammers, beating the precious mi

er it be wise or prudent to accede to his proposal to meet you alone in the lime-walk. You will, in fact, put out all your

falte

l pursue it to the end. If you fail me, I shall betray your share in it-more than your share-an

Dora, with c

that makes her quiver with fear and rage-"to account for Adrian's decided and almost lover-like attentions to her in the room we visited, that you had had a lovers' quarrel with him som

, how sincerely she now wishes she had n

out clear before his eyes!-"you will affect to be driven by compunction into granting Sir Adrian a supposed request, you will don your hat and cloak, and go down to the lime-walk to encounter-me. If I am any judge of character, that gi

all her might to the master

en accustomed to rule it over others in her particular sphere, and who now chafes and writhes beneath the sense of slavery that is oppressing her. "You will meet me calm

a very casual fashion on this coat. Every smile, every kindly word addressed by this girl to his cousin, is

e seen-be marked," h

point?" he interrupts impatiently. "When you meet me you will-but enough of this; I sha

say?" asks Dora, anxious

ter, or dread the consequences. Any blunder in the perf

she exclaims angrily,

I do not carry out my threats," h

sketch of part of the grounds round the castle-which have, alas, grown only too dear to her!-Dora enters her room.

I want your advic

d looking, as she feels, astonished. As a rule, the

to your charming sketch. Oh"-glancing at it-"how exactly like it is-so perfect; what a suns

y Gough's farm," says Florence coldly. Of late she has not

e. "And so like it too. You are a genius, dearest, you are really, and might m

ice," suggests F

coquetry mingled with assumed bashfulness that Florence knows by instinct that the "s

" she urges, leaning

Arthur had given her, and holding it out to Florence, "and I want to know how I shall an

ho de

nd my own concerns, that I seem to think every one else must be full of t

ter do you refer?" asks Florence, a li

'sweet' except Sir Adrian's?" answe

ng the letter in her hand, and glancing at it with great distast

rom as you, my nearest relative? If, however"-putting her handkerchief to

s me? If you have no objection to my reading your-lover's-letter, why

beginning to end. Her heart beats furiously as she does so, and her col

g to you and him alone, and that he has chosen the privacy of the lime-walk as the spot in which to hold your tête-à-tête. It is quite a simple affair, is it not

is so romantic,

always seemed to me the sanest of men. Wel

ays Dora reproachfully; "and I came to you so sure of offers of love and

y n

too much? I have always dreaded letting a man imagine I cared f

n grows deadly pale, as this p

fter reading the letter you have just

ne show of eagerness. "Now, you are not

or gratify any one at

ifferent from many others. Then you think I might go and meet

tain

ng smile, "because I do so want to meet him, dear fellow! And I value your opinion, Flo, more highly t

till, with downcast eyes, tapping the small table near her w

Sir Adrian and I had a tiny, oh, such a tiny little dispute, all about nothing, I assure you"-with a gay laugh-"but

most men admire you," Florence remarks

quite a scolding. It brought tears to my eyes, it upset me so. So, to tell the truth, we parted rather

her tormentor plainly waits for

e were all together in that dreadful haunted chamber." Here she really shudders, in spite of hers

hing," responds

ou must have seen how he singled you out to be att

e, and I thought him in particularly

s a delic

feelings, however keen they may be, from the knowledge of any one, no matter what the effort m

e nothing objectionable in your walking u

and thank you a thousand times for all the time you have wasted

mpelled to expend upon her; yet, when she has tripped out of the room, seemingly as free from guil

bout some sweet bit of lover's folly, the dearer for its very foolishness. She listens for her footsteps as she

s the corner, and sees, to her surprise, that she is by no means daintily attired, but has thrown a plain dark water-proof over her dress, as though to hide it. Slightly surprised at this, Florence ponders it, an

to look into hers not so very long ago? Arthur Dynecourt read her aright when he foresaw that she would

neck, she runs down-stairs and, taking a different direction from that she knows Dora mos

e man who comes eagerly to meet her. His face is slightly turned away from her, but the tall figure clad in the loose light overcoat is not to be mistaken. He adv

rd. Again in the privacy of her own room, and having turned the key securely in the lock to

om her cousin. In the heat of the conversation she had forgotten it, but now, a fear possessing h

calls Flore

rawing-room, where she almost dreads the thought that she will be face to face with Sir Adrian. She is dressed for dinner, has indeed taken most particular pains with

, but is looking fl

"but my letter-the letter I s

it must be here on this table"-lifting a book or two from the small gypsy-tabl

elping her the while; but nothing comes of their search, and they are fain to go d

"It is really of no consequence. I only wanted it, because-well, be

t, you shall have it this evening," responds Florence, wi

ross the hall from the drawing-room to the dining-room, he presses the hand that rest

and troubled, and-pardon me if I am wr

m his arm, as though his pressure had burned her-"I must beg, you will not tr

me," goes on Dynecourt, unmoved by her scorn. "Are you still dwelling on the

m him, fails to see it. She changes color indeed beneath his words, but makes him no reply, and,

n his eyes and round his mouth a