A Silver Brand — page 146: what you’re looking at

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

138 A SILVER BRAND. Oh, my lady, Heaven sees all, surely something will yet come to help you. He—may—die.”’ | Her voice sank to a whisper, and she looked around with a scared fear, lest the winds should bear the words to some unfriendly ear. A faint smile, more,woeful than many tears, flickered across the pale face of Lady Pauline. “Yes,” said she; “I will drink the wine, and I will try to find my courage again. Iam glad you have told me, ;Lisbet. I shall not needlessly distress you again. You will join your prayers with mine, I know, for some de- liverance to come. I will cling to hope a little longer—a little longer, Lisbet.” And she took the wine and slowly drank it all. ‘‘And by and by I may bring you a biscuit and some grapes. Seippel will have something to add toit. Poor’ fellow, his eyes were full of tears when he brought back your untasted breakfast. He has dispatched Hans to the town and charged him to bring some flowers with him to give you heart, he whispered tome. Poor Seippel, if you should die here I think he would kill himself, he is so full of horror and remorse.”’ : ‘He is in no wise to be blamed, I may have had hard thoughts hitherto, but I see now there is no help for it. Tell me about your boy, Lisbet—of course he has the first claim. Can a mother’s heart refuse anything to secure her child’s safety and happiness? Ah, me! ah, me!” And then she drew a long sigh and looked up again into the sky. “You must be heard at last,” whispered Lisbet, in an awed voice. ‘You talk so much with the sky, and your thoughts are there so long and fervently, it cannot be they will be always silent.” The sorrowful blue eyes went roaming along the azure fields of ether. Suddenly a spark of eager fire leaped into them, a crimson spot burned instantaneously upon the pale cheeks. | “Lisbet,” cried Lady Pauline, “I will believe your prophecy. Go, gentle-hearted, sympathizing friend, go down and ask Seippel to join you in your devotions. Tell him that I bear no ill-will against either of you. Leave me now to pray once more for the help of Heaven.” Lisbet obeyed promptly. The moment she was gone the lady turned her eager eyes toward the black speck she had discovered floating on with the clouds. “The balloon again,” she murmured. “Now, indeed I comicbooks (Ele)