A Silver Brand — page 19: what you’re looking at

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

A SILVER BRAND. il rubbish cleared away. Inan hour I must not see a root or flower here.” : | Seippel glanced around at the lovely eden, and ' even his stolid face blanched. _ “Go to! the reward for diligent labor lessens with every hour you linger,” said the master, impatiently, and after a glance at the face which still held its icy mask, he sat down again, and hummed softly to himself a gay roundelay. She stood as if rooted to the spot, the package of letters at her feet. In a few moments more the men were heard reascending the stairs, laden with > their heavy implements. “This first,” said the prince, rubbing his white hands as if in enjoyment of some excellent jest. And he marched up to a tall wooden crucifix, around which a magnificent passion-flower had been carefully taught to twine its luxuriant growth, and at whose base a marble slab madeasort of altar, on which lay an exquisitely arranged wreath and star of choicest blossoms. By dint of stout efforts the crucifix was dislodged, the slab tumbled off, the vase containing: the vine overturned. “Heave them over the fence,” commanded the master. The next instant it was done, and they heard the heavy thud and the crash on the rocks below. The lady’s delicately eut nostril dilated a trifle wider, if it were possible, her complexion grew a little ghastlier white, but the proud hp kept its de- fiant, contemptuous curl, and those wonderful eyes blazed luminously and fearlessly. And now uproot these paltry weeds.” And the hand where blazed the potent signet ring waved carelessly to an oval, in which blossomed shrubs that could only have come to such perfec- tion through years of patient and loving care. She had set them out; she had watched every leaf that added vigor to the tender shoot; she had nursed them and tended them from dewy morning till gathering eve, through weary years, whose days had dragged like weeks and whose hours like days, _ a ll GO! comic IO00KS