A Silver Brand — page 213: what you’re looking at

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

J ” . ’ + ‘ ¢ = . os - ‘ set 2 Sy a Pree \ , .% , 4 7 ~ ‘ A SILVER BRAND, | 205 neither on one side or the other. I am an American citizen.” — | 7h, The thin, white hands were clasped together joyfully. “An American, and bearing the resemblance that would bid me trust him, even if he were in the enemy’s rank? Surely, surely this is another of the wonderful ways in which Heaven befriends at last the long suffering and wronged one. Tell me, oh, as you hope for help in your own need, tell me truly, will you help a poor, persecuted, cruelly wronged woman ?” | ‘*I would indeed if it lay in my -power,” answered Aubrey, some answering chord in his heart thrilling back to that sweet, sad voice, those mournful eyes. “ButasI say I am myself insnared here, although I have the promise of a clear way to depart to-morrow.” “To depart !—to go where ?” 7 ‘To America; would to Heaven I could reach it in a single stride,” he returned, impetuously. “And would that you might take me with you to my child, my precious one,” she murmured, the lips writhing, but no tefrs flooding the glittering eyes. “You have friends there?” he asked, in surprise. “My all is there, my own, my Lina.” “Lina?” exclaimed Aubrey, in unbounded amazement. “And is she a young girl with eyes hke stars, and witha _ strange mark upon her wrist? Is it possible I have found for her the mother she has longed for?” “You know, my child, and I find you here!” ejaculated the stranger, in equal agitation and surprise. “But I must not linger here. I dare not—everry moment of delay is fraught with deadly peril to myself and to a generous soul waiting forme. You have seen so much that even if your face did not give me faith in you I should have no alternative but to trust you. Come with me into the secret passage, I beseech you, where, at least, is a little less danger than here, and swear to me once more that you are in neither the Baer or the Von Schubert interest, or what is more deadly still, in the royal favor.” “T am an American, or at least I have always believed myself such. I have been educated and reared in America. I was traveling in Germany and was entrapped and de- tained here that one of these Baers might escape under my _ name and passport,” returned Aubrey, with a little of his indignation at the remembrance still visible in his tone, _ “Oome,” whispered she, and led him gently on through ~comichooks