A Silver Brand — page 64: what you’re looking at

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

56 -. A SILVER BRAND. as he spoke. She turned her face away with a swift movement, and for a moment there was a desperate struggle for calmness on the quivering features. The voice was a little husky, and thus did not fully betray the hungry longing that was in it as she stretched out her hand, and said: “Yes. I will look at it. That much I will accept from you.” 7 | He smiled bitterly, and seemed about to refuse, but some second thought made him drop the minia- ture into the delicate outstretched hand. She brought it slowly within range of her vision, shading with her other hand her averted face from his observation. Brutal and pitiless as his nature was, he was a httle awed by her manner, and refrained from gratifying his curiosity by a change of position. At first, the delicate penciling and soft tints swam in a dizzy haze before her, but in a few mo- ments the mists cleared and the lady looked down into the sweet, innocent, fascinating face depicted there, with yearning, devouring eyes. She forgot, for once, the gloating tyrant’s presence. A deep, passionate sob shook her frame, a tender, holy joy flashed into her eyes, ruffled her lips into softened smiles. “Oh, my own, my own!” she exclaimed. “You acknowledge the truth then? I expected you would accuse me of imposition in the matter. So that path is clear. I think, myself, any one would be insane to deny the likeness,” exclaimed the prince, exultantly. Lady Pauline started as if a bombshell had ex- ploded, and turned to him with a shudder. “You are here still! Oh, I forgot. I forgot any- thing so foul and deadly could help slinking away ‘before the semblance of such innocence and purity !” “Yes, she looks like innocence itself,” he an- swered, mockingly; “and they assure me that she is everything pure, and refined, and dainty. She has been fed on high ideal notions, and has a spirit, sensitive and high-strung. How think you she will €omicbooks.co