Waverley Library (Octavo Edition) (no. 17) (1884 09 16)
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° ree ee oe a " * ie ; 4 . Z * i New _ Am Ito believe you will grant me the attention - she _ Statement. is absolutely incorrect. my’ hom they should be told. You the oe exclaimed. Trequest?” aize hesitated in her answer, the stranger’s ods and manner impressing her unpleasant- nb but, the s cond of hesitation assured her at disagreeable as this strange young man’s Presence was to her, peculiar as his speech and Manner were, she was in a position to rid her- Self of all, by merely raising her voice. , With a haughty little bend of her head coldly signified: her assent to the singular Proposition, pointing to a chair for her guest’s ptance, while she quietly seated herself in & low, easy one beside the open window. ith an admiring glance about him, the young man seated himself, first wheeling the fair somewhat nearer the young girl’s. Silverdale is a magnificent place. No doubt You love it as your life, Miss Florimel.” covet haughty surprise she answered him “Tam. unable to understand what my senti- ™ments in regard to my home have to do with Your important. business, sir.” it curious little gleam came into his eyes, and aize could have seen beneath his bushy mustache, she would have also seen a strange Smile on his cruel mouth. it» t has much—in fact everything, to do with & he responded, quickly. ‘‘My business here to tell you that your heretofore undisturbed +Ssession of this charming and cherished place Ss ‘breatened—” . hreatened!” _ Clan Miss Florimel. Amant to Silverdale!” 4 "eg uttered an exclamation of half-indig- ‘nt, half-amused incredulity. You have been imposed upon, sir. Your Oni : I am the > Y child of my deceased parents, the only r andchild of my late grandfather, consequent- lov! am the sole, undisputed heiress of the rimel estates,” There is another am not speaking in uncertainty. The Min, iaimant has a superior right to your own, ine lorimel,” he said, with the most positive Twanuce in his tones, ‘If you will permit me, Will tell you—” “lze interrupted him wit: i rious vine of her and a ae HS decline to hear your statement,” she said. are aoe preposterous your words are, if you ©slrous of, stating them, I am not the one my 1 I refer you to will erardian Mr. Asher Lyman, whom you Will ¢ nd in New York. He and his lawyer Mee dispose of the pretensions you prefer.” to witha. Spoke, she arose, bowing slightly, as if ino {2draw. With a sudden lurid blaze flash- Mm his eyes, the stranger reached out his « Spe Petuously, yet commasiiaed y- ay! ‘‘ T have come to tell 5 Ole story before it shall come to you Bossip of the whole country. before the er wy SISTER AGAINST SISTER. 3 a pn en a a arp et a . ra York, and bring with me letters from. _*Tiends of yours which I will present presently. newspapers shall blazon it to the world! You © can at least listen to me, and if you regard the evidence as insufficient, well and good. If you find it overwhelming, convincing, eg bly you and the rival claimant may bo able to effect a compromise without going to law. I beg of you, for He own sake, Miss Florimel, to listen to me. Pa refuse, to-morrow every ali yy ork daily shall publish it for you to read! . : His vehement, positive words had their effect. Maize resumed her seat, her haughty, lovely face a shade paler. ‘“‘T know your story is a manufactured one— your new claim a forged one, Yet I will listen to you. Be brief as possible.” e bowed. “‘T will be so. It is a well-known fact that. when Royal Florimel, Pr! grandfather, died, he left’ but one child, his son, Royal, to whom he left all his property, without re- serve, and ioe whom you inherit. It is also a supposed fact, that when your father met his death, you, his infant daughter, were sole heiress to all the Florimel property. But it was not so. Royal Florimel, your father, had sown a full harvest of wild oats before his mar- riage to your mother, and among his many deeds was a secret ponar loge to a young actress, who was the rage in London—a young widow, charming and beautiful, with whom less than a six-month, bitterly repenting his folly, and, at the end of a year, deserted her. Six months after that, she died, leaving her new-born babe to fight its way in the world; ' while knowing his wife was dead, not knowing of his daughter’s birth, your father came home, ‘settled down and married your mother—his secret his own. And, Miss Florimel, that daughter, your elder half-sister, the legitimate heiress of Silverdale, is alive to-day.” Maize looked at bim, with dilating eyes. She did not speak, for she could not trust her voice. “The certificate of that marriage is in existence. There are living witnesses to it. There is a registry in the Vital Statistics records of the child’s birth, There are letters Royal Florimel wrote to his first wife, a conclusive — chain of evidence, in which not one link is missing, and Royal Florimel’s true heiress is -about to enter a claim for her inheritance.” “And why never before?” the young girl’s voice suddenly rung out. “Why was the existence of this daughter—this pretended daughter—never made known to my grand- father, to my until now?” : “Because, until a month ago, she was in ignorance of her own see a because it was only by merest accident she earned the truth, which she means shall be closely rip oe ae Although she has been harshly treated, she has no wish to war with you, but her mother’s wrongs must be righted, justice must be done. She demands her rightful name and honor, and she now is resolved to seek redress by Jaw. I ‘have come to you, Miss Florimel, before ceeding to extremities, to ask what hall be done? Compromise, or war to the death? I bring you papers to prove the claim, and J e lived. father? Why has she waited §
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