"
General Davenant suddenly rose erect. His eye was flashing.
"I beg you will not, colonel!" he exclaimed. "The barrier between
himself and--Miss Conway--can never be removed."
I looked at the speaker's flushed face with positive wonder, and
replied:--
"You astonish me, general! Are there any such obstacles in life?"
"There are!"
I made no reply.
"There are, colonel," repeated the now fiery old soldier. "Judge Conway
has been guilty of a gross wrong to me. No son of mine shall ever form
an alliance with his family!"
I looked up with deep astonishment.
"This is a very great surprise to me, my dear general," I said; "I
thought, from many things, that it was Judge Conway who opposed this
alliance; and from the belief that _you_ had done _him_ some great
wrong."
General Davenant had taken his seat again, after his outburst. Once
more his forehead was covered with his hand. For some moments he
preserved a silence so profound, that nothing disturbed the night but
the long breathing of the sleeping boy, and the measured tramp of the
sentinel.
Then, all at once, the general raised his head. His expression was no
longer fiery--it was unutterably sad.
"I have been reflecting, colonel," he said gravely, "and, in these few
minutes, have come to a somewhat singular determination.
Pages:
347
348
349
350
351
352
353
354
355
356
357
358
359
360
361
362
363
364
365
366
367
368
369
370
371