and wiser than her juvenile worshipper, took upon herself to give him
much good counsel as to his conduct through life, and was still engaged
in this way when two gentlemen opened the door and entered the room.
They were both old acquaintances of Mrs. Berners. The first was a Mr.
Fortescue, an elderly man, and a wealthy planter of the neighborhood,
now holding the office of high sheriff of the county. The other was a
Mr. Sheridan, a brilliant young barrister, often associated with Mr.
Berners in the same lawsuit. Both these gentlemen had been frequent
guests at Black Hall, both in the time of her father and of her
husband.

Mr. Fortescue took off his cap, and bowed to his sometime hostess, as he
said:

"Mrs. Berners, if I have come in person to serve this warrant, you will,
I am sure, understand that I have assumed an unpleasant duty purely for
your sake, to save you unnecessary pain."

"I comprehend and thank you, sir," answered Sybil.

"And you will at once accompany me to the magistrate's office."

"Yes, I am ready; let us go," said Sybil, rising.

"And here is Mr. Sheridan, offering himself as your counsel until you
can procure better," said the high sheriff, presenting the young lawyer.

"I shall not be likely to find better, I am sure. I shall be very glad
to retain Mr. Sheridan," said Sybil, frankly offering her hand to the
young man.

"It is not a pleasant visit, Mrs. Berners, this one to Mr. Hawkin's
office; but it will only be a preliminary examination, and I will do
what I can to make it a brief one," explained Mr. Sheridan, as he
offered his arm to his client to conduct her from the room.

Sybil drew her veil over her face, and leaning on the arm of her
counsel, was about to follow the sheriff, who had gone before, when she
happened to think of her devoted young worshipper, who was standing
disconsolately near the judge's desk.

"Stay here until I return, dear Raphael," she said, with a pleasant
smile, and then passed from the room.

They took her to an office under the hotel, where the sitting magistrate
was ready to hear the case.

A few witnesses were there--persons who had been present at the mask
ball, and had observed the marked attentions of Lyon Berners to Rosa
Blondelle, and the jealous rage of Sybil, and who had afterwards been
drawn to the scene of the tragedy by the cries of the victim, and had
arrived in time to hear the fatal charge of the dying woman, as well as
to behold her d