HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Brussels Post, 1887-8-19, Page 7I
Audua'r 19, 1587,
PUT ASUNDER;
on,
Lady Castlemaine's Divorce 1
fly BFR,T.IRA M. CLAY,
dornoa or
"s flounced Life," "gybe Enrl'x Accu.
A dtruggle for " Hing,"
cru., etc., see.
even into the neat' World. It gives me
comfort to know that though the sun
may cease to give light and the moon
fall from the heavens, still our love shall
live on."
For all answer he drew her into the
passionate clasp of his arms and kissed
her.
"Rudolph, yon forget all my warn-
ings," she oried. "I have asked you to
be so careful, and I am sure that
gondolier will know what we are—that
this is our honey -moon."
"Never mind the gondolier," said
Lord Castlemaine; "he has no eyes in
the back of his head, and I should not
care if he had. Who could help kissing
the lips that utter such loving words ?
Are you satisfied with my answers to
your questions, Gertrude ?"
"Yes," she replied ; "you have told
me most of the ways in which love
can die, and I find each of those
ways barred to us. I shall remember
the lovely moonlight night, and our con-
versation as long as I live. How white
the moonlight is, and how bright the
sky! I wonder if Othello glided over
these clear waters, thinking of the wife
he was to murder."
Lord Castlemaine started at these
words. •
What a horrible idea," he said, "to
introduce on so fair a night—a morderi
ed wife 1"
I do not know much about the world,
but it seems to me there aremany ways
of killing wives. I would rather have
my body slain than my heart broken."
"Neither of these fates will be yours,
my darling," he said, gently ; and when
the dark after -days came, she remem-
bered the words.
"The bells have played, and the night
is falling," said Lord Castlemaine. "Are
you tired Gertrude?"
"No," she replied, "I should never
tire of this moon, and the shadows on
the water. I feel just now as though
I should like to go floating on forever,
just as I am now, with you."
He laughed.
My dear child," he said, "you would
grow cold, hungry, and thirsty in two
hours ; there is such a difference be-
tween romance and reality, between
poetry and prose."
"It does one good to forget the differ-
ence sometimes," she said; "I forget it
always when I am with you."
"Thank you," he said.
With swift, sure strokes the boat
seemed to cleave the moonlit waters.
Lady Castlemaine seemed suddenly to
have grown grave.
Rudolph, she said, "I have a strange
feeling—a strange presentiment."
"A bright one, I hope," he said.
"No, it is not that," she answered,
slowly.
Tell it to me, my darling, and I will
make it into a bright one for you," he
said. "What is it, Gertrude ?"..
"I feel as though this was the hap-
piest night of my life," she said ; "as
though no other could ever be so come
plotely, so perfectly happy as this."
"Why not 2" he: asked, wonderingly.
"I cannot tell you, for I do not know.
My thoughts are vague and indistinct as
these beautiful shadows that lie on the
water ; but I have a strange feeling that
in the after -years I shall look back on
this night as the happiest that ever fell
to my lot."
"Do you think the moon will never
shine so brightlyagain2" he asked,
laughingly; "or that the waters will not
be so clear; with the quaint shadows
falling over them ?"
"It is not that," she said. "It seems
to me that I myself shall never be the
same. The difference will be with me,
and not with my surrourdings."
"It is all nonsense, Gertrude. Rely
upon it, our happiness will last our
lives, and wf.l rather increase than de.
crease."
And it seemed as though his words
would come trim. They lingered for
some time in beautiful Verdi*, and they
went home by Switzerland and Ger.
mTbey reached home in November.
when the autumn was, almost ended and
the snows of winter were beginning,. tp
fall.
Never was there such a royal welcome
home. People said they would have
gone many miles( to catch one glimpse
of the bride's beautiful face. No won-
der that hex husband worshiped her,
No wonder thatehe was compared to a
sunbeam, and a flower, and a star,' and
everything else that was bright and
beautiful. Her title had gone before
het ; all who saw her admitted its truth
she was like a lovely White Rose.
"People could not have given her a
fairer, truer name," every one agreed;
I'm many generations there had not
been so fair a bride at Neath, nor snob
grand festivities, norsuch high meets.
Every one was feasted and feted—no
one was forgotten; and to this hour
they talk in that part of the country of
the day when ,her ladyship came home.
There did not seem to be ones hadow
on the sky, not one Sift in the lute, not
ono thorn in the rose, not even a crushed
rose -leaf,
How would Isabel Hyde be able to
keep her vow?
CHAPTER 7i..
arta wuIte nose AT nom.
Neath Abbey, as it stands now, is one
of the finest old mansions in the land.
No other name would suit it save
"Abbey." It doss not look like a palace,
a castle, a hall, or a manor, bet esman-
tially an abbey, • The walle 'aro; of grey
stone, and strong ae those of a fortress ;
they axe egyororl with. thiols green ivy,
that makes the whole place look beauti-
ful, with tender green loveliness.
The ivy has even climbed to the top
of the lofty towers, and clings to the
turrets, hanging in rich, thick elaeters.
What is there more lovely in the world
than the green ivy which groove on old
wails?
The windows aro large and arched ;
around them twines every variety of
old-fashioned flowers --the purple cle-
matis, theriobly-tinted Virginia creep-
ers, rich rod and white roses—but the
large windows on the ground floor were
all uniform; they were embowered in
rich hanging clusters of white jossa-
mine—much jessamine I with leaves so
green and glossy, flowers so white and
starry, that their equals could be found
nowhere °lee.
The whole building, with its ivy.olad
towers and turrets, its large, arched
windows, with its wreath of flowers, re.
minded .one of the picturesque houses
in the Christmas annual—it was so
weird, so fanciful, ao picturesque.
It stood in the midst of a magnificent
park, where there was every variety of
scenery. Dells where the green ferns
grew; Mlle covered by trees, where tho
giant oak and the stately beech reigned
in glory; where the silvery larch and
the slender poplar, the black thorn and
the white thorn male "glory in summer
and in autumn shade."
The beauty of the park was that
everywhere—from every hill, from every
tree-orowned knoll—one could see the
beautiful bine lines of the sea.
' The abbey stood high, and from all
itswindows there was a glimpse of the
sea that made the charm of the place.
You could go through miles of the deep
green woodlands,and the fair pine forest
—.through the beautiful undulating park,.
with its wealth of trues, and its herds
of deer, and all the time, from one place
to another, you could find a glimpse of
the lovely sea.
The beauty of the place was increas-
ed by the fact that' many of the most
picturesque parts of the old ruins still
remained ; here an arch graceful and
beautiful, a pillar, a wall, a broken door.
way covered with ivy, a ruined sun -dial
covered with moss. People came from
far and near to sketch Neath Abbey
with its picturesque relics of a bygone
age.
This home of which the White Rose
was mistress was as beautiful in the in,
terior as the exterior. There had been
no time for redecorating or refurnishing
it, but Lord Castlemaine had ordered to
be prepared for this beautiful young
wife one suite of rooms that had no par.
allel for luxury or magnificence. He
had won the White Rose fox himself,
and it was his fancy that her rooms
should be white.
He ordered hangings of white satin
and lame; he had all the furniture up-
holstered in whits velvet, the hangings
of the pretty bed were white silk, and
everywhere was embroidered her em-
blem—the white rose. It was some.
thing like fairy-land—it was the envy
and admiration of every one who saw it.
The white rose was on the carpets,
embroidered on the hangings, on the
panels of the walls, on the backs of
couchesand chairs—everywhere—"the
sweetest emblem of the sweetest wife;"
so Lord Castlemaine said, "in the wide
world.','
Lady Castlemainoherself was much
surprised and wholly charmed by the
size and magnificence of Neath Abbey.
She soon began to love theplace and
share' her husband's pride in it... Yet
the very first difference that came be-
tween themwall over the. abbey.,
"Itis a grand old. plane, Gertrude,"
said Lord Castlemaine, as his eyes ling-
ered proudly on the great, picturesque
pile. "After all, the grandest thing
about it is its antiquity."
"Antiquity is not always the greatest
charm to me," said Gertrude. "If the
house were dark or gloomy, all the age
in the world would not make me like it."
"That is high treason, Gerttride,"
said her husband.
She, proud as he, and ready to resent
any contradiction, answered quickly:
"No, it is not, Every one to his taste.
I am no admirer of antiquity."
"But, surely," he said, "you must see
that it is the stamp of everything—old
books, old friends, old timed, old rue,
old family, an old house, old blood."
There was more than a flashof prides
in her manner as she turned to him,
her bine eyes bright, and bur lips parted
in a cold smile.
"I de not agree with you, Rudolph,"
she said. "1 know many modern Mini.
lime for instance, that are superior to
the old ones. Tho old ones are lifitr,
worn out, witboat any great or grand
qualifications; the Dew ones are full 01
energy and untiring enterprise."
She looked at him with something
like the dtewn,of impatience in her eyes,
"Take ens own families," she said,
"Yours is old; you date from the Con-
queror; you have all kinds of annals,
legends, and traditions. My family is a
new one; my father was a city knight,
I do notknow that be could look back
any further than his own great•grand•
father—bet yon do not think your family
any better than mine, do you?"
She looked at hila so straight in the
face, she asked the queation in such a
a
very direatfashion, that he Was, to say
the least of ib, startled. He glanced at
her in silence. .
"Yon hear my qusation, Rudolph ?"
she said. "Why do you not answer it?
I ask you—do you really think your
family ie any better than mine ?"
The hot blood of the Castlemaines
seemed to flash into his face and surge
THE BRUSSELS POST
through la heart as he answered;
"If you Maid upon it, Gertrude, that
I should reply to your }question, why,
then, I most certainly do,"
Her face Rushed angrily, and some -
thin RR of defiance shone in her eyyes.
"Yon mean to say, Rudolph," she cried,
"that you consider yourself
than X?'
"I did not say that, Gertrude," he an,
severed. "It was a question of our fami-
lies, not ourselves."
"It im the same thing," she said,
"No, it is not, Gertrude. Take you
yourself, for instance ; I think you are
peerlesa—tbare is no one in the wide
world like you ; but it would bo absurd
for me to say that your family is peer-
less, and that there is no other like it,"
"Jut you maintain that your family is
better?" she said.
"Let us make a compromise, and say
older than yours," cried Lord Castle.
maine.
She looked up at him with a sudden
contrition and tenderness in her beauti.
ful face, with tears half dimming her
bine eyes.
"0h, my darling," she said, "I was
nearly quarreling with you!" With a
sudden and impulsive movement un-
utterably graceful she laid her arms
round his neck and kissed bis face.
"My love—my darling," she said, "I
was nearly quarreling with you. How
wicked I am—how oruel I am 1 I told
you I was proud, Rudolph, but you
would not behave me; you would per-
sist in thinking that I was perfect and
without faults. Now you see how proud
I am—X have quarreled with you be-
cause you said your family was better
than mine."
Even your pride is beautiful," said
the young husband, touched by the
caresses . and sweet words. The pity
was that he did not always think so.
She grow pale as she lay in his arms,
and shuddered.
"To think," she said, "that I have.
been so near having my first quarrel
with you, whom I love so dearly, and
over anything so foolish as antiquity. I
shall hate antiquity after this. Oh,
Rudolph, hold me more closely to your
heart, and promise me that you will
never quarrel with me, no matter how
bad-tempered or proud I sm."
"I will never quarrel with you," he
said, hissing the beautiful face over and
over again. "How can I, when you are
so sweet and loving? I think a quarrel
between us would be but kisses, after
all."
Later on that same day, when Lord
Castlemaine was enjoying. hie Alger fat -
the pretty room which was cuffed his
study, and which overlooked the avenue,
she went to him, and, with one of ber
graceful, caressing gestures that made
her so charming, she laid her hand on
her husband's face and raised it to her
eyes.
"Rudolph," she said, gently, "do you
remember that night on the water at
Venice when the moonlight was so
bright, and we talked of all the fashions
and ways in which love could die ?"
"I remember well," he answered.
"Did you tell me of one where hus-
band and wife, having the same faults,
grew tired of eaoh other, and their love
ended in hate ? That will be our rock
ahead," she continued, kissing the dark
brows. I have been thinking it all over,
and,I see that we have the same faults."
"What are they?" he asked, just a
little amused at her decision of'char-
acter.
"We are both proud," she replied.
"You in one way, 1 in another, and we
are both bad-tempered."
"You have been making some grand'
discoveries, Gertrude," he said. "I
cannot quite plead guilty. I admit
being proud, but I am not what people
call bad-tempered. I am passionate—
all the Castlomainee are passionate. I
say or do a thing in hot haste, and theh
I repent of it with all my heart; some-
times the repentance comes too late.
And you—how can you call yourself bad-
tempered. I think you have the sweetest
temper on earth."
She laughed in well -pleased surprise.
"X am glad you think so, Rudolph. I
have found out another failing—that I
did not know I possessed. I am afraid
that I am just. a little jealous. Last
evening when you admired Lady Hamil-
ton, I wished that she were not so
beautiful. I suppose that in all of us
there are great possibilities, for good or
for evil."
"Your possibilitiee are all for good."
said Lord Caetlematuo.
And so the conversation ended.
CHAPTER XI.
A RED ROSE AT NEA'TH.
It was a Week before Christmas, and
the outside world was covered with snow
—a white, bright world into which no
sin or shame ought to enter. The wild
went moaning through the great pine
forest, and the sea lashed wildly on the
shore. The snow lay on the ground and
on the low branches of the pine trees;
it Iay so soft and white on the ivy leaves.
This year there was a magnificent
quantity of holly at Neath-holly with
glossy leaves and rich mimeos, berries;
round the sturdy oaks in the park the
mistletoe twined itself in abundance.
Lord and Lady Castlemaine were
seated in the library, a bright fire
burned in the bright steel grate, the
lamps were lighted andlooked like huge
jewels; and, even though it was nearly
Christmastime there were white roses
M all stages, from the tiny sweet bud to
the full blown' dower.. Lord. Castlo-
maino had given bis head pardoner hi-
struotions thatno matter What the cost
or the trouble he must have White cones
in bloom all the year round. He could
lake the large conservatory far the
purpose, ere another could be built. No
(matter what was done, white roses
m;Ret be ready in buds and in flowers,
alpha ymar roans:
John Anderson, the bead gardener,
looked at We lordship wbon he gave
these directions.
"If I am to do that, my lord," he
said, "I shall want 'author assiajtaat.
It will take all one man's time,"
"If it takes twenty men, it numb be
done," said his lordship ; and theoce-
forth John Anderson made it his Wei.
noes to oultivete plenty of white rosea,
end to bring them to perfection. So
tble Ohristmas'time they stood in the
bloom andfragrauce of summer.
Lady Castlemaine was leaning back
in her favorite arm -chair. She wore an
evening -dress of black velvet; one ex.
quisite rose nestled in her golden hair,
and ono in the bodice of her dream.
Husband and wife were quite alone, and
they were malting up the list of geoids
to be invited for Christmas, This was
the month of December, and they had
been married in May ; yet Lord Castle-
maine was a lover still, Ho kept all
his love and his worship of his wife pure
and unsullied; ho had not taken one
thought from her to give to another.
Now, as she hold a Bible jeweled
peneil•case in ber band, writing down
a name every now and then, he thought
to himself that he had never soon such
a lovely white band, so slender and so
shapely, with diamonds on it that were
like points of flame.
Tho first and foremost name men-
tioned between them was that of Isabel
Hyde. Lady Castlemaine looked at
her husband with a bright smile.
"I am more anxious to see Isabel
than any one else; and I think," sho
added, slyly, "that I might ask her
alone, without Lady Cresson. I am
almost ashamed to say it, but there ie
something about her which I do not un-
derstand and I do not quite like."
"I like Lady Cresson," said the earl,
decidedly. "She was always very polite
and kind to me."
Then, shall I write and invite her ?"
asked Lady Castlemaine.
"No. As you say, you will play chyle.
rose to Isabel Hyde. It will be more
amusing to have young people in the
house.'
So the name of Isabel. Hyde headed
the list.
"She will be sure, to come, I think,"
said Lady Castlemaine. "She was very
much attached to hie, and she was also
my chief bridesmaid.'
"Yes. Do you think l have forgotten ?
Why, Gertrude, every detail of that day
remains as clear and vivid as can be."
He bent forward as though he would
kiss her, but she raised her white, jew-
eled hands with a pretty gesture of au-
thority.
"No, Rudolph; I have no time for
love -making just now," she said. "We
are already late with this list, and the
letter must go tonight. I hope Isabel
Hyde will come."
"I think you •may be quite sure of it,"
said Lord Castlemaine. + "Gertrude,
what shall we do to amuse our guests ?"
"We shall find plenty of'amusemeut,"
she said ; "we will have balls and
dances, and we will play all kinds of
games in these great, beautiful halls. I
am half ashamed to confess it, but
when I see these great staircases and
passages, I long for a game at bids -and -
seek."
IIelaughed.
"We will have a game in Christmas
week," he said. •
Then the letters were written and
disppatched..
When that letter of invitation reached
Isabel Hyde, she took it to Lady Ores.
son.
"What shall I do ?" she asked.
"What you like, what you please,"
said Lady Cresson., "It will not bo a
very agreeable thing to visit a man
whom you failed to charm, and the
woman who was the successful rival."
"I think that I should like to. go,
aunt," said she.
"There is one thing certain ; such a
visit will set you right in the eyes of
the world. If ever there has been the
faintest doubt over you, that will set it
to "rest at once. Lady Castlemaine
can never have been jealous of you, or
she would not ask you to her house the
first Christmas of her married life."
"Certainly, she was never jealous of
me," said the girl, proudly. "I made.
many mistakes, but not that. I should
like to go aunt. Gertrude always liked
me. It is kind of her to think of me
first." And a flush rose to the proud,
beautiful face.
Go, if you will, my dear; I have no
objection. Your sisters will stay with
me. Go ; but be prudent."
"I have been too prudent," was the
bitter rejoinder. "If I had been less
prudent and more natural, I might bo
Lady Castlemaine now."
!1I am sure I with you were, with all
my heart," sighed Lady ()reason.
"So do I," sighed Isabel Hyde.
The letter she wrote in reply delight.
ed Lady Castlemaine ; it was so kind,
so cordial, so full of delight at the
thought of :meeting her again.
Gertrude read it to her husband. He
was not very deeply interested, although
Ifo praised it.
I consider Miss Hyde a sensible
girl," he said. "She is coming to enjoy
herself, and she is not ashamed to say
so."
The other visitorsdo not concern this
story.
.Isabel Hyde reached Neath Abbey on
Christmas Eve, and for her there was
quite a different reception to that a0.
corded to other visitors. They wore
made welcome enough, bntLady Castle.
mama received Isabel is her ownu
b o .
noir; the beautiful room hung with
White satin and lace, with the exquisite
furniture upholstered in white velvet,
and, although it was Christmas-time—
the bloom and fragrance of white rosea
Were everywhere.
Lady Castlemaine looked as beautiful
as her room. She wore a tea -gown,
with a bewildorina little can on her
golden hair, and was altogothe'r fair and
moms levely to See.
The jewels glistened on her white
hands, the light played on the golden
sheen of her hair and on the flower-like
face. She wont forward With e bright,
almost eager smile he Welcome Isabel
Ilyele, She kissed the :dark, beautiful
thee that smiled into herb; she uttered
Wenn andfriondlpwor'ds of.Wblcoree.
"I do not think," she said, "that
either Lord Castlemaine, or I wonlq
have.enjoyed Christmas without you."
"1 thought yon would like "tea in my
boudoir," continued Lady Castlemaine,
"while I tell yen wl}o the other visitors
are, and give you a , sketch of them.
Some are quite strangorstoylou."
Then the rival beauties had a quiet,
comfortable.half-hour. They drank tea,
and discussed the plans for the coming
week. While Lady Castleivaine talked
gayly, frankly, and happily, Isabel
Hyde's eyes wandered round the room;
she noted every detail'.
"White roses everywhere," she said
to herself "he keeps up the poetry of
love. And all this ought to have been
mine. If it had been mine, the Red
Roes would have been where the Whim
Ross now stands. It might have been
mine. I loved him first, and I loved
him best; she had no right to take him
from me."
These thoughts ran through het
mind while Lady Castlemaine talked to
her, believing that she was talking to
one of the best and most sincere friends
she had.
Then they heard a footstep and the
sound of a voice. Lady Castlemaine's
fair face flushed suddenly—it always
did when she heard her husband com-
ing. The face of Isabel Hyde turned
deadly white—so white that she bent
over the table to conceal it.
"Welcome to Neath 1" cried Lord
Castlemaine, in a gentle voice, as Ise
held out his hand to Miss Hyde. "I
hardly expected when we fust became
Wendt( that you would brighten and
honor the old abbey by your presence."
Kindly sounding words but the in.
ference drawn from them by that jealous
heart was :
Ah I then he never could for one mo•
went have dreamed of making me the
abbey's mistress.!'
He did not understand why the light
seemed to flash so suddenly from her
eyes into his.
If he had known her as she was,he
would have struck from him the white
bands held out to him ; he would have
turned in utter loathing from the
beautiful face; .he would have prayed
Heaven to save him from this, his groat•
est ifoe. As it was, he saw only her
beauty and her grace; he beard only
the kindness in her voice, and he
thought to himself that he and his wife
were very fortunate in this friendship.
"I will take a cup of tea, Gertrude,"
he said, and there could not have been
a prettier or more homely picture thea
the luxurious boudoir -the pretty table,
with the bright silver and delicate china,
and the three handsome people round
it.
They talked and laughed so happily,
so gayly, one would never have sus•
emoted a cloud in the sky—much less
would one have suspected even the dawn
of a tragedy.
But while Isabel Hyde looked bright
and happy, she was going over and over
again in her own mind the hour of that
marriage service.
She stood again in the church whisper-
ing to the white ljlecs that she would
part them yet—conic what rigid, come
what might, she would part ahem yet.
And she meant tokeep her vow.
CHAPTER XIL
SOWING THE SEED. .
Christmas week at Neath Abbey
passed very pleasantly. Lord Castle-
maine was one of the most genial and
kindly of hosts; Lady Castlemaine one
of the most graceful' and thoughtful el
hostesses. ' The favorite guest ' was
Isabel Hyde; every one saw it but tie
one felt hurt or envious. It was well
known that Miss Hyde had been Lady
Castlemaine's: chief bridesmaid, and
that they were on very affectionate
terms.
Many a cozy half-hour in the warm,
luxurious boudoir did the two friends
pass together, many a -ramble in the
frosty woods did they take together.
True friendship, sincerity and honesty
on one side ; treachery and the desire
for vengeance on the other.
"You must be very happy," said
Isabel Hyde to Lady Castlemaine,
"There does not seem to be one thing
wanting to make your life perfect."
"I do not think there is," replied the
young countess. "I ought 'to be very
grateful, and I am grateful."
"It is not often," said Isabel Hydo,
"that one marries for love, yet has all
that this world can give besides.".
"Not often," replied Lady Castle.
mains, "but that has been my forbuuate
fate."
"Then she did marry for love;'
thought Isabel. "All the worse for
ber."
Lady Castlemaine raised a bright,
smiling face to hers.
"!There iaejnst one thing I want in the
world," she said, "and one only."
"What is that?" asked Isabel.
"I bave the best and dearest husband
in .the world—I have the kindest and
best of, mothers; bat I have no sisters.
The only one thing I want in this world
it a friend; a girl of my own age and el
my own taste,withwhom I can talk
about the things that interest mo, who
'would he something more to me than
other girls --ea real, true friend. And
whom do, yon think, I would dhcose fog Apt
that friend if X could 2"
"I do not know," said Isabel, with a
Weep, sudden sinking of the hearlc.
"TO BE coenim8».]
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