HomeMy WebLinkAboutLucknow Sentinel, 1888-02-03, Page 2t•
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' "1 ditre pig' he ..Weiht. to he kink. des.r,?•' ;
saLd Jaolt.TRitrrOWttilly, *Ont.
hoivI v1440.44,7, ,thet: WO beck no heed.
•to m altlif-Ok000,
•
w.Shame tOuthhig our Mether That is
, alhaardi Shirley 1" the illiehing to
. the root* of hut curly yellow hair.
hlot, t,onching her, I trust Jack but
ng something we ought to know,"
e.w.Fispetatl',. slow. " hope she may ,he
We he tell us."
• the asleep 2"
Jt she in to a stupor, X think."
•'"Ton have-Itnole Gilbert's letter," Jack
• „Rego said, after a pause. "'Does lie pay
" There is Emelt that do • not under.
Shirley?"
d Mika- And hive
ongiWif§c for"Iiitift'whioli • mother wrote
„ 'before left Heidelbetg-a very long
•,ratter,, Jack:, 'It seeraed alMost as if !the
•Va,_.(1 hresehtiment. Oh, I . wish -I :wish
sho had net conie t" ,
• The hot tears roe qeickly to
hat eyes; but she Chocked' them beck; Jack
•
put his atni .itrinpad her and 'drew her
• tbintly to him. Shirley,'
" Poor:little ShIt. has been terrible
for you.; but, dear; Graham tag nie
that the travelling has made no difference,
' or very, Very ' • ..
"‘ And ehe was so ata4docal to tethe-" '
"Could you let MO ,000 Uncle -Gilbert's
letter?"• said Jack, pregently, "There
. may be something in it which would 'help
us. tinders4nd whet our mother
• Shirley took seine' letters from the inner
kiit of sealskin °Oar; which slie- was
• *Bering, endoselecting one, headed, it.
• fci her brother; As he took it from her she
.showed -him mutely another letter, or
zither a thiols,. weighty packet address:Ain
• lff.e mother's -handwriting to her brother,
, Ehr, Gilbert Feirliohne, Fairholtne Cowl,
Ortmfffe. Jack's lip quivered .as
ife saw the pretty, graceful Italt'an hand-
writing ; then, turning away, he carried his
tutole'ti letter:IA.0e mantle -piece, where a
dfni light wag 'burning,. and., read ..as
f011owe • , '
•Mv•Dmin /Malaita have received both
onr lettere.; and'I did Wit --answer the
, Mat . heasuse it required consideration.;
and, befOrel had thought over it sufficiently.,
your impend letter came.. When your bus.
• bind cliedthree years ago, I • think -I
wide you a proposal to return to SoOtland.
• and live theraquietly ; but .ritir reply Wad
decided,nnd you Shrunk so . unmistakably
Proposal, that .r did •not repeat it.
'ta valour son settled in London you
• dul,netaeolinto see the itecerieitY of making•
Itattthk
dritrafinigfiaA"44rd Veglarriv
.the eircuMstanoes, tt'hrasinet as. well.
ott might have Met Persons who knew
• your history, you said. Is should have
Ended that you were far more likely to do
w,anderitig abopt7tha-Continent-.than-
•-li6ing:.anietly at homesin_s:Englend Or Scet,
lind. But you said Scotland had been
?net to you; well, of that cannot judge.
on have been crtiet-to yourselhl think.;
et you Were always Wilful, and it is 'too
_ liitenOW to alter or regret the paste Yon
wish to return home, your health is
you toll me; but You are SO young that I
hope yOurweeknees: is only templitary, and
that our more braidng air will set you up
- • not wish- to come to
iihohne . Court, Where, however, yea'
' be Wade very welconte, will take 0.
(WW1 house for you and ntY niece, it
• Ifitinfife. : 'Your story well-nigh forgotten
•' nett; and, even if were not So, the fact
that Lady Fairkilme • and myself consent
te forget it .will be aufficent. We are still
the Fairholines of. 'Fitirholme 'My dear
Xirian ;Atthough yeti have been sh long
absent, that you may have, itlinatit forgotten
that fact. •• • '
"My son Oswald is with his regiinent. at
•Chathera. Graciejs now at home, but she
lila been iipendingsome *ado! et -Edit**.
• Where shellair been moil adcilred. The
, two younger .girls, mid and Jean; are atill
.• in the sohool-room ; and • Shirley is,
• ouppeee, still young enough share their'
• studied. , You may rest assured that all
that. cattle done to make yeti conifortable.
• your old hone.); or a new one it you
prefer it, ; will be done. Happiness, perhaps,
you cannot ' expect -wrong -doing always
brings its Own punishment; but you .may
quiet and peace here: Yotttell me
that your children do not your story;
Tier is it necessary that they should, ' far
as I can 000. Let it die how, and be burtell
And forgotten. We will not disinter it. ;
. • "X' inblose ciheolt for ,your travelling
•expenses. as I Wish. yon to . have every
possible comfort. DO' not '-epate expense:'
.•, Lay Fairlielniejoins nie in levirto you and
! t
t. •
1.:
•
1
x • -
to saioePt 'Itinditesel" ' •
"Bush. hesh. Jack" the •g1V11 esuld,
quickly, thinking that she saw her -mother
move; but it was only the flickering elude
welt by the lamp upon her face: There was
lib change in her death -like calm.
• /Ultras very atilt now. The otty was
Bleeping i.sits great passionate heart was
stilled for a brief Imam. Not a pound was
to be heard, not the wheel!of a. paesing
velarcle or the echo Of a hurrying footstep;
and the stillness fellheavily upon Shirley's
heart like the calm whieh comes, before a
So, minute hy minute, the long night
hinirs Passed away, and the time erePt on
toward the dawn," The, night wonted to
have grown .suddenly chill and oven Yet
Ogre quiet. • Itwas as if an icy breath
peggedover the quiet earth fpr a moment.
4.1iy one Who.hao viatei4ea by a sick bed
knew; that the moment when the One day
soma to, breathe its last, and there is a
strange tremulous pause haters the new
de,y dawns upon the world.. Shirley had
read ti clesorihtion of it, and had 'been
struck with it. It came haelt to her noir,
and she felt its truth: -
"Do you know that moment in the night.
-the pasiage, as it were, from day to 'claY
-when a chill breath seems to pads over
the 'earth, and for a apace all.the world -4 -
hushed as if in death? You may feel it by
see or by land. I have shivered and trem-
bled under its spell while, gaspingfor breath
in the sulphurods Red , Sea. .• Or in the
heart of London, should you be Awake, you
lie and feel that yesterday is deadindeed,
and the new day not yet fully horn. This
is the titne When feeble' old men and'ohild-
ren, and death seems most terrible."
For this, Moment Shirley had been wait-
ing with a strange thrillof soperstitious
dread.; Would hermother die" then -die
without giving them a word 'or ..sign -die
without telling their: that geotetin,her past
life, which, ' unless she told them, they
wog not know? As the "chill breath"
swept over the room Shirley leant forward
eagerly. ' The long, lashes on, the seam
marble cheeks •flicatered alightly; and the
girt' held her breath in agony. No, it Was
not the shade of the lamp now; the. White
haswere lifted glowly and heavily, and
. Unto the dying eyes.
The casement slowlygrew a glimmering square.
Attila seine moment; even as the whitelips
exterldionitiettkftheigraydrawa oaf ialrettItir;
,e •
4xatgEAR2145,8411,57M
"'Shirley," Marten Ross said, faintly, in
a voice so loix that hardly ro&ched the
girre gni& ears,'" Where am I ?" '
" We are *London, dear, and Jack is
-with...ne,"_the_braveAirl answered,'. itt her
calm; brave, gentle von*.
" jeolt ' - --
A glimmer of joy flashed .into the dying
eyes as they _fell upon her. son. • 'Jai*
bent down and Oat his lips to -heti in
silence,' Shirley, kneeling,, lilted the beau -
Wu' head Nipon hip arm. . • • ,
.
"Have I been very ill ?"' said tire. itoss„.
feebly. • "1 think it Most hi near the end
now, -Shirley.butIoan not-Atien
Her voice died arra* upon her but
the dying eyes,' growing wild in their, in-
tense eagernegs, went from One yew* face
to the other * piteous entreaty; and Shir-
ley brought home of the restorative and
held it to her lips.' ' She could hardly swal-
low; but she drank it eagerly; and it seemed
to give her a momentary strength, • •
"Lift Me, Shirley -lift me higher," she
eleid, in •somewhat stronger Voice. "1
can breathe more easily so. And. I must
tell you both, because you will, leer it
better from me; but it is a long story,"
she added . faintly, "and. the: time hi so
short. Oh, Shirley, why did you not let
mo teil You in'the train '
" Toll us now mother," the girl said,
through her tears. telt anything about
Unele Gilbert?" ' .• •
• "Oh, no ---oh, no 1 But it is a longstory;
and I am so tired 1" wailed the dying
woinan, with bitter anguish, almost as keen
as it she coidd see into the future' and know
what misery ignorance of her story would
!ming oral her daughter. ' . • •
"Never mind, mother darling," Jack
said, socithingly. Uncle Gilbert will tell
• but 4tha / BIG
STiEA1•,
iin4--4minrnsolf.E
,
4
qtl,t4!f1eteA'
74ra
wifoie the piltnirs,,, 'diUwith
team, the hilereyear ide &nil) statiled and
mise le.
"What does ithe mean ?"' Shirley
tfrhiehered. •
Aathimg, dear-shewanders,"' • Jack
answered, a neW,gravitY and Ondernese On
his handsome boyish. face. •
"Not his wife -oh, no, We never went to
church 1" continued Marian Boss, in her
ow feeble tones. "But you are my
husband, Roland P'
"She thinks she is talking to, father,"
Jack saicl,, tremulously. Mother,- don't
you know he Don't you know Shirley and
Jack ?" •
Shirley I" she repeated vacantly.
"Little Shirley and Jack Vitals, take care
of Yofirsieter;-orithe wt.11 fall."
She had gone baolt-th their childhood
Shirley gaessed, as greet -hot tears fell
on the soft dark hair, and the girl's 'whole
frame trembled with the violence 'of her
emotion. ' • • '
The minutes:slipped by. jack went to
the window and drew back the atirtain.,..
streak of morning sunshine, the herald of a.
fine day; fell across the carpet and -touched
the foot of the bed. '
. Suddenly the large dark 'eyes opened ;',
the painful, eager,' puzzled look had faded
from then', and they had hec,ome dim and
glaesy but they smiled: ' •
"Never mind,": she said,* a faint clear
happy tone: "Shirley will not „judge her
mother. --1 do- not •mind.---ahirley. - It ,is
getting dark now, and I am -going home.
It is dark -so dark t". •.•
Dark! And the enn-rays were streaming
into the room in a flood of golden light 1
But she oouldnob see it, for she had gone
home. • •
Gone homewithout telling the secret
which had weighed upon her for a Hoare of
years, without warning her daughter
*giblet the fate which had fallen upon her!
Ah, if she could have seen Into the future;
she could not have. gone , home with that
petted* Bailie upon her few 1 •
' • ' • ' CHAPTER. IV.
To go, or not to g�-thatis the qfiestion;
and; 'upon my mord, it see me ouch a ldndly
hospitable invitation that I should not
hesitate shout itectipting it '.
, As he. spoke, Any Stuart Poured out' a
second cup of coffee, sugared and orehmed
it with due deliberation, and proceeded, to
discuss his breakfast, as if it were of far
mpyi importance than the -subject under
consideration, While the other Man, his
triondend &est; Sir Engh 43lYhmtt, OVA&
osite'vlbtmiffit,alftaS1W`
0104,11.1.NW4t4FAttr
Ah, but ho will tell it so differently i"
she motined..- "1 .striusti must -tell
• She struggled toe.sitting posture again,
, testing on ,Shirley's shOulderand supported'
in her arms, and begin 10 speak hurriedly,
phirjey. • I he,ve very.: good accounts of yet faintly; Making pitiful efforts to gather
. • .yolir. son.'end At iity reqtiest Mr. Burnett her strength* • • ' ' •
wasp* "It was en long agoin,Sootland-and
io going to give hint a pest in-. the
'branch of hisestablishment. , BO Yming" she said, breikenly. '" I did
, your affectionate •brothernotknew-Who, could have: seesedl-tit
' " Gitaisitr Faitmonsta."" was idl like a play -and -no •church, -.-and
••. It Wasnot an unisinelletter..bnt somehow, • •Hervoice failed; her* head fell • back
• as he reed it, a hot feeling; of anger rose in wearily. " I ctnnot---I daft' not 1"‘Ithe said
Jack's heart against his Imola'', • What did PitemodY, en her oyes Went from one to
• :-d
Ire mean by his cruel sentences that it wasthe Other wildly; and Shirley bentown,• ,
*lo late to. regret or alter . the :pititt.,?, ' Hi; tearefalling as ithe did se; to utter some
Mother'e inarrialifehed been ithappy ones seething words. ' • '
.whytthould sheregret.? .What did he mean ' le` Ilevak niindAear; we' shell km* by
.
too, by the phrase that wrong -doing ' must and by. Meanwhile he atilt and teat; you
: 'Always bring its 'own. punishment? What are 80 IV.441.V.t...-- •
'• wrorig • had his Mother doneL--hie dear .• "So. weer), .--ojed.Ve- 111'0 travelled:a
• Mother f. There was something strange Mug may, You 'know.; but we can relit now,"
• . • and inconiptehefisible about it n, inn:mowed the dying lips, with the ghost Of
•' thingwhichm&doJack anxiotui and uneeiy, aiimile raising over them. ." RestYou
and made hini, -Wish With aii,•• great 0,W know 'the clod& siid I was teretit. There.
earnestness ae. • Shirley's own that his wee some. OW0 tvho-Whct. was very "kind,
mother Would awake .from her stupor • and Shirley. I OWild not walk, "yon know." , •
Wed strength telell them herself what they • 14 'Ye0 mean' ,tho gentlemen who carried
• sa much. wished to knew. , ' ' .• yon into the boat,. mother: " Am to'thanli
He folded up t.,he leiter and gave. it 'batik 'biro for yon?
to -his sister in eilende. • Perhaps Sir • Yes-thenkhini and the doctor:" •
• Gilbert "nieent kindly; lint be,' had an' The pail:dui:eager', look Wasfading from
; unfortunate. way.ofpliewing kindnetrie The her hice new.; she !teemed to have forgotten
• /otter was like hig uncle, Jack, thought. the story. which bat a few Minutes before
" seen him only ' °lice; in London;
bot lie had felt that there was posympethy
;liettreen them: Sir: . Gilbert was Many
•. yearsolder than his inother, tall and grave
'Otd pompous and dry, and Jet& Cotil'd not
guess hew Muth tehaa.love4 hiebeatitifol.
lig stater in the dayagone by, before she
caused:hint Bach grief: •
"Of tiourse it is Very. 'civil and ell, that,"
he said, in , rather a plaintive. tone; " but
we are quite strangers' in this 'part of the
world,and we do not know 'what we should
be combeitting ourselves -to by. accepting."
." At,thentost- to a -few. days of widen,
genial soCiety," 'Major' Stuart 'answered
carelessly-" and perhaps had-dtnnerin,"
The last is a- very -serious .•conditiOn.
My predecessor- here had evidently some
notionof comfortand pad cooking, The
Oook for twenty years,
the butler tells me, and X' bane she .111111
rentainhere for tree* More. These:millets
she ewe tur kat night," continued Sir
Thigh, in' his hingiiid, rather dritrir
voice, ".niade mitten • seem like meat from,
some other 'sphere." ". . ' . • , •
• Major Stuart laughed.; he did not painless
his friend's delicate Appreciation Of the art
of cotoliery,ied AO. him Btillat-Savarin was
nothing more or less than tt. tether con-
temptible gourtitand.',. /.•
" Thacutleta were very good, ' and so is
this game . pie," he said carelessly, still
devoting liiraself to the fortification Of his
inner man: "Will the . anaWer to Sir
GilberVe note, then, hinge on the abilities
stiocokt; ja.
•
ini a we not be
u 4.1314:; • .to
'ascertainwhat his or her abilities may be,"
reptiedSir Hugh, laughing. "'It is more
likely: to hinge on his womankind, if one
'conid aria en* "anything .about them." .
I elistild think that Was 'pretty amp.
They Mitsti be people of ignite consequence
About •.'here,and your servants aro 'old
stagers ; X have no doubt, they s know all
about them." • • •
-."-Faitholme is Omit Weir miles frotn.
here," Sir Hugh said meditatively ;• "80
(that I aotild ride over and Beehow things
went on here -and Certainlyit woad be a
•change. ...Aren't you getting just it•httle bit
tired of my. society, Guy 7":.
"Not.a bit," Major 'Stuart answered
heartily.. "1 have not had 'n grim* of
you for nearly -three years, remember; until
that tacky meet at Ring's nosa?..
"A lucky bloating for me 1" :laid Sir
Hugh cordially. ".To think that yea had
nanined, and that you had been intog-
land for nearly three raonthsvithoutgiring
me a nation of your sitstence 1 s!lt, wetter)
had; Stuart I" , : • • • • '.
"My dear follow" -and Major Stuait'g
dark gray eyes, -with a viiint kindly light
in their ; depths, Went' over across "the
breakfast -table to Sir Hugh'shandsome
face could ' not discover your where-
abouts. You,were to .be heard Of evety.
where, ;.but, whenever 'I followed you up,
you had disappeared lil•Meteor. Sir
Huge Glynn is evidently. ram of someiti
importance in othe ivorof fashion and
diPtifiction."
Sir Hugh laughed carelessly. He was a
singularly handsome man, % with a WM.
plexion as fair as any gia's, wide' sleepy
blueeyes, a heavy fair mustache. and soft
fair hair. is ineoethente • were slew,
witless ggea langnid, and,', had he been a
men of less site and "presence, the • charge
of effeiniottoy might have been laid at his
• " Well, what are. we hi' do about this
. .
invitation ?" he said,reverting tothe subject
She Weil so anxione to tell thein.. She lay , once more. '0 Sir Gilbert evidently takes it
beak on her Pillows cattily eitorigh, and ihe for grahted that we . are tired, of mirk own
sniiletthich had Crept to her..lios, crept lie society, WA should like a change. • He says
'yet further into the depths Of her dark he.:woeld call if he were not laid up with the
•1 gout but that his son called a day or two
X can Bind!' the .heather," she said .sittee„ don't remember t %roam,
clearly and Bweetly. " Cannot you, stance." .
? gOVI street it ie'l" •Listen -how "Don't you? I do. If was the"daY *6
age oath; Aunt Geraldine 'Lady Fair, prettily"•the . beck ratirtritirs among the went into Dumfife. On our rettnin We
403ne. , „ Baia Shirley, hui3iiily. Ts, • • , found his card in the hall,' and Illartin'said
't not stones ' '
strange and cold, Jack 2 ber°. -wag a inlence; the dawn crept he had ridden over. 14e. is. ui /140 ,:-th
• '.•.. 1 .14.• perhaps they don't get On very well higher.over the eastern sky, and a faint , Hussars." '
...walaenhtedane, to' weiredm,:vpbsiftteorinyr. ni,'"OOthrerP°11,PitahPsthhe6 roseate Over the heautiful face on the pillows the
tingle stole into • the , ark, gray. I ". Oh, vie% I 1Vieli her ladyship wetildlet
us have her inttis and a list of the niembera
. . thought (bit it was not a sister /Alb *ail. ehtad, voliw, of death crept slowly and darkly, of her household 1" said the young baronet,
•. Ong to, bot„ohly a stater -in-law." et, say that I•am his wife," she said laughing. "1 ,find that ladies who have
• - "Bat he meant to he hind, yack,,i .stifr„. then, with a midden pitiful cry hf. pain , Marriageable daughters are generally very
t ,
-I. •
0' '
.„
•
s'OtTlit!iwkWaLdAre BaY. XOW hWIMI
Silita tWO *ante.'
' W
b44.04",et With Virt unlisilted-rent'w4it
swerej Major Stuart,
I had mine limited
enough," Sir Hugh said "1 asores•
you that did not find old Uncle Robert's
legacy come at all &Mita. It added Ude
lilaoe and nearly five thousand a year to my
Possessions. and I needed it."
Not a legaoy to be despised;" oliserved
Guy Stuart. At the same time, you
could have 4040 quit o 'Well' without itt.
lic•wever,, troo'll be ehle, 'giro me some
good 'gronsOhooting here in. the' sea-
son,,eod you Must be potent- .to to
the feminine ' maternal preemption. which
-
invariably follows: such art eligible un-
married map as yeatrielf." And again Goy
Stuart's °yogis with a 41014 their d'iVhe,
eought :his. friend's. face, and Sir Hugh,
pieutitigths glands laughed -
. As,. they gat opposite to each, other the,
dieing -room of Maxwell House, no meter
coritragt could have bean. found. than these
two men, And yet they had beenfriehde for
many A year. Sir` Hugh was exceethogty.
handsome, and he. ,had need' his. great
wealth to, add ..te .prestige which his
gocid, looks gave hini in the faphioneble,
world, He kept nftrid-rste stud, lived in
the. most /asurichie tnertner, gave, the hest
dinners and the Most: oharming entertain.
menteof the London 88(0412 !; his bore*
and carriages were the best appointed in
the Park -hie drag the cynosure of .all eyes,
et Epsom: It was no Wonder that all ^Men
-s poke well of. that the greatsiadiee of
his, get grailed, upon him, and that shower
of invitatione. poured .down ,ppon.bitn. alt
through the Amon.' He WOW B11011W
trig flirt, the. great said lingitidly
and hie.' waltzing was as neer per,
foothill as . Waltting Could. be ;-
and his taste was go unexception-
able that no belle ,would have deemed her
Court complete unless he formed one -Of her
courtiers, and Handsome Hoge" was e
household.'woid *Many &. dainty boudoir.
Mite had. elways been a very pleasant,
thing . to this petted prosperopas„fatorite of
fortune; 'had • never • known a care or a
sorrow; but the thirty years .he lived
had not fittedhini to bear thestortn Whiah.
breaks almost inevitably, and or kse
"leerily, over every, life, and Whiolrbrolce,
over Hugh ,Glynn with additional fury: • • .'
The friendship whioh'had 'existed for AO.
Many years between Sir migh, doa Major
Stuart had bean a sisirceof stirprise to More.
than one Of their tiocitutintancies, , The
young baronet's • life- and tastes seemed so
direotly Opposed ,.in, their luxurious *do-
kineeto thebrave; sioiple, self-denying life
Alt -,;e4thoae.who
liatirrigAidkirdWittrivilathatothedorintlii _
in t • eir •.:806001_, dem when .sGuy, , few
nionthe the elder . and considerably :' the
strooger„had 'defended. tha ,More delicate
boy from the . hinting' Which geeing. jai:,
Separable from a publics, soliocil. Nor !did
they know that the friendship thus began
hadrbeenoementedier a life payek•---The
°eminence hitd taken place Many . years
pretriOnaly,:but• ,•Hogh • allytir4 gratitilde
Was rotrar-,erid living still: :Ho. had not
forgotten that at the risk of his, life ,•Gity
had thrown himself into the • angry waves
whiChWere hungering to make Hugh their
vial*, and had brought . him with great
dffficolty safely *land. , • • ' '
pLiaaionate • gratitude • -which had
swelled np th-e-hoy'a. heart as .. he
faint and trateliing: the endeavors
of two, or three rough Maitre to restorehie
I riend :ta' conseinumeas •had never . 'died:
away. Even • When, leter-Oni-both men'
were. dazzled- :by ono woman's facer and
the •death -blow - to their friendship wag
stria, even When one of, thein etoPped. to
the. blepkest treachery, the begest.hetrayal;
thatgistitode. did not quite' fade.; it lived
to ecid the bitterest sting to therenioree of
the betrayer, the .Most poignant angnialt to
the trait:tee suffering. . • • • • . •
:-Very.diffetent in physique •were thd two
, Beside ''Glity Stuart, Hugh;
although: by to means a' short taintanicanie
almost 4nsigniiicent, for Guy Wis. unusually
tall and. strong, towering, like:Saul . Old,:
above all his • fellotirs;' For •the reit; hia.
features were irregular and almost' rugged,:
and, if they werennt plein, it tires because
Ilia eyes were ?,nnusoally beautifultiark
deep gray, With long 'joshes, which gave
them at times. almost a .fentintne. softness:
"It ia not. euch-a. -very, 'severe penalty;
'after all," .MajOr. Stuart said, latighing,
it.Ilm•net in eligible; Bo I have never been
Obliged hi Wilitait to it ; hitt Wehad.One or
two rich fellows the regiment, and
used to be very aineeing;trtnee how sweetly'
the mothers used to sniile upon, them -ah,
and the cleoglitere t There .was
handsome young eitiMigat
us toe; and .0no. or OM of thegirlewere
clined fever hire; POL." • . '
• "The Mammas wake toe wise," 'put hi
. Sir Hugh; laughing :' "1 with you'd decide
about this, Guy, .You're My guest, and • I
am at pin disposal. • flO or day,- lost is
.ytitt like best." ' • '
"I'tn,pettectly.,:happY hero," Baid'Guy
Stitart,,; laughing excellent .quarters,
and commissariat. departreerit. petleOtlY
Managed:" '
' Then vie!ii stay at home:"
,. • "Bot," Mali* Stuart said thoughtfully
as he pushed hiirchair,frein the. table. and
'sauntered Over to the. raantel-Ptede, Where
he hid. left his oiger.ease,-" perhaps Sir
Gilbert might be huffedi and • it . Will not
'do. for the tie* inaiitot of Maxwell to' get
:into. bad repute in the neighborhood."
Nit,,perhapanot ; but eizen•that :would
be better thao tieing bora"'
• "01 two evileCinioee . the. leiger," said
Major Stuart he itelected
cheroot.' ." Sehpose you tose,np,, Hugo?" '
"Net a bad idea!" responded .eitr
looking eagerly. "Upon My 'Weed, I
.hate a 'mind to adopt your soggeetiozi.1". .1
Do," . Said Major Stuart ,Carelessly.
"Ler ohmic° deade it;" • •
'Sir •took half-aorevin from hig.
:pocket andloOked at it meditatively ; then,
.meeting friend's 'glance; he laughed
• ' " • • •
don't suppose it 'it' the Ara 'tithe*
Wir. , hies that we have. let • Chance decide
.fOritts,". he said gaily. ." What will it do
for ins' now, do you think? Will the fates
.he propitious ?" . . •
I wonder if there. is ench • e thing as
'Chance ?" Major Steakt,.'obteing to the
table, cigar iti hand; with eorne• interest
lighting op 'hie darkfriCe. • . • • .
stair/tired Sir ugh, laughing; as h - played
'•
he Iiftcd fal;e.L,Le 04719/04i:trace:'niesinteennot.,ri In
/
earnest, Guy 1"
With* * lough his cheek:
"Well, perhaps I Wee. 'For a Moment I
hod it kind of feeling that something
sen0S"ineePHee.W.QQnflae6°067141 1.!%4 ; dbdtletd it's
us- alt
h
lighted his ,cheroot thee, gitiddeAlY aoniing
bWOki- to the table, he went on; with *
strange earnestoego. "Put took the half-
crown, Hugh, and let us digones there.;
and pensiRepassionately, and deeide aotiOrd•,.
-
;ow lillegltleoked at hina hare. monient in
silence.
chance.
,h40eaficiasid,_Owneiewt.liY4,4.00:epil striurste
Gil-
bert Fainholme'S invitation. ' Tails
will refuse it l"
"Come in said Sir Hugh. sharply, cov.. •
ering the coin with his hand as he tamed
toward the intruder, • '
The door opened quietly, and servettfac,
out of livery mune in and walked slowly up
the long roma toward his master.
Mtijor ontly, but, atalmatotStgair hirlooaktedh,itmheiillodtliiffere;
once • faded out of his gray: oyes, and
something like interest rePlacied it.
, • He a menet Sir lingh's height, and .
very much the same build, strifie narrower •
'norms the chest perhaps, . but. with no
material, difference. He was fair, too, like.
his master„ but with no pretensions togood,
looks; and altogether between the•two men • ,
there was a, fame air or reserablaiwe which '
'might easily exist between two persons of
the "height' and: coroplemon; and •
;having the Barna colored hail'. For .a
;0thnoein, et ' ,the ree.ernl.:lance, •et, .Guy
'Stuart, bat the. impression was 0, fleeting
"What is it, Latteille?" demandeci ,Sir
Hugh, with some impatience. ,,
• "Tho stud -groom• is here, Sir Hugh," •
:said the men, quietly. "110 is just leering
for twee, and he desired M0 to ask if . you
had any direatiortilcipliim."'
"For Willis? Notell---him to let Ms.
;hear from 'Itim on. arrival," Sir Hugh
anerrered quietly, "That is all."
The man bowed low, - With an air of
extreme respeet which had something
foreign in its courtesy, and turned to limo'
the room. But Sir Hugh recalled him.
Latreillel" •'
"Yes,flit Hugh"
I suppose you know nothing. about
Fatrholine Court ?" .
' "Only that it is a fine building, Sir Hugh.
with handsome grounds, situated about
.eight inflee front here0' • '
.414 know all that; butlyou&now nothing
cif the -family •• ,
,V1-12M:41ffirvil It" • "---"'"•_-'vr
Nt*entoottlu.
,any information -• • •
. "1 have no doubt 'on the solijebt, Sir
Hugh," the Man answered, a slight fleeting,'
smile crossing his face: • . • '.
"Then. go and make ino,niiies," said his
master quietly, "And come- back here and.- :
UllTne-thexesult."
-" Yes, Sir Hugh." . '-•••=• : •
With another low boa.; Latreille turned •
away &alien therooin.,, Sir laugh, wi-th:
a laugh, selectecta cigar. • s
"That fellow ;hews. like Beau .Briimnieh"
Bad Major stutqt,-4-righleg, ana• mOvea
like a prince." •'
ne an odd fellow," 'Sir Hugh .
answered lightly-" Clande-lifelnottefityler -
• We won't disocse that question,"
with the coin between his -fingers. It is
yoti. • . .
" Villiere did you, pick him up? He was
not in your -service. when I went to India."
"No, I got him on .the continent last '
"And you find him trustworthy?"
'"As trustworthy as most men in his
position," said. Sir . Hugh carelessly.. "1 .
dare Flay .that he robe •mo, but 1 have not ;$
shoceeded in finding it Out, He toldme a •
long story. .when I mot him first,which may
Or may not, be true."
•
"What is it? Will it bore you to'repeat
it ? asked Major Stuart, Who had been
struck by the ,valet's appearance and
unusual air Of refinement. I
t!•Ifot at all. You are welcome to as
mach of his ' history is••1 can remember.
He has , knocked about,. and 'seen a good "
deal ofthe world, and is anarnusingfellow
"iL is a Frenchman, of course?"
."/Itit a :bit of ft.::Re.Js ,a.
man. Yes, you may well leek eurprieek
but it IS nevertheless quite, trite. •
His hither was: a hair -dresser •in EcItn.
burgh,' Who was, I believe, unforittnate„. Alt •
many men . are, in his doinestio relations. '
He left Edinburgh' and settled in 'Paris,
where he had not ranch anodises. appar- •
°nay, for, When he died, he left. his Hen Jor
itlegaoy some wigs, hair lortothes,
and Bonne bad debts."
"Not much of a capital tobegin tlie
world upon," said Major Stuart, laughing.'
"80 tier friend soon discovered. How-
ever, he converted his.stock in trade into
money and joined. in circus, tvherof for soine
Months he ditithighished himself by stand-
ing on his heed' and contorting his limbs;
then he beice,m0:a‘pnblio singer -comic, et
course -and went the round of the gifts
chinpnts. When that failed, he was
general , utility' at a minor provincial
theatre," Sir Hugh continued ';• "and I,ain
convinced the stage is his vocation. .•.He
is a first-rate • eater, and makes ,np ,
capitally: It was at Poitiers that I
first made his acquaintance. "was travel- .
ling, and had met at a cafe the manager of '
the theatre there, a pleasant gentlemanly
•fellow enough', There rivere'y one...or two
pretty actresses belonging to the cinnwty,
and 'one night I invited the troupe to-Itup- •
per. •Latreille was aiming them, and con-
fess he attracted inc. ,,He, Was go frankly
hisolentotoamusing, and So independent
that .1 found him irresistible. Tile next
morning, to ply surprise; he called upon .
me, said he was enik of the ' stage, and
'offered his services as valet' and -courier
and I engaged him."
• "And you have not repented 2"
. .1'14ht once. He is a Most useful servant;
his only, fault is ttn occasionally slight free-
dom of manlier, •which' never approaches
insolence but at tithes ie soinewhat familiar.
But he is far too "valuable an acquisition to
dismiss for itOtriiling a fault. / dare say
he robe nie,°thr we are of the earn° size and.
build, and my' clothes fit him perfectly;
but he i0 perfect in his :own line And he
never chatters." , • • , •
"And he entertains a profound . admire
tion for ing Master," •
• , • •
ePo be continued.)
...,Deptity-Reeve ldoEvely, of Amherst-
fer toto deep fot ,you or for the But ,g .
•
A.111 ttsto
,
•
,