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The Brussels Post, 1890-11-28, Page 2STRANGELY WEDDED. A THRILLING STORY OF ROMANCE AND ADVENTURE. CHAPTER XVII. Tna PIP110 'MISS OF P01 1. Tell not all you know and judge not all •you see if you would live in peace. What happened to Mademoiselle -Valerie as Ethel Dennie and Jack '.Trevor passed out of the lobby of 'the Haymarket Theatre into the dark night, I cannot say, but cer. 'fain it is that she did not immedi• a,tely make it her buslneee to call ,upon Major Dennie in his retreat ,attire Flats, S. W. Time went on - .days wore away and the Dennises .still believed they were safe from the relentless shadow which had persued them so unpleasantly at Cherteey. And at this way they got on in a wonderfully pleasant way. Major Dennis was but little at the Flats ; he went a great deal to his club, and be spent a great deal of his time in the company of "dear old Charley Coventry,"—who had never yet managed to pay his respects to his •chum's wife. Stay, though—he bad gone twice to the Flats when Ethel was out. 'Its so very odd, you know,Ethel,' he said after the second pall which Charley Coventry had made, 'that old Charley should be eo anxious to know you and should mise you •twice running.' 'Why dont you ask him to din• iner ?' said Ethel innocently. 'Why, yea, that's a good idea, •cried the Major. 'I`ll ask him to. .morrow -eh ? And then we can go ~four to a.theatre.' 'Yes,' answered Ethel—'I'm sure That would be far the best.' ,But Charley Coventry . did not taccept the invitation—naturally he hardly could, poor fellow, having been out of the way of dinner• _parties for many a long year. iMajor Dennis gave his excuses to Ethel, and added the information &that 'old Charley's such a desperate - sly shy chap, I dare say he shirks sit.' Ethel's life at this time was a 'very well ,oeoupied one, and she was els happy as it was possible for her to he, useless she had been Jack Trevor's wife. She saw him every -day and sometimes several times in the day—it had come to be an un- derstood thing that where she went he would go also ; and Major Den• a iia eo far from resenting it, regard 'ed the arrangement in the light of a'totally unmixed blessing, whioh mould permit him to come and go when •he pleased. And very soon Ethel began to ,make friends and to have quite a mice little circle of acquaintances. She got to know several people diving,in .The "Elate, or they got to •irnow her:; and through them she :got to know some very pleasant people in the world outside of the toommnnity which lived under the ,same roof•tree. And there were xaome very charming people living :ia The Flats at that time. There 'was a Airs. Wylie, a widow getting into years, who wore her pretty white hair dressed high over a cushion and looked like an old Marquise of the Faubourg. And rtbere was Mrs. Weston -West, the ,most brilliaut essayist of modern times, with the sharpest pen and the keenest wit and the mildest and sweetest manners in all London town ; and there was Stewart 1'Estraugethe man who did every thing and did it well—who wrote plays and poems and books and •songs, who painted pietnres and •composed waltzes, Well, in the rooms of such people as these Ethel naturally met all the world and hie wife, and a good many pleasant people intimated that they would ,like to know her better. Among others was a Mrs. Mara - win, a widow of ample means and a large capacity for enjoying all kinds of eooiety, a woman who was never so happy as when ehe was arrang ing for a party in her own house or going to one in somebody else's. .And Mre, Maravin took an equal fancy to Ethel Dennis, 'Do you know,' she said to her the second time she met her—'it is not often I really take to new acquaintances—I am not a woman who goes to an evening party with her card•case in her hand and deals her visiting cards about like a round game. But sometimes I take fancies and I about 1 greatly like to 3cnow you better. Wont you come vend sec me ?' T should like it very much,' said Ethel, feeling greatly pleased and a .ltttlo,flattered, for she bad heard of Mrs. •Maravin as one of the most !popular hostesses in London. 'Then come and aee me the day 'after to -morrow, in the afternoon,' Said Mrs Maravin. 'T shall have a t31t -1 SS1✓ 1LS IQST Maravin replied. There ie very little difference betweeu thous.' 'But the little difference is,all .the world to them,' said Ethel. {hedge, get ue some tea at onoe, please.' 'Yes Mum,' answered Judge. 'What pretty rooms you have ly—and Madam de Vida, who needs here,' said Mre. Maravin. no explanation. Won't you intro. 'They are not exactly ours,' Ethel duce your husband to me ? with a glance at Trevor who was etanding close by. Ethel blushed a little. 'This is not my husband, Mrs. Maravin, but a great friend of—of ours ; he and my husband were in the same regi- ment—and I have known him since I was a little child. Jaok, let me introduce you to Mrs. Alaravin.' Trevor moved towards them and bowed profoundly to Mrs, Maravin, who looked on him with kindly eyes, as meet women did, and told him that she had been begging Mrs. Dennis to come and see her, and that she hoped that he would come also, 'But I hope your husband will 00010 too,' she said to Ethel, with- out giving Trever opportunity to do more than bow his acknowledge of her invitation. 'Does he go about tea -'Ie the Major at home, Judge ?' much ?' Mrs. Dennis asked, '011 1 yes—but not much in the 'He ha, just come in, Aium,' re- plied. 'Ask him to come here, please.' 'I will, Mum.' Accordingly, two minutes later, explained. 'We did nut find a large suite vaoaut, except this whioh was to be let furnished for. a few months. Bub we like living here so much that we shall secure the first good•eized suite that falls vacant.' 'Ali t yea, I see, That lady, Madame Woleneki, she lives hero also. But I fanny she has her own rooms hire. She had a letter of introduction to the from a dear friend of mine in Vienna.' 'And how pretty she is,' Ethel re• marked, 'Yes, ale is—not perhaps pretty, as se striking looking, and so dis- tinguished iu manner. And all that pretty white hair, that is what maires you call her pretty.' 'Perhaps ; I thought ft lovely.' 'Yes, and I also ' Just then Judge Dame iu with tb e afternoon,' Ethel answered. 'But he is not an invalid ?' Mrs. Maravin asked. 'Oh ! dear no -011 l no. Cosmo is anything but an invalid, is he Aiajor Dennie cams in with his best not ?' she answered, appealing to manner, to be introduced to Mrs. Trevor. Maravin. And Mrs. Moravia was 'Ohl very much eo,' he replied 80 charmed by him, that she wins- promptly—'at least I mean that he pared to Ethel, :My dear child, is very much anything but an in- what a mistake of mine. Do you valid.' know I had an idea that your bus. Mrs, Moravia gave a sigh of re- band was ninety nine. As it is he lief. 'Ah 1 that is a great comfort. is quite charming.' In society now -a days, one has to 'I am very glad' you think so,' be so very careful in even mention- said Ethel, wondering whether Mrs. ing absent husbands and wives. I Maravin would thinly, Cosmo D en alwaya feel my way carefully and nis quite charming if she was ea ar- yet I made a mistake with you just ried to him ?' now, . didn't 1 ?' '012 1 I do ; I am so glad to have 'A slight mistake,' admitted Ethel seen hint. Major Dennis, your wife blushing again. has faithfully promised to come Airs. Maravin laughed. 'Ali 1 over on Thursday afternoon—now I people one meets about are very hope you will come too.' odd—I daresay vitae of my ec• 'I'll do my beet,' said the Major quaintaoces thiuk me as odd as I in his most effusive manner: think other people sometimes ; still 'That's not half a bad sort of it is alittle trying when you send a woman,' he remarked when Mrs. woman an invitation and you either Moravia had fairly gone—'but quite leave out her husband when they the style of woman to take you in live together and everything is all and do for you from the cradle to right between them, or you put him the grave.' in and find that she is a widow. I If Trevor could help it, he never think people ought to be labelled— laughed at a joke of Major Dennis's 'M' for married and ail right—'W' —that one, however, so exactly des - for widow -'S' for separated couples. cribed the lady who had taken pis I am aura it would be far leas awk• session of Ethel, that he could not ward than it is now.' help going into a hearty fit of I suppose it would,' said Ethel— laughter. 'but as yet I have hardly begun to 'Ah, you may laugh, you may ask anyone. Still I hope you will laugh as much as you like,' cried come although I have no crowd of the Major—'And by the bye, young clever people to attract you.' man, there's a letter for you at the I shall 00010 to see you,' said club marked 'Most important.' I Mrs, Maravin kindly. 'By -the -bye, wanted to bring it round to you, what part of the world do you live having caught a glimpse of it in the in 2' hall•porter'e band, but though I 'Here—in The Flats,' Ethel re- told him you would certainly be plied, here, he didnt see it. Hadn't you '011 1 really, That is very nice. better go round and get it ?' I live in Queen Anne's Gate. I '01, it's safe enough, there,' said know so many people in The Hats Trevor easily. that I could spend a whole day go• 'Still you had far better go—It ing from one floor to another,' may be —from the regiment. Or -'Won't you come and pay me a shall I send Judge sound 2' little visit now 2' Ethel asked. 'Not a bit of it, Major, I wouldn't I should like it im aensely,' Mrs. trouble you for the world. I'll go Maravin replied. 'Are you up or round presently and see what it is, down 2' A. moneylender wants to lend me '0h 1 down, We are quite in money, I've no doubt.' the dregs of society,' Ethel cried He finished his tea and asked for laughing. another cup, ate two bits of butter - 'Yea, I suppose the top people do ed muffin and presently sauntered pride themselves on it,' Mrs. Mara• off to go to the club to find the im• vin said—then looked at the watch portant litter. on her wrist—'a quarter past six— 'Major Dennis tells me you have well, if you want me to come in for an important letter for me,' he said ten minutes,will you take me now 2' to the hall-porter—'you might quite 'Of course I will,' Ethel replied. safely hays given it to him.' So they then went down to the next 'It's as much as my place is floor where the Dennises lived ; not worth, Sir, to give up a letter to lordship had spoken to us of con. n unioating with you, as he believed that you were the son of the late Biehop of 13lankhampton, who fail- ing 16800 of the Hon. Hugh Trevor, was next heir to the title of Ross. trovor, our late client never having married. 13,is lordship was, how- ever, in very bad health and at all times of a nervous and retiring die. position and the definite orders to communicate with you wore never given. 'If, us we surmise, yeti are the son of the late Edward Trovor, Bis- hop of Blankhampton, you are now Lord Roestrevor, of Rosetrevor County Antrim, and of Trevor Hall, Norfolk. Will you be kind enough to communicate with u s at erne and inform ns whether you will be pree' out at the late lord's obsequies or not 2 'Our late honored client left full directions for his funeral, which we feel justified in assuming that you will wish to be carried out to the letter.. 'We aro, sir, your most obedient— 'RaNnLa, NHWINQA & Go, 'Solicitors.' Jack Trevor went over it again and again. 'If, as we surmise. you are the eon of the late Edward 'Tre- vor, Bishop ,of Blankhampton,' he real aloud, in a desperate effort to get the right sense of the words in- to his mind, 'you are now Lord Rosetrevor, of Rosetrevor, County Antrim, and Trevor Hall, Norfolk.' 'Why, then I must be Lord Roes- trevor—I—oh 1 no, they can't mean that, it's impossible 1' Then he read the letter over again. 'Yes, that's what they mean. 'You are now Lord Rosetrevor,' I am Lord Rosetrevor. I—Jaok Tre- vor—I—I—never felt so idiotic iu my life.' He got up from the big chair and went towards the window. 'Hello, Jaok,' exolaimed a man sitting there with one or two other men. 'What's up 2 You're as white as chalk. Are you i11 2 I hope you haven't bad news in that letter.' Jack looked at the letter and then at the- questioner. 'News,' he re. plied. 'Yes --and rte knooked me over completely.' 'Not money losses, I hope, old chap,' said the other, holding out a sympathetic hand to him. 'No, I suppose not. You can read it. I feel idiotic, as if I didn't know whether I was standing on my head or my heels. I wish one of you fellows would order me a brandy and soda.' There was a bell on the table and a man near to it struck it immedi- ately. 'Bring Mr. Trevor o brandy and soda,' he said. Meantime the man who was read• ing the letter—George Dalrymple- read to the end with many an ex- clamation of surprise ; then he jumped up and shook Jack's hand heartily. 'My dear Trevor, or I must call you Rosetrevor very soon now, I congratulate you with all my heart. I hal no idea there was any pro- bability of anything of that kind happening.' 'Nor I. I never thought about it,' said Jack rather wistfully. 'I knew that I had some relat nus, hat —. Oh, well, I can't talk about it just now. I feel dazed and half off my head. Ah 1 thanks,' as the waiter brought him the refreshing stimulant. "There, I begin to feel more like myself than I did, Thanks Dalrymple, old chap, thanks.' He tore himself away from them all with the excuse that he must wire off a reply to the lawyers at once and he weut into the library and filled in a telegraph form. 'Yee, I am the only son of Ed- ward Trevor, Bishop of Blaukhamp- tun. I will come tomorrow as early as possible. Carry out all the however, without interruption, for a lady just entering the room was an acquaintance of Mrs. Alaravin's and stopped to speak to her. 'Ah 1 Madame,' she said—'how lute you are—I am just running away.' 'How sorry I am,' replied the lady—'I have been elsewhere this afternoon.' 'Are you coming to me on Thurs- day 2' Yea.' 'Ah 1 that is right. Let me in. troduce you to my friend, Mrs. Dennis—Mrs. Dennis, Madame Wolonski.' The two ladies exchanged greet• ioge and then Mrs, Maravin declar- ed that she mint go. 'Good-bye, thin,' said Madame Woleneki, amiling. 'Good•byo, Madame,' (to Ethel) 'I hope we shall meet again,' 'Many thanks -I hope so,' answer- ed Ethel, 'How exadtly alike foreigners are,' remarked Airs. Maravin as they reached the door of the Dennioce' flat—'so flowery and all that: 'What is ehe--a Russian or a little good music -not the sort of Pole 7' Ethel aeked. , 'Since the death last month, with• thug you geuerally hear about—but 'A Pole, I asked her if she was e. out issue, of fiord Rosstrevor'a only .elder, who;playatthe violin divine. Busman and she ehudderod,' Mrs, brother, the Hon, Iiugli Trevor, his anyone but the owner,' the man re• plied. 'It wouldn't do, Sir, it late Lord Rosetrevor', wishes to the wouldn'tindeed.' letter. John Trevor, idtl Dra- 'I dare say not—thanks, and Trevor moved on turning into the smoking.room, where he pulled an easy chair near to the lire and Bottled himself comfortably therein, before ho broke the seal whioh se. cured the envelope. 'Now, let us see what it's all about,' he said to himself. CHAPTER XVIII. 11101 LINas• "Nothing to do in this world of ours 1 Where weeds spring up with the fairest flowers 1 where smiles have only a fitful play 1 And hearts are breaking everyday 1" For a fow minutes after Jack Tre, vor had read that letter he sat quite still trying to take in the acme thereof. In plain words it ran thus, but just at first they eecmed to convey no meaning to him 'Wo regret exceedingly that we have to inform you of the demise of our honored client, Lord Rosetrevor, Which occurred feet evening between ten and eleven o'Cloak. goons.' Then when be had sent this off, he walked out of the olub and back to The Flats. He found Ethel wearing a loose white gown and alone. 'Well 2' she said, looking up. here is the Major 2' Ile's going out to dinner—he's dressing now. Why ?' 'Do you know what has happened to me 7' 'No. How should I know 2' I am Lord Boastrevor,' Ho was so excited, so utterly upset, that he blurted the news out without any idea of what its effect might be up- on her. 'You are Lord Rosstrevor-- whit do you mean 2' she cried. 'I don't mean anything. Oh 1 Ethel, Ethel if we had only known, if your mother had only known, she would have let you marry as you liked. But it's too late now, too late to be any good.' His face was quivering, although I do not mean to imply that he was near to tears. Ethel, however, dropped back into her chair with a (OoNTINu5a ON 1'oox 8.) 1.5 NOT. 28, 1890, rr —s 1'tiCU E ES— • THE POST Balance of 1800. Don't Bother your Neighbor Bor- rowing, when you can be Inde- pendent for that Amount. A Trial Trip will Convince. you that our Plan is the Most Satisfactory. 1891. 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