The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1869-03-05
BIDDEFORD, ME-, FRIDAY


fully polite to his lady; but perhaps that
was proper-beforc servants.
Sir Hugh, taking Evelyn to the draw
Ing. rooms. which he had caused to be al
tered and frightened for her. turned anu
said to her, Welcome home
And as he said II, the memory OF MS
own dreams Of that home stung him SO
bitterly that he half put out his arms 10
take into them the Evelyn he had once
known. Bit she never saw the move
ment and would not have needed II shc
had seen. She passed on into the room,
the brilliant light of which seemed to hurt
Sir Hugh's eyes, for he put his hand over
them suddenly; and for moment ne
stood at the door, irresolute; then closed
Il gently, and went to see after his little
girl.
That was natural enough, thev said
those gOsslps down stairs who were al
ways on the watch. But why didn't he
take his new wife with him? And why
did he stay with the child hour after hour,
till none of the evening remained? The
first evening, too! Above all, why,
when the household had retired, and all
was quiet. did tall, slight figure, which
rustled little as 1t passed, go into the
nursery and kneel down beside the sleep
ing babe and sob?
The nurse saw, for she was not asleep,
as my lady fancied; and she was not like
ly to keep 1t to herself, either. These and
such things were puzzling. At first they
formed constant source of whlsperlngs
and shaklngs of wise heads; but gradual
ly the gloss of newness wore away nom
them; the dull days swept on, and some
thing Of the grimness of the stone heads
that guarded the sweep of steps mt the
hall-door seemed to have crept into the
house. IL was so silent and still: so mo-
nOtonous. But for the small Cecilia, II
would have been unutterably dismal. But
she was child, and had childish ways,
which remained unchecked. She was
quite young enough to take very kindly
to the new mamma, who was so beautiful
and so good to her.
Not like what nurse said she would be
ugly and cross she said to her favorite
playfullow-'but good. think she could
have brought the little princess to life
again, rs well as the fairy did. You nev-
er saw such eyes In your life as she has
got; just like the pool under the willows.
where we are not TO go, Charlie, you
know; down, as II you couldn't ever see
the bottom; ever SO deep. And she kisses
me. toO.'
TO which the boy replied, with decision,
that she couldn't be fairy In that case,
for fairies never kissed anybody; IL wasn't
lucky, that was unless they were wicked
fairies. And IL was all very well now, but
when Cecil married him, he shouldn't al
low her to kiss anybody.
By-and-by, however, rs Cecil grew old
or. she used to wonder In her wise little
head, what made her father and mother.
when they were alone. talk to each other,
If they did talk, so like company This
was her idea of 1t. She jumped up from
the piano one day, and waltzed round the
footstool Mt Lady Rainham's feet. with
sudden thought that she would find out.
'Well,' said Evelyn, looking at the
pursed-up lips, which evidently had q
question upon them, what's the matter?
Is your new music-lesson too hardy
MY new music-lesson isis n fldgcty
crank said Cecil, hesitating for an eX-
preston strong enough, but it's not that.
I was just wondering why you and pa
pa
Sir Hugh let his book fall with sud-
den noise, and went out of the room,
passing the child, but taking no notice Of
her.
why YOU and Papa went ON Cecil, re-
nectively. ARE so odd, like grand visitors.
When there's any one here, ! have to sit
still. and not tumble my frock, nor cross
my feet; but when there's no one, IL Is
different
Your papa and are not children said
Lady Rainham. 'Grown-up people must
be steady. Cis.'
Then l don't want to be grown mp.
And I'm quite sure. quite sure, that I'll
never be married, IL one Is to do nothing
but sit-sit all day long, and have no fun
Lady Rainham bent down to kiss the
resolute lips that uttered this bold decis-
ion. and then her face grew sad. There
were times when even to her pride the life
she led seemed almost too hard to bear
times when she was mad enough to think
she would tell Sir Hugh that the act
which stamped him In her eyes rs base
and dishonOrablc was 10 secret from her,
rs he doubtless believed Ii to be. But she
could not do 1t.
1t seemed to her rs II the consciousness
that she knew would only make him more
contemplate in his own eyes rs well as In
hers. 1t would but widen the gulf, and
make, and make what she was able to
bear now utterly intolerable. For she
never doubted that this purport of the
letter was known to him, and he had sup
pressed 1t for his own ends. And the
poor boy who wrote 1t was dead. There
was the great mischief of 1t all. II he
had been living and well, so tender halo
might not have rested over the past, and
all I'm the past connected with him; so
bitter n resentment might not have been
nursed I'm silence against the wrong which
her husband had done them both. But
Frank had lived but few months after
her wedding, and she never saw him
again. He was dead and she had killed
him-no, not she, but Sir Hugh.
She was thinking such thoughts one
,lay when something made her look up,
and she met Sir Hugh's eyes fixed upon
her. There was so peculiar TN express
sion I'm them that she cOnld not prevent n
certain proud, antagOnistic inquiry COM
Inc into her own. lie went towards. her
with his book open IN his hand. He bent
down and put his finger on a line In the
page. drawing her attention to 1t.
s'IIow much the wife Is dcarer than
the BRIDE This struck Inc rather, that's
ALL he said, anil went away.
Evelyn, sat by the window, but the
book dropped from her fingers, and slIc
covered her face. What did he mean? II
he had only not gone away then!
slow could no do that one thlngT she
said to herself. lie meant the linc rs u
reproacl to me. And would have loved
hin,-is Il possible that do love him, In
spite of itY Am so weak and false? /
want so much to comfort him sometimes
that half fsrc ct, and am tempted. But
never WILL never must. used to be
strong, | shall be strong STILL
And So the same front of Icy indifIcr-
encc met Sir Hugh day by day and year
by year. and he knew none of her strug-
giles. But he wrapped himself up more
and more I'm his books and his problems
and writings. New MSS. began to grow
ont of old ones, for he had always been
given 10 authorship. and the accumula-
lion OF papers on various subjects. In
these DAYS little fairy used to come In
from time to time with pretence Of ar
ranging them for him. She would open
and shut the study door with great show
of ouietness, seat herself on big chest
which was full of old papers, and In which
she meant to have glorious rummage
some day; and begin folding up neat lit
tie packages; stitching loose sheets to-
gcther; reading bit here and there, and
looking up now and then with sugges-
tive SIGH, till he would lay aside his work.
and declare she was the plague of his life.
This was the signal always for the forced
gravity TO disappear from Cecil's face;
for her To- jump up, radient and glccful,