Litchfield enquirer., 1869-06-10
WHOLE NO. s2o7s

}. the party were altering and arranein, F dresses and rehearsing scenes At last grew quite tired with the noise and bustle 2 ahdi wondering how order was eyer .tf | Il grow out of such chaos, went away tD Yn, g l own room and sat at my window Efook;Ts e lout over the parkenI felt miserablee n6 ' from on any real cause, but the, ,nameless, feel isHng that the setting sun gives one. shininf 3 thr ugh purple trees on a winter afternoot, g It almost seems. if hope were leaving thl r world in that blaze of crimson and oranR, 3 and purple. It was almost dark when, tr ,, my surprise, heard the crunch of wheels. , and the next minute saw the CheddiuQton
 carriage going towards the stables. No
 one had been out that afternoon, of that wal certain. Some one must have oome from the station, but knew of no ona , coningad >jp geai El - lQi !. went down to the dining room hopine } to see the new arrival on my way. but msi ) 10 one, only as entered the room hearS servant inquiring for Sir Francis. As ) had expected. there was still much to be
 done when the dressing bell rang. Forth. nately It Was an irregular sort of dinner in the hall, served at two tables, and no
 one seemed expected to arrive at the prop.
 CT time. The tables were so placed that
 the occupants sat back to back; and it so
 happened that Valerie and MT. Sartor;s
 were not my 0is.d cts but my dos-c.dos AZ 1 the other end of our table there had been
 two places kept, one for Sir Francis. and the other, I supposed. for the newly arriv-
 ed guest. The soup had gone when Sir Fran els, entered the hall accompanied by a
 tall dark man with his arm ID a sling.
 There was great deal of talking and | laugnlng going OH at the other table. and
 no one there seemed to observe their en :.
 trance. erf3.rs a- .rs ,.-z. Ia.--@~ T.. =. | ,l~'""Do you see that dark man sitting bv
 Sir Francis Herries?" asked my neiQhbor. "Canl you tell me who he is?", D. Iconld only answer "No'; then, to see If my own impressions were correct. ask. ed, What country do you think he belongs q don't know,'' he answered slowly. | looking at the subject of our conversation: :
 French, perhaps. perhaps Italian or Aus. trlan; at any rate, not English" he said. smiling, as he turned away. i-'D' e' ..
 tsNot English, indeed! How the Vienna days returned as I watched him, SO utterly
 unlike the Englishmen with whom he sat. A dark, handsome face, though worn Ithrough recent suffering. with eyes of southern spIendOr. It was evident that he
 
 one but his host, and once distinctly saw | Sir Francis directing him to the place where Valerie sal. It was not hard to guess who he was; the only thing loneod for was to warn her in some way of his presence, but it was impossible. She was not near enough to speak to without caus- Ing, perhaps, a scene, and, if possible, that was to be avoided. If could only have stoo oped her talking to that mani
 Many times during that interminable dinner saw the deep-set, glittering eyes flare up with sudden blaze as her silyery laughtor the deep tones of her companions reached his ear, and the dark blood came aud went in his face, pale through long illness. Though his arm was in a sling, I noticed that 1t was not altogether helpless, for he som metiues used it. 1d 95DoA eG' ba' O that dinner! and how disgraced my. self Before it was over was worked up to, such pitch of excitement that precip- itated quantity of sticky pudding over old Mir. Palgrave's knees, and then burst into a fit of hysterical laughter in the poor old genteman's face. At last it was time for us, to go, and the other table moved at the same instant. I had not a moment to warn her: she turned towards me, and her eyes instantly fixed themselves upon the lower end of our table. He was standing up, looking full at her. For one second she remained motionless, then, without word fell forward upon the floor. Whether the man jumped over the table or went round never discovered, but before either Mr. Sartoris or Lord Cosmo could get to her he was at her side. r -A s.. -.
 II will carry this lady, sir," said Lord Cosmo, thickly, attempting to interpose his great hulking form between Valerie and the Austrian; but the other put him aside, with quiet, courteous determine ton. .-g.g,,s7 ..,rt lt .-..---.. ,...:....r-...
 ''Pardon, monsieur, it is my right; am her husband!' he said rapidly in French, little speech the point of which was entire Iy lost on the thick headed Englishman who looked inclined to resist and follow this black headed devil of mosso, as he no doubt called him in his own mind, when Mir. Sartoris laid his hand upon his arm.
 Don't be fool, Fox, the mans her hus- band" J- - 5sal -
 The whole scene had taken place in less than minute, and the ladies had not vet got out of the room. Turned to look at the speaker; something in the tone of his low, clear voice struck me. He was lean. ing on the back of his chair, his eyebrows |contracted, and looking Whitish about the mouth. As our eyes met he moved away and left the hall by another door. Hs must have been badly hurt. It was the only time ever saw the slightest change Ill the cool, cruel, aristocratic face. As for Lord Oosmo, he had sunk back in his chair ms mouth half open, his eyes staring "a. cantly at the wall. s Such an event as this was beyoud the widest flights of imagine | tion. .u.. oa ..s...,.s 1st
 mutterea; g" | didn't want to carry her up, I'll be --..--,if, did.''. As I passed through the door I, heard the soothing, innocent refrain still issuing from the lips of that
 young man of !" high position. Whether
 he went through the whole verb s' to do," ITsdon know; if he, did, should say 1t 4 was about the only exercise in English IiGraulunar he had ever indulged in. 'ss1'io q
 1t was no suse going to Valerie's room, Ithere were too many people there already, landlfI knew that Mrs. Cherry, the old I Ihousekeeper, would do exactly what waa I riqht. After two hours struggling to ene tertaiin the people, who were in that state | of suppressed whispering excitement in (which people, will be when there is any thing going on which they are not desired