The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1869-06-19

BY MRS. HARRIET LEWIS.
CHAPTER !.
THE LADY BEATRICE.
| Had she lived before the siege OF Troy
| Helen. whose beauty summoned Greece to arms,
And drew thousand ships to Tenedos,
Had not been named IN Homer's lliad
Her name had been in every line he wrote.
MARLowE.
| The Lady Beatrice Hampton, only child OF the Earl
OF Hampton, had passed her youth and early woman.
hood and was still unmarried tShe had had no lack OF
sutors, FOR she mad inherited from ner mother an
| plished a reignlng belle and leader In society.
! Her friends were puzzled at her adherence to cell
bacy, and no one was more puzzled than her father
whose greatest desire TO see her happily married
1t was an unsolvabe problem to the Earl that his
daughter should persist in refusing the most eligible
| offers, and she was looked upon, even by her adj
mirers, as beautiful mystery. delightful puzzle
| marble hearted and insomprehensible sphinx.
One March evening in the drawngrOom of his
| town house, Lord Hampton sat thinking Of his
! daughter. The night was wild and stormy. The
| pleasant room presented strong contrast to the
gloom without. sea coal fire named In the polished
| CRATE The great chandelier hooded the room with
| light. Flowers, fresh from the greenhouse, with
moisture yet upon their petals, were crowded with
| profusion into vases, whose delicate sculpture
would have fired an artists heart. The heavy,
warm-hued curtains fell In folds to the door, shut
ting out the darkness, and shutting In the light and
| warmth and fragrance
The Earl was tail and stately, with becoming port
illness OF figure and eyes keen in his early youth
! complexion OF unusual ruddness hair and wins.
| kers OF iron gray, and manly features. whose ex.
| preston inclined to sternness. He had almost
reached threescore years and ten but he exhibited
| none OF the feebeness OF age. His mind retained
Its vgOr, and his manners were those OF the courtly
| old-school gentleman,
His thoughts were evidently anxious and troubled.
He reused himself from them at last, and stretched
out his hands towards the bellpul. AT that mo-
| ment the curtains dividing the apartments from
second drawingroom were lifted, ana the Lady Bea-
m} lou sent for me fatner she Inquired approach
"a did, Beatrice responded his lordship al have
something or importance 10 say to you"
The Lady Beatrice stood leaning against the mar
bic mantelpiece IN an eXpectant attitude.
She was superbly beautiful woman. At least
four aud thirty years OF age, she looked scarcely i've
Lord Hampton looked at her with fathers pride,
yet with strange expression. This being. so cold
If she ever experienced any womaniy emotions. and
while he wondered the Lady Beatrice broke the
| silence.
"You have news from your friend Lord Adlowe,
have you not ~ she asked
yes; his lordship has returned to England" re.
| piled the Earl. "l received line from him this
morning informing me that he arrived in town last
evening ! called upon him and invited him to
dine with us to-day. He Is all Impotence see you
| II is OF Lord Adlowe that am about to speak to
you"
ing: encouraged by her attentiveness the Earl re.
Lord Adlowe comes back to u.s. after his five
| years. journeying, more than ever your slave. He
has been for eight years your faithful lover IL was
you who made him an exile and wanderer. He
proaching you Tor your GOODNESS, never forcing his
attentions upon you"
because he never dared to y, interposed the Lady
Beatrice, with an icy SMILE 81 DO not like Ormond
| Adowe, father. He is false and bad at heart ms
| years Of devotion to me Notwithstanding. lie has
returned to renew his prosecutions OF me- He is
tired OF rowing, suppose, and his Golfers need re,
must repeat what have said SO many Tunes to ron
and to him: shall never marry
| and why nots" demanded the Earl. ''Have you
are advancing In years. How long VIII il be before
you Will be pushed aside IN society by younger
| long to see you mistress OF your own household
happy wife. Can It be that you are still mourning
| for that misguided Georrey Treveyan-the unworthy
scion OF noble house, the middight robber of his
| uncle"
stop r' said the Lady Beatrice, swift flush over
spreading her features 81 do care TO hear Goef
| fey Treveyan's name. They say he is dead.n
| Yes, he is dead" said the Earl, thoughtfully.
| .He died many years ago. IN foreign land-poor
fellow After all he was but q boy, and his untiinely
fate always saddens me. He had in him the stuff
| evil associates. Had Lord Trevelyan his uncle
whose heir he was, pursued hum less vindictively
for his crime Godfrey might have been living and
honored to-day. don't blame you for growing for
him, for you were mis- betrothed wife; but ne was
unworthy and is dead You were but mere child
| love Tor his memory sti.r
81 am not romantic father- said the Lady Bea-
! trice, dryly. "You say that all men are not ike
| him. meaning that Lord Adlowe Is without Geof-
| lrev's weaknesses and faults. Lord Adlowe is not
weak ., but ms Is no, the strength ike The truth
society. ] like TO be admired and worshipped; but
! nave no heart Tor my admirers TO win. have no
| heart"
"why must you disappoint the hopes have so
long cherished, Beatrice ~ questioned her father bit
terly Have you no love Tor me, no respect for NV
| wshesf What would your loved society say II IL
knew that you are mystery to your own father
me that you were leading double LIFE. His words
have been confirmed hundred times since by my
own observation. You 90 lead double life. You
Beatrice started lowering her gaze to the fire. as
II she feared her soul might look from eyes and
~ do not understand you ~ she murmured.
81 Will endeavor TO explain" returned the Earr,
gravely. "You are the mistress OF my household
You receive our visitors preside az our balls and
parties, and fulfl your duties 20 society. But day
after day, evening after evening, you mysteriously
smut Yourself up IN your own apartments, seeing
one replying TO no summons or messages, giving no
evidence Of life. II is "a u your chambers were your
without eoitinR response. The last time was az
tackled BY he govt sent for you, ana yet yon did not
come 10 me for hours, ana did even send to IN.
gulre after my welfare wha, Is the explanation OF
| tins, Beatrcew
al have tried TO answer the question for myself ~
said the Earl, after waiting In vain for reply .If
1. possible for you to leave the house SO contn
| uay without my knowledge should believe that
| hall your time was spent away from home I have
remarked that these secusions do not occur at our
country seat. DO You spend these missing hours in
opum.eater's dreansS ] again ask you, Beatrice,
what = the meaning OF these seasons Of dumDness
The Lady Beatrice lifted her head, turning her face
| TO the light Her countenance was Of marble white
ness, save that 10 her cheeks burned scarlet glow.
| Her eyes were like glowing suns. Her manner be.
trayed an intense agitation and excitement show.
| ing that her whole nature was In commoton.
81 have no explanations TO give father,v she said,
| tremor Of passion underlying her cold tones.
"Thlnk what you VIII, suspect as you may, ] have
s DO no n at yd %ay
| ter as proud as yourself | know would rather
] ole than suy the name bear. Let that sufice ~
| she stood erect In her imperial beauty, like one
| without trace OF weakness In heart or soul
| At that moment the curtains were again lifted and
| Iord