The Portland daily press., 1873-02-22

tanning at VIVA, On its way back from London
hexII The converSatiol turned after
10 ord Hin on general topics, and, somewhat to
NV m,,i surprise, she led it into such particular
Subjects as I might be supposed to be more
especially familiar with; indeed, / could not
avoid remarklng that her entire manner,
while it was anything but forward, was that
of one who had either known me personallv
or by report. There was in her manner
KIND OF confidential reliance when She listen
"a 10 me that Is not usually accorded to a
Stranger, ana someti nes she actually seemed |
W refer TO different circumstances with which |
had been connected in times past. After
ABOUT three-quarters of an hours converse
tion the tram arrived at Retford, whe.e was
10 cnange carriages. On my alighting and |
wishing her good morning, she maze slight |
movement OF the hand as if she meant to
shake it, and on my doing so she said, by
way of adieu, II dare say we shall. meet
again. to which replied, Il hope we shall
all meet again." and SO parted, she going on
the line towards London, and through Lin
c,lnshire to A. The remainder Of the |
journey was cold, wet, and dreary. l missed
| the agreeable conversation, and tried to sup
| ply its place with book had brought with
| me from York, and the Times newspaper,
which had p. occurred at Rettord. But the
most disagreeable journey comes to an end at
| last, and half-paSt five in the evening found
me at the termination of mine. carriage
was waiting for me at the station. where Mr.
Kirkbeck was also expected by the same
train, but as he did not appear it was con-
cuded he would come by the next-half an
hour later; accordingly, the carriage drove
away with myself only.
The family being from home at the moment,
and the dinner hour being seven, went at
once to my room to unpack and to dress hay
ing completed these operations, descended to
the drawing-room. 1t probably wan ed some
time to the dinner hour, as the lamps were
not lighted, but in their place a large blazing
| fire threw flood of light into every corner of
the room, and more especially over lady
who, dressed in deep black, was standing by
the chimney-pece warming very handsome
foot on the edge ofthe fender. Her face be-
| ing turned away from the door by which I
had entered did not at first see her features;
on my advancing into the middle OF the ROOM
however, the foot was Immediately with
dawn, and she turned round to accost me,
when, to my p. otound establishment, 1 per-
celVed That 1t was none other than my COM
panion in the railway carriage. She betrayed
no surprise at seeing me; on the contrary,
with one of those agreeable joyous express
ions that make the plainest woman appear
beautiful, she accosted me with, 81 said we
should meet again."
My bewilderment at the moment almost
way or other means by which she could have
come. / had certainly left her in London
train, and had seen it start, and the only
conceivable way in which she could have
come was by going on to PETERBOROUGH and
| then returning by a branch to A., a cir
cult OF about ninety miles. AS soon as my
surprise enabled me to speak, I said that l
wished had come by the same conveyance
| as herself
1 Thaf houo hon,>
she rejoined.
At this moment tue servant came with the
| lamps and informed me that his master had
| just arrived and would be down in few
minutes,
The lady took up a book containing some
engravirgs, and having singled one out ia
| portrait OF Lady, asked me to look at, it
well and tell her whether I thought it Ike
her.
Was engaged in trying to get up an opin-
ion, when Mr.. and Mrs. Kirkbeck entered.
and shaking me heartily by the hand, apollo.
gized for not being at home to receive me;
the gentleman ended by requesting me to
take Mrs. Kirkheck in to dinner.
The lady of the house having taken nv
arm, we marched on. l certainly hesitated a
moment to allow Mr.. Kirkbeck to pass on
flrst with the mysterious lady in black, but
Mrs. Klrkbeck not seeming to understand it,
we passed on at once. The dinner party con-
slsting of us four only, we fell into our re-
spectiye places at the table without difficulty,
the mistress and master of the house at the
top and bottom, the lady in black and myself
on each side. The dinner passed much as is
usual on such occasions. I, having to play the
guest, directed my conversation principally, if
not exclusively, to my host and hostess, and
cannot call to mind that or any one else ad-
dressed the lady opposite. Seeing this, AID
rene nbering something that looked like
slight want OF attention to her on coming
into the dining room, l at once concluded
that she was the goVerness. l observed how
ever, that she made an excellent dinner; she
seemed to appreciate both the beet and the
tart as well as glass of clsret afterwards;
probably she had had no luncheon, or the
journey had given her an appetite.
The dinner ended, the ladies retired, and
after the usual port, Mr.. Kirkbeck and join
ed them in the drawing room. By this time,
however, a much larger party had assembled.
Brothers and sisters-:n-law had come in from
their residences in the neighborhood, and
several children, with Miss Hardwick, their
| governess, were also introduced to me. 1 saw
at once that my supposition as to the lady in
black being the governess was incorrect. After
passing the time necessarily occupied in COM
plimenting the children, and sa, ing some
| tnIng to the different persons to whom was
introduced, found myself engaged in con-
versation with the lady of the railway car
riage, and as the topic ofthe evening had re-
ferred principally to portrait painting, she
continued the subject.
500 you think you could paint my por-
trait p the lady enquired.
| Yes, think cou d, if had the oppor-
tunlJy."
''Now, look at my face well; do you think
| you should recollect my features ?"
-"Yes, l am sure 1 should never forget your
| features
'Of course might have expected you to
say that; but do you think you could do me
from recoectien?'
"Well, if it is necessary, 1 will try; but
can't you give me any sittings2"
No quite impossible; it could not be. 1t
is said that the print showed to you before
dinner is like me; do you think sop
Not much" replied; sit has not your
expression. If you can give me only one sit
ting, it would be better than none"
''No; 1 don't see how it could be-"
The evening being by this time rather far
advanced, and the chamber candles being
brought in, on the plea of being rather tired,
she shook me heartily by the hand, and wish
ed me good night. My mysterious acquaint-
ance caused me no small bordering during
the night. had never been introduced to her
l had not seen her speak to any one during
the entire evening, not even to wish them
good night-how she got across the country
was an lneXpllcable mystery. Then, why did
she wish me to paint her from memory,
and why could she not give me even one sit
ting? Finding the difficulties of solution to
these questions rather increase upon me, 1
made up my mind to defer further consider
alton OF them till breakfast time, when SUD.
posed the matter would receive some elucida-
ton.
The breakfast now came, but with it No la
dy in black. The breakfast over we went to
church, came home to luncheon, and so on
through the day, but still no lady, neither any
reference to her. l then concluded she must
be some relative, who had gone away early in
the morning to visit another member of the
family living close by. l was much puzzled,
however, by no reference whatever being
made to her, and finding no opportunity of
leading any part OF my conversation with the
the family towards the subject, i went to bed the
second night more puzzled than ever. On the
servant coming in in the morning, ventured
to ask him the name of the lady who dined at
the table on Saturday evening, to which he
answered:
"a lady, sir? No lady, only Mrs. Kirkbeck
sir''
1,I,