Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1873-04-03
CHAPTER XVII.
Ir~rrJc A ppoTuER's PART.

In accordance with this wise resolution,
Ralph did not 60 to Avondale for several days.
Then he only remained for short time. and
did not see Mrs. Ravenswood at all. He al
lowed another space of several days to elapse
before his next visit. Again Mrs. Ravens
wood was invisible. This mode of procedure
continued for several weeks. Berta, though
decidedly better, improved very slowly. FL
nally, one day when Mrs. Ravenswood was
sauntering through the flower garden, not
knowing that Doctor Eglinton was on the
premises, she encountered him in one Of the
garden walks. Turning abruptly, she evinced
desire to avoid the meeting, but the doctor
followed her and without any ceremony Of
salutation, said
"My dear Mrs. Ravenswood, do not avoid
me any longer. am quite convinced, now,
that my suit is hopeless; 20 do not think l
am so ungenerous as to persecute you with any
farther attentions. Since I cannot be anything
nearer to you, the son Of your friend, Madame
Ignatius, begs you to regard him as brother"
"With all my heart" said Mr." Ravens
wood, Offering her hand to seal the compact,
"and now am dying to talk to you about
your mother"
"In agreeable converse on this fruitful
theme, they strolled for an hour in the gar
den. Then, as the air grew chilly, the doctor
proposed they should 60 in doors for fear
Mrs. Ravenswood would catch cold. Not
withstanding the delight ofsuch companion
ship for Ralph, he tore himself away, know
ing the Importance of extreme caution in bis
new role. Mrs. Ravenswood looked at him
in astonishment as he offered his hand to bid
heradieu. He had never before hurried from
her presence.
"Why, must you go SO soon?" she asked
politely.
eyes, I have an engagement" said the
doctor indiferently, inspecting his watch.
He uttered not word of regret.
"He is either" thought Mrs. Ravenswood,
"trying to make me believe he has ceased to
love me, or else he is in love with somebody
else."
He staid away so long that her judgment
began to lean to the latter opinion. This
was confirmed by letter from the city in
which Mrs. Sutherland said, it was on dit that
Doctor Eglinton was in love with Miss Balm
bridge and visited her every day. II told
him." thought Mrs. Raveuswood, Ito transfer
his devotions to another's shrine, and he is
doing it with a vengeance!"
A bitter pang smote her heart You un-
derstand she did not want Doctor Eglinton's
affection-could not receive it-wanted him
to love somebody else and yet, it is so sweet
to be loved, and so hard to be dethroned from
loving heart!
On the doctors next visit to Avondale,
Mrs. Ravenswood informed him that party
of her friends were coming from the city, on
certain day, on a pleasure excursion, and
she intended giving them grand dinner, and
wouldn't he honor the occasion with his pres
ence? Doctor Eglinton did not know ex-
actly-he hoped he would be able to do 80.
"Your friend, Miss Bainbridge,is is coming"
said Florimond slyly.
"Oh is she?" said the doctor, coloring vio-
lently at the thought of any body-especially
Mrs. Ravenswood- that it was in
the limits of possibility that he did really feel
any regard for that stuck.up, uninteresting
creature. "Then I will come without fail"
The dinner party proved delightful oc-
cason, indeed, for many choice spirits mingled
around the festive board, and the golden mo-
ments sped away in gaiety and merriment.
As the Champagne circulated, wit flashed
rapidly from lip to lip, and eyes sparkled
with exhuberent fun, and rosy cheeks grew
yet more flushed, and general humor and
graceful courtesy prevailed. Doctor Eglinton,
who even on ordinary occasions was possessed
of an eloquent tongue, ready response and
brilliant imagination, on such convivial reun-
ions as these, shone out resplendently, for like
Lamprias, he was one of those happy mortals
who, when they sacrifice to Bacchus, are ia
vored by Mercury. In accordance with his
new plan of conduct, he paid Mrs. Ravens
wood no marked attention but, on the con-
trary, devoted himself conspicuously to Miss
Bainbridge. 1t was, perhaps, trial to Ralph
to witness the devotions of that young lady's
brother to Mrs. Ravenswood, and to behold,
if not her positive encouragement, at least
her placid acceptance of the same. For some
occult reason, Mr.. Bainbridge's evident ad-
miration did not annoy Mrs. Ravenswood, as
that of Doctor Eglinton had done few weeks
before. Perhaps, with woman's keen per-
ception in such matters, she saw the admira-
tion of one was but empty hollowness, and
that of the other real feeling. 1t was ques-
ton, though, with Mrs. Ravenswood, whether
genuine attachment could have been so evan
escent, so Aeeting in its character, as that of
Ralpb's would seem to have been. Among
the party we're General and Mrs. Sutherland,
quite an elderly couple; still, though hoary
with years, an ornament to society. Their
elegant manners, and especially their distin-
guished appearance, made one think of those
lines of Euripides-
''The very autumn of form once fine
Retains its beauties.''
Altogether, Mrs. Ravenswood had every
reason to be highly grati6ed with the success
of her entertainment. When the hour of de-
parture came, the guests, with one accord, de-
clared they never expected to participate