The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1873-03-16


Mrs. Brewer had sent to Father Dsn,s s,
There the passing fancy for Claudia had Deen
spoken of. In that letter the love OF money
had peeped ont, and supplied the motive; nS.
disposition was not of q sort to have any h &c;
quaintance with passing fancies: IL sne ~
loved Horace, she had loved with her wnu'
heart; and If she had been deceived In hin'
| her whole heart had suifered. and her who !,
| life been overcast. . Mother Mary" had teIt -
| some purpose; and now, only herseH snou ~
say to Lady Greystock that he was coming
She had arrived at Blagdon and she had told
Claudia evorythng; what Horace wisnea ~
! to Mary, and what her sister and Mr. Efsklhe
willingness to lose her child, or her own ",s ;s
that Mary might have married, when she dia
marry, come one moro to her mothers niinu,
and nearer to her mothers house. Ana IL was
In remembr ance of this conversation that
Lady Greystock, when she took Jenifer ia a.o
the carriage, had said: "If you over pray for
my father, and all he loves, pray neT r
Something of all this had been told by Lady
Greystock to Eleanor. Aud in the time that
the aunt and niece had been together that day,
Eleanor had said to Jenifcr, "Ho is down asthe
park wanting to marry Miss Lorimer."
Jenfcr's darliug-Jenifer's darlings darling;
how she loved Mother Mary" and Lansdowne
Lorimers's child, only her own great and good
heart knew. What could she do but go to
God and his priest What human foresight
could have prevented this What human wis
dom could set things right Aud after all they
did not surely know that Eleanor's husband
and Claudia's lover were met in one man, ana
that man winning the heart of lovely, innocent
Mary Lorimer, and pressing marriage on her.
But for her prayer, Jenifer used to say, she
should have gone out of her mind, on, the
comfort that grew out of the thought that Coo
were given to him. Such shifting of respon-
sibility-such n supporting sense OF his never
allowing anything to be in that life that was
not, in some way, for his glory-such practical
rc1, r. afntn
cut of Jenfer's prayer that even Eieanors
numbed heart rested on it, and she had learnt
to be content to live. from hour to hour, life
of So admission and waiting.
But was the waiting to be over nowf-wa
something comingf if 30, she must be propar.
ed And so, diligently, by the lamp-liSht,
Eleanor produced her own letters and opened
that torn sheet to compare the writing. 1t
was different in some things, yet the same:
As she gazed, and examined, and compared
Examinations, and matched tho capital letters
together she knew it was the same handwrit.
ing. limo bad done its work. The writing OF
the present was firmer, harder, done with
worse pen, written ut greater speed. Bat that
was all the change She was convinced; and
she put away her sorrow-laden store, locked
them safe from sight. and said her night pray
ers and went to bed. Not sigh, nor tear.
No vain regrets, no heart-easing groans. The
time for such consolation had long been passed
with Eleanor Within the last nine years her Ire
bad as much changed as if she had died and
risen again into another world of intermediate
trial. very great chance had been wrought
in her by Lady Greystock's friendship Flea
nor had become educated. The clever poeti-
cal girl, who had won Horace Erskine's atten-
ton by her natural superiority to everything
around her-even when those Surroundings
had been of q comparatively high state of cul-
tivation, had hardened into the Industrious and
woman. When it pleased Lady
Greystock to hear her sing, in her own sweet,
untanght way, the songs of her own country,
she had SING them; and then, when Lady
Greystock had offered to cultivate tho talent,
she had worked hard at improvement. She
had been brought up by French nuns, ut
convent school, and had spoken their language
from childhood; when Lady Greystock got
French books, it was Eleanor's delight to read
aloud; and she had made Mrs. Blagtlen's two lit
tie girls almost as familiar with French rs she
was herself. Those things had given rise to
the idea that Mrs. Evelyn, as abe was always
called had seen better days; aud no one had
ever suspected her relationship to Jenifer. Mr..
Brewer alone knew of it. AS to Mr.. Brewer
in the telling, as a breach of confidence, that
was, of course, impossible.
That night-that night so important in oar
story, Jenifer, having done all her duties by
her mistress, which were really not q few, and
having seen that tho girl who did the dirty
work was safe in tho darkness of q safely put
out candle, opened her lattice to look on the
night. Her little room had o back view. That
and the walled-in flower garden, and beyond,
toward the village of Blaglen and the majestic
woods at the back of the house at Berem0uth.
Jenifer had gone to bed, and had risen again,
by feeling that something was, as
she expressed it. going on-something doing
eomewhere-' something up,' folks say, sir.
can't account for it. / fancied heard some-
thing-that was wanted. And thought at
first that some one was in my room. Then
went into mistress's room, without my shoes,
not to wake her. She was all right, sleeping
like tender babo. Then 1 went to Poggy's
room. Tho girl was asleep. 1 shifted up and
down the passage, just to find if any thing
wrong in the way of smoke fire was about.
No; all was pure and pleasant; and then /
went down stairs to make sure of the doors
being locked. Everything was right, sir -
such was Jenifers account to Mr.. Brewer
who, when she paused Mt this point, asked
What next did you dot Did you go up stairs
again to bed I" II went mp stairs" the woman
answered, but not to bed. sat at the window
and looked out over the garden, and over the
meadows beyond tho old bridge, and on to
Beremouth. Aud the night was the brightest,
fairest love1iest night 1 over behold. And so,
sir. said my prayers once moro, and went
again to bod; and slept in bits and snatohes
for still was always thinking that somebody
wanted mo, till the clock struck six; and
then got up" "You don't usually get IN at
six, or before the girl gets up, do youi "No
SIR never may say But got up to ease
my, mind of it's burthous. And when Peggy
had got up, and was down stairs, I started of
for the alms house; thought Mr.. Dawson
might 90 up to say mass there, for it was st.
Lawrence's Day" "Well 7" "But there had