The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1873-03-01

The tint upon her cheeks deepened just
ton of falsehood.
EDO you remember what I said to you
only this day three weeks in this very room
and what you said to me?"
The color became almost damask now.
"Can't you answer me, instead of stand
ing there and looking like a red cabbage %
he said, following her example in his own
way. "Do you remember, say?'
But as she only looked down upon the
ground and occupied herself with drawing
lines upon the carpet with her foot, he had
to answer himself.
"What did tell you? That you were
never to see or speak to that fellow again
that ruined spendthrift, who has thrown
away his own millions, and now comes to
you to get hold of your thousands-yes,
| your thousands-to throw them away, too
And didn't you promise me that without
my consent you never would And didn t
| tell you flat that my consent you never
should have, no, not if you were to grow as
old as Mathusiums Did l, or didn't l ?''
YES she answered, without inter-
rupting her occupation.
"And have you, or haven't you?''
You are not quite right, papa" she
said, looking up, and with more firmness
in her tone than might have been expected.
"He is not a spendthrift. How could he
help his misfortunes? And 1 only promis-
ed that would not see or write to Arthur
to Mr.. Cranstoun-till l was twenty -one
unless you allowed me-
"And are you twenty one, pray?"
"Not yet" and she heaved deep sigh
"You wish you was, do yon? Well,
wishing's not having-and for that matter,
promises is sometimes like pie-crust."
Papa
"Then what do you call this, pray s"-
And he held up an envelope so that she
might just see the direction to GO Miss Fe-
licia Grope.'
With an eager exclamation she reached
out her hand; but he quietly put the letter
into his breast-pocket and buttoned his
coat.
"Not if know it, miss, he said. ESQ
that's how you keep your PROMISES
But it is for me-" she said, with a lit
tie of the stubbornness of his dark eyes re-
tlected in her opal ones. 81 have not writ
ten to him, and will not; and I'm sure he
would not have written to me without
reason. Please, only this onceE'
"Not if l know it, And while she
stood blushing, flushing, and indignant
before him, he took the letter again from
his pocket, tore it open, and read it him.
self. His dark eyes grew black as thunder.
" Pretty gongs on"' he said, with glare
at her: and then crumplng up the letter,
envelope and all, tossed it behind him into
the fire.
He then rebuttoned his coat, resumed
his position, and continued to scoWl. At
last his eye, as it was about to leave hers,
was suddenly arrested at the point of her
dress at which, just above her bosom, she
wore a brooch, consisting of green stone
not particularly we'll cut, and set clumsily
and ineflectively in an old fashioned rim
of gold.
"What is that trash you are wearing 90
he asked suddenly.
" 1t iG {. brooch, papa. And"
t'AnY fool can see it's a brooch. Who
gave ii to you??"
"Arthur."
"Gives brooches, does he9 He had bet
ter keep his money to buy bread and
cheese. I've a great mind to tell you to
send it back to him, only" He paus-
ed after ali, he was not the sort of man %
counsel the restoration of a pin, if he or
his had got hold of it for nothing. So he
went on G. only ne yer you let me see you
wear it again. And such an ugly thing,
too-only fit for your grandmother. He
mnst have bought it cheap in Wardour
street. And l tell you what, he wens on,
his mind suddenly returning to the unfort-
innate letter, now long reduced to ashes,
eff this ever happens again, I'll just turn
you neck and crop out of DOORS and Elsie
after you. A pretty thing, if I'm to be
bullicd by my own daughter in my own
house,
And he would, doubtless. hs.se gone on
being thus bullied by her had she not, in a
passion of tears, left the room.
CHAPTER uI.-A BATTLE ROYAL.
1t was not long, however, before he fully
recovered his serenity. Then, looking at
his heavy gold watch, the hands of which
stood at half-past eleven, he took up his
hat and gold-headed cane, left the house
and turned his step westward.
He walked along, rapid and self-absorb-
ed, until he reached cab-stand, where he
gave the order, "Grosvenor Squaren'
While the front of his house had been
barely 6istinguishable from the fronts Of
it's neighbors, that of the house within a
few yards of which he stopped his cab and
descended was distinguishable Only too
we'll. 1t was in itself C large and hand
some house, even among large and hand
some houses; but over it, in place of
hatchment, seemed legibly to be written
"Ichabod its glory had departed, 1t
was in the travail of a sale.
Before the door stood carts and vans in
the midst of litter of straw and of hui
manity, all inextricably mixed together in
one inharmonious whole. The aspect of
any dwelling which has been given over to
the auctioneers is one of the most melan-
choly things, as every one knows always.
But in this case there were circumstances
which rendered it even exceptionally mel
! ancholy.
The great firm of Cranstoun and Grams
toun had been well known for some hundred
years as being one of the first, not only in
London, but in the whole world: so much
SO that its members belonged to the real
aristocracy, not SO much of trade as of
finance-that they had indeed become al
most royal in their way, and something
much n,ara than royal in their Influence