Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1874-01-03

car read the story Of our miserable disgrace
and failure. oh, what shall do? Ii / had
only died."
"You are over-sensitive, Miss Hastings"
said deep, earnest voice. 90 Believe me,
death is but cowaraly way OF fleeing from the
Muriel started and looked up hastily. Du-
ring her Par0xysm of grief the door had opened,
unhesrd by her, admitting a gentleman. A
stately, soldter-like ngure, with a grave,
earnest face; face to be trusted, IL only for
the expression OF calm strength and the frank,
kindly eyes. Not young man by any means;
he looked quite forty, and his looks spoke the
truth. IL was Major Assheton of Oelamere.
He closed the door and advanced into the
room. " beg your pardon, Miss Hastings. l
German dictionary; there Is not one in the Ii
brary, and Lady Leigh directed me here. Now,
won't you tell me what this great trouble is?''
you In such distress, You know a sorrow be-
another"
her dark eyes shining brighter aud larger
through the tears which nearly oVerhowed
them. The grave, kindly look she met seemed
at is only the old trouble, Major Assheton.
and"
"And what?"
/" The disgrace" sobbed she, the tears quite
" know about your father, and how he died.
Ii Is a pitiful story; that of the great noble
heart, broken tor loss Of name. But don't
know about the disgrace"
g 1t was the failure of the mills / meant; the
shame, the degradation" sobbed Muriel, her
pojr little frame shaking with distress the
tremulOus mouth quivering.
" You are Ovtr-senstiye; and, excuse me,
Miss Hastings, but you are evidently almost
morbid on that subject. There was no disgrace
in the failure of your fathers mills You know
1t was caused by the American war and the
cotton famine; his property lost its value, He
Gin All thst man could do to save others.
Himself he never seemed to think off,
I" knoy, know all that" sObbed MurieI.
" assure yOu,' continued he, ''yOur father
has never had a word of Ieproach cast at him.
But for his exertions il would indeed have been
disastrous misfortune; he saved others at the
expense OF himself. He was a noble man. l
knew him years ago. My child" added he,
gravely, but kindly, 81 think his daughter
word disgrace"
sob, NJ sjor Assheton, did not mean that"
SAID Muriel, starting up, 'indeed, did not"
her earnestness. al But now will you not try to
put this idea altogether from you? Believe me,
there Is no cause for such distress 1t is not
mSpbd rb up pn 6eT Till you grow
will try" said Muriel. "But there are
so many people coming, and oh, Major Asshe-
daughter of the bankrupt Sir. Hastings. You
don't know the misery"
This is absurd replied he 18th, yery
height of self-torture. Miss Hastings, you
are"
Where is she-where is Queen Mab?" in
terrupted laughing voice, as the door opened
and Miss Arundel came in dressed for dinner.
" Major Assheton, how do you do? Miss Hast
lngs, Am Clara Arundel. Two hours ago l
took you for fairy sprte, and called YOU
Queen NAB: shall keep the name with your
permission"
Muriel raised her eyes shyly, but meeting no.
thing more alarming than friendly, adnirlng
gaze, said softly, al am sure I'll not mind the
IS Then that is settled, and you are Queen
Nab from this day forward. | elect myself
your privy councillor, or lord chancellor, or
prime minister, or any other important aud
disagreeable functionary who has the power of
ordering your majesty to go and dress for din
ner."
"But am not coming down to dinner"
pleaded Muriel, with an access of shyness.
Indeed you are. Queens always obey their
prime ministers, and L order Queen Nab to
show us the light or her cOuntenance this even
ing"
Ordered OFF in this half-b antering. half com
handing style, MuEiel had no choice but to
obey She left the room, rather unwillngly to
achieve hasty toilette.
:" Miss Arundel" said Major Assheton. as the
door closed after her, 'that poor girl is frettIng
herself in fever about the disgrace she sup
poses attached to her name because of her ia
TIERS failure"
al guessed as much. Well, Major Assheton,
il rests with US to prevent II. For the next
fortnight, at anyrate, she shall not be too much
alone. | look for your aid"
IS IL shall readily be given" he replied.
SO half an hour afterwards when Muriel ap-
peared In the drawing room, in dainty white
muslin dress-looking, Miss Arundel declared,
more Queen Mabbish than ever-she was not
suffered to relapse into shyness and embarrass-
ment Under the influence of Lady Leigh's
kindness, Clsra's merry banter, Major Asshe-
tons grave care, the childish face and wistful,
sweet eyes lighted up in power of beauty that
had seemed impossible to the morbid, melan-
chOly young lady OF the schoolroom.
II was the week before Christmas Sir Uarrp
and Lady Leigh always gathered together a
large annual M Atina OK friends and relations
at shleigh, to keep 1t in true 5ld-fashioned
Hospitality Every day brought fresh arrivals
till the large rambling old house was filed to
1t was the advent of these strangers that had
so frightt ned poor Muriel; but Miss Arundel
was not allowed to indulge her shyness,
or suffered to feel solitary. She was hunted7np
for all the merry riding, driving, and walking
lowed to feel or look dull in Glare ArundeI;s
company. She left Muriel to her own devices
In the morning, saying that queens were not
supposed to be visible till noon, but after lun-
cheon Queen NAB must be at the beck and call
OF her laughter-loving prime minister, for all
the fun and pleasure going on among the large
party saying at Asbleigh. She was shielded,
for Clare's kindness and tact that the over-sen-
sitive Muriel was never once wounded by any
chance allus0n. or careless word from any of
the party, who, indeed, all fell in love with the
The mornings Mariel spent in the pleasant
'schoolroom, which she considered her own do
main.
IL was curious how often accident seemed to
bring Major Assheton there also. Curious how
s.udiously he took to reading German. Curious
that however often the German dictionary was
carried into the library. IL always found its
way back into the schoolrOom before morning.
Curious how he suddenly discovered a hitherto
unknown talent for etching; curious that no
Indian ink seemed to suit him except that par
ucular little black stumpy piece In Muriel's
color box. Curious how he sought her interest
in his pet geological hobby. 1t was uncom-
monty dry and hard to understand, but she
seemed to take very kindly to its intricacies.
Most curious of all that he didn't find out tn at
he was falling head over ears in love; didn'l
know how sweet Muriel was winding herself
round his heart; didn't discover what a thrill of
rapture passed through him when her shy, visit
full eyes were uplifted to his. Major Assheton
telt secure in his forty years, from any attacks
of the little blind god, and would have laughed
TO scorn any suggestions that he was already
victim, though indeed no one would have dared
to him such thing to the grave, stately Ma
jor; and as for himself he was simply carrying
out Miss Arunders instructions, not to let Mu-
riel fret herself to dea,h In the schoolroom. So
he deluded himself very happily for a time,
aud probably Muriel too; for though she felt
happier than she had ever felt in her life be-
fore. she had NOT learnt n ascrihe the IN