Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1876-07-21
A BUFFERS DAUGHTER.

"A bUILEh OhuudIEh,
1t was an ordinary family dinner, that
day, but their nephew, Neigh, happened to
be present Just as they were sitting down,
Mrs. Domestic said to her husband: "Why
have you not told me Of the wedding, to-
morrow Or don't you know anything about
it2"
"Wedding2" said Mr.. Domestic. "Lord
Mountclere is to be married to Mrs. Pether-
win quite privately"
"Good God ~ said some person. Mr..
Domestic did not speak the words; they
were not spoken by Neigh they seemed to
float over the room and round the walls, as
if originating in some spiritualistic source.
Yet Mr.. Domestic, remembering the symp-
toms of attachment between Ethelberta and
her nephew which had appeared during the
summer, looked toward Neigh instantly as
if she thought the words must have come
from him after all; but Neigh's face was
perfectly calm. He, together with her hus-
band, was sitting with his eyes fixed in the
direction of the sideboard, and, turning to
the same spot, she beheld Chickere standing
pale as death, his lips being parted as if he
did not know where he was.
Dlu JOu SpCdhl bdlu uuEs OOuCuetlct
looking with astonishment at the butler.
"Chickerel, what's the matter-are you
?" said Mr.. Domestic, simultaneously.
"Was it you who said that ?"
81 did, sir" said Chickerel, in husky
voice, scarcely above whisper. 81 could
not helpit
"Why ?"
"She is my daughter, and it shall be known
at once !"
"Who is your daughter? ?"
He paused few moments nervously
"Mrs Petherwin," he said
Upon this announcement, Neigh looked at
poor Chickerel as if he saw through him into
the wall. Mrs. Domestic uttered a faint
exclamation and leaned back in her chair I;
the bare possibility of the truth of Chickerels
claims to such paternity shook her to pieces
when she viewed her intimacies with Ethel.
berta during the past season-the court she
had paid her, the arrangements she had en-
tered into to please her. above all, the din
ner party which she had contrived and car
ried out solely to crafty Lord Mountclere
and bring him into personal communication
with the general favorite, thus making her.
self, probably, the chief though unconscious
instrument in promoting a match by which
her butler was to become father-in-law to a
peer she delighted to honor. The crowd Of
perceptions almost took away her life she
closed her eyes in white SILVER.
ado you mean to say that the lady who
sat here at dinner at the same time that
Lord Mountclere was present is your da ugh
2" asked Domestic.
ayes, sir" said Chickerel respectfully.
GLOW did she come to be your daughter 2"
"I-Well, she is my daughter, SIR"
'Did you educate her 2"
"Not altogether. sir. She was = very
clever child. Lady Petherwin took deal
of trouble about her education. They were
both left widows about the same time; the
son died. then the fIther. My daughter was
only II then. But though she is older now,
her marriage with Lord Noun tclere means
misery. He ought to marry another wo-
man."
at is very extraordinary" Mr.. Don castle
murmured. "If you are i'll you had better
go and rest yourself Chickerc. Send in
Thomas"
Chickerel, who seemed to be much dis.
turbed; then very gladly left the room, and
dinner proceeded But such was the pecul-
iarity of the case, that though there was 10
it neither murder, robbery, illness, accident,
fire, nor any other of the tragic and legiti-
mate shakers of human nerves, two of the
three who were gathered there sat through
the meal without the least consciousness Of
what viands had composed it. Impressive
ness depends as much upon propinquity as
upon magnitude and to have honored I'M
awares the daughter Of the Vilest antipodean
miscreant and murderer would have been
less discomfting to Mrs. Domestic than it
was to make the same bunder with the
daughter of respectable servant who hap.
psned to live in her own house. To Neigh
the announcement was as the catastrophe of
a story already begun, rather than as an is.
olated wonder. Ethelberta's words had pre-
pared him for something, though the nature
Of that thing was unknown.
''Chickerel ought not to have kept us in
ignorance of this-of course he ought not %
said Mrs. Domestic, as soon as they were
left alone.
81 don't see why not replied Mr. Dom
castle, who took the matter very coolly, as
was his custom.
"Then she herself should have let 1t be
known"
"Nor does that follow. You didn't tell
Mrs. Petherwin that your grandfather mar.
rowy escaped hanging for shooting his rival
in n duel"
"Of course not There was no reason why
should give extraneous intormtion."
"Norwas there any reason why she should
As for Ohckere, no doubtless felt how un-
becoming it would be to make personal re-
marks upon one Of your guests-ha-ha.h
Well, well--ha-ha !"
81 know this" said Mrs. Domestic 10
great anger, "that If my father had been in
the room, should not have the fact pass
unnotced, and treated him like stranger %
"WOuld you have had her intrOd uOe Chick.
erel to us all around My dear M arg ret, it
was a complicated position for a woman"
"Then she ought not to have come"