The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1877-07-08


such sentiments burst from her cousin's lips.
II was followed by q speech, very incoherent
certainly. and yet in sum and substance the
same as Portals declaring that
sl%s' $ets fair ten thousand times
and yet, even then, consider that she had given
nothing, or very little, IN return for the tres-
sure Of such q mans affection.
What more che might have said was sud
denly cut short by the dinner bell and after
bathing her eyes and applying little Irlen9Iy
poudre de ris to certain tell.tale marks on ner
cheeks and brow, Mande descended, with ner
usual quiet and stately step, to the dinlng
ROOM As may we'll be imagined, there was
plenty to talk about, and as there were four
persons to maintain the conversation, three OF
whom were IN excellent spirits, besides Mande
and the doctor, the unusual abstraction OF the
two latter passed unnoticed.- however,
were greatly relieved when Mrs. Carew rose !;
and as soon as the ladies found themselves
outside the dining room door, Maude hurried
away from the others, ran up stairs, ana again
took refuge 10 her own room. Soch unusual
conduct naturally excited Mrs. Carew.s atten-
ton, and IS soon as they had reached tne
DRAWN groom, Fanny told her ell. She bad
lust e nished her story when the object of it
entered the room, looking very calm and quiet
though exceedingly pale and rev. mina aoiS
them that the gentlemen had risen from table
and were about to join them.
Never in my life have seen more lovely
u
van as, followed by his nephew and O'MeaTa,
he entered the drawing room. Truly tonight
We may say the heavens declare the glory OF
God aud the armament His handiwork. Not
withdrawing all the lights that are burning
at this end of the room, it shines quite plainly
through the white blinds at the other; you
must all come and look at )" and as be spoke
he crossed the room and drew one of the blinds
up. They all followed him as he had desired,
aud for q few moments stood grouped round
the window, looking out upon the landscape
that stretched away before them, beautiful as
dreamland i'll it's soft silvery radiance.
Maude, who was longing to get away from
every body in the world, was the fret to steal
out of the circle, and Fanny soon followed and
posed game of chess. thinking it might serve
to divert her Cousins thoughts from the sub
iect that epgrossed them, when Father ID ono-
van approached and asked Mauds to play him
charmed him 80 much. She rose to comply
with bis request, and in a moment the moon
light and everything else were forgotten by
Fred, who was an ardent lover of music, and
who, the instant be heard his uncle's words,
bounded across the room and opened the
piano. As we have already said, Msude was
an exquisite performer, and her listeners, at
whot req uest she played piece after piece stood
beside the piano, one of them at least lost in
admiration. Not so Richard OMeara; for
though Msude played piece 80 we'll remem-
haunted him during the last three years, so
insensate did he seem to have grown that he
never even turned his head or gave the slight
est indication of attention. With his arms
folded and his head slightly bent, he stood IN
the calm white rays of the moonlight, so still
that, had not the culver OF his lips betrayed
the deep emotions struggling in his breast, one
might have said he was the statue of man.
"Dr. oMeara," said q gentle voice beside
him. "
He turned and started, for he thought they
| had all long since left the window and that he
| was standing there alene.
"a n tnrn
| dark eyes of Mrs. Carew looked into his,-"l
wish to say a few words to You abont some
| thing You said to Maude this afternoon"
| For an instant the doctor drew himsef up
| and an almost naughty expression ourled his
| lip that seemed to say, if he had committed
] himself, he would not be called to account fol
| it by third person. In an instant, however
the emotion had passed away, and the doctor
| bowling his head in reply to her, quietly waited
| for what was to follow.
"You will, l fear, consider it strange that
should thus aliude to O matter that know
must be q very painful one; but do 30 because
| 1 see that thus alone / can prevent serious
misunderstanding. 1 hear from Fanny thai
| Won gave Maude TO understand this afternoon
that she has long been the object of you
deepest affections Will you tell me- in plain
candid terms, what the barrier is that lies be
| tween your
my dear Mrs. Carew, need you ask !" crie(
the doctor. "What have 1 to offer Miss Ne
Vile in exchange for all that she is and has
A many sided barrier of disparity lies between
as, to say nothing OF still greater 0ne-he
"supposing both these barriers could b.
removed" suggested Mrs.. Csrew, with a smil
that the doctor felt inclined to resent as mis-
placed and tantalising in the extreme.
Forgive me if say that such a supPositio
lie simply an idle one"
"Stilf,o for supposition's sake, let me max
it," returned Mrs. Carew with the same smile
"Then, of course. if you insist on supposinl
happiness too great for words to utter O
for" His voice became suddenly CHOKE
with emotion aud he could say no more.
, "I am afraid that you are beginning to thin
that have sought you only to trouble you
t Dr.. o'Meara but you must believe bette ct
of ali let me say that, with regard to your frs
barrier, it is nothing more nor less than mytt
, timed, as the doctor tried to interrupt hel
3 "You must first hear what have to tell yor
{ and then will let You say what you choose
4 Four years ago, when Mr.. Neville and Maud
were visiting me in London, he and ha
? many conversations about her, and one morr
+ ing he startled me by the following speech
a { It seems to me that every member of OF
. family s at the present moment on the qui 0i'
Q to find q suitable match for Maude, Wins