Connecticut western news., 1877-08-10
CHAPTER II.

MT. Scrope went abroad, and after { time he returned home to begin his career. a--..--- .-... --- .l .....
 Alice Jervis pursued her hOmely and monotonous life. She grew quieter and graver, and worked more diligently She believed that she had decided rightly as regarded MT. Scrope's happiness, and the sacrifice she had made for his sake made her feel that she had right to be interested in him, and she lived in the excitement of seeing his name in the papers and in gaining every particular of him within her grasp. She smiled when she read his name among the ore. sentations at court. or noted his pre- sence at the court balls. At such times she looked down at the shabby dress and poor appointments surrounding her, and wondered what sort of an ap pearance she would have made in other circumstances.
 At length she saw another announce ment. MT. Scrope was going to mar ried. tt
 She turned pale. and put down the paper. ,t
 And yet she had expected this an- nouncement-had looked for 1t day after day. Nevertheless she felt strange pang, which as long as he was unmar- ried she had escaped. .E.at.. ..
 Down by the river, where the water flags hoisted their yellow standards among the reeds, and where the forget me-nots blossomed along the banks, she sauntered, listening to the murmuring waters, whose burden was: "Past, past, pastw Even Rover appeared to under stand it, for he looked up mournfully into her face and whined.
 Then great gray bars of cloud spread across the setting sun, and plotted out the sunlight; but still Alice paced up and down under the pollard-windows, until the evening was far advanced. Night was setting in around her; the light and life were over. She had scarcely realized until the present mo- ment how consistently MT. Scrope had been in her every thought.
 The morning after reading the news in the papers, another very startling piece of information came to her.
 She was an heiress.
 By one of those strange chances in life that are so common now-a- days, her mothers brother, beginning life as an artisan, had amassed princely for tune. And he had left it between Alice Jervis and her brother.
 And Alice Jervis sat down and wept bitterly. To her it had come as mock cry. Her lot in life was cast, and what did she want with money now?
 In due time she read of the marriage itself; she cut it out of the paper and placed it in her pocketbook. It was all over. .....-..
 Three years slipped away. Three travellers entered hotel in little for eign town. One, beautiful woman, 8 little past her first youth, whom one knew in a moment, in spite of the im- provement that had taken place; but her brother was scarcely to be recog- nized. A tutor and three years of for eign life had caused marvellous trans formation. The third, an elderly lady, was not much altered, excepting that her dress was as handsome as your heart could desire.
 They took their places at the table dhote and exactly opposite to them sat a lady and gentleman. The latter looked wearied, and his short black mustache twitched with the curvings of the relentless mouth beneath it. The lady was fair. fashionable and vivacious.
 Alice Jervis started. She would have moved, but William Jervis, all ignorant of past events, had exclaimed:
 ''nr. Scrope!"
 Mir. Scrope looked across wondering at the friendly recognition from an ap- parent stranger. Then his eye fell upon Alice, and he started, but quickly recovering himself, he bowed, saying:
 Pardon me if did not at first re- member you:
 Mrs. Scrope had turned in delight to- ward William Jervis.
 '"rhe first English voice, excepting my husbands, that I've heard for three weeks. l do not understand Italian, and have consequently had no one to talk to but MT. Scrope. Can you imag- inc anything more dreadfulp
 Then turning to her husband she said.
 "4ou must introduce me to your friends:
 "Mrs. Scrope-Mr. and Miss Jeryis. o said MT. Scrope, his look riveted on Alice. .1.a ,l' -F
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