The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1878-10-11

life but do not know that the world. nor e
life, nor death should swerye me from that h
fealty which should be governed by higher
laws than man ever enacts.' Ii
You should know that rank pays heavy n
penalties for its privileges, and the heaviest e
penalty is the one which comedies the choice :
of wives aud husbands to the dictation of c
our Peers. As prince seeks princess, b
81 must an earl seek u countess. C
Can l ever forget how my chivalry fred
at this expression Sir Hugh was my kins- 2
man, yet how longed to stand before him
as her companion, and tell him that the
wealth Of heart was richer than the rlbies of
the bridal gifts, and her brow a throne be-
fore which coronets might bneel
4 heard but little more Of the converse.
ton. | thought heard SOB, and then he
seemed to te pleading earnestly and tender.
ly for some token Of privilege Her last
words were these
Promise me that, whatever betide, you
will come to my summons
I PROMISE replied he, l heard no
more.
Early the next morning we set off. E5-
ther pleaded indispostion as an excuse for |
not appearing, and through her mother sent
her farewell and kind wishes for our jour
ney.
| Our journey home was anything but
pleasant Sir Hugh was moody beyond
power to be reused Had known less of
his secret | might have rallied MIN on the
subject of his pretty treasure, but / knew
too well where the forbidden ground lay to
dare place my foot upon anything concern
ing her, To me she seemed 50 holy, so far
above the ordinary level of badinage, that
for her sake, even more than for his, | re-
famed from all reference to the subject.
we had returned from our excursion on
" about one month, when Sir Hugh made
known the fact that ere long Lady Louisa
Page would be the mistress of Darkwood
place. | had never seen the lady, but ru.
mors of her beauty, high birth and fashion,
able prestige had reached me, and felt no
little curiosity to see the future bride.
The day of her arrival was exceedingly
sunny, and with the hustle of arrival, the re-
ception of strangers, the supper, the loud
music and merry laughter, the old house
seemed for time completely transformed, +,
and | almost wondered if all my former life
had not been a concatenation of dreams, and
if this were not my first awakening to ac-
tual life. Nothing had before ever worn
such look of reality. The bride was a
stately beauty, her personal charms being
such as were grasped at a glance, consisting
of regular features fine eyes and noble car
rage,
Some of the guests remained several weeks;
fDr Sir Hugh was Il graceful and gracious
host; but | could see how little his heart
WAS in all these gay manifestations. At
length all the visitors departed, and things
resumed their usual routine
Lady Louisa was a woman very fortunate
in her composition which rendered her near
ly, if not entirely Independent of the senti-
ment of daily life. If conventionalites were
to be observed she never troubled herself
about the motives by which they were actu-
ated, and if forms were obtained she was
never affected by the expression. She val
ued what the world valued, and if not dis
h appointed in the facts that life yielded her
she sought neither pleasure nor pain in fan =
cied interpretations of material things
f therefore if her lord dispensed the hospi-
talties of his mansion with fashionable
/. grace, it mattered not if the smile he wore
+ reached no farther than the lip. he sus-
4 tanned his share in the conversation, she
s cared not, though his eyes and his thoughts
f might be wandering far away from the
! scene.
n 1t was not long before everything as
n sumed the moody look that again rested or
e Sir Hugh, for verify believe the master spir
il iUin household does endow mute surroun
Is dingS with its own colors. Lady Louis,
" was wealthy and possessed Il physical vivac
ity that was able to triumph unconscious.
IN over it all. | know that felt grateful t
10 her for giving q wholesome air to the dali
,. occurrences of our establishments | wa
Q. glad that she had the faculty Of always be
nj ing able to talk and laugh about common
II place things in a commonplace manner, an
IF found that the tact of my finding relief i
~ this daily chat made me very companionabl
H. to her, and suiiiced for much negligence 0
ed the part OF Sir Hugh, who never made, c
seemed to make, any effort to adapt himse
IL to her society. Things wore on this Wa
as until the approach OF autumn seaso