The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1878-06-29

tual affection and whispered condolences
were patent even to the walters, as was
also the old gentleman's dislike to him;
that the two men quarreled violently
on the second evening, and that on the
following day this servant met her
creeping downstairs in the early morn
ing before anyone was up, to bid Capt.
Lucas good-by, and looking into the
cotfeeroom minute or two later saw
him holding her in his arms and kiss
ing her. did not wait to hear any
more. should never have stood there
so long only | seemed struck stupid
The moment l woke up to sense of
what | was hearing, l hurried away
Quincy, do believe | went half mad.
can remember pacing up and down
my room all night, and the next day
kept out of every ones sight, and wan
dered about in fever of misery and
irresolution. Sometimes | felt as if |
would rather never see her again; some
times that | must speak to her and tell
her what had heard, if only that she
might deny it. If she had ordered me
out of her sight at the same time, l
shouldn't have minded it. To have
known that it was lie, that it was not
she who had met this COMPOUNDED Capt.
Lucas, would have been worth more
than my whole life to me Just then.
And yet, how even to speak to her on
the subject, couldn't tell. At last |
could bear it no longer, and went back
to the hotel. A waiter told me that
she was in, and, as she and her friends
had private sitting-roOm, | ran up to
it hoping | might find her, and alone.
She was not there, however; the room
was empty, but her little desk stood
open on the table, and near it letter
addressed in large bold hand, which
[ once told her laughingly could read
a mile off, to Capt. Lucas, Royal Ar
tillery Barracks, somewhere. | did not
wait for second glance, but turned
and went out from the room and the
hotel. had learned all | wanted to
know. | never saw or spoke to her
again. She left Oxford a day or two
afterward; and when the other fellows
used to chaff me about her, next term,
most of them assuming that had pro-
posed to the beautiful Miss Langton
and been refused, and some of them
making rather merry at my expense, |
never denied it; and, besides, | could
not have spoken of her. My one hope
was to forget her existence. and that
one was vain one. Heaven only
knows how she has haunted my mem
ory, and now-nown'
"You find out that you were utterly
unjust to her, and that Capt. Lucas
was her step-brother, and that she sent
for him to the Rashleigh in the hope of
etfecting a reconciliation between him
and her father, who had not met him
since her mothers death. Well, Hugh,
you've certainly made blunder of it;
and it isn't your fault if you haven't
broken outright as true heart as ever
beat What are you going to do at
present?'
eco away" he said hoarsely; "that
| mayn't insult her by a second sight
of me. No wonder she looked at me
with such aversion to-day. And to
think that she might once have cared
for me! Well, well, am punished
enough"
And upon my word, when l saw him
sitting with his head bowed upon his
hands, and his face as drawn and hag-
gard as if years of pain had swept over
it since the morning, l almost felt the
same, and began to soften in the anger
| had felt at his first condemnation of
Cecil. He, however, would listen to no
excuse for his conduct, and laughed to
scorn my suggestion that she might yet
forgive him.
Would you have me insult her
worse?" he asked me, bitterly. "No,
no; tell her some day, if you like, that |
left her because | was utterly unworthy
of her, but that | loved her with my
whole heart, and was never faithless
to her even for day. Tell her that if
you will, and then never mention me
again. She will not care that you
should" And it was altogether against
his will that l insisted ON giving his
message in my own way, and before he
left Oxford. In my heart i believed
that Cecil still cared for him, and
would never suffer him to go; but he
checked me sternly when | even tried
to hint at such an idea, and | left
him packing his portmanteau when |
started.
Mrs. Prior, Cecil's cousin, received
me less cordially than usual when l
visited her. She looked worried and
fretful, and told me she could not have
seen any stranger had l brought one
with me.
$50 l am glad you did not bring
your friend with you," she said. 'Is
he great friend? for, to tell the truth,
| did not take fancy to him. He has
the same name as person who-whom
l would not receive on any account; and
and l did not care for his manner.
Is he going to stay long with you?'
Cecil got up and laid her hand on
her Cousins shoulder. Her beautiful
face was looking very white this morn
ing, but calm as wax.
cousin Emily is not WE'LL" she
said, gently. "You are not to mind
her, Mr.. Quincy. 1t is way of hers to
take unreasonable likes and dislikes,
and we have not been seeing many
strangers of late. She would like your
friend very well on one of her good
days. Come out into the garden and
look at my Japanese anemones." And
| rose and went out with her gladly;
but when we got to the flowers turned
my back on them and said:
"Thank you for taking Mallam's
part, Miss Langton. He is a man love