The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1878-10-13

CHATTER xXYIv.

From you have been absent in the sIrrG
when proud pied april dressed in alb, all his tn"'
That heavy saturn i.9ghd and md leap d . Nth him
Ofdtnerent flowers in odoar and in hue,
Could make me any srisneT story tell; - ,
Nor from their proud lsp pluck them where they grew
sEASEsrzAKE
Lesba's fret experience Of tie fact, that
riches sometimes take the shape OF letters,
holding their possessors back from The attain
ment of their " .shts came to her as she lay
in bed late on the morning after the bail, too
tired to get mp, and too ret tess 10 90 10 sleep
again. The sunshine streaming thfough the
closed shutters was reflected IN long green
rays from q little heap of trinktts on the dress
ing table, where she had wearify thrown them
on undressir e last night, and conspicuous, jnst
in the level streak Of light on the floor, lay
one of the bouquets of shamrock from EeE
lace dress. that / ad caught on an orange tree
and been torn away when ste turned from
Connor in the balcony. ILe whole scene
rushed back on her memory. and she sat up in
bed, bent her face down on her hands and
mentally acted II all over again, word by
word. She had never, she -thoagltg-liked
Connor half as well before as she did now,
when he understood more of what lay at the
bottom of her heart than anyone else IN the
der the shelter Of her clasped hands, and 10
the solitude of her own roomIgrew crimson at
the thought. Ah, yes, more than that other
person should ever know or would care to
know. This secret alliance with Conuor
seemed q great gain, it as good as gave her
brother nearly of her own age, whom ste need
not be afraid of. brother very uulike John
yet, how kind Johu had been, when he had
put his arm round her, and spoken of return
ing TO Counemara-wb at a curious new look
had come into his eyes ! Help to keep her
last nights promise 10 Couuor might bs rec
koped npon securely from that quarter, Lssbis
felt cure, and smiled to herself, ss all that was
implied in Johns willingness to aid her grew
clear 10 her mind: John in love who would
have thought it!-all his learning aud the
talents of which Bride was prout, not hsv-
ing saved him from being as silly as herself.
So far the way looked tolerably clear, but
from this point d fhculties in the shape of s)-
oial duties began to start up. week or two
ago these same prospects would have been
counted pleasures. now they appeared wrt tch-
cd mean hindrances, standing in the way of
the one thing in the world she really cared to
do :-engagements for balls and pleasure
parties, made with this and that grand
q1aintapce; proposed visits from dear friends;
Raieties entered into with the Pelhams-and
behind all these lay the worst bindrance of
all, certain cold disapproving expression
that was sure to come over Brides face when
ever either she or John ventured any re.
mark that had q latent design of proving the
superiority of Castle DAILY TO any ether resi-
dence. How could Lssbia approach her sister
while che " as in this mood, and propose such
a startling plan De TAFT t1ey should give mp
their London house at the beginning of the
sess on, and abandoning all engagements, go
eff suddenly to Connemara, where people had
nothing to cat, aud were lying by Thousands of
fever, and were expected socu to begin cutting
each others throats by way of change of suf-
feripgf There WAS not one good or e;en
Pls1sible reason to ASST sn for such proceed.
ing, except that secret one which Lesbia
thought her lips could no more speak out to
Bride than her shonlders could put forth
wings 10 carry her ecrcss the sea. Ii ouly
plausible motive for breaking her intimacy
with tie PeftEHB stUutd ariee, Bfitie Night
accept thRt sufficient explanation for Civ
ing up the remaining gaieties of the season.
1t would certainly be awkward to be perpetu.
ally meeting people one had offended irrevo-
cably. AS these last thoughts crossed Lea bias
mind, she lifted mp her head, put her tumbled
hair away from her hot forehead, and rang the
bell for her maid to oretS her. Perhaps it
might not be correct or maidenly to wish to
receive an offer from man she did not love
and meant to retuse, just for the sake of aflgrd-
ing her an excuse for leaving place she was
tired L f. and going where her heart was {Les.
bia ackno wledged all this to herself y Bride
would be shocked Mt such design but when
one is coward, and is driven into q corner,
and above all, when the welfare of the person
one secretly loves depends on ones movements
one cannot afford to be curious about expedi-
ents, but must be satisfied to adopt the read
iest that comes to hand. And after all, this
expedient was less Objectionable than might
be thought at first sight. Its only aim was
to draw rather quickly to . conclusion q sham
oourtship, that had no heart in it on either
side, aud that yet had gone far as , neces-
Sitate some sort of explanation to end it, A
little mai SuvrinR to bring the crisis 81 once
was surely no great matter.
Yes" Lesba said to her maid, who was by
this time plating her hair before the glass,
II win be dressed in my habit, and go down
to breakfast, ready for my ride The Miss
Pelhams always ride the morning after ball,
aRd will send round q little note 10 beg them
to call for me-"
"And will see that the note goes at once,
Miss" the maid answered with meaning
simper that, reelected in the glass, caught
Lesbia's eyes, and brought q flush of vexa alton
and shame to her face, bat did not induce her
to alter her purpose.
John wFS puzzled and Bride triumphant at
the increased inclination for the Pelhans' So
ciety Lesbia showed during I he fortnight that
succeeded the ball. She had always receiy ed
the attentions Of the family Rraciously, but
now she appeared TO have no interest in any
engagement in which they were not included
Can you understand it, John ~ Bride asked
one evening when she caught her brother
alone at the end of a day on which she had
martyrized herself by acting chaperone to
Lesbia on water party to Richmond with the
Pelhsme. Can you understand the new atti-
tude Of affairs between Bah, tie and Captain
Pelham She has abandoned all her former
hirtRtions, aud keeps close to the Pelhams
wherever and iuRt Ra he 10 hpcoma