Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1879-08-15

in your hands, and trust it and all else
to you without doubt. If you would
try and learn to make some excuse for
my hard position | shall be grateful ;
perhaps when you are not in constant
fear of meeting me this lesson may not
be so hard
"And | could not say a word in reply.
Just lay Eobbing like child among
the cushions. Then he lifted my hand
and kissed it, and knew he was gone. -
"And now, Kate, that you have be-
come the most brilliant woman in Eng
land what do you intend to doPn
WHO knowsP | have such a contrary
streak in my nature. | always do the
thing do not want to do.n
Certainly it seemed like it: for, in
spite of her confession, ,vhen Lord Tai
bot sent, the next trorkmg, to request
an interview, Kate regretted that she
had u prior engagement, but hoped to
meet Lord Talbot at the Duchess of Cliff
ford's that night.
My lord bit his lips angrily, but new
ertheless he had been so struck with
his wife's brilliant beauty that he deter
mined to keep the engagement.
She did not meet him with sobs this
time. The center of an admiring throng,
she spoke to him with an ease and nom
chalance that would have indicated to a
stranger the most usual and common
place of acquaintanceships. He tried to
draw her into confidential mood, but
she said, smiling,y, my lord the world
supposes us to have already congratu-
lated each other; weneed not undeceive
it,
He was dreadfully piqued, and the
pique kept the cause of it continually in
his mind. Indeed, unless he left Lon
don, he could hardly avoid constant
meetings, which were constant aggra-
vations. My lady went everywhere.
Her beauty, her wit, her splendid toi-
lets, her fine manners, were the uni
versal theme. He had to endure extrav-
agant comments on them. Friends told
him that Lady Talbot had never been so
brilliant and so bewitching as since his
return. He was congratulated on his
influence over her.
In the meantime she kept strictly at
the distance he himself had arranged
four years ago. 1t was evident if he
would approach any nearer to his beau
tiful but long-neglected wife, he must
humble himself to do SO. Why should
he not? In Lord Talbot's mind the rea-
sons against it had dwindled down to
one. But this was a formidable one. 1t
was his valet. This man had known all
his masters matrimonial troubles, and
in his own way sympathized with them.
He was bitterly averse to Lord Talbot's
making any concessions to my lady.
One night, however, he received pro-
found shock.
Simmons" said Lord Talbot, very
decidedly, "go and ask Lady Talbot il
she will do me the honor to receive a
visit from me-"
My lady would be delighted. She was
in an exquisite costume, and conde-
scended to exhibit for his pleasure all
her most bewildering moods. 1t was
with great reluctance he left her after a
two hours visit. The next night he
staid still longer. My lady had no other
engagement, and he quite forgot the one
he had made to represent at the Marquis
of Stairs party.
The following week my lady received
every morning basket of wonderful
flowers, and little note with them con-
tanning hope that she was in good
health.
One morning she was compelled to
say that she was not very well, and
Lord Talbot was so concerned that he
sent Simmons to ask if he might be per-
nitted to eat breakfast with her. NV
lady was graciously willing, and Lord
Richard was quite excited by the per.
mission. He changed his morning-go
and cravat several times, quite regard
less of Simmons peculiar face, and
with many misgivings as to his appear
ance, sat down opposite the lovely little
lady in her pale blue satin and cashmere
and white laces.
Itwas charming breakfast, and during
it the infatuated husband could not helL
saying a great many very sweet and fiat
tering things. Kate parried them very
prettily. 1t is WE'LL" she saiG, "that
no one hears us. IF we were not mar.
ried, they would think we were making
love-
And if we are married, Kate, why
not make love, dear? We had no oppor.
tunity before we were married"
"Ah, Richard, in fashionable life we
should make ourselves ridiculous. Every
one says that now our behavior is ire,
proachable. | should have dearly liked
it when | was only a shy, awkward
country girl; but now, my lord, we should
be laughed at"
"Then, Kate, let us be laughed at.
for one am longing for it-dying for it
If Time shall run back and fetch the
age of gold, why not loveP Let us &c
back four whole years and half. Viii
you, Katep-dearest, sweetest Katep"
I'VE should have to run away to the
country, Richard. And now 1 think oi
it, have not been at Esher since we
were-married-lOve."
When such a conversation as this was
prolonged for five hours, it was little
wonder that my lords valet and my
lady's maid received orders to pack va.
lises and trunks, or that the next day
Esher Hall was in happy tumult of pre-.
paration.
Love comes better late than never, ant
Lady Kate always told herself that she
never could have been as happy in those
sweet old gardens with her lover as she
was with her husband. Probably they
were both as perfectly satisfied as it /!
possible for human love to be; for
greatly to the amazement of the fashion
able world, they not only spent thu
whole summer alone in their country
home, but actually, when they came
back to London, had the courage to ap.
pear, in the very height of the season, il
the same box at the opera.
Really, Kate, "says Miss Selma, 81
never was so astonished. The gentle
man on your left"
:" Is always at my right now, dear
He will rever be in the opposition
again"
How Delightfully."-
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