Litchfield enquirer., 1880-06-24
the female members of the Tredgold family,

i and this was their mode of showing it. Blu 1 It SO, why should she have thus thrust ht company upon them? Probably my astonisl ment, and even disgust, showed themselves c my countenance, for Lucy added severely
 Do not glare at the wall like that, N Garrard. You will arouse attention. I C wish you would sit down"
 ''Sit down? ?' replied 1, in my turn a lit annoyed; II can't sit down on the lady's la, and there is no other chair"
 Then Lucy reached out her fan and touches her brother on the shoulder, and he left h chair and bent his head down while she wh pered in his ear. 1 knew she was talkin about me, and not very pleasantly, but m whole attention was absorbed by the lady i white satin. Sine did not take the least nc tice Of the movement in the box, nor of th performers on the stage, but gazed straigl before her into vacancy with most sad anC as it seemed to me. most self reproachful face had heard of the impassive frgidity of tn aristocracy, but, if that vas their manner, preferred that of the nidle classes ;.her nut indifference seemed to freeze my very blood Then some one took me by the arm and whis peredroughly
 What the deuce is the matter with you Frank! You have quite frightened .ny sister
 It was Gilbert Tredgod, who had been civ enough up to this time, though I fancied h had once or twice given himself airs over m on the stsengtL of his four years seniority lit. spoke to uac HOW IS man would speak L foolish boy who had beer playing som prank, and felt very indignant
 Il have frightened nobody" replied, ''bu think 1t strange-and rather rude-that n one has introduced me to this lady; thougl indeed she has much more to complain of, i it comes to that than have''
 "What lady? You are dreaming, Frank There's 10 one here except ourselves"
 Hush, said 1 ''she must bear every wor, we say, though she appears so abstracted."
 '.Just step with me into the back room said Gilbert
 followed him mechanically, my eyes stil lingering on the silent lady in white satin.
 He shut the door behind him. Look here Frank; you must not go ato that box again nor into the society of my sisters. You ar not in a fit state"
 "Do you mean to say Pm drunk ?''
 "les, do. Lucy thinks that It is the ex citenent of the play, and is well she does; don't wish to undeceive her." He had hi back against the door, and was very angry; st was 1; but 1 was not drunk, as he imagined should have been very willing tu try con clusions with him in trough and tumble, but called to mind that I was his father guest, and that any disturbance in the theatr. would be very distressing to his family
 'You are very rude" said, 'and am no surprised at it. since you can treat lady a. you have done. But don't want to make row. l will gs home to your father and state exactly what had happened,'
 You couldn't do wiser thing" he replied gravely ''the fresh air will revive you. You can find your way out, suppose ?"
 did not reply to that sarcasm, but stakeC haughtily from the room, like Hamet's fath CTS ghost when he was offended
 went straight back to Mr. Tredgold, anc found the old gentleman still over his papers the evening ones.
 Good gracious! are you all come back al ready" he exclaimed peevishly It was perhaps, excusable, since the old gentleman had hoped to have quiet evening to himself ; but began to think that the family rutieness was hereditary.
 .'No. Sir" answered, ''no one has come back except me. have been grossly insulteo by your son Gilhert."
 Stuff and nonsense 7" he said 'Gilber, never insults any one. Whatever his faults, he isa most good -natured young fellow, though a little nasty in his temper. Now tell me what has happened. You look excited au afraid you took glass of wine or so at dinner more than you have been accustomed to-"
 That was very true, fer at my Blackheath school wine was extra, though politeness was not batI certainly had not taken too much wine, My mind, indeed was sufficiently clear to make me understand how lnportan, it was to prove that was sober
 ''No," said I, II was particularly abstemi, ous, Mir. Tredgold. Observe the long words l am using without making the least mistake Give me anything out of the newspapert to read the city article or the share -list-and try whether 1 am drunk or not"
 Il never said you were drunk, my good lad said the lawyer, half amused, half touch ed, by my earnest pleading.
 "No, Sir; but your son said it. 1 am not used to misbehave myself in the presence of ladies. nor to be accused of doing so"'
 'Come, sit down and tell me quietly what Frank" ...
 So sat down, and told him all, not omit ting my own view of the cut direct which had been administered to the strange lady by the members of his family.
 Tt is very curious" said he, when had done; ''but l acqut you, Frank. of all impu- tation of having been intoxicated also ex cuse Gilbert for having made it it was very natural mistake for him to have fallen into. My opinion is that you were in a state of great mental excitement, produced partly by the fact of being at the theatre and partly by the play itself, which gave your ideas certain su- pernatural bais. You were just in the frame ot mind to suffer from an optical delu- son."
 But do you mean to say did not see that lady in white satin p
 n,, ho don't know whether they dress Ophelia on the stage (like Tilburina) in white satin nowadays but in that box you certainly did not see her. Now, just go to bed, Frank. like good fel- low. don't offer you supper, because you'll be better without it. There's your flat candle i; good night and pleasant dreams"
 felt the old lawyer was treating me very tenderly, since he had notbing but my word to go upon against (fer I had admitted as much) that of his whole family; but was by no means amicably disposed towards them.
 In the morning, when'I came down to breakfast, every one was studiously polite to me and evidently determined to make no allu- sion to what had happened on the previous evening; at times caught Gilbert Tredgold glancing at me with an amused expression, and then turning away with sort of bloated look, and hls eyes half out of his head, like a lobster's. If had attempted an explanation 1 think it would have been the death of him. but was not at all restrained from it on that account. 1 was too proud to enter anew upon any justification of my conduct and as to any apology, it was clear that it ought to have come from them and not from me.
 Before concluded my visit, however, I did address few words of. remonstrauce to Lucy concerning the practical joke, as termed it, which had been played upon me iD the theatre, and to which she had been an accessory. didn't care about it myself, I told her, so much, though l thought it unklnd; but that they should have all agreed to ignore the pres enc' of their lady visitor showed, thought, bad feeling.
 My dear MT. Garrard, " she said, with quite unwonted severity, ''I had hoped you had made up your mind to say nothing about that unpleasant subject; let bygones be bygones, do beg" -
 I had no idea Cat that time) that young woman could sprak so sharply.
 Well, nsver!' cried I, in tone which betrayed. perhaps, my astonlshment at her i'm prudence. for she replied still more tartly-@
 ssN0r I eifher. thoi,Oh iudoa1 I haua raod