New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-04-17
CHAPTER XII.-IIEArncorE MoUNTFoRD.

else Mr Mountord battered himself Una, Nv ' h;s
nothing of a mans natural rcpngnahce to""Lu n's
hsr iIad that heir been ivc-and twenty iuH 81
the triumph and confidence ot youth, th,h nuceu "
might have been difficult Ia treat HIM WIN the Sl''o
asy tnI,r,nrr: for whatever may I've the chances III
your own favor, it wonid oe di'ht , 1o"IJ
lieye that young man , o. 'w manSr" 10 out
live Yourself at sixty. But llcalhcote Mount
ford had lived his kinsman thought, very
a r thr9, dozen years 1t was half lifetime
since there had been that silly story about mn ". y.
the Italian lady. Nothing can he more oasS 'ai s
add ON n few years Ia the vague estimate vi AZ
which We all form i'll respect Ia our heehp"S. Inv
fellow must he forty if he was day, ana sctwvon
forty and sixty after all there Is 81 niue diIei'nIS.
csnecially when he of forty is an old bachelor oi
habits perhaps not too regular or Nirtuons: III.
Mountford was one OF the people WI" u''' We b,a
never beer, man about town, frcqucnter OF the
clubs in his person; and there was, IeIh Ip a
trrtained of them 4 man of forty used up by late
hours and doubtful habits is not younger. Is a.
matter OF fact Older than reiIecIaSee ,n ,ia ra,.
man of sixty taking every care OF himself anu IcEu
lar as clock work in all his ways. Therefore ne
looked with roodhgmoIsd tolernnSc iga.Go'e
clined to laugh. Il shall them all out, he sara
to himself nay he even permitted himself " Gay Cay
Heathcote, to be sure, had IA younger brother, out
then he was well known:to be delicate cohSul'p
tive boy. :, .,.o, ,,o-o ;,torost
ING for various reasons. Rose and her mother re-
garded him with perfectly simple ana uhcohph-
able, If things fitted in and came rght, why inen1
the arrangement one which nilght have us al
vantages. The original estate oil Noun, Mii.n va,
comprehcndel i'll the entail was not large one, pt
still il was not unworthy consideration, especiaiy
when he had little and she had little, besides
sihiiitie, into her anticipations. But she too.
looked for Heathcotes arrival with curiosity al
most with anxiety. lie one who had been ~
She now was and who had fallcn--falen from
that 7 He had been loved-as Anne felt herself 10
lie loved but he had been betrayed she thomghl
with awe of the anguish. the horror OF unwilling
conviction the diving out of all beauty and glory
out of the world which it must have been his t3 ex-
perience And he had lived long years since ticii
on this changed earth under these changed skies
She began TO long to him with fervor oil curl-
osty which was mingled WITH Fly ana ecoyn pHI HOW
coutd he have lived after, lived so long, SUNK mo
doubt into a dreamy routine of living. as II nero
existence was worth retaining without nope or
loyei She was more curious about him than she
had ever been about any visitor before. WIN per
hans a for-otf consciousness that all this might hap
men to herself mingng with the vehement CON
vction that it never could happen. that She was as
far above it and secure from " ~ heaven Is Ho'"
the tempcsts and troubles of earth.
This much expected visitor arrived IN the twi,
Light of an October evening Just before dinner ana
his first introduction to the family Wa IN the llds-
season. W ich lighted up the drawing room with
the girls but scarcely revealing the elder people IN
their dark garments. man III evening dr'NS very
often looks his best. but he does not hook r'nIitc
he doc, not look like a hero-the details Of his APP
pearaice too much like those OF everybody ei%'
Anne looking at him breathcssly. trying ~ get
satisfactory impression OF HIM when the lsit irap"i
M for a moment, found him too vigorous too large,
too lifelike for her fastdious fancy hut Hose was
made perfectly happy by the appearance oil man
thought, to stand upon stills. The sound oi ms
voice when he spoke dispersed ever 80 many VISIONS;
IL WAS not too serious. as the younger SISTER Iid
feared Ii had not the lofty compoSurc Whlch the
elder had hoped. lie gave his arm TO Mrs Mount,
from his feow-creatures. There will be a frost
Tonight lie said ii is very cold outside but 1t rs
COSY room like this Charley Ashley would have
said the very same had il been he who had walked
up to dinner from the hectory Heathcoto h'd not
all that had happened yet he spoke about the cosy
room like any chance visitor II would not be 700
much to say that there Was a certain disgust IN the
reyulsion with which Anne turned from HIM, Though
no doubt it premature to pass Judgment on hun
In the first five minutes Ike this .
In the light of the dining room all mystery de-
parted, and he was seen as he Was A tall man,
strong aud well deyeloped, with dark am. ana very
bis iips smiling his eyes hat serious. though
kmdling now and then, habit of turning quickly
pair. of eyes were turned upon him with great curl
osity ~ he took his scat at Mrs. Mountfords side;
two or them satisfied two not So MS ps , ou na
about town, for whom no had felt contempt.
Still, no was turning gray, which shows a ieenie
constitution. AT sixty the master Of Mount had
not a gray hair in his head. AS for Anne, this gray
hair the only satisfactorily thing about nun;
Shs not fool isli enough IT, conclude tit ~ mus.
have turned 10 in u single night. But she felt that
tina at least WAS what might I,e expected. She
ut the opposite side of the table, and coud nos put
give great deal of her attention to him. HIS hair
cured In sheer wantOnness OF life and vigor thoagn
1t Was gray his voice WA round and strong anu
melOdious As he sat opposite to her he SMILED ana
talked, and looked like person who enjoyed DIS
lfe: Anne for her own part scarcely took any para
in the conversation at all. For the inst time she
threw back her thoughts upon the Italian princess
whom she had 10 scorned and condemned Perhaps,
after ALL it was not she who had suffered the least
Anne conjured up picture Of that fororn lady st.
I'M here In m
Of great silent palace, thinking over that episode
Of her youth Perhaps 1t not she, after ALL that
was NJ much in the wrong.
Il started from sandhurst only this morning, he
was saying, after committing all kinds OF follies
with the boys Imagine respectable person Of my
knocked all the breath ont Of me- yet you see have
survived. The young fellows had y match with
mon fnr too strong for tlem--and used 70 have
some little reputation that way IN old days
'Oh. yea you great athlete you played
for Oxford in university matches and got ever 50
This is startling Heathcote said; Il did not
: know my reputation had travelled before me; il is
pity 1t Is not something better worth remembering
but what do you know about goals, Miss Mount
ford, may make so boldf
'Rose. said that little person, who was wreathed
only the youngest Oh. heard FROM Charley Ash
Icy al about it. We know about goals perfectly
ven for Used 70 play csr 2;l long ago in the
. stop 70 It, Rose added with q sigh
\ ;hea think PGs stop to 7 | you PLAYED !ysa
frovn, feeling that this was quite unnecessary
:Oh, much oftener; dou't you recollect, Anne.
yos played football aud you were capital tn" boys
Nov Anne was, In fact, much troubled by this
ssvstons She in her prsss sn 81 bsr Sn 70
and, no doubt, would soon hear al about her as
, ss: s.s s9 ss T e. v "a. Sy
nnneyanca when the ludcrous aspect OF = suddenly