The daily Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1878-1???, 1881-06-05

tainment OF her guests In her niece,s hands
was In the full enjoyment OF her whist.
table, which she loved so well. Presently
Lord Harcourt Vernon was announced.
For a moment Miss Worthington's heart
seemed to stand still, and her presence of
mind deserted her; but 1t was quickly re-
called, and her role assumed. Her aunts
advice should be followed 10 the letter, and
by neither look or word should Lord Vernon
be more to her than an ordinary stranger.
She held out her hand to him unninching.
ly, though she vouchsafed not the faintest
response to his grasp, Her eyes met his
unfateringly, and heryoice WAS ,nc hanged
In tone. His lordshlp seemed inclined to
grow sentimental--he loved through his
eyes, and they were quickly re-dazzled by
the old brightness.
Miss Worthington was like Ice, and as
bright and cold; but never had she seemed
to him more fascinating than at this mo.
ment. She met his lordships advances
with gayety, but 1t was gayety which
seemed TO hold him up to ridicule before
the other guests, and which hurt his pride
and chafed his dignity. Plainly she would
see him, meet him, speak to him, all with
out the least apparent remembrance of past
times. Sir Arthur Worthington's short
comings had been forgiven-hushed by his
friends, or, better still, forgotten; so Lord
Harcourt Vernon found himself wonder
ing whether his dignity would BIO hurt, his
social status lowered, IL he youchsafed to
take his former fancee back into his good
graces. At all events Miss Worthington
was worthy of study, and this might occu-
Ply his lordship's leisure pleasantly for some
time to come-certainly until his mother
might be consulted, and some decision ar
rived at.
The guests were gone and Lady Raven
and her niece alone. The former was radi.
ant, the latter little fatigued after the ef-
forts she had been making to entertain her
aunt's friends.
Florence | have been delighted with you
tonight" her aunt suddenly informed her.
"Hardly another girl in the world could
have carried herself so well through what
must have been very trying ordeal, You
see, after all, his lordship came to bring me
the little case from Margaret. 1t was kind
OF him; but cannot help thinking also
that some powerful attraction must have
influenced him."
"The wish to oblige Lady MeddOwes
might be sufficient excuse, aunt MRrga-
ret; but must confess that think Lord
Vernon lacked good taste in almost forcing
himself into house where he could scarce
ly, even with his amount of vanity, have
imagined he would be welcome. However,
1t is as well perhaps he should know be-
yond doubt how unimportant person he
Is to me-"
"Well, you see, my dcar-I did not tell
you before-we certainly became very inti-
mate at Nice. He CHANGED to be there at
the same time and In our set; so that really,
without betraying too undisguised annoy
ance in meeting him, we could not well ex.
clude him. / did not tell you this in my |
letters, simply because thought it might
worry you or give you pain--that WAS my
only reason"
"Oh tia. he had power to give me
pain" was Florence's bitter Thought
"How easily the cure might lie in my own
handsw
Days and weeks passed, and Florence !
was fairly launched upon the waters of her |
old past life. The high-born circle Of other |
days in which she had 80 revealed was re-
gathered around her. The London season
was advancing rapidly, and in less than an
other month the house In Charges st. would |
be prepared for the Countess and Misc |
Worthington's reception.
Lady Raven began to feel amply repaid |
for all her anxiety in the companionship of |
her beautiful niece, to whom she knew she
was indebted for more than half Of the in |
1itations she received. And once again
Lord Harcourt Vernon was Miss Worth
ngton's shadow. If her pleasuras wearied
Ter, II her heart ached painfully at times,
he forced the WEAKNESS of the one and
he pain of the other from her, at least UNI
i in the solitude Of her own room, in her
'akeful nights, they would not BIO repress-
d, but only with increased power tor
rented her. She was always haunted by
face which obliterated all others--by a
dice which was ever ringing In her ears;
ut she tried increasingly to put them both
rom her. At times she revelled In the ad-
liration she received, in the grandeur by
,hich she was surrounded. They seemed
fe and breath to her, even though the life
lcked reality and warmth, and the breath
reedom.
Florence wrote often TO Maud Caring.
IN; but her letters were not very punctu-
lily answered. Her life could not be
laud's life; and such subjects as they had
common seemed rapidly to diminish
he knew too, beyond doubt, why Phil
p's name was always omitted. Once only
ad he aroused his sisters suspicious; and
,e respected his slightest wish too deeply
, question 1t. Once, and once only, had
Q asked Maud to never mention his name
! her letters to Florence; and the reason
0 gave was that he had written few
mes to her and never received an answer.
hat his letter could be withheld seemed
npossible to him. He believed only that
ie had chosen to ignore him, as he had
III too sure she would
The Countess Of Ravens politeness was
'orthy Of one bearing her noble title. In
er niece's absence one day she penned, in
er most fascinating style on golden cor.
neted paper, letter TO Mrs. Darlington,
o that lady's wonderment, there was very
tile In 1t beyond inexpressible gratitude
" the care she had bestowed upon her
ear niece, and the splendid health into
'hich she had nursed her; also her lady.
hips hope that they might soon meet In
'ondon, and the intelligence that Florence
'ould certainly have sent her love, but
hat she had gone out riding with Lord
larcourt Vernon. This last piece Of In.
was quite as startling as Lady
.aven intended 1t should be. Her letter