The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1881-02-25


me that l shall not. What can 1 hop
from a man who never once noticed ma
But / should like to hear that he had re
covered his health and his tranquility
and that his life was happy one. I
has been comfort to me, Adelaide. h
open my heart to you. am gettins
bold enough to confess everything,
Would you laugh at me, wonder,
II +"
She stopped. Her pale complexion
softly glowed into color; her grand
dark eyes brightened-she looked he,
loveliest at that moment.
81 am far more inclined, Stella, to cry
over you than to laugh at you," said
Lady Loring. "There is something 70
my mind very sad about this adventure
Of yours. wish 1 could find out who
the man is. Even the best description
Of person falls so short of the reality. /"
II thought of showing you some
thing" Stella continued, (which n1kht
help you to see him as saw him. Ips
nly making one more acknowledgment
Of my own folly"
"You don't mean portrait of him p
Lady Loring exclaimed.
'The best that I could do from recol.
lection," Stella answered, sadly.
Bring it here directlyT ft.
Stella left the room and returned with
, little drawing in pencil. The instant
Lady Loring looked at it, she recog-
nized Romayne, and started excitedly to
her feet. .lt
You know him r cried Stella.
Lady Loring had placed herself in an
,wkward position. Her husband had
described to her his interview with
Major Hynd and had mentioned his
project for bringing Romayne and
Stella together, after first exaoting q
promise of the strictest secrecy from his
wife. She felt herself bound-doubly
bound, after what she had now discov-
ered-to respect the confidence placed
In her and this at the time when she
had betrayed herself to Stella With q
feline fineness of perception, in
I'll cases of subterfuge and concealment
she picked part OF the truth out of
the whole, and answered harmlessly
without moments hesitation.
81 have certainly seen him." she said,
probably at some party. But I see 80
many people, and go to so many places
that I must ask for time to consult my
My husband might help me,
vyou don't object to my asking him.
she added, slyly.
Stella snatched the drawing away
from her in terror. "You don't mean
that you will tell Lord LoringY she
bald.
"My dear child how can you be SC
foolish Can't show him the drawing
without mentioning who it was done by:
His memory is much better one than
mine. If I say to him, Where did we
meet that man Y-he may tell mo at
once-he may even remember the name.
OF course, If you like to be kept in sus-
pense, you have only to say so. 1t rests
with you to decide"
Poor Stella gave way directly. She
the drawing. and affectionately
kissed her artful friend. Having now
secured the means of consulting hel
husband without exciting suspicion,
Lady Loring left the room.
At that time in the morning, Lord
Loring was generally to be found either
in the library or the picture gallery
His wife tried the library first.
On entering the room, she found bui
one person in it-not the person o,
whom she was in search. There, but
toned up in his long frock coat. and
surrounded by books of all sorts and
sizes, sat the plump, elderly priest who
had been the especial object of Major
Hynd's aversion.
al beg your pardon, Father Benwsll,
said Lady Loring; II hope don't in.
terrupt your studies 2"
Father Benwell rose and bowed with
. pleasant paternal smile. 81 am onl,
trying to organize an improved arrange
ment of the library" he said, simply
Books are companionable creatures =
members, as it were, OF his family to q
lonely old priest like myself. Can I bs
OF any service to your ladyship?" ?"
"Thank you, Father. II you car
kindly tell me where Lord Lorine
Is
"To be sure His lordship was here
five minutes since--he is now in the pic
ture gallery. Pray permit me F"
With remarkable light and easy stef
for man of his age and oiaO, ho .d
vanoed to the further end Of the library,
and opened the door which lead int<
the gallery.
"Lord Loring is among the pictures.
he announced. sand alone" He Laid
q certain emphasis on the last word
which might or might not lin the cas-
of spiritual director Of the household
invite word of explanation.
Lady Loring merely said, "Just wha
I wanted; thank you once more, Fathe
Bcnwell and passed into the picture
gallery.
Left by himself again in the Library
the priest walked slowly to and fro
thinking. His latent power and resolu
tion began to show themselves dark,
In his face. A skilled observer woul'
now have seen plainly revealed in hin
the habit OF command, and the capacit,
for insisting on his right to be obeyed
From head to foot Father Benwen We
one Of those men who acknowledge N
defeat, and who improve every victory
After while he returned to the tsbl
at which he had been writing when Lad
Loring entered the room. An unfr
ished letter lay open on the desk. h