Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1881-04-30

disclosure to Romayne which informs
him that his wife had been Winterfeld's
guest in Devonshire when she affected
to meet her former host on the footing
of stranger. In the meanwhile give
Penrose ample opportunity for innocent.
ly widening the breach between husband
and wife.
"You see, I hope, that if maintain
passive position it is not from Incidence
or encouragement. Now we may get
ON.
"After an interval of a few days more
1 decided on making further inquiries q.
Mrs. Eyrecourt's house. This time
when I left my card L sent message
asking if the lady would receive me.
Shall I own my weakness? She pos.
sesses all the information that want;
and she has twice baffled my inquiries
Under these humiliating circumstances
it is part of the pugnacity of my dis.
position to inquire again.
| was invited 10 go upstairs.
"The front and back drawing-room OF
the house were thrown into one. Mrs.
Eyrecourt was being gently moved back
ward and forward in chair on wheels,
propelled by her maid; two gentlemen
being present, visitors like myself. In
spite of rouge and loosely-folded lace
and flowing draperies, she presented
deplorable spectacle. The bodily part
of her looked like dead woman painted
and revived, while the moral part, in
the strongest contrast, was just as lively
as ever.
SO glad to see you again, Father
Benwell and so much obliged by your
kind inquiries. l am quite well, though
the doctor won't admit it. Isn't it funny
to see me being wheeled about like
child in peramubulator? Returning
to first principles l call it. You see it's
a law of my nature that must go about
The doctor won't let me go about out
side the house, so go about inside the
house. Matilda is the nurse, and am
the baby that will learn to walk one of
these days. Are you tired, Matilda?
No? Then give me another turn, there's
good creature. Movement, perpetual
movement, is law of nature. Oh,
dear, no, doctor. / didn't make that
discovery for myself Some eminent
scientific person mentioned it in a lee
ture. The ugliest man L ever saw.
Now back again, Matilda. Let me in
troduce you to my friends, Father Ben
we'll. Introducing is out of fashion, I
know But am one of the few women
who can resist the tyranny of fashion.
like introducing people. Sir John
Drone-Father Benwell. Father Ben
well-Doctor Wybrow. All, yes, you
know the doctor by reputation? Shall
give you his character? Personally
charming professionally detestable.
Pardon my impudence, doctor it is one
of the consequences of the over
flowing state of my health. Another
turn, Matilda, and a little faster this
time. Oh, how wish 1 was travelling
by railway
"There her breath failed her. She
reclined in her chair and famed herself
silently for while.
81 was now able to turn my attention
to the two visitors. Sir John Drone, it
was easy to see, would be no obstacle to
confidential conversation with Mrs. Eyre
court. An excellent country gentleman,
with the bald head, the ruddy complex
ion, and the inexhaustible capacity for
silence so familiar to us in English So
ciety-there you have the true descrip-
ton of Sir John. But the famous ply
sician was quite another sort of man. I
had only to look at him and to feel my
self condemned to small talk while he
was in the room.
"You have always heard of it in my
correspondence whenever / have been in
the wrong. I was in the wrong now-I
had forgotten the law of chances. Ca
pricious fortune after long interval
was about to declare herself again in my
favor by means of the very woman who
had twice already got the better of me.
What a recompense for my kind inqui-
ries after Mrs. Eyrecourt! She recov-
cred breath enough to begin talking
again.
"'Dear me, how dull you arep she
said to us. why don't you amuse
poor prisoner confined to the house?
Rest q little, Matilda, or you will be
falling ill next. Doctor, is this your
last professional visit ?
"'Promise to take care of yourself.
Mrs. Eyrecourt, and will confess that
the professional visits are over. come
here to-day only as friend
"You best Of men! Do me another
favor. Enliven our dullness. Tell us
some interesting story about patient.
These great doctors, Sir John, pass
their lives in perfect atmosphere OF
romance. DIR. Wybrow's consulting
room is like your confessional, Father
Benwell. The most fascinating sins and
sorrows are poured into his ears What
| 20 +bo lo,+ ,opoonoa in raal life dnotnr