The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1881-07-08


mission, or the infant school in want ol
funds, and-with no more abominable
object in view than 1 have at this mo
ment in poking the fire-he would have
ended in producing his modest sub
scrlption-list, and would have betrayed
himself Gust as our odious Benwell will
- betray himself) by the two amiable little
words, please contribute. Is there any
other presentiment, my dear, on which
q you would like to have your mothers
candid opinion ?"
Stella resignedly took up the book
again.
II dare say you are right" she said.
"Let us read our novel,"
Before she had reached the end NJ tbo
first page her mind was far away again
from the unfortunate story. She was
thinking of that other preseutiment."
which had formed the subject of her
mothers last satirical inquiry. The
vague fear that had shaken her when
she had accidentally touched the French
boy on her visit to Camps Hill till from
time to time troubled her memory.
Even the event of his death had failed
to dissipate the delusion which associat
ed him with some underlined evil iuflu.
ence that might yet assert itself. A su.
perstitious forewarning of this sort was
a weakness new to her in her experience
OF herself. She was heartily ashamed
OF it, and yet, it kept its hold. Once
more the book dropped on her lap. She
laid it aside and walked YEARLY to the
window to look at the weather.
Almost at the same moment Mrs.
Eyrecourt's maid disturbed her mistress
over the second volume of the novel;
by entering tho room with letter.
For me?' Stella asked, looking
round from the window.
"No, ma'am, for Mrs. Eyrecourt."
The letter had been brought to the
house by one of Lady Loring's servants.
In delivering he had apparently given
private instructions to the maid. She
laid her finger significantly on her lips,
when she gave the letter to her mistress.
In these terms Lady Loriug wrote:
off Stella happens to be with you
whom you receive my note don't say
anything which will let her know that l
am your correspondent. She has al
ways, poor dear, had an inveterate dis
trust of Father Benwell and, between
ourselves, l am not sure that she is
quito so foolish as once thought. The
Father has unexpectedly left us with
49,. 'sssiiiest vAvusu wiIivu satisfies Lord |
Loring. 1t fails to satisfy me. Not
from any wonderful exercise of penetra-
tion on my part but in consequence of
something I've just heard in course of
conversation with Catholic friend.
Father Benwell, my dear, turns out to
be Jesuit; and, what is more, q person
of such high authority in the Order that
his concealnient OF his rank while he
was with us must have been a matter of
necessity. He must have had some
very serious motive for occupying a po
sition so entirely beneath him as his
position in our house. 1 have not the
shadow of a reason for associating this
startling discovery with dear Stellas
misgivings-and yet there is something
in my mind which makes me want to
hear what Stella's mother thinks. Come
and have talk about it as soon as you
possibly can"
Mrs. Eyrecourt put the letter in her
pocket, smiling quietly to herself.
Applying to Lady Loring's letter the
infallible system of solution which she
had revealed to her daughter, Mrs
Eyrecourt solved the mystery of the
priests conduct without moments
hesitation. Lord Loring's check, in {
Father Benwelrs pocket, representing
such liberal subscription that my lord
was reluctant to mention it to my lady
there was the reading of the riddle,
as plain as the sun at MONDAY. Would
it be desirable to oenlighten Stella? Mrs.
Eyrecourt decided in the negative. As /
Roman Catholics and as old friends OF
Romayne, the Loring's naturally re. /
loiced i'll his conversion. But as old {
friends also of Romayne's wife, they
were bound not to express their senti-
ments too openly. Feeling that any !
discussion of the priests motives ,
would probably lead to the delicate
subject of the conversion Mrs Eyre a
court prudently determined to let the
matter drop. AS consequence Of this |
decision Stella was left without the ,
slightest warning of the catastrophe {
which was now close at hand.
Mrs. Eyrecourt joined Stella at the /
window. c
"Well, my dear, is it clearing up
Shall we take a drive before luncheon ?"
"If you like, mamma"
She turned to her mother as she an. q
swered. The light of the clearing sky,
at once soft and penetrating. fell full
ON her. Mrs. Eyrecourt, looking at her
as usual, suddenly became serious; she
studied her daughters face with an
eager and attentive scrutiny.
"Do you see any extraordinary
change in me?" Stella asked, with a
faint smile.
Instead of answering, Mrs. Eyrecourt
put her arm round Stella with a loving
gentleness, entirely at variance with
any ordinary expression of her charc-
ter. The worldly mothers eyes rested
with a lingering tenderness ON the
daughters face.