The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1881-03-04

Inviting him 10 come here to-day9n
her ladyship inquired.
Yes Ishal say I particularly wish
to consult him about picture. Are we
to prepare. Stella to see him, or would
1t be better TO let the meeting take her
by surprise?"
Certainly notI" said Lady Loring.
"With her sensitive disposition am
afraid of taking Stella by surprise. Let
me only tell her that Romsyne is the
original Of her portrait, and that he is
likely 10 call on you to see the picture
to-day-and lesye the rest to me-"
Lady L.oring's suggestion was imne-
aiately carried out. In the first fsrvor
Of her agitation Stella had declared
that her courage was not equal to
meeting with Romayne on that day.
Becoming more composed she yielded
10 Lady Lorings persuasion 90 far 90 10
promise that she would At loast make
the attempt to follow her friend to the
gallery. "If I go down with you, she
said, "it will look Is IL We had arranged
the thing between us. 1 can't bear
even to think of that i? Let me look in
by myself. as IL it was by accident"
Consenting to this arrangement Lady
Loring had proceeded alone to the gal
lery, when Romayne's visit was an
nounced. The minutes passed and
Stella did not appear. Lord Loring
thought it possible that she might
shrink from openly presenting herself
at the main entrance to the gallery.
and might prefer especially if she was
not aware Of the priests presence in the
,oom-to slip in quietly by the library
door. Failing to find her. on putting
this idea to the test, he had discovered
Penrose. and had so hastened the intro.
duction of the younger Of the two
Jesuits to Romayne. ~ IVY
Having gathered his papers together
Father Benwell crossed the library to
the deep bay-window which lighted the
room, and opened his dispstch-box
standing on q small table in the recess.
Placed in this position he was invisible
TO any person entering the room by the
hall door.
He had secured his papers in the dis
patch-box, and had Just closed and
locked it, when he heard the door
cautiously opened.
The instant afterward the rustling OF
woman's dress over the carpet caught
his ear. Other men might have walked
out of the recess and shown themselves.
Father Benwell staid where he was, and
waited until the lady crossed his range
of view.
The priest observed with cold atten-
tion her dsrkly y-beautiful eyes and hair,
her quickly-changing color, her modest
grace OF movement. Slowly, and in
evident agitation, she advanced to the
door of the picture gallery--and paused,
As if she was afraid to open it. Father
Benwell heard her sigh to herself
softly: "Oh, how shall meet himp
She turned aside to the looking-glass
over the fireplace. The reflection Of
her charming face seemed to rouse her
courage. She retraced her steps and
timidly opened the door. Lord Loring
must have been close by at the moment.
His voice immediately made itself heard
in the library.
"Come in, Stella-come in Here
is new picture for you to see; and
friend whom 1 want to present to you.
who must be your friend. too--Mr.
Lewis Romayne."
The door was closed again. Father
Benwell stood still rs q statue in the
recess, with his head down, deep in
thought. After while he reused him
self. and rapidly returned to the writ
ing-table. With a roughness, strangrly
unlike his customary deliberation ol
movement, he snatched sheet oi
paper ont of the case, and. frowning
heavily, wrote these lines on it:
"since my letter was sealed have
made discovery which must be com
municated without the loss of 3 post. ]
greatly fear there may be woman IL
our way. Trust me to combat thii
obstacle as have combated other OBJ
| stacles. In the meantime the work goe:
on. Penrose has received his first in
structions, and has to-day been presented
to Romayne."
He addressed this letter to Rome, Al
he had addressed the letter preceding it
"Now for the woman!" he said to him
self-and opened the door OF the picture
gallery.
[ro BE Continued