Fair play., 1881-06-25

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If the SQUAD OF that sweet music or the
breath of the red roses brings II back
TO YOU, You viii always ememher that
l quite understood. and tha, PRAY edto
Heaven 10 bless YOU.
MY dearest Viola. OF course | shall
remember. We have always been the
dearest OF friends.
The tears fell unheeded now. and she
echoed in 4 broken voice:
Yes. ALWAYS the dearest of friends.
Ross. ALWAYS | shall consider this our
farewell. Ross Tomorrow We shall
have but little time 10 see each other.
This Is our real good by
A. other times he had kissed her face;
hut now he bent forward and with
his lips touched the lilies IN her hair.
And ag:titf she felt that he had gwen
all the iove OF his life To Lean Dyneyor.
Lady Viola left the next morning with
smile on her face. and no one knew
the wound that rankled in her heart.
CHAPTER VI
The spring of the wear had come
round: but home WA, no longer home 10
Ross Gunner. In vain had he tired 10
stem the torrent that was gradually
sweeping him from all place and posi-
ti"n. As the baby-boy. Hugh. grew
stronger day after dav. Lady Cumnor
grew more insolent. more urgent that
Ross should leave home. and more anN-
ious that her son should be at least heir
OF LarchtUn Mere.
Good -uatured. kindly, i.idoleut Sir
Austen never dreamed why she Qncs-
toned him so closely about his title.
lands and money; he WAS the last ever
To suspect evil in any one. So, when
he stood one morning on the terrace
overlooking the mere, and she came up
To him. he never imagined that that
was the first of n series of lnNcstiSa-
tions and suggestions that were 10 end
in driving his elder son from home and
making his Younger son heir To
Larchton Mere Lady Culnnor went
ND to him with the naughty grace that
was peculiar to her and laid her hand
on his shoulder.
Are YOU looking over Your broad
lands. Austcn?" she said. They are
i .oodly inheritance"
Her la,lvship's voice and touch al
ways soo,hed him, and he was almost
powerless i'm her hands. lie could
never resist her; he had neither the
will nor the energy IL would have
been amusing had il not been pititul TO
see how completely she managed him.
how sklifully she brought HIM rouni
TO her way of thinking; while he
thought that he WAS very firm III carry
inc out his own ideas. On this fair
spring day. she made her first attack
against the dead Spanish wife and her
dark-haired son. The white hand
touched him more caressingiy.
What grand prcspsct. AuSten!
There are larger estates than Iarchion
Mere, but none more perfect. We
have every variety of landscape. You
must feel proud. Austen. At being lord
OF such domain"
81 do not know. nv dear replied Sir
Austen. Il have never felt any particu-
lar pride aboutit. But love the mere
Her face darkened. and her blue
eyes were shadowed rs she listened.
IL should have been proud Of it had
il been mime she said.
but, Hester, how can | be proud
of that which Heaven has given tor no
merit Of nv own. could be proud OF
genius or talent. but not "f wealth
that has come 10 me from mis- fltiier.
wealth in the gaining of which had
no share. often think if | had made
fortune by nv own industry l might
have been proud of it, but | could not
be proud OF one that was placed IN my
hand at nv birth"
Your ideas are very good. doubt
less" said Lady Cumnor, but they
differ from mine How strange it
seems that such grand property as
this is not entaiied, Austen
"Yes, l have often thought SO" he
replied; "but there has never been /
question with respect To it.
HAS it always descended from
father TO eldest SOM" she asked; and
her lips paled rs she spoke.
"No, not ALWAYS. 1t has gone from
brother to brother. Sometimes even il
has gone from father to a younger son,
when the elder has preferred. perhaps,
military life or the life OF Traveller.
There has never been any dispute about
it."
81 think" said her ladyship, slowly.
"that the law OF entail is one OF the
most absurd in the world
On hearing one of the articles of his
faith so strongly attacked, Sir Austen
grew grave and serious.
why, Hester why do you say that?'
he asked.
IL call it a mere relic of barbarous
age" she said.
And again he repeated:
"Why, Hester -why?'
because it is unnatural" shereplied.
"Why, from q family OF sons all equally
dependent on their father, should one
be chosen to be rich while all the others
are poor?'
You must look farther ahead, Hes
ter" said Sir Austen. "When you
strike at the law of entail. you strike at
all rights. at all aristocracy. at all di-
vision Of classes. II the law OF entail
were abolished, there could be no large
estates: the lands would be sold or di-
vided. and in two generations the old
names and places would cease to exist.
To do away with the law OF entail really
means to do away with the aristocracy
altogether
Il would strike great many blows
if could" said Lady Cumnor. proudly.
Sir Austen laughed as ne stroked her
golden hair. --
Il have never thought about your
political principles before. Hester" he
said. Are you a Radicals'
NO" she replied. Il am not. Twill
tell you what l am, Austen: and you
must not scold me. / belong to any
class of politicians who will give this
beautiful land of Larchton Mere TO
my little son Hugh. and send your big
SON to take care Of the land in Spain. -
So she shot her first arrow; and. half
afraid Of the result. she did what she
very seldom did. raised her fair face to
his and kissed him But she need not