The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1881-07-22

y no person but you can answer. For n,
j rest, my friendless position will De,
: maps plead with you not to misunde,
1 stand me-"
: lnveterate distrust in every sentence
II any other woman had treated ma |;
| this way I should have put her lotte
Q into the fire, and should not hay
? stirred from my comfortable house.
D 2sM Jdnany.-A day missed out O
+ my diary. The events Of yesterday nm
) nerved me for time.
} Arriving at Derwent's hotel, on IN,
evening Of the 9th. / sent q lin,
to Stella by messenger to ask vher
she could receive me.
1t is strange how the merest triae,
seem to touch womenl Her note in re.
ply contains the first expression Of
friendly feeling toward me which has
escaped her since We parted at Brussels.
And this expression proceeds from her
ungovernsble surprise and gratitude at
my taking the trouble to travel from
Devonshire to London on her account
For the rest, she proposed to call on me
at the hotel the next morning. She and
her mother, 1t appeared, differed In op;n.
ion on the subject Of Mr.. Romayne's be.
havior TO her, and she wished to see me-
IN the first instance, unrestrained by
Mrs. Eyrecourt's interference.
There was little sleep for me that
night. passed most Of the time in
smoking and walking up and down the
room. My one relief was afforded by
traveller; he begged SO hard to 20 with
me 4 couid not resist him. The dog
always sleeps in my room. His surprise
at my extraordinary restlessness lend.
ing in downright anxiety and alarm,
was expressed in his eyes, and in his
little winnings and cries, quite as intel.
ligibly as il he had put his meaning into
words. Who first called dog a dumb |
eroasuref 1t must have been o man |
think, and thoroughly unlovable man |
too, from dogs point Of view.
Soon after ten ON the morning Of the
18th she entered my sittingroom.
In her personal appearance 1 saw a
change for the worse, produced I mn.
pose by the troubles that have tried her
sorely, poor thing. There was a sad
loss OF delicacy in her features and Of
purity in her complexion. Even bo,
dress-I should certainly not have 40.
ticed it in any other woman-seemed 10
be loose and slovenly. In the api,a
ton OF the moment I forgot the LONG
estrangement between us; I half.lifted
my hand to take hers, and checked INV.
self. Was I mistaken in supposine ths,
she yielded to the same impulse and re-.
sisted 1t as I didf She concealed be,
embarrassment. ifshe felt any, by pattiua
the dog.
taken the journey 10 London in this
wintry weather to-" she began. |.
1t was impossible, IN her situation, TO
let her assume this commonplace tone /,
with me. "I sincerely feel for you," /
said. "and sincerely wish TO hsip you il
I can"
She looked al me for the first time.
Did she believe me, or did she still
doubtf Before I could decide she
took letter from her pocket. opened it
and handed it to me.
Women often exaggerate their trou.
bles," she ssid. at is perhaps IN
unfair trial Of your patience. but
should like you to satisfy yourself that
have not made the worst OF my situa-
tion. That letter will place il before
you in Mr.. Romayne's own words. Read
i, except whore tho page il turned
down."
II was her husbands letter Of fare
veil.
The language was scrupulously deli. Q
cate and considerate. But to my mind .
u entirely failed to disguise the fanat.
ical cruelty Of the mans resolution ed.
dressed to his wife. In substance II /,
came TO this:
He had discovered the marriage st I,
which she had deliberately
from him when he took he, :
Tor his WIFE She had aftervard per
sisted in that conoealment. under cir I.
which made it impossible
that he could ever trust her again."
(This no doubt referred 70 her Mad =
advised reception Of me - total stran.
ger at Ten Acres Lodge). "In the mis-
Nrable breakup Of his domestic life the
nurch to which he now belonged Of
cred him not only her divine consola.
ION. but the honor. above all earthly !
distinctions, Of serving the cause Of re-
ligion in the sacred ranks Of the priest
hood. Before his departure for Rome
he bade her q last farewell in this
world, and forgave her the injuries that
she had inflicted on him. For her aake
he asked leave to say some few words
more In the first place he desired 10
do her every justice, in q worldly sense.
Ten Acres Lodge was offered 10 her a.
. FREQ gift for her lifetime. with suf-
ficient income for all her wants. In the
second place he was anxious that she
should not misinterpret his motives.
Whatever his opinion Of her conduct
might be. he did not rely on it as afford
ing his only justification for leaving
her. Setting personal feelings aside.
he felt religious scruples connected
with his mArriagsl which left him NO
other alternative than the separation on