Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1882-10-26
CHAPTER XVIII.

tears springing to her eyes, her lips
compressed, her fingers tightly inter-
laced, walked rapidly up and down the
room, her breath coming in sob like
gasps. She had gained the object of
| her life; and what were her feelings at
the moment2 Something like feelings
| of despair.
1t was only lately that such wild
| and Improbable idea as marriage for
love had ever even entered her mind
entered it only to be crushed out. 1t
was, after all, no wonder that she acted
according to the creed in which she had
been brought up. She knew that her
| father had missed chances of advance
ment, and that he might have been a
richer man had he not nourished high
ideas of purity and honor. From her
earliest years she had heard her mother
lament over his folly, and recount the
enjoyed if her father had been more
sensible-more like other people-till
she had learned to distrust her better
impulses as likely to lead her astray-to
interfere with the real business of life.
At this dark hour, which ought to
have been the supremest hour of her
life, her heart turned with wild yearIl-
ing toward st. Lawrence; but, if he
had come to her and asked for her love,
would she have given up all her pros
poets in life to be the wife of mere
nobody, struggling artist? She had
asked herself this, and inwardly an
swered, "No-a thousand times no."
1t was best as it had befallen-and at
any rate it was of no avail now to think
of what might have been. She hastily
dashed the binding tears from her
eyes, and resolved from henceforth on
ly to keep in view the future that lay
before her as Countess of Alphington.
In pursuance of this determination, as
she continued to pace the room, she
went over in her imagination a variety
of scenes in which she would mingle,
splendidly dressed, loaded with jewels,
outshining all by her beauty and grace,
admired, caressed, envied, till the color
returned to her cheeks, the rapid step
became more lingering, and at last,
with something like smile of triumph,
she prepared to meet Bertha, who came
in from the garden. {.
Mrs. Dalton, when she went out,
spoke to Bertha as she passed through
the garden, and cautioned her against
interrupting the tete-d-tete, and, much
as Bertha disliked this maneuver, she
could not diametrically oppose herself
to her mothers injunctionS. Many
things was she compelled to suffer in
silence, much that was painful to her
had she to endure; but it would have
been of no use to raise diSSenSiOns
without the power to alter what she did
not approve. When she saw Fancourt
traverse the path leading to the gate,
without turning into the sidewalk to
speak to her, when she heard him call
ing harshly to the groom who was lead
ing the horses backward and forward,
a hope arose that Lena's better feelings
had prevailed at the last moment, and
that the Honorable Mr.. Fancourt had
been rejected.
Judging by what her own feelings
would be after such necessarily agi-
tating interview, she still fingered
amongst the flower-beds, and walked
two or three times up and down the
walk that bounded the kitchen-garden,
where two or three rows of venerable
fruit-trees almost formed an arch over
head. At length, anxious to know how
the interview had ended, she returned
to the house, prepared to offer such
sympathy as she could.
Lena had succeeded in conquering
her rebellion against the maXims to
which, until now, she had given unhes-
itating adherence, and had become her
old self again by the time Bertha joined
her. She stood in the middle Of the
room, cold, proud expression on her
beautiful face - an expression that
seemed to defy and repel censure and
sympathy = the diamond-and-emerald
bracelet still glittering on her arm. 1t
her heart sunk. The acceptance of such
q gift could have only one meaning
With mocking smile Lena regarded
her sisters grave countenance.
"Well, Bertha" she said, why do
you not congratulate mepp
rs it all settled then?" Bertha asked
in anxious tones.
Eyes, it is all settled" Lena replied,
sitting sigh. us not this a sufficient
ly splendid betrothal gift?" She held
out her arm as she spoke that Bertha
might examine the bracelet,
1T is very splendid" said Bertha,
"but Lena dear, if I could only be sure
that you love Mr.. Fancourt!''
"Love!" Lena repeated, with bitter
laugh. "One would think you were
shepherdess living in the golden age.
Pray, fair Amaryllis, celebrate your
love for Damon as much as you please,
but don't attempt to bring your pastor
ais into everyday life in this nineteenth
century,"
Bertha looked into Lena's face sadly.
the tears rising to her eyes; this light
speech revealed more thoroughly than
an open confession would have done
the aching of her heart. Bertha put
her arms round her sisters neck, and
kissed her.
as it too later" she said.
"Yes, it is too late, you little goosel"
Lena replied, shaking off Bertha's ca
ress, as If she dared not trust herself
to any softening mood. "And pray do
not look at me SO pitifully; 1t really
does not seem to me that the future
Countess Of 'Alphington will be a sub
ject for compassion. And here comes
mamma Just in time to wish me Joy. 81
Mrs. Dalton, after remaining away
sufficiently long to allow the moment
Gus interview to come to conclusion,
returned in some trepidation. She be-
lieved she could trust her elder daugh-
ter--she had no reason to doubt that
she would take. q sufficiently practical
view of her own interests; still at times
Lena betrayed sudden flashes Of feeling
that were beyond her maternal compre-r
hension- and these made her uneasy.
1t was her chief care to bring all her in
fiuence and authority to bear upon her
daughters so as to secure their estab-