Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1883-01-18
her said tall, golden haired woman who entered

This was the celebrated beauty, Lady Nor
leigh, once Miss Talbot. She was still lovely,
though there were hard lines now around the
the beautiful mouth, and restless look OF
weariness and discomfort in the large blue
eyes-a curious contrast to FlOrrie's serene
content.
'How do you do, Alice ?" said Miss Oar.
ley, declining to argue the point. 81 thought
you were in London. What brings you into
these parts ?''
"Oh, 1 came, said Lady Norleigh fippantly,
''because NOrleigh wanted me not tocome. y
Norleigh, standing by, laughed feebly, and
tried to look as if it were joke, in which he
failed. He was that miserable looking little
man who had hovered so humbly around Alice
in this very room years ago. Several une4.
pected deaths having considerably altered his
worldly position, had also altered Miss Tai
bots sentiments toward him. Nevertheless
he looked none the happier for his double good
fortune. Lady Norleigh passed on in her dia-
lace and satin-the cynosure OF all
eyes-while Florrie, in her sober black gown,
placed herself on bench, prepared to amuse
herself by watching her girls amuse themselves,
though her attention wandered good deal to
her former rival.
s'Auntie,' said one of her nieces, suddenly
startling her from an intent, half sad half
observation of Lady Norleigh, 81 want
to INTRODUCE the name was lost.
II think have had the pleasure of meeting
your aunt before. Miss Darley," said voice
which in eighteen years had never faded from
Florrie's memory; which even now brought
such a rush of mingled pain and pleasure, such
Suffocating heartbeatS, that for moment, the
sedate old maid was unable to speak. She
shook hands with the speaker as if in a dream,
II ip,1Iy Of
side her and making trivial remarks about the
weather, the decorations of the room and so
on. Gradually she collected herself enough to
look at him, and to take in the changes time
had made in him. They were not many. He
was still handsome, but very much Older, both
in manners and appearance-more SO than
even the lapse of years accounted for, but
Florrie decided that she would have known
him anywhere. He did not stay long beside
her, and presently Florrie saw him talking to a
very pretty woman, whose youthful appear
ance, combined with her exceedingly smart at
tire, proclaimed her a bride. Whose bride
AS Florrie noted the affectionate admiration
with which Col. Peyton looked upon her, she
thought she had no need to ask, and, indeed
almost at the same moment her niece said to
her:
''Is she not pretty ? Mrs. Peyton, mean"
''She is very pretty" Florrie said, with a
smothered sigh. With profound, half painful
interest she watched the fair young wife.
''She looks good" she thought, "as if she
would make man happy. Heaven bless him.
Heaven bless them both"
Co.. Peyton, however, did not spend the
whole evening in attendance upon his bride.
He presently went in search of Lady Norleigh,
with whom he had already renewed his ac-
quaintance. She was extremely gracious to
him, and smiled as brilliantly as ever, but it
was hard smile.
There was certain defiant hardness now in
her whole bearing.
"Well," she said, as they took their places
in quadrille exactly opposite Florrie, chow
do you find England after so many years of
absence %
II find it, he replied, $50 changed that l
am tempted to return to India and never to
repeat this experiment.
''Oh, nonsense" she said gaily. 81 suppose
you did not expect to find everything just as
you LETT it,"
"No, ,"he answered smiling, II was hardly
so unreasonable as that, but l was not pre-
pared for so many changes"
'Come, now, what changes ?" she urged.
"For my part should almost fancy not an
hour had passed since" She paused, and then
said : ''DO you remember ball here about
we'll, won't say how many years ago ?"
81 do remember" he said gl0omily.
"And here we all areagain," she continued,
s'mOSt of us, at least. Here am l, here are
you, and tllere-with slight change in her
voice and glance at Florrie-is Florence
Darley."
His manner changed too.
eyes" he said. "She is not changed"
"You tlatter her." said Lady Norleigh,
sharply.
He looked confused for a moment, but went
on undaunted.
''She looks us good, as sweet, as content as
she did eighteen years ago. Hers is, indeed, Il
face to make one feel the better for looking at,
to save one from believing that there is no
truth or faith left IN the world.''
"The meaning of this TRADE being" said
Lady Norleigh, sarcastically, "that you are
conceited enough to believe that Miss barley
years. Don't look so innocent and indignant.
You know as well as do, that you nearly
broke her heart once; only, luckily, hearts are
not made of breakable stuff, and hers was
mended long ago." Then, with a sudden
of tone, perhaps with some vague
wish to atone for the wrong she had once 80
deliberately done Florence barley, she added,
half to herself: "But the scar remains, think.
Yes, you are right. She is brave, true wo-
man, and you-were fool"
81 know it, " he said, with quiet emphasis,
that Lady Norleigh quite understood.
When the dance was over, and Col. Peyton
had left his partner, he went over to Florrie,
and sat beside her.
"Do you remember" he said, "that you
promised to dance with me the first time we
met on my return from India2 1 am going to
claim that promise.''
And do you remember" she answered, smi-
ling, chow many years ago the promise was
made?''
''Then, you do remember ?" he asked, with
an eagerness, that moved her strangely, it was
so like his old manner.
Yes, remember" she said, "but never
dance now; | am a chapelon.n
You a chaperOn 10 he added. "HoW very
ridiculous 1t seems but yesterday that you
and danced together in this very room. Do
you remember something you said to me that
night about hoping would never neglect my
duty? ?"
"Observations made in ball room are sell
dom worth remembering" said Florrie grave
ly. 1t would be more satisfactory if, instead
of recalling all the nonsense you or |, or any
one else, may have talked so manv years ago,
you were to give me an account of India"
"Oh, will send you some books about it
if you are interested in that sort of thing" he
said, his face falling little.
"Well but tell me something about what
you have been doing all this time," she said
with an air of grave, kind, interest.
II can tell you that in three words,' he an
swered bitterly: "Playing the fool, and yet I
have been saved from many follies by that one
speech of yours. Your look and tone have
81 should like to be introduced to your wife,
Colonel Peyton," Florrie interrupted.
"My wife," he said, astonished. "Ch you