New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-09-23

sounded the delightful leasS pIosi 90 TIaira And
vat she lad already realized perfectly tnae
Mrs. Lee was striking her blow. It had come, come.
sudden cruel direct. Her blurred mind, her weak.
ened and chilling body. aid not leave tnat one Iat
snv the less clear. She understood Just wnat IL
was. why it was. and whence IT was, 7, was balf
The note had been from her mother. III WIS mr. r.
literate invective. half threatening ienuRe. Tvs
writer waited outside and demanded 10 see net
will come to youD Clare knew that this th9g nao
been Mrs Lees work as well as IL thousahu ~ 10
nssses had averred it. The mlssye contalnsuh nU
mention of Mrs. Lee, bat she nevertheless nau h0'
ce!Ia must co. she told herself Il must go and meet
her. Can goiu Can e ,ri. TS!N ieei'nS as ~
Sn Us aftsrward remembered the food that
her fork now touched and iraed with. IL was
sweetbread egoqqete with t.Ie el IIaos oval and
the air that they were playing out IN ehe la,
from lgnt, valueess opera, then mucu ia so do
She always afterward remembered that 700. 90 h No
siigbt events often press themselves In upon tue
dazed and diaed vision OF q great distress .cLo,a
Can rise and walkf she kept thlnklns onooiu
l not fall ii triedf
Il is doubtful if any guest save Mrs. Digs anu
one other had seen Claire either receive open vi
read her pote The constant movements Oh servants
bither and thither and the little conversations,
clques formed among the ladies az 'his cenna'
stage of the entertainment, would have made sucn
an escape from general notice both natural ana
probable. But Mrs DIggs. who had thus lar kept a
furtiye though incessant watch upon MIS-
Tee soon felt certain that her COUSIN
had not merely seen what had passed; she was 'Si-
blv affected by it as well she could not heip re-
earding Claire across the considerable space "hion
interviewed between them. Her expression was
most imprudent betrayal; it clearly told, by lts
acerbity and exultance, that she held the present
occasion to be one of prodgious and trumphau'
import. No one except Mrs Diggs was wa'on,hs
her and she was unaware of that sidelong but
intent gaze The natural mobility Oh ner
odd face which repealed and attracted others,
noodsd at all times certain check; but
chaorins or satisfactions were both readily I'M
rrnted there. 1t correspondent to the pliabity OF
her body: it would have been face In winch some
clever actress might have found fortune. ohe
usualy restrained it with discretion, but just no"
the force of malIgn joy swept aside prudent cou
| troll Before Mrs. Diggss exploring search Oh IL
| ended. her last doubt had fed.
II never saw her look moro like the snake that
she is, Claire's friend had thought The mis-
cbief-the deviltry it may bellies IN that iet'er'
Claire has grown as white as its paper; but nopody
| notices. thank Heaven Sh e won't faint-she isn't
| of the faintingsort.'
"Claire,n she now said aloud, yet IN tones whlcn
the most adroit of eavesdroppers could not pave
more than Jusv vaguely oNeinoaiN'
| any bad news minute agoT
| Claire was no longer addressing the lady at her
| side "Why do you askf" she responded. DO
| look palep >,
| "Not at ALL not the least in the world !;
pva never seen Won more composed" returned Mrs
| DiUps. with enormous mendacty. hoping that her
charitable lie would bear reassuring and tranquiliz-
ing results.
| II did. as soon became apparent Clares condi-
ton was that in which we grasp at straws. Per-
hans she grew several shades less pale on hearing
| that she was not so.
| az must leave the room," she said, pronouncing
| the words with the edges of her lips Il must
leave Immediately"
Are You unwellp
"No-yes-it isn't that. must go. Could DO
| 1T without-without-T She paused mere; she
had not enough clearness of thought, just Them to
finish her sentence coherently.
without causing remark 2" gently broke in Mrs.
Dlpps. "Why, of course you could, my dear. Are
Won not hostessf hundred things might call you
| away for q little while. No one would dream OF
thinking it in the least strange. Why on eartl
should oneP -. ..;. ors,ro,
that Mrs Diggs by no means FELT. sne Knew VA
something had gone terribly wrong. Her rr)olnuei
had been a stroke of impromptu tact just as ner rc
Its Eject mon Clare was immediate. Her friend
was dong her thinking for her. so to speak, anC
was doing it wtha rapid unhesltatlng dp'omo'
lyon don't know what has happened no your
'' Mrs Digs at once felt the helpless disability o
mind and nerves which this last faltered question
Give me your note" she SAID. Slip it under thu
table. You will not be seen" ,,o ,oor,o,
how and why her friend had left hone,' before tina
| episode began of her residence with the Berge
MAINS. She read the note like lightning. an
l oicested its contents with almost equal speed
The sprawl of ITS writing was uncouth enough, bu
not iegiole.
For slight space borrfed sympathy kept be
, silent Then she said, with cooness and placidlt
\ that did ner fine credit, considering the cause j
which she employed them; $780,. ..,,.
{ al would 90 at once. You can keep everythin
i quiet OF course you can. ] will follow Xo
| shortly Twill make perfect excuse for you 10
) are feeling little unwell-that IS all No one ma
noticed; take my word for that; am simply cerdt
} | of IT. When Won return-which IpromiSc you tina
you shall do quite soon-scarcely comment WI
have been made on your absence. Go, by all means
}. Go at once as sald"
Il Some of her color has come back at the sam
d time passed through poor Mrs Diggss anxious an
4 agitated Thoughts j knew she wouldn't FAINT /;
5 ISN'T ia her. She will see that I'm right IN min
t | ute Her wits will begin to work. She Will go
Q Clare did go. She had no after,recoecton OF no'
: she left the great dlnlng-r0om but sue hae inuee
| moved from II ia SO silent and yet 20 swirl Wa
that her chair had been vacant several seconds an
e her skirts were sweeping one or the thresholds
II exit before the fact of her departure became eve
II half perceived among the guests
IT Oace in the large. empty drawing room lmined
7. atey beyond that which she had quilted, she ie
b; her Ieaping heart grow quiet and her bcsidere
s. brain clear II took only seconds now, to restoI
II in great measure her self-possession and b,
Il courage. -
s She passed into the further drawing-room. Bot
y were as void of human occupant as they wore nc
and stately in their countless beauties oil adoli
e. | mept Her visitor was evidently not here The
x she remembered the smaller recep;ion-room who
r opened OIL from the main hall. she directed d.
70 | steps thither. They were firm stops; she la
d grown sensible of this. aud of her newly acquire
ct Two breadths of Turkish tapestry hung dow
II. over the doorway of the reception room, thus
ID scurng its interior As Clare softly parted the
and entered, she saw her mother.
10 Mrs. TwInng stood near a whIte-and:gt tab