The Middlebury register and Addison County journal. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1883-1885, 1883-10-26


Murley. good-byel" And the same SER
want who showed up Sir Pcrtinax Popin-
jay showed down Mr.. Merton Murley,
who glared at the baronet with a look
which spoke volumes.
"My dear Lydia" said Sir Pertinax,
as he offered both his hands to Miss Lirri.
pip, ''you were really charming last night.
l never saw such perfect sylph in my life,
and many people agreed with me. You
were the belle of the room. There is no
doubt about it."
"rm sure it is very good of you, Sir
Pertinax, to say So" returned Lydia.
"But l thought that the countess
herself"
ooh, the countess7 She and you can
not be mentioned together, my dear.
Every one said so. And beside, the
countess of course is married. She has
met her fate. Ha, ha! But you-you
are still-my dear Miss Lydia. may be
fool; but, upon my honor, have come
here this evening with the determined in
tention of asking you whether you will
have me. You know | worship the very
ground you stand on" And to Lydia's
great CONSERVATION the old gentleman,
ere she could prevent him, CALAMITY
knelt at her feet and took her hand with
the evident intention of pressing it to his
lips.
"Do get up, please, Sir Pertinax,"
said Miss Lirripip, forgetting for a mo-
ment that Horace Frcake was within
hearing, but anxious that the baronet
should not make himself unnecessarily
ridiculous even to her. "You can talk
just as well if you sit down; but really
you mustn't talk in that way. / don't want
to be married; indeed, don't. You
know like you very much; but l could
not possibly marry you"
Sir PertinaX rose with dignity, and
looked rather disappointed,
Il had hoped, Lydia, that you liked
me well enough for a husband. What
YOU say, however, may not be final, be-
cause nothing can alter my regard for
you; and perhaps in the future you may
think better of me-.
" l could not think better Of you than
do, returned Miss Lirripip, feelingly;
land you don't know how sorry | am
that this has happened. We can never
again be the same to each other. l am
so sorry"
Sir Pcrtinax began to feel sorry too,
for, up to that evening, he and Lydia
had always been like uncle and niece;
and, in an uneasy way, he turned the
conversation into another channel. But
he could not for long carry it on; and in
less than quarter of an hour he said
good bye, like the sensible man he was,
in spite of his weakness, and de-
parted.
No sooner had he Quilted the room
than Horace emerged from his hiding
place. Lydia blushcd to remember all
that he had overheard; but he did not
allude to it.
LYDIA" he continued, almost as if
nothing had happened to disturb him,
81 love you truly, and with all my heart.
Will you, can you, learn to love me, for
your love alone will make me completely
happy y
do not ask me, replied Lydia, who
was once more seated. "Iou know
what have just gone through. My
head is in whirl."
But think how happy you can make
me. LYDIA You would be everything to
me, as indeed you are already. and l
would spend all my days in making you
happy
1t is unnecessary to chronicle the
whole of the further conversation that
took place Suffice it to say, that at last
Miss Lirripip discovered not only that
she could, but that she actually did love
Horace Frcake little; and on the
strength of that she promised to marry
him.
Horace was in the act of presumine
upon this promise by kissing Lydia fol
the first time, and was enjoying one of
the happiest moments of his life, when
another one of those furious ratattatats
shook the house.
&" Another!r said Mr. Frcake, with a
smile. Il shall 90 back to my retreat
until we know who has arrived; for now
must be on the spot to look after YOU"
And in spite of Lydia's protestations he
once more retired to the back drawing
room.
Two minutes aftcrward the general,
very hot and very angry, stamped up
stairs and burst into the presence of his
daughter. Everything has gone
wrong.n he exclaimed. They voted me
out of the chair; they flew in my face;
they decided that the wretched foreign
ers don't want cold baths" And he
pounded with his stick which he had
brought up with him, and looked at
Lydia as though she were the cause of
his discontinue.
"WeH, papa" said Miss Lirripip,
soothingly, "all the better Now
you won't have to 90 to any more of
their horrid meetings."
At this juncture Horace, who was
troubled with a slight cold, gave forth Il
stifed and enthusiastically small snecze.
Lydia" cried the general, as he
threw himself YEARLY into an armchair,
I'm sure there's cat in the back draw
ing-room. Go and turn it out"
And Miss Lirripip, having no alterna-
tive, went cautiously behind the heavy
curtains, and was there received in her
lovers arms
"You cannot speak to him tonight, "
she whispered. "He would not listen
to you. You see how cross he is. Come