Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-08-03

Gus than any that had hitherto sounded
between them, looked at the sparse furni-
ture, draped in white Oyeralls, at the
ScagliOla door, in which the great cluster
or crystal pendants seemed to shine again.
.YOu are master of your ship. Can't
you sail it as you ike?' Kate Theory
asked, with a smile.
Il am not master Of anything. There
is not man in the world less free. I'm a
slave. I'm a victim"
She looked at him with kind eyes; some
thing in his voice suddenly made her put
away all thought Of tn e defensive airs
that girl, in certain situations, is ex-
pected to assume. She perceived that he
wanted to make her understand some
thing. and now her only wish was to help
him to say it. 'GOu are not happy she
murmured, simply, her voice dying away
in kind Of WOndeIment at this reality.
The gentle touch of the words-it was
as if her hand had stroked his cheek
seemed to him the sweetest thing he had
ever known. ''No, [ am not happy, be-
cause / am not free. If were-if / were.
l would give up any ship. l would give
up everything to follow you. / can't eX-
plain; that is part of the hardness of is.
| only want you to know it-that if Ger
tain things We're different, if everything
was different, l might tell you that l be-
lieye L should have right to speak
speak to you. Perhaps some day il viii
change: but probably then it will be too
late. Meanwhile have no right Of any
kind. l don't want to trouble you. and
| don't ask Of yOu-anything. 1t is only
to have spoken just once. / don't make
you understand, of course. | am afraid
seem to you rather a brute-perhaps even
a humbug. Don't think Of it noW-don't
try to understand. But some day, in the
future, remember what / have said to you,
and how we stood here, in this strange old
place alone! Perhaps it will give you
little pleasure
Kate Theory began by listening to him
with visible eagerness; but in a moment
she turned away her eyes. II am very
sorry for you,' she said, grayely.
Then you do understand enoughH'
Il shall think Of what you have said, in
the future"
Benyon's lips formed the beginning Of a
word OF tenderness, which he instantly
suppressed; and IN different tone, with
a =, Ter smile and sad shake Of the head,
raising his arms 3 moment and letting
them fall, he said: at w.. S''9'
your remembering thtSP'
Il don't know whom you mean" And
the girl, abruptly, began to walk to the
end Of the room. He made no attempt to
tell her whom he meant, and they pro-
ceeded together in silence till they over
took their companions.
There were several pictures in the
neighbOring room, and PercIYaI Iheory
and his wife had stopped to look at one OF
them, of which the cicer0ne announced
the title and the authorship as Benyon
came up. 1t was a modern portrait of
Bourbon princess, a woman young. fair
and handsome, covered with Jewels. Mrs.
PerciYal appeared to be more struck with
it tlan with anything the palace had yet
offered to her sight, while her sister-in-
law walked to the window, Which the Gus
tOdian had opened, to look out into the
garden. BenyOn noticed this; he was
conscious that he had given the girl some
thing to reflect upon, and his ears burned
a little as he stood beside Mrs. PerciyaI
and looked up, mechanically, at the royal
lady. He already repented a little for
\ hat he had said. for after all. wh"t :
-. re use? And he hoped the others
wouldn't observe that he had been making
love.
"Gracious, Percivall Do you see who
she looks like" Mrs. Theory sad to her
husband.
ssShe looks like the wife of man who
has come down handsomely" this gentle
man answered.
"She looks like my sister-in-law; the
eyes, the mouth, the way the hairs done
the whole thing"
(which do you mean? You have got
about a Dozen"
s.Whv. Georgina, Of -course-GeorgIna
Roy She's awfully like"
"Do you call her your sister-in-lawF'
Percival Theory asked. You must want
very much to claim her."
well, she's handsome enough. You
have rot to invent some new name, then.
90 n,-w.nv4 rT,baf d0 Won pqfl VOTr
brOther-in-law's second wifef' Mrs. Per-
cival continued, turning to her neighbor,
who still stood staring at the portrait. At
first he had looked without seeing; then
sight. and hearing as well, became quick.
They were suddenly pe0pled with thrill
ing recognitions. The Bourbon princess
the ewes, the mouth, the way the hair
was done: these things took on an identl-
tv. and the gaze Of the painted face SEEM
ed to fasten itself to his own. But who in
the world was Georgina Roy, and what
was this talk about sisters-in-law! He
turned TO the little lady at his side acoIn-
tenance unexpectedly puzzled by the
problem she had lightly presented to him.
.'YOur brOther-in-laY's second Wife?
That's rather complicated"
'tWell, of course, he needn't have mar
ried again.' said Mrs. Perciyal, with
small sigh.
ssWhom did he marry?" asked Benyon,
staring. Percival Theory had turned
away. "0h, if you are going into her re-
latiOnshiDsw he murmured, and joined
his sister at the brilliant window,
through which, from the distance, the
many-voiced uproar of Naples came in.
she married first my sister Dora, and
she died five years ago. Then he married
her," and Mrs. Perciyal nodded at the
princess.
Benvon's eyes went back to the por-
trait: he could see what she meant-it
stared out at him. 'Her? Georgina"
sGeorgina Gressie. Gracious, do you
know her?7
1t was very distinet-that answer Of
Mrs. PercivaPs, and the question that fol-
lowed it as well. But he had the resource
Of the picture; he could look at ii, seemed
to take it very seriously, though 1t danced
up and down before him. He felt that he
was turning red, then he felt that be was
turning pale. The brazen impudence!
That was the way he could speak to him.
self now Of the woman he had once loved,
and whom he afterward hated-till this
had died out. too. Then the wonder OF it
was lost in the quickly growing sense
that it would make a difference for him
a great difference. Exactly what, he
didn't see yet; only difference that
swelled and swelled as he thought 81 it,
and caught up, in its expansion, the girl
who stood benl<lu MIN so quietly, looking
into tie italian garden.
TIE custodian drew Mrs. Perciyal away
to show her another princess, before Ben
Won answered her last inquiry. This gave
him time to recover from his first impulse,
which had been to answer it with mega
tive; he saw in moment that an admis-
sion Of his acquaintance with Mrs. Roy
Mrs. Roy!-it was prOdigious!) was
necessarily helping him to learn more.
Besides, it needn't be compromising.
Very likely Mrs. Percival would hear one
day that he had once wanted to marry
her. So, when he joined his companions a
minute later he remarked that he had
known Miss Gressie years before,
and had even admired her con-
siderabiy, but had lost sight Of her en-