The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1884-05-30
CHAPTER vi.

CHAPTER VI.
To act 10 90 easy, TO think is so hard.
When Mr.. Eyre had told his wife
that he must prOpitiate the Duchess
for Franks sake, and Madcap had
shrunk from this first glimpse Of the
unscrupulousness of his character, he
had not taken into account the danger
OF playing at pitch-and-toss with hui
man heart, and before long found him.
self committed to very different issues
to those he had intended. a child may
kindle great lire, but fifty grown men
cannot stay it; and before Mr.. Eyre had
been at the White Lodge three days he
knew that even for Franks sake he
ought not to have gone there
The smalnesS OF the party, the isOla-
ton of great house at time of year
when all associates of the master and
mistress in the county were absent,
while unprivileged visitors found them
selves rigidly excluded, conspired to
throw the young couple and the older
one so constantly together that gradu-
ally Madcap's shyness with Frank
ceased, and she could talk to him al
most as naturally as III the days when
they were boy and girl together. But
to Frank, who could not be expected to
know Mr.. Eyre's character as well as
Mr.. Eyre knew it himself. the situation
was dangerous and full of anxiety. He
had ceased to count Madcap's husband
strong man, regarding his attitude to
Hester as alike bigoted and indefensi-
BILE, and dreading some fresh weakness
10y which his wife's happiness might be
endangered; though she, fed in secret
by more passionate devotion than
ever, would not stoop to be jealous of
the Duchess, and was never sad save
when she thought of her children. But
when she gathered that there WAS not a
trait of beauty and sweetness about
Dody that Frank had not observed, he
and she were so drawn together that
thenceforward there was no lack Of dis
course between them.
And on the fourth day, when Frank
was riding to Lowell meaning to return
the same day., Madcap, who had come
out to see him depart, said, very truly,
that she would have liked to go with
him ON a pillion, so that all the way he
seemed to feel her two little hands
clasped below his heart, and her bright
head leaning III safety against his Shout
der.
She knew that the business on which
he had excused himself to the Duchess
was to visit certain nursery, and de-
liver and receive important messages;
and it was to receive these latter that
she was very early dressed for dinner,
and watching from the billiard-rOom
window for his return, ready to run out
the moment she heard his horses steps.
But it happened that his arrival was
simultaneous with that Of new guest
"a gossip of the highest quality-who
saw the greeting between the two young
people, and, supposing them husband
and wife, thought such warmth vastly
Ch<, No. -
later, especially when she discovered
the young man to be that identical
''nettle for nice noses' whose wrong
doings just now furnished the last new
dish of scandal for the county. -.
She thought he must be either fool
of extraordinary simplicity, or man Of
brilliant courage, to select the wife Of
an Eyre as his next fancy; and at din
ner became so fascinated in her study
of the pair, that the attitude of matters
between Mr.. Eyre and the Duchess for
the time absolutely escaped her atten-
ton.
MY dear Duchess she said, in the
drawing-room later, II wonder you per-
nit such open love-making between
Lord Lowell and Mrs. Eyre"
"Oh, they are old friends" said the
Duchess, land sweethearts," she added
little bitterly, for she was beginning
TO suspect Madeap's charms of being
more binding on Mr.. Eyre than her
own.
They met like lovers,o said Mrs.
Transome, struggling her shoulders;
land she has gone into the garden. See
if he does not join her."
The Duchess's heart beat as she
thought that if these two young people
were abroad there would be an excuse
for herself and Mr.. Eyre to follow them:
and Mrs. Transome, taking the place of
Lady Sophia (who had left that day.,
could play backgammon with the Duke.
And, indeed, when Frank appeared,
he only gave one hasty look round, and
disappeared through the open window
into the soft darkness beyond. In the
garden nothing was visible, when his
eyes grew accustomed to the gloom,
save some pale cuckoo-colored masses
of bloom, that drew him nearer by their
penetrating sweetness, and over which
for one brief moment he bent, not
knowing them for the stocks. that by
day i'm their pinched, staryeling ungli-
ness, had offended the eye of the gaZer.
When Frank had almost given up his
search, the whiteness of her neck snow
ed her to him, as she stood beside
bush OF the large evening primrose
that curious Hover which reslsts the
suns magic, closing itself firmly at his
approach, but opening ont her sweet
ness tn the evening dews with sudden