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

Such getting up stairs was never seen.
That evening was the last in which
Mr.. Eyre and the Duchess, his wife and
Frank, were virtually alone; for within
three days the house was filled with
those persons that Mr.. Eyre had prompt
ed the Duchess to invite, favored by a
sprinkling Of brighter wits from town
these latter expressly born(as the county
magnates supposedly to teach solid men
the inestimable value OF their own slow
understandings.
There was scarcely man there who
had not known and loved Franks father,
and gradually he made his way with
each; for the wives Judgments were al
ways in his favor, and on all sides the
verdict that he had been more unfor-
tunate than SHINING was returned.
And indeed, to the women, Frank
was the central figure of the house, as
Madcap, uncOnsciouSly to herself, was
TO the men, producing an unexpected
effect on their minds, and almost in
clining them to the belief that as human
beings are divided into three classes
men, women. and nerveys-so there
might be fourth class, of which Mad
cap was representative.
She had no taste for tlirtation-per-
haps she was a total abstainer from
birth, having loved but once. and once
only, and so escaped any dreIs of the
poison that might be lingering in her
system; and when certain county Love-
laces, presuming on Mr.. Eyre's undis-
guised Irritation with the Duchess, Of
fered their thinly yelled admiration
something that was neither woman nor
child flashed out Of her eyes and check
ed them.
For men are but what women make
them, rs in their turn they imprint
their features, whether base or noble,
on what they deal with, and the mere
recognition of a pure woman will shed
an influence in overwhelming circles
upon the souls Of men who have pain
fully taught themselves that no such
creatures exists. But the wives, who
quickly fathomed Franks attitude to-
ward her, said that it was easy for a
woman secretly so adored, to decline
ordinary fiirtations; there was general
conviction too that Mr.. Eyre was anus.
ing the Duchess rather than himself.
being too finished man of the world
to display in public his profound affec.
tion of his wife. And meanwhile Mad
cap tired of it all, and longed for n sight
of her children, of whom she had not
received SO much as "a message for two
whole days. Franks position was now
established, and why would not Mr..
Eyre take her away? She did not know
that each hour, however little spent to
his liking, was breathing space to
him before the struggle that must COM
mence on his return TO Iiovel; that here
he felt himself independent as his fell
low men, there he was a slave fast
chained and bound by the weight of
those sins from which it was beyond
the power of either God or man to 10 ose
him now. H
lie felt as criminal who, with SEN
tence of death upon him, Is permitted
to wander, for brief season, whereso-
ever he wills; or as a boy who, playing
truant, forgets the llnlearned lesson
that will stare him in the face when to-
morrow he returns unwillingly to schools
Aud though he felt and knew Madcap
a little estranged from him flor while
sure of his love, the touch Of unscrupu-
lousness she had discovered in his char
acter had sunk him in her estimation,
and it was less as disciples, than judge,
that her clear eyes now and again met
his), yet he would not hurry himself to
please her, and she must go hungry for
q sight of her darlings, for he knew
that IL he once took her over to see
them, it would be beyond his power to
persuade her back again to the White
House.
But when the Eyres had been about
ten days there, it happened one morn
ing, for some reason inscrutable to mid
dleaged minds, that two young people
chose to get up very early, though nat
urally the woman was first in the field;
she had even time to wash her face in
the dew before she chanced upon the