The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1884-02-13
CHAPTER TX.
GRACE ON THE SITUATION.

JSN "liOoVVu hOi1uCl Wy lOOho iOi ioPiuo.
Philip had told Grace what had passed
between him and Angela, including the
vow of secrecy.
"Has she not given any final answerP"
asked his sister, sharply.
"No; is it likelyP"
"The most likely thing in the world,
l should have supposed"
How can she know, or decide any
thing, upon so short q noticeP'
Anything! She ought to be able to
say whether she loves you or not, and
whether she intends to marry you or
not"
"You forget, Grace, that until 1
told her she had no idea OF anything
OF the kind. 1t took her by surprise. !"
It was on the tip Of Grace's tongue
to say: "How can you talk or believe
such nonsenseP" but she restrained her
lips.
Philip went on to plead with his sister
to be kind to his sweetheart
81 don't understand you," he said.
"You seem jealous, or as If you disliked
her, or something; it is so unlike you;
and should have thought that girl
in her helpless and triendless position
would naturally appeal to your kindest
feelings, fatherless, motherless and
brotherless as she is"
II should not think about her in any
way II you had not chosen to fall in
love with her. When II comes to your
wanting to marry her, naturally begin
to criticise her, and the more l see of
her the more feel that she is not half
good enough for you, and does not ap-
preciate you"
"That is nonsense-and worse than
nonsense" said he, gravely, almost Sc
verely, land | must beg Of you not to
say anything of the kind again"
So the discussion went on, Grace
holding out at first, and saying many Bit
ter things, line of argument she main
tanned so long as Philip continued cold
and severe; but as soon rs he tried the
weapons of tenderness and persuasion,
kiss and whisper of entreaty, melt
ing into tears, and abiectly promising
to do anything he liked rather than
grieve him.
"Only, Philip" she said, putting her
arm round his neck, and speaking in q
whisper, know some one else worth
ten thousand Miss Fairfaxes-so good,
and with such true heart, and I had
so hoped she would be the wife whom
you would choose"
Don't, Grace! You don't know
what you are saying. You will say
something disloyal to some friend II
you don't take care" he said, hastily,
but Grace saw a deep flush across his
face, and wondered II he had guessed.
II he would only have seen in their
proper light the different hearts OF
Thekla Berghaus and Angela Fairfax,
how happy she would have been! But
brothers, she reflected, were proverbi-
ally perverse in such matters.
Nevertheless, she braced herself to
make the best of it, and to do the will
of this mistaken man, since she loved
him tenderly, and desired his happi-
ness. She was therefore portentously
amiable to Angela; called upon her, SAT
with her, invited her to spend the even.
ing with them, and always ended by
finding that there was apparently nc
single topic which she and Miss Fairfax
could discuss with mutual satisfaction;
so in despair she at last turned TO Ma
belle, and petted and made much Of
her, wondering what made her SO thin
and detected. In private, she had con-
fided the awful secret to Thekla, from
whom, indeed, she could with difficulty
have concealed 1t, and Grace, in her
chagrin, could hardly be expected to dc.
ny herself the exquisite luxury of open.
ing out in private to her friend the
thoughts which elsewhere she was
obliged to keep locked within her OWL
breast.
"Mark my words" she said, at what
she and Thekla called an afternoon
opportunity, lit will end in disaster
Philip is bewitched, NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
as Merlin was with Vivien-only Vivier
had brains and she has none. You may
see it by the very glance OF his eyes, ,and
hear il in the rubbish he condescends tC
talk with her. Or else he sits staring
at her, and she looks at him now anC
then, and smiles. How / detest thai
smile Of hers! Sweet 1t may be, but il
is as utterly imbecile as a smile can be-
AS If two human beings could go or
living on looks and smilesl Do you
know what they ought to be talking
about, if there was any seriousness oil
possibility about the thingP Why, about
ways and means, and his position, and
their future prospects, and how she
could help him, and how they are tc
start in life. And instead of that, when
they do talk, It is diotic stuff about
music and sentiment and singing.
Pshawr' ''
She paced about Thekla's bedroom, in
which these disclosures took place,
; while Thekla herself sat, her lips set,
her fingers apparently ,epgrossed with
her embroidery.
4 1T "haunts me, and makes me
q wretchedr'a went on Grace. (which.
! over. way ilook,' l can see nothing dbui
j misery, II she iilts him / believe Big
/ will break his heart. or go mad. OF
: Something He is Such d fbolAsuch d
dldear" old fooIniAhd ifa she mafTies
! bhim.-++''o yEb I'D odi' ssGlo 13jisl &.
4bH "Fob Heavens sake talk oflBomei
thing elsel2 ] can, not beaar4i ba:ri 4, am
Iifheldaii sharply. aunIls ~ 10 1nS'"
.da oAnd IGfAcei slleneed in. .hos stirade9And
d confirTned orhern suspicions, dfella tc
IWespipg. bobnDo1Ius ynEgmoo oy10W
'dh y9espite Rsr lYgetfhped dpeSsg gSYfeo ynS \