The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1885-02-25

turn to thinness. become, as q rule, sharp,
strained, hungry, and severe looking.
Whatever the woman's charms might
once have been, she could o boast of
vcrv few.
There were lines around her mouth
and on her brow which told of suffer
ing; and, as l judged it, not the calm,
resigned suffering, which often leaves a
sweet if sad expression on the face; but
fierce, rebellious, constrained suffering,
such as turns a young heart into an old
n long before its time.
AS she entered the room and bowed to
me her face expressed undisguised sur
prise at seeing a visitor who was q
stranger to her. l %apologized for the
l~ateness Of my call, then fastened to
tell her its object. She listened with
polite impassibiIity. She made no COM
ment when l repeatedly spoke of my 30
styled sister as Lady Ferrand. 1t was
clear that, as Philippa had said, Mrs.
wilson was convinced as to the valid
nature of the marriage. I i~nveighed
roundly against Sir Mcrvyn Ferrand's
hcart.less conduct and scandalous neg
lcct of his wife. My nearer shrugged
her shoulders, and the meaning conveyed
by the action was that, although she re-
GREETED family jars, they were no con-
Germ of hers. She seemed quite without
interest in the matter; yet a suspicion
that she was acting, indeed rather over
acting, a part, crossed my mind once or
twice.
When I told her it was Lady Fer
rand's intention to place herself to-mor-
row under my protection, she simply
bowed. When | said that most likely
we should leave England, and for q
while travel on the continent, she said
that my sisters health would no doubt
be much benefited by the change.
II may MENTION" she added, for the
first time taking any real part in the
talk, "that your sisters state is not
quite all it should be. For the last day
or two 1 have been thinking of sending
for the medical man who attended her
during her unfortunate confinement. lie
has not seen her for quite a week. l
mentioned it to herthis afternoon: but she
appears to have taken an unaccountablc
dislike to him, and utterly refused to see
him. l do not wish to alarm you'll
merely mention this; no doubt you, her
brother, will see to it."
The peculiar stress she laid on the
word "brothcr" told me that I was
right in thinking the woman was acting,
and that not for one moment did my as
sumcd fraternity deceive her. This was
of no consequence.
81 am myself q doctor. Her health
will be my care" said. Then l rose.
"You are related to Sir Mervyn Fer
rand, I believe, Mrs. Wilson, l asked.
She gave me a quick look which
might mean anything. "We are on.
nections," she said, carelessly.
"You must have been surprised at his
sending his wife away at such a timer"
81 am not in the habit of being sur
priscd at Sir Mervyn's actions. He wrote
to mi and told me that, knowing my cir
cumstanccs were Strengthened, he had
recommended a lady to come and live
with me for o few months. When |
found this lady wa his wife. I own !
was, for once, surprised"
From the emphasis which she laid on
certain words, 1 knew it was but the fact
of Philippa's being married to the
scoundrel that mortified her, nothing
else.
I babe her goodnight. and walked
back to my cottage with o heart in
which sorrow, pity, love, hatred cxulta-
ton, and, it may be, hope, were strangely
and inextricably mingled.
fro RE CONTINUED,