Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1886-11-25

"ehe w answer.
II am glad that you are 50 happy here,
Gracia. Why should you go awayi My
mother treats YOU well; does she notP
"Yes; but Lady Caryl does not like me-" ]
said slowly.
"What makes you think sos" asked Sir
Adrian.
"she is never unkind to me, never exact
ing" replied; 'but she seems to have an
idea that am an intruder"
'Nay, Gracia !"-and the next moment he
had bent his fair head over my hand and
kissed it.
can smile now, but then / trembled. 1t
was as though a leaf Of dazzling brilliancy
had blinded Inc. ! could almost as soon have
imagined one of the stars falling from Heaven
as that he should have acted thus
81 think" he said gently, that you are too
beautiful, too accomplished for my mother to
be very kind to you. She is naturally jesl-
ous.n
But" | interrupted; ''she is Lady Caryl,
and am her nameless dependant"
"You viii not always be nameless depend
ant, he said; you have the two gifts which
rule the world. Your star will rise some day"
Looking at the handsome face bending over
ready, and had brought me to him
From that evening when We stood by the
white gate that led to the river, he was quite
changed to me; he would follow me when |
went for ramble by the river or in the wood;
he taught me all about the wild flowers and
the birds. We went down to the beach, we
climbed the hills; aud he treated me always
with the affection and kindness he would have
shown to younger sister. / never thought
what her ladyship would have said had she
known. Why should | not drink even to the
dregs the cup of happiness held out to my
thirsty lipsl
One day In the month of August the first
terrible awakening came to me- | had never
thought Of any ending TO my beautiful love-
story, never thought that Sir Adrian might
marry. l had lived so intensely In every
moment of the present that had no time to
think of the future.
II was Lady Caryls wish that for some few
months she and her son should live in retire
ment-she thought il due TO the memory Of
the old Squire; but In the month of August
she emerged from her seclusion. She gave
dinner parties TO the county magnstes, and
garden parties, archery.Jetes, and picnics TO
the younger folk. She told Inc that when any
visitors were about was to keep to my own
room; so that at first was completely isolat-
ed Then II occurred TO me that my music
would be Of service.
l was not introduced to any Of the visitors;
but was spoken Of as my companion, Miss
Gracia." My music gave great pleasure, and
Lady Caryl, when she found that was the case,
made me the present OF some pretty evening
dresses | suppose l had good taste, for, with
simple dress and few flowers, could com
pete with satin and diamonds.
On this August day, when the first shock
came to me, Lady Caryl had given u garden
party She had not expressed any wish for my
appearance, so for some hours l kept my room.
AT length / was told that / was wanted for
something downstairs, and the temptation
seized me to go round by the kitchen garden
and see the gaiy dressed crowd.
! saw two young girls, beautifully dressed,
who were amusing themselves by feeding the
peacocks on the lawn. AS / passed on the
other side OF the hedge, heard one OF them
say TO the other
"How would you like to marry Sir Adrian,
and be mistress OF this placer
The words seemed to pierce my heart Mar
ry Sir Adrian Why, II he married, what was
to become Of me' Marry him ] stood still,
rooted to the ground with horror and dismay.
Marry Sir Adrian, my idol aud hero, who
seemed to me entirely mine because loved
him sol The sun seemed to grow blood-re !;
the smiling beauty OF the summer day was
blotted out.
Then another clear sweet giriish voice came
to me over the hedge
II would marry SIR Adrian IL he had neither
houses nor land, just for love of his bonnie
blue eyes and his handsome face" II said.
And the second blow was even more terrible
TO me than the first.
One speaker would marry him to be mistress
OF his broad lands, the other for love OF his
bonnie blue eyes and his handsome facet To
me, who had worshipped him as my ideal, who
had idolized him, the matter of fact manner la
which these girls discussed their willingness
to marry him was revolving
gazed anXiously at them. They were both
young, both pretty; but, oh, surely Sir Adrian
would never marry either of them! IL he
married, | must 60.
/ no longer found any pleasure In watching
the gay crowd, gave no heed to the message
that had been brought TO me-my heart was
too sore. went back to the house, 20 the
picture-gallerv. and stood there for some time
looking at the noble pictured face and the
smiling blue eyes All me, those girls well
born, well dressed, well bred, could talk laugh
ingly about marrying him-one because he had
broad lands, the other because he had hand
some face But there was no love like my
love, though he would never know anything of
it, 1t must be hidden from every eye, and die
with me-
If the lips that we're so firm yet gentle would
but once-only once-open and say TO me,
"Gracia, love your / should be satisfied.
After that, could meet even death with
smiling face.
But then i came to my senses. Who was !,
that should raise my eyes to himl was
without even a name; he was the proud owner
Of Heron's Nest OF course the day would
come when he must marry; and he must mar
ry, too, in his own sphere
CHAPTER VIII
Lady Caryl, regarding me as an utter non
entity, evidently thought other people looked
at me in the same light. She never appeared
to be in the least degree disquieted with re-
gard TO Sir Adrian and myself / SAW her
look anxious and nervous when he was talking
to some girl whom she did not particularly
like: but she never evinced the least fear of
me- ] suppose was not Of sufficient import
ance.
But one morning Sir Adrian received some
new songs from London, and he asked me to
try them. In one OF them a night blowing
cereus was spoken Of.
"What is q night-blowing cereus, Sir Ad.
rianw asked.
"a flower that opens at night instead OF In
the day. and gives out a delicious perfume"