The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-10-24
CHAPTER XII.

matter after the arrival OF the visitors. There
were no more idle mornings spent in the sunni
est room; Phil at the piano, Viii standing by,
with his violin, and Mrs. Dorothy seated near TO
listen. There reading aloud and talking
gay careless nonsense there were no more ram
bles and solitary driftings here and there, on
the loch Once or twice Viii had made an
effort to wander off with Philippa; but they
never reached the water side before they encoun-
tered Duval, who gracefully intimated his lnten-
ton of joining them. It was useless to endeavor
to elude him. He was always sauntering In
some inconvenent place. and always advanced
smiling, secure. and just in time
He affected an intimacy with Phil that CALLED
and angered Wilfred
''You have known Miss Fairfax for some time,
presume" remarked Viii rather savagely on
one occasion.
miss FairfaxY" coolly. "Ah! Philippa, you
mean. Well. the fact is that 1 have known
Phlippa so many years that hardly recognize
her when hear her spoken of as Miss Fairfax
Under other circumstances I should scarcely
venture to address her as familiarity as / am in
the habit of doing"
$50 I fancied." returned Will, succinctly.
''But Fairfax told me-or at least understood
slight acquaintance-tha you had barely known
each other"
Earnest laughed in his face
Fairfax he repeated. "My dear fellow
Fairfax is the most consummate liar that ever
breathed. He will stand at nothing to accom-
plish an end. When he told you that he was
thinking of Philppa."
Generous as he was, Wilfred found it difficult
matter to hold his own against such well-sown
seed as this. Phil herself felt that she constant
~ appeared to disadvantage. She was sur
rounded by pitfalls on every side. That Wilfred
was miserable she could see That Mrs Duval
was by no means happy She had heard of Iso-
bel Farquhar as a bright. warm-hearted GIRL
she found her stately, reticent wom-
an. She had heard that her marriage had
been a love match; 1t was one no longer. The
husband and wife had plainly nothing in
mon. Isobei treated her husband with grave.
frigid Difference: Duval was simply cool and
complacently polite That he was happy enough
was evident, but it was not 80 with 1sobel. She
was scarcely more than a girl in years, and she
had bitter burden to bear. She could not al
ways control herself wholly. as an older woman
might have done.
"Isobel is not we'll this morning." Mr. Far
quhar said to her one day after breakfast.
''These nervous headaches of hers are becoming
incessant. She suffers terribly at times"
II must go to her room and her, if she is
we'll enough to receive visitors, said Mrs. Dor
othy
Il wish you would" returned Mr.. Farquhar
hurriedly. cit will do her good"
When Mrs. Oswald en- tered the room up stairs
the face Isobel Duval turned towards the door
startled and alarmed her The wrappershe wore
was not whittier; there were purplish hoows about
her eyes, and she had evidently been weeping.
4 am very sorry you are i'll, my dear child"
The poor wife burst into passion of tears
"You sorry for me?" she cried. Sorry
for met Don't be sorry for me because l am in
pain, Mrs. Oswald; be sorry for me because my
life is wrecked. and 1 have thrown away love,
and youth. and hope forever"
It was the uncomfortable outcry of an utter
despair. She had given her all for nothing and
had discovered her terrible mistake too late.
''He did not love me- Mrs. Oswald" she went
on, carried away out of all reticence. Il was
nothing to him from the first l think he has
always despsed me. If he has not told nae so it
is only because he is wholly indifferent. He
is dishonest and dishonored he is false and
cruel he is selfish and despcable-and yet he is
the man loved and he is my husband"
Mrs. Dorothy listened with sad heart. OF
late in spite Of herself, she could not help con-
occurring as to what Phils relations with the
man had been, and as she heard Isobel Duval
speak, she was haunted with memory of Pills
manner toward him. If he had done her no
wrong in the past she surely would not show
her dislike so continually. 1t was if she had
taken her stand against him. AS if she defed,
and yet, even while she defed, feared him a
little.
She thought of this as she caressed and com
forted Isobel and before she left her she began
to feel fresh dread.
His friends" Isobel exclaimed bitterly, in
the course of the conversation; ''his friends
are professional gamblers who are the worst
of their class Philip Fairfax is the oldest
of them, and you know what such an intimacy
means"
Eyes" answered Mrs Dorothy, with sigh;
"Iknow Poor Philippan
Mrs. Duvals expression suddenly changed.
"Poor Philppa!" she said ''You think Phil
ippa is to be ptied also" 1t struck Mrs. Doro-
thy that the speakers tone was cold and her
manner constrained. Am | mistaken" added /
Mrs. Duval, Gin fancying that Mr.. Carnegie is
very much attracted to her2"
''Wlfred!c said Mrs Dorothy. with kindly
warmt h. mo; you are not mistaken"
"And you would not be averse to such mar
riage2" said Mrs. Duval, amazed.
''My dear" Mrs. Dorothy calculated surprised
At her evidently unintentional vehemence
"Surely, Philppa is not to be condemned for
Philip Fairfaxs inquities."
There plain a touch of panied feeling
in her tone that Isobel checked herself in mo-
mentary embarrassment.
''Forgive me-" she said. Il do not mean to be
illberal. have been made SO unhappy myself
that perhaps / am little morbid. She should
not bear her fathers burdens, it is true"
No more was said but the conversation left an
unpleasant impression on Mrs Dorothy. Going
down stairs she found Phil alone in the morn
ing-room, standing at the window and looking
out with strange air of melancholy and depres-
sion.
''You do not look as if you were in good spr-
its, my child she said.
II am not In very good spirits was the an
swer; but-but no one else is to blame but my
self"
She spoke with rather proud and reserved
little air. Nothing would have induced her to
tell Mrs. Dorothy that she was unhappy, be-
cause che felt that she was regarded with dis
trust. 1t was not Mrs. Duvals coldness which
hurt her most deeply. She could have borne
that even while she was stung by it. The fact
that she was beginning to feel that, though
he was too generous to wholly distrust her, Viii
fred was rendered restless and uneasy by what
he could not fail to see. Duval's easy familiar
ity angered him, but Mrs. Duval's constraint cut
him to the quick.
to drop back into the old, familiar intercourse
with Phil, but he had always failed. When
nothing else stood between them. Duval ap-
peared upon the field and they were inter-
rupted.
1t was with these feelings In her heart that
she had answered
II can blame no one but mvself.' And she
would say nothing more, which increased, though