The midland journal., 1886-05-28
CHAPTER X.

After this the days go on very quietly at
Kingscourt The Cavendishes come and go,
and Hereward is glad when they are
gone. He meets his old love very quietly in
the drawing-room before dinner among a
crowd of people. And the old pain does not
cry out aloud, nor does any shadow of the
old anguish pass over his face. Whether she
had thrown him over wickedly or foolishly,
he does not care to remember now. Perhaps
he has not so utterly forgotten the past as to
forgive her very freely but he does forgive
her, more for the wrong she has done his
former self than any present grievance. In
fact, he has no present cause of quarrel with
her. He looks upon what she has done to
him in the past as if it had been done to
another person; ; he dislikes her for her
treachery, and that is all.
Her husband is selfish, conceited fellow,
to whom Hereward feels at once an invinci-
BILE repugnance. He is tall and fair, slender
and pale faced not handsome, but very dis
tinguished looking, with supercilious man.
ner and a most tyrannical disposition. Any
one can see that they do not get on well to-
gether he has grown tired of the quiet,
round faced girl, whose fresh, unsophistica-
ted ways had charmed him by their very con-
trast to his own; and he visits his WEAKNESS
upon her without reserve.
1t is not unlikely that poor little Mrs. Cav
endish would have liked Hereward to sympa-
thise with her Sha makes no secret of her
private affairs. 1t IS improbable that she
would have liked him to glare like fend at
her husband, OF to strike any melodramatic
attitudes of despair When they meet again
at Kingscourt ; but she might have preferred
even this to the perfect Indifference of his
manner. 1t seems so strange to her that they
should meet again like this, after all that had
passed between them She looked up at him
sometimes with piteous violet eyes, when he
is standing close to her in some group at
Kingscourt-close to her, but, all, how far
apart! There is no sympathy in that sternly
gentle face no remembrance of the past, no
wish for friendship in the future. The iron
has passed through the fire, but it has como
out-steel.
The Cavendishes do not stay long at Kings
court. They are not particularly pleasant
guests No one takes much interest in an
ill-sorted couple, no one sympathises with
them. 1t is a relief when they take their de-
parture, to others beside HaraWard.
He goes back to College for his term of six
weeks shortly afterwards. College has never
seemed so dull to him-the days SO long, the
lectures so WearlSome.
He does not see BIount. His regiment has
been ordered down to some col:ntry town
during his absence. Blount writes to him
that it is very, dull down there, but taut
there are some pretty girls who are partial to
red coats
When Hereward returns to Kingscou-t,
there is the true breath of spring in the air
The horse chestnuts are covered with brown
buds, there is Il faint tinge of green over the
ploughed lands, the blackbirds and thrushcs
and jays sing us il they lived only to sinL,
and the young rocks cav noisily i'll the tree
tops all day long Miss Middleton is still at
klngscourJ, Hereward arrives late one
night, and sees nobody till the next morning
ut breakfast.
He is down early, and finds the breakfast
room empty. But the window is open, and
the room Is full of soft fresh air and sun
shine. He stands looking out, Just as he
stood the morning after his first arrival
What ages seem to have elasped since then
There is a feeling of life, of progress, of
hope, i'll the very atmosphere. The woods
are family tinged with delicate pale green
here and there, the garden beds are bordered
with crocuses and snowdrops one great bed
OF the -of-the-valley has already flower
buds among its sheathing leaves. Hereward
standing there with folded arms, gazes at it
all with pleasure that is akin to pain in
his intent dark eyes.
''Back again, last of the Saxons !" cries a
merry voice; and Hereward turns to shake
hands with Bah Middleton.
I've missed you awfully!" she exclaims
frankly. "And l am proportionately glad
to see you. What jolly. rides we shall have