The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1888-10-17

both defects which time will cure, if you
will allow me the privilege of intimacy
here"
John Vernon, vexed, perplexed and
uncertain how to repay so much persist
ency, drew lines on the blotting- g-paper be-
for him and was silent. He did not ap-
prove of what he had heard of the lord of
Ladysrood; the various stories of the coun-
try-side depicted Guilderoy as strange,
capricious, and negligent of the duties
of his station; but, on the other
hand, he was admired and esteemed in
that great world which John Vernon had
once known so well, and no graver sins
than those of caprice and self-indulgence
had ever been attributed to him; he might
have been q vOluptuary, but he had
always been a man of honor. 1t was diff
ticult to reject such a suitor, and yet he
was wholly determined to reject him in
exorably.
"Give him Gladysw he thought; "why,
he would tire of her in three days!"
81 know what you are thinking" said
Guilderoy, abruptly. you are thinking
that l should treat her i'll. l should not !;
l do not treat women i'll even when they
annoy and weary me. There is not a
woman living who could complain of my
Ndul u ItR1Iu lOE ltT GNCu MuGll Sic IdAl
lost all power to please me. On your
daughter | will make any settlement that
you please, and place it entirely out of my
power to injure her were l Inclined"
''To injure her materially-yes; / do
not fear that you would ever do that. But
there are so many things that none can
promise to do or not to do; we may con-
troll our actions, but we can not control
our feelings, and we often make others
unspeakably wretched through no fault
whatever of our own. Against the wounds
of the affections no possible guarantee
can be ever given; the laws of marriage
are constructed on the absurd idea that it
that it is possible to do so, and that is why
marriage is the almost universal failure
that we see it is. But you do not want a
disquisitlon; you want an answer. My
dear lord, | can only repeat what l said
before, that | thank you for the cOmph-
ment you pay me, that l apologize to you
if astonishment made me appear dis
courteous, but that what you wish is
wholly and forever impossible"
Guilderoy rose and bowed with faint
smile.
Forever is q large word. You tempt
me to deceive and to defy you, and to en-
deavor to make what | wish wished also
DN YOUR NduEnbcI dEdlnob NOul WISH. 1Ou
refuse me; but you could not refuse her"
John Vernon looked up startled and
impatient.
"You mean that you will make love to
the child unknown to me? 1t is possible
She is not prisoner. But l doubt very
much if, with all your power over her sex
and your experience OF them, you would
be able to persuade her to have any secret
whatever from me-"
"Why force me TO try thenW said
Guilderoy. II come to you in all open
ness and fairness. If you will let me Wis
it you on the footing OF friendship, / will
take no advantage of it without your
knowledge and concurrence. But shall
hope of course, in time to convert you
and her to my views"
John Vernon threw his paper-knife
| down with a roughness rare in so gentle a
person and walked to the window. In a
few moments he returned to his visitor.
II suppose it must be as you wish, " he
said unwillingly. "But give me your
word that if l admit you here you will
take no advantage of it; that you will not
see the child out of my presence"
"I promise that" replied Guilderoy.
And he was himself astonished at the sud-
! den intensity and warmth which ms own
1 NtSltCS iidu ODlullCQ bnC
wind of opposition.
81 am perfectly certain that you will
not keep in the same inclination" added
Vernon. at is wildly improbable that
you should do so, and cannot permit the
mind OF as young girl as Gladys to be
! disturbed by ideas of which she has no
more thought at present than any one of
| the red deer fawns on your moorlands.
am sure that you will understand that l
prefer that you dismissed this strange
fancy altogether from your own mind,
and accept once and for all my my rejec-
ton of your proposals.; but, If you will
not do that, all can admit is that you
should come here occasionally as my
landlord and neighbor, without allowing
the child to have any suspicion of any ul-
terror motive in your visits"
"Your stipulations are humiliating,"
SAID Guilderoy, "but l suppose must ac-
cept them"
He was amused, despite his annoyance,
at the unwillingness with which his pro-
posals were received. No one else in all
the world, he thought, would have failed
TO accept them with ardor and gratitude.
John Vernons attitude moved him to re-
| spect and esteem. Here was at least one