Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-06-08
had the very vagues, idea as to vh.. "s.ep.-

ings at the Old Bailey; il might mean ali . or
any OF these frightful measures. All this took
husband but at lunch he had seen the social
Aoies and read IT for himself IL took a great
deal TO rouse the rector, but undoubtedly he
was reused now. He said dreadful things 20
his wife. Lunch was g most uncomfortable
meal Mrs. Lowell sank as low as a woman could
sink; she ended by settling in her heart that
she would probably be torn from her home and
hung into prison. She mathematical the nm
lucky day on which she first determined TO be
famous, and she doomed the bishop, who had
At O'Clock the front door bell rang. and the
maid brought In Mrs. Marchmont's card; the
card was followed by that lady herself almost
before the maid had closed the door. She ad-
dressed Mrs. Lovel in markedly hostile man
ner. beginning by saying: Perhaps Won wonId
have known me better if l had sent in INV name
as Lady Holloway" Mrs Lowell. in 6escrin-
ing that call afterward. always said il Turned
her hair gray in a single hour. Mrs. March,
mont was not a lady-like person at her best,
put wnen reused she had fluent vocabulary at
her command, and she poured it out ON Mrs.
Lowell. That poor lady felt the cup of her bit
terness was full. To sit in your own drawing
room and be abused was more than human ma
ture could bear; TO be told by loudly-dressed
red-faced virago that YOU were no better than
mean, contemplate serpent. crawling into
the bosoms OF connding families and betrayine
them, was exceedingly trying to all the Chris
tan virtues; once or twice she moved as if to-
ward the bell, but Mrs. Marchmont checked her
by saying, Il don't leave this room till I've had
my say"
Village gossip said afterward that Mrs.
Marchmont threatened TO horsewhip her: but
Mrs. Lowell denied that, and said she never
went beyond shaking her fist in her face To
end II all, not content with frightening the
poor lady almost into fit she wound up with
And don't you fancy you're done with me. for
LII have the law on you, and you'll hear from
my lawyer before the week is out" and with
that she banged the door and departed.
That was Tuesday; on Wednesday two ladies
drove up to the rectory; peeping through the
drawing room curtains Mrs. Lowell deserted
the two Miss Stonehams. She heard mufied
conversation with the maid, ending with an
emphatic statement by the elder Miss Stone
nam, Thank you, we decline to see Mrs
Loyell We wish to see her MISUNDERSTANDING
which Mrs. Lowell sank on a sofa and felt her
latter end had come, and the sooner II was
over the better. For half an hour she re-
manned on that sofa while the Miss Stonehams
interviewed her husband, then they departed
and she heard his step crossing the hall
As he came toward the drawing-room she
says she felt like the trapped thing who hears
the hunter coming down the path Speech
failed the rector at first: he wrung his hands
and vaguely uttered wish to emigrate or die.
he then made pathetic reference TO those two
Christian ladies', held up to a scoffing public by
scurrilous, scribbling woman. The Miss
Stonehams were the virtuous women and she
the scurrilous hbeler. He went on in this
strain for half an hour, until excess of misery
brought Its own relief, and suddenly Mrs Low
ell jumped up from the sofa and swore she
didn't care for all the bishops on the bench
nor all the vulgar widows or crsbby old maids
in Christendom; she d written book and she d
stick to ii, and that was her ultmatum 1t is
very difficult to say "ultimatum" when you'r re
on the verge of Mysteries but she said it. and
hap torn 10 harr 1,odo
Next day came letter from her publishers.
These CHASTITY people rejoiced over the hideous
publicity of the book-lt was making quite a
ferment in society, there an excellent arti-
Gle on literary cut-throats' in the SATURDAY.
and they heard there were rumors of two
actions about to be CONNIE need against Mrs
Lowell; from a commercial standpoint they
thought nothing could be more promising
and they were printing second edition in all
haste.
The next day quiet semi-clerical gentleman
called at the vicarage and asked to see Mrs.
Lowell; the maid said she fancied be was from
missionary society. Mrs. Lowell received him
In the drawlng-room and found him pleasant
and fair spoken, until he handed her an Official
looking document and explained that il was a
writ IRE Marchmont VS.. Lowell" mist swan
before the unhappy lady's eyes; she heard him
as in dream apologizing for having to serve
her with the writ in person and not through the
ordinary channel of her solicitor, but he re-
GREETED to say his client had a good deal of
personal feeling in the matter and had insisted
much to his regret on personal service.
When the rector returned from some paro-
chia visits he found Mrs. Lowell and her official
document living side by side on the bed; when
he grasped the situation anger against her was
swallowed up in real pity for her and no less
real alarm for himself. Before he knew where
he was he was plunged into litigation. His
ideas moved slowly, and it was a good twelve
hours before he realized the real position of
matters. The bishop had cut him dead in the
streets of Crowborough; as he walked about
his own parish he could not but perceive there
was a marked feeling in the village against
him; the two Miss Stonehams had declined to
attend his church any longer and Cancelled all
their subscriptions; Mrs. MarcLmont had
stirred up the local press, and there were
dreadful articles and letters; and now here, to
wind up all. was an action commenced and
damages to the tune OF 81, 900 claimed. He in
structed his family solicitor to enter an appear
ance and then waited results
Mrs. Lowell said for many weeks after this
existence became nightmare: she dreaded
every post and every knock at the door. Then
to add to her troubles, two cousins wrote and de-
clared that not content with vilifying outsid-
ers. they found that she had not even respected
the ties of natural affection, and had actually
brought her own flesh and blood into her book
Cousin Selma suffered from indigestion, and
had occasionally a red nose, but that was no
reason why she and her slight constitutional
inirmity should be made the subject of Mrs.
Lovell's reckless pen. Cousin Barbara was ner-
vous, looked under her bed at night. and lived
in the perpetual fear of burglars; but she OBJ
iected to have her little weakness advertised
far and near. But Mrs. Lowell had, as it were,
fought with wild beasts at Ephesus, in the
shape of the bishop and Mrs. Marchmont, and
she felt equal to cope with such small game as
the cousins. She took pen in hand and demon
strated to Selma and Barbara that there were
hundreds of ladies in England suffering from
red noses and timorous views on burglars, and,
and if they elected to put on the cap they
might.
When the family solicitor came and ques-
toned Mrs. Lowell if she would swear that
Lady Holloway was not meant for Mrs. March,
mont or if the character were not drawn from
her she refused point blank.
II can't and won't, for it was," she answered
in despair. Picture the position: There was
the bishop glowering in his palace; Mrs March
mont romping about the neighborhood in her
pony carriage, her face redder and her hair
yellower than ever; then if Mrs. Lowell ven-
tured into the village she was sure to meet the
Miss Stonehams, and they always crossed the
street and treated her as if she had the plague.
Things came to such a pitch that her sister at
Hunstanton, in sheer pity, asked. her to 60
there for a month for change and peace.
Before she left home she gave save her hue
band carte blanche to do as he liked, .only let
us once more get peace and quiet" Goaded