The Sunday herald and weekly national intelligencer., 1890-06-01
you were glad that had offended your cousin /.

you were glad that had offended your cousin
"Oh ~ she interposed, ''do not think too much
of what ] say. Very likely l meant nothing
And yet-and yeti is miserable to have to veil
the truth all the while and keep it pressed down
in my heart Why should l not confess it to
you, Mr.. Waters; for feel sure that youf' with
subtle emphasis on the pronoun) ''will under
stand and pity me. Sir Rupert persecutes me
with his attentions, and wants to marry me, and
She could not finish her sentence, but broke
down, overcome by emotion, and, covering her
face with her hands, sobbed Historically.
What feeling was uppermost in Leonard Wa
ters's mind at this moment 1t is, perhaps, impos-
sible to say, but he was naturally tender-hearted
and easily moved by a woman's grief, so that the
desire to revenge himself on Sir Rupert, which
had hitherto prompted his attentions to Miss
Fisher, was not the only motive which influenced
him to bend forward and lay his hand on one of
the little white wrists which the weeping girl
held before her face.
"For Heavens sake ~ he said, ''do not give
way to grief like this Miss Fisher-Alice-giv
me the right to protect you from the prosecuting
attentions of that-that fellow, and of all other
men Alice, darling Alice, say that you love
Inc and will be miner
She suffered him to remove the dainty little
hand from her face and to hold it in his own,
without drawing it away. Then as he repeated
his question in still more ardent tones, her trem-
ulous lips murmured a reply, which certainly
was not-No
Half an hour later Waters approached Lady
Fisher when he saw his chance of getting her
alone, and bold with the elation Of his unlocked
for triumph, went straight to the point and asked
her consent to his engagement with Alice. The
worthy lady was, as rule, very good at dissem-
bling her feelings, but on the present occasion
she wholly failed to conceal her annoyance
"She could not undertake." she said, ito give
him final answer at so short 4 notice. But if
he would call upon her next day at4 o'clock she
should Dy then have had time to fully consider
the matter"
So the following afternoon, at the hour APP
pointed, Leonard Waters repaired to Lady Fish
er's house, in North Audley street. He found
her ladyship much more gracious than she had
been overnight
81 have talked the matter over with Alice"
she said to him, ''and the result Of converse
| tion is that give nv consent to your engage
ment. l find that my daughter is bent on mar
| rying you, and since she is Of age and can, by
law, marry without my consent, L think it fool
| 1sh, as well as useless, to withhold it. There
| fore, Mr.. Waters, provided that the settlements
are satsfactory-as l am sure they will be--we
| may consider the marriage arranged"
After some twenty minutes further converse
| tion, in which Leonard promised to make the
most handsome settlements on his fancs, he rose
and took his leave.
AS he passed down the stairs whom should he
meet, coming up, but Sir Rupert Hamilton |?
| The latter started when he saw him and scowled
| angrly. But Leonard, in his character of victor,
|
| demeanor. He half expected, and entirely
! hoped, that the baronet had come on the same
errand as himself, to find that the despised tai
lor's son had carried off the prize from under his
| very nose
But when Sir Rupert entered Lady Fishers
drawing-room the scowl of anger had disap-
| peared from his face, and was succeeded by a
smile of easy good humor
"Well, aunt he said, cheerfully, ~ have
just met young Waters on the stairs. | suppose
he has been to obtain YOUR consent, and it is all
| setted-eh?''
''Yes !" she answered, sit is. And all through
you, Rupert How can l ever thank you
enough? Alice tells me that the skill with
which you lured him on, and brought him up to
the scratch, Ito use that very vulgar, but most
forcible phrase,) was beyond all commenda-
tion!"
may, aunt too much credit must not attach
to men' he answered, with a laugh. 'Jack
Norris you know, originated the idea, and like
wise helped me to carry it into effect. Besides,
Alice played her part with uncommon clever.
ness. She says that the pathetic little scene, in
which she confided to Waters that she was per-
secuted with my attentions, was the hardest
bit of acting that she has ever had to do, and
that she came dangerously near laughing in the
crying part of it, Yet, after all, the success OF
our little plan is mainly due to that silly
jackanapes' confounded loneliness. l don't
believe that there's another man in London who
would have fallen into the trap. Now, aunt
having fulfilled my part of the bargain, l claim
the fulfllment of yours-your consent to my
marriage with Lottie ~
"My dear boy" cried Lady Fisher, coming
forward, and taking both his hands in hers, ''you
have it with all my heart. For what greater
boon could you have conferred mother
To marry the pretty daughter-that is what
many would do! But to have secured good
parti for the plain, unattractive sister-the
matrimonial failure of five seasons-tat is, il
truth, the action of a model son-in-law."