Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1890-01-17

the date, but now was Inc master to know
thatl
at seemai to come late enough for me-"
says he, with laugh. And at the sound Of
that laugh, which rang false like a cracked
bell, my lord looked at him again qcross the
table, and l saw his old lips draw together
close.
NO" said Mr.. Henry, still CHANGING on his
letter, "but remember your expression. You
said 1t was very fresh"
And here we had a proof Of our victory,
and the strongest instance yet OF my lords
incredible indulgence; for what must he do
but interfere to save his favorite from ex-
posure.
II think, Henry" says he, with a kind of
pitiful eagerness, 81 think we need dispute
no more. We are all rejoiced at last to find
your brother safe; we are all at one on that;
and as grateful subjects, we can do no less
than drink to the kings health and bounty"
Thus was the master extricated; but at
least he had been put to his defense, he had
como lalnely out, and the attraction of his
personal danger was now publicly plucked
away from him. My lord, in his heart Of
hearts, now knew his favorite to be govern
ment spy, and Mrs. Henry however she ex-
planned the tale was notably cold in her be-
havior to the discreditcd hero Of romance.
Thus in the best fabric of duplcty, there is
some weak point, if you can strike it, which
will loosen all; and if, by this fortunate
stroke, we had not shaken the idol, who can
say how it might have gone with us at the
catastrophel
And yet at the time we seemed to have ac-
complshed nothing. Before day or two he
had wiped off the i'll results of his discom-
future, and to all appearance stood as high as
ever. AS for my Lord Durrsdeer, he was
sunk in parental Partially; it was not so
much love, which should be an active quality
as an apathy and torpor of his other powers;
and forgiveness $50 to misapply noble world
flowed from him in sheer weakness, like the
tears Of senility. Mrs. Henry's was a different
case; and heaven alone knows what he found
to say to her or how he persuaded her from
hcrcontempt. 1t is one Of the worst things of
sentiment that the voice grows to be more
important than the words, and the speaker
than that which is spoken. But some excuse
the master must have found, or perhaps he
had even struck upon some art to wrest this
exposure to his own advantage; for after a
time of GOODNESS, it seemed as il things went
verse than ever between him and Mrs Henry
They were then constantly together. | would
not be thought to cast one shadow of blame
ness, on that unfortunate lady; but l do
think, in these last days, she was playing
very near the fire; and whether l be wrong
or not in that, one thing is sure and quite
sufficient: Mr. Henry thought So
The poor gentleman sat for days in my
room, so great a picture Of distress that |
could never venture to address him; yet it is
to be thought he found some comfort even in
my presence and the knowledge Of my sym
pathy. There were times, too, when we
talked, and strange manner Of talk it was;
there was never person named, nor an in
dividual circumstance referred to; yet we
had the same matter in our mind, and we
were each aware of it. Ii is strange art
that can thus be practiced: to talk for hours
of thing, and never name nor yet so much
as hint at it, And l remember l wondered
if it was by some such natural skill that the
master made love to Mrs Henry all day long
las he manifestly did, yet never startled her
into reserve
To show how affairs had gone with Mr..
Henry will give some words of his, uttered
las | have cause not to forget upon the 2Gth
of February, 1874 1t was unreasonable wealth
er, cast bacl; into winter MINDLESS, bitter
cold, the world all white with rime, the sky
low and gray; the sea black and silent like
quarry hole Mr.. Henry sat close by the fire
and debated las was now common with him
whether IA man. should do things whether
interference was WISE and the like general
propositions, which each of Us particularly
applied. / was by the window looking out,
when there passed below me the master, Mrs
Henry and Miss Katharine, that now con-
slant trio The child was running to and fro
delighted with the frost; the master spoke
close in the lady's ear with what seemed even
from so far deviish grace OF insinuation,
and she on her part looked on the ground like
a person lost in listening. / broke out of
my reserve.
"If | were you, Mr.. HA9ry," said I, 81
would deal openly with my lord"
"Mackellar, Mackellar," said he, ''you do
not see the weakness of my ground. I can
carry no such base thoughts to any one, to
my father least of all; that would be to fall
| into the bottom of his scorn. The weakness
| of my ground, " he continued, Giles in myself,
| that am not one who engages love. have
their gratitude-they all tell me that; have
n rich estate of it! But am not present in
their minds; they are moved neither to think
with me nor to think for me. There is my
| lossn He got to his feet and trod down the
fire. But some method must be found
Mackellar, " said he, looking at me suddenly
| over his shoulder; some way must be found
| am man of great deal Of patience--far
too much, fae too much. begin to dospise
myself. And yet sure never was a man in
volved in such a TOLL" He fell back to his
brooding.
"Cheer up" said l. at will burst Of it.
self"
II am far past anger now" says he, which
had so little coherency with my own observa-
tion that | let both fall
CHAPTER XI