Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1890-04-10
THIRD PERIOD.
CHAPTER XXIIL.-NEWs OF IRIS


Mountjov waited for two days, in the eX-
pectation of hearing from Iris. No reply
arrived. Had Mr.. Vimpany failed to for
ward the letter that had been intrusted to
him?
On the third day, Hugh wrote to make
inquiries.
The doctor returned the letter that had
been confided to his care, and complained
n his reply of the ungrateful manner in
which he had been treated. Miss Henley
had not trusted him with her new adj
dress in London; and Lord Harry had sud-
denly left Redburn Road, bidding his host
good by ia a few lines of commonplace
apology, and nothing more. Mr.. Vimp-
any did not deny that he had been paid
for his medical services; but, he would
ask, was nothing due to friendship? Was
one man justified in enjoying another
mans hospitality, and then treating him
like stranger? II have done with them
bOth-and | recommend you, my dear sir,
to follow my example" In those terms
the angry land sober doctor expressed his
sentiments and offered his advice.
MOuntjoy laid down the letter in de-
spair.
His last poor chance of preventing the
marriage, depended on his being still able
to communicate with lriS-and she was as
completely lost to him as if she had taken
flight to the other end of the world. 1t
might have been possible to discover her
by following the movements of Lord Har-
ry, but he too had disappeared without
leaving trace behind him. The precious
hours and days were passing-and Hugh
was absolutely helpless.
Tortured by anxiety and suspense, he
still fingered at the hotel IA London.
More than once he decided on giving up
the struggle, and returning to his pretty
cottage in Scotland. More than once he
deferred taking the journey. At one time,
he dreaded to hear that Iris was married,
if she wrote to him. At another time, he
felt mortified and disappointed by the
neglect which her silence implied. Was
she near him. or far from him? In En-
gland, or out of England? Who could
says
After more weary days of waiting and
suffering a letter arrived, addressed to
MOuntjOy in a strange handwriting, and
bearing the pOStmark of Paris. The sig
nature revealed that his correspondent
was Lord Harry.
His first impulse was to throw the letter
into the fire, unread There could be lit
tie doubt after the time that had passed,
of the information that it would contain.
Could he endure to be told of the mar
riage of Iris, by the man who was her hus-
band? Never! There was something hui
initiating in the very idea of it. He ar
rived at that cOncluSiOn-and what did he
do in spite of it? He read the letter.
Lord Harry wrote with scrupulous po-
likeness of expression. He regretted that
circumstances had prevented him from
calling on Mr.. Mountjoy, before he left
England. After the conversation that
had taken place at Mr.. Vimpany's house.
he felt it his duty to inform Mr. Mountioy
that he had insured his life-and, he would
add for sum of money amply, and more
than amply, sufficient to provide for his
wife in the event OF her surviving him.
Lady Harry desired her kind regards. and
would write Immediately to her old and
valued friend In the meantime, he would
conclude by repeating the expression of
his sense of obligation to Mr.. Mountioy.
Hugh looked back at the first page of
the letter, i'll search of the writer's adj
dress. 1t was simply "Paris.n The in
tention to prevent any further correspond
ence, or any personal communication.
could hardly have been more plainly i'm
piled. In another moment, the letter was
in the fire.
In two days more, Hugh heard from
Iris.
She, too, wrote regretfully of the sudden
departure from Eng land; adding, however
that it was her own doing. A slip of the
tongue, on Lord Harry's part, in the course
of conversation, had led her to fear that
he was still in danger from political con-
spirators with whom he had imprudently
connected himself. She had accordingly
persuaded him to tell her the whole truth,
and had thereupOn insisted on an imme-
uldUo departure iOE UH0 continent. S0G
and her husband were now living in Paris:
Lord Harry having friends in that city
whose influence might prove to be of great
Importance to his pecuniary prospects.
Some sentences followed, expressing the
writer's grateful remembrance Of all that
she had owed to Hugh in past days, and
her earnest desire that they might still
hear of each other, from time to time, by
correspondence. She could not venture to
anticipate the pleasure of receiving visit
from him, under present circumstances.
But she hoped that he would not object to
write to her. addressing his letters, for the
present, to post reStante.
In a postscript few words were added,
abiding TO Mr.. Nimpany. Hugh was re-
quested not to answer. any inquiries which
That man might venture to make relating
to her husband or to herself In the by
gone days she had been thankful to the
doctor for the care which he had taken,
medically speaking, of Rhoda Bennett.
But, since that time, his behavior to his
wife, and the opinions which he had eX
pressed in familiar conversations with
Lord Harry had convinced her that he
was an unprincipled person. All further
communication with him Gf her influence
could prevent iD must come to an end.
Still as far as ever from feeling recon-
ciled to the marriage, Mountjoy read this
letter with a feeling of resentment which
diSinclined him to answer it.
had written to him under the superintend-
ence of her husband There were GER
tain phrases which had been, as he chose
to suspect, dictated by Lord Harry's dis
trust-jealous distrust, perhaps-ot his
wife's friend. Mountjoy would wait to
reply, until, as he bitterly expressed 1t,
Iris was able to write to him without the
assistance of her master.
Again he thought of returning to Scot
10 nH ha hos tot n6
On this occasion, he discovered obJec-
tionS to the cottage. which had not occur
red to him while Iris was single woman.
The situation was solitary; his nearest
there, at some little distance, there were
only few scattered houses Inhabited by
retired tradesmen. Further away yet,
there was the country seat of an absent
person Of distinction, whose health suffer-
ed in the climate of Scotland. The lonely
life in prospect, on the shores of the Sol
way, now daunted Mountjoy for the first
time.
He decided on trying what society in
London would do to divert his mind from
the burdens and anXietieS that weighed
on it, Acquaintance whom he had neg
lected were pleasantly surprised by visits
from their rich and agreeable young
friend. He attended dinner-parties: he
reused hope in mothers and daughters by
accepting invitations to balls; he reappear-
ed at his club Was there any relief to
his mind in this? was there even amuse-
| ment? No: he was acting a part, and he
found it a hard task to keep up appear
auces. After a brief and brilliant inter
val, society knew him no more.
Left by himself again, he enjoyed one
happy evening in London. 1t was the
evening on which he relented, in spite of
himself, and wrote to Iris.
CHAPTER XIV. LORD HARRY's HONEY
MOON.