Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1890-12-12
1.-THE DUCHESS"
CHAPTER VI.-CoNTINUED.
1 WISH you could cure yourseIr. /"

Il WISH you could cure yourself. ="
81 assure you / can't even laugh COM
fortably," goes on the squire, with sigh;
"and that's a great loss to me. IT'S a
thing 1 IN not accustomed to- l don't in
deed; ami if they do give shant's be able
to hold up my head again.
''Tll get q good strong bit of housewives
thread and sew the seams on the inside
wherever they look strained, and then you
can laugh" said his daughter, giving him
an encouraging pat on his broad back.
''If you do, Pm thinking you'll sew the
suit, says he, still melancholy. "There
isn't seam in it that you couldn't burst
with decent sigh"
He looks at her as If defying her to deny
this, and then, all suddenly, without so
much as seconds warning, he bursts out
into an irresistible peal OF laughter. His
laugh and Norah's are just the same
musical, hearty compelling. To hear them
is to join in them, nolens volens. Long
and loud he laughed, Norah keeping him
company, without exactly knowing why;
but youth, especially Irish youth, is prone
to laughter, and is always thankful for a
chance of giving way to it.
Speak! Speakr' cries she at last. 81
can't laugh forever without a reason for it.
It's an unsatisfactory kind of mirth."
II was thinking says he, still choking,
that if l did burst those clothes what a
row there would be. Such an explosion
Just think of his face and yours! and your
poor old dad at the head OF the table-hal
ha! ha! with vacancies in his raiment and
-. Oh, my! oh, my''
The tears of mirth are running down his
cheeks as he pictures to himself the scene
that a moment before had reduced him to
despair. Norah, too is laughing with all
her heart, when Denis, opening the door,
thrusts in his head.
at does one good to hear you," he said.
"May know what it is all about?"
''No; it isn't good enough" says the
Duchess hastily at is too ancient; a per-
fectly threadbare joke"
GOOD for you, Duchess!'' cries the
squire, beginning to explode again. ''Faith,
the subject of it is threadbare enough in all
constance and ancient to fault"
'Never mind, dad You have come TO
tell us scmething," says Norah, addressing
her cousin pointedly, as if to turn his atten-
ton from the squire, who is in quite n dam
gerous mood, 'That letter in your hand"
els from my mother, asking ms when
intend returning"
my dear boy Why, you have only
just come" exclaims the squire, forgetful
now of the joke, the fragility of the even
ing clothes, everything.
Nevertheless she says she can't do with
out me. The house is full of people, and it
appears the task of keeping them in good
temper is beyond Ler. Norah, she also
wants to know if you are coming back
with me-
Back with your To the castle? Oh, no:
Certainly mott" says the Duchess in tone
of horror. All the laughter is gone now,
giving place to nervous establishment. In
voluntarily she steps backwards until Shit
reaches the wall behind her. as if DESTROYS
of getting as far from the castle in question
as possible. No words could be as eloquent
rs this movement.
''But why?' asks the young man re-
proachfully. "My mother is so anxious to
mako your acquaintance that she will take
your refusal hardly. AS you know, she
cannot well come to you at present, but if
you will go to her"
IL haven't Thought of it. l didn't know
she wished"
81 told your father. You didn't tell
herr" looking at the squire, who is now the
picture of guilt.
Il recollect something about it. l believe
you did say that madam would like to see
her." says he, temporizing disgracefully,
the fact being that he had remembered, but
had decided from the first that Noraf
could never get on without him or he with
out Norah.
'More than that gave you my mothers
invitation. hope, N6rah, " regarding hei
earnestly, 'that you will accept it. Ycr
will like my mother, know, and as there
are so many people saying there at present
you won't feel dull. "
''Ohl That's just it,, misorably.
"What?''
"All those p,opler' growing quite pale.
"Nonsense!" laughing. mot one of
them will eat you, and some may amuse
you. am quite sure you will enjoy it"
II shouldn't, indeed. Dad" indignant
ly, "why don't you speak? Why dom
you say l should be wretched away from
your"
''She would. She would indeed, assur,
you," said the squire, waking to on enthusi
astic defense of the position because of that
indignant glance. Il assure You, my deal
Denis, she would be the most melancholy
creature alive if deprived of my society
even for day!'
lie says IL in such perfect good faith anC
with such an open desire to help her in lei
extremity that he is irresistible. Ever
Norah gives way 20 laughter.
at is true, though" she says to Denis, G
little defiantly.
1--WE have never been separated, never
Even for the three years was at school il
France he came over and lived there will
me-"
''Then wish you would change you
mind and come to Vcntry, too, " says Denis
II wish / could" says the squire, WHIT
indeed would have desired nothing better
'but I'm tied by the heels just now
You know what q worry the tenant
areg'
He refrains from mention of the evening
suit and the utter inability to order a new
ono.
''Norah, ''says her cousin, suddenly, 'com'
out and let us talk il over
CHAPTER VII.
'Oh, the little more, and how much 1t ISL
Outside, the world is so fair, so fresh, s,
Joyous, that it is scarcely to te wondered
at If Denis trusted it TO help him with hi