The morning call., 1891-10-31
ENVY, HATRED
AND MALICE.

lady than the wife OF Sir paul MelliSh,
worthy knight and an alderman of the city
of London.
When we took handsome home for her
at Brighton, Ter first thought was not for
her own enjoyment, but how TO give pleasure
to others.
81 tell you what we'll do, Paul. Wen
have that sickly clerk of yours down here
for few weeks, and see whether this lovely
air and good feeding wont send him back to
his family looking a little less like ghost
than he does now And I've told my maid,
Esther, that she can send an invite to her
cOusumptiye sister. The poor girl can earn
her railway fare By making up those new
sheets and pilow-cases. And, Paul. why
shouldn't l have some young people here?
No, not for match making, l should make
mess Of that, but just to give item pleas
ant outing. That widowed cousin OF yonrs
has all but asked me TO have one OF her
daughters, who is delicate, she saws And
then, there's my Cousin John, the doctor, at
Camden Town. With such large. family
and poor practice, its certain he can't AFFORD
to give them many seaside holidays. Shall
write to bOth?"
"Do as you like, Betty" was the cheerful
response. - dare say you'll want com
pany Of some sort while am out fishing. II
ysu please yourself, old lass, you'll please
me-"
So little notes in Lady Me'lish's formal
old fashioned hand were dispatched 10
Camden Town, as well rs the very pre-
teutious little villa near SurbitOn, in which
Mrs LanthrOp and her three daughters
lived the semi-genteel LIE they preferred TO
honest poverty.
Sir Paul Mellish was generous TO the
widow, sending her a check on her birth
day and at Christmas, besides periodical
hampers Of farm produce, game, etc But
il is doubtful If he would have done 50 had
he known that, instead OF eking ;out her
small income with his gifts, Mrs. Lanthrop
employed them in entertaining those OF her
wealthy neiGhbors to whose society she as
Dired.
Misses LanthrOp should go 10 Brighton,
but their mother settled it by accepting. with
the protusest thanks, for her eldest daugh-
ter.
Pm afraid Vida will never marry now"
she said TO the others. "She is losing her
gaud looks rapidly, but if she plays her
cards well she may induce Lady Melish to
retain her as a companion. With salary
Of a hundred per annum and treated as one
of the family, she ought TO consider herself
very luCkv girl.
There was no squRbble at Camden Town.
The doctor had four daughters, as well as
half dozen boys OF various ages, but Mary
could not leave the young architect whose
wife she soon hOped to become, and Susie
and Phemle unanimously agreed that 1t was
May who must avail herself OF Lady Mel
lish's offer.
May had been helping to pay debt in
CURED through her mothers long illness the
previous winter by acting as daily gOYerness
to two sets Of pupils, and was so pale aud
Spritless that her parents were anxious
about her.
So il was May Western that arrived at Sir
Paul Mellish's house in Regency square
about an hour after Miss Lanthrop, who
surveyed her through a piuce- nez with up
raised brows and the exclamation uttered
loud enough for the ears OF Lady Mellish:
" Wha. a funny little dowdy. VINO can
she be?"
Her ladyship answered aloud:
- This is one of my cousins daughters,
and l hope you and she will get on together.
Aly dear May, am very glad to see you
And so am l." cried Vida, gushingy.
We ought 10 have Travelled together. it
would have been 80 nice! You dear child,
how tired you lOOkl From what outlandish
corner Of the island have you conner From
London? Is it pOssible?'
why not2" asked May smiling, yet an
noyed. "Is there anything amiss with my
hat or gown? Both were copied from
Paris costume Lady Norton's maid loaned
me. that l might not disgrace our kind
friends here"
"She might have loaned you something
more fashionable" observed Vida, glancng
from Mays simple girlish blue serge to her
own overturned and loudly striped cheap
silk. And do you tell every one whore
you get your patterns?"
81 don't remember 10 have heard my dress
commented on before" said May, turning
from the speaker to Lady Mellish so de-
eidedly that Vida had no chance of saying
more; but she regarded with spiteful dis
like the unassuming little girl, who. without
effort or any other charm than pleasant
face and frank manner, was already win
ming the good will of her relative.
Miss LanthrOD devoted herself-to use
her own phraSe-sOmetimes to the knight,
sometimes to the lady. She sat at Sir Paul's
feet in langushing attitude. She bent over
Lady Mellish with an air OF daughterly ten
derness. She sent them both to sleep with
er performance on the piano and awoke
them IN a fright as she sang, ih the shrille5t
OF sopranos, vocal Waltzes or Italian arlas
with improvised cafenzas. She giggled at
her hosts rather ponderous jokes, and
agreed with every remark made by his
wife. while May, little home sick and very
tired, sat in comparative silence.
Il shall have nothing to fear from her,"
thought Miss LanthrOp, surveying her con-
temptuously. she is one of those simple
tons who hasn't the tact to look after her
own interests"
She might have added that May Western
had never been taught to regard Sir Paul
and Lady Mellish as wealthy relatives who
must be tlattered and fondled for what they
had to give away. She thought them a
very kind-heaTted couple, and that it was
awfully good of them to invite her to
Brighton. She told them so gratefully, and
rs the invigorating air brought back her
strength and spirits she ran about the house
singing as she went, 30 merTily that Sir
Paul patted the cheeks on which health's
roses were blooming once more, aud told
her il did him good to hear her.
Vida IanthTOn seldom nuda har
ance before the hour for Lady Mellish's
morning drive. Although 80 anxious to in
gratiate herself with ner rich relations 1t
never entered her head to get up early
enough TO pour out Sir Paul's coffee and
read the newspaper to him, or to accompany
his wife when she trotted down to the beach
10 see the hshing-6oats come in, and to the
market to make her own purchases. But
then Vida's elaborate toilets consumed so
much OF her time; and so did her efforts to
hide the fact that her figure was not all her
own, nor her hair, nor the delicately r0seate
hue of her complexion.
Whether Lady Mellish did or did not ap-
preciate Mss Lanthrop's attentions there is
no knowing. In her treatment of her guests
she was strictly Impartial When she pre-
sented May with stout. useful en-tout-cas
she also bestowed a more dressy parasoI
Oh Vida, and when she bought for the latter
the set of snowy tTi1kets Miss Lanthrop
sald she was dying TO possess, the kind old
Nav, reminding her. when she hesitated to
accept any more tokens of her hostess gen.
eIosity. how serviceable it would be to her
when she returned to her pupils.
Miss LanthroD was loud in her express
siOns OF gratitude TO darling auntie for the
presents made to herself, but she looked
grndgiDgly on Mays, and uttered sundry
spiteful observations concerning them.
She was afraid, she said, and sighed, th at
the poor child was incapable of appreciat-
ing darling auntie's goodness; she was cold,
so thankless, so-well. yes-reaIly-so very
different to herself.
But May was only too happy to be
troubled by the wasp-like stings daIted at
her. She wrote home daily accounts,
eOuehed in the most glowing terms of the
happy time she was having the boating
trips with Sir Paul, her drives with his lady,
the concerts under the Dome, the tennis
parties for which she had received invita-
lions, and last and greatest, the dance al
General Mersley's, for which Lady Mellish
had given her the prettiest OF evening
dresses confection. as the modlste called
it, too beautiful to be described.
This ball dress had made Vida LanIhror