The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1892-06-19
CHAPTER II.

Dorinda Vane received the invitation
from the distant cousin whom she had
never seen. She read 1t one February
morning as she stood in the old fashioned
garden in which already were showing the
signs Of spring.
She knew to whom she was really in
debted for that letter from her kinswoman
who lived so far off In that great world of
society and fashion, and she blushed and
laughed, while her eyes became beautiful
with the shy happiness that shone in them.
1t was his world into which she was
asked to come-that wonderful world of
pleasure, in which was to be found all that
was grand and beautiful In art, and litera-
ture, and science; that delightful world, In
which men and women were perpetually
enjoying themselves, and yet were in uni
son with all the great intellectual thought
and progress of the day. At least this was
the impression he had left with her of that
brilliant society world of which he was
citizen. A glorifed earthly paradise, in
which she would dance with and listen to
him, and every day learn new lessons from
the teaching of his lips, and every day. in
her humility and ignorance, try to model
herself upon other women who had had
such intellectual and artistic advantages of
which she, in her secluded country exist
ence. had not even dreamed till ne had
come into IL and opened her eyes. She was
full of dead lest her uncle should say''no.n
But perhaps in her selfish, absorbed life
there was still some affection for her; per-
haps his conscience pricked him as he was
reused by the duchess invitation to the
consciousness of the unnatural life the
young girl was leading in that great SOM
Der house, for he consented, and then, after
giving her leave to buy anything she need
ed and telling her that she was rich enough
to tempt fortune hunters, and that she
must not make O fool of herself, he felt that
he Qad done all that could be expected of
him, and retired again into his tacituvn,
hypochondriacal shell.
Dorinda was divided between delight and
something like wed dismay as she found
herself, with a large check in her hand,
making preparations Tor her visit to town.
Those preparations nearly proved fatal to
her dreams.
The first impulse of the duchess, when a
week or two later Dorinda crossed her Lon
don threshold, was to send hor back
straight there and then to that out-of-the-
world Derbyshire home.
Perhaps if Underhill had not been pres
ent to help receive her guest she would
have done so.
But he seemed SO superbly unconscious
of the hopeless hat, of the dateless jacket
the latest fashion of the. little country
town-and was so gently patient with the
blushing shyuess OF the country girl that
she braced herself up to emulate him. and
decided TO let her stay the night, at least,
under her roof The result of their en-
deavors was such that Dorinda, whose
heart had failed her terribly ct the last mo
ment, regnined some OF her vanished cour-
age, and laughed once or twice so prettily
and naturally, and looked at the duchess
with such honest. trustful eyes, that before
the morning came the duchess decided to
see what week Of life and q course of
London shops could effect for her.
Tha country town clothes were ruthlessly
bRnished. The best tailors and mjlliners
and dressmakers tried their hands on Dor
india She felt appalled, at hrst before this
to her, reckless extravaganza She had
many prickings Of conscience on the sub
ject OF vanity; but she found that she had
plenty Of money to spend. and the result of
the smart frocks and hats mitigated the re-
proaches Of her consciences. She had many
severe lessons of social training from the
duchess, and was eventually presented ct
the first drawing room, and crossed the
boundary of the great society world.
The results were fairly satisfactory
better than the poor duchess had first be-
lieved could be possible.
1t being known that she was an heiress,
she received q good deal Of attention of q
certain kind. Personally, she was not a
success. She was good and sweet and true !:
but those are not interesting qualities to