Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1892-04-07
CHAPTER Iii.


Strings OF carriages reached from one
end of Portman Square to the other. The
London season was drawing to a close, and
but few houses for reception; so that,
amid them all, Sir Arthur Worthington's
mansion shone with undimmed brilliancy
The evening was very sultry, and the win
doWs were thrown open wide to admit as
much air as possible into the rooms: but
they were artisticalIy draped with lace and
silk to shut out the vulgar gaze of the Lon
don mob gathered outside in the vain hope
of picking up few crumbs Of the pleasure
which seemed scattered with such b0ln-
tiful hand within.
1t was an old story. man on the verge
of ruin was layishing hundreds in an hour
on crowd of people whom he would new
er care to see again, and who would pro3a-
bly, be his most censorious critics eventu-
ally. Sir Arthur WortAington was riskiMg
all upon his last and dearest stake; he had
an excuse which hundreds lack.
Lord Harcourt Vernon, daZZled, but not
yet quite vanquished by Florence Worth
ingtOn's beauty, was on this occasionally
the additional lustre her loneliness Dor
rowed from her splendid Eastern costume,
the Intoxicating music, the enervating per-
fume Of flowers, the sweet food on all sides
offered to his vanity-to be utterly subdu-
ed and led into captivity beyond all posi-
bility Of escape. Amongst the whole host
OF fair young acknowledgements from
all nations, mimic queens from farmland,
snow-tairies, ice-fairies, goldenhaired Mar
guerites with real or borrowed tresses to
their feet-Lord Harcourt was to find but
one pearl of price; and truly there was one
whose all-pOWerful beauty, whose subtle
to al n yub
passed all the rest.
Amongst them all there was not one
that in beauty, grace, or animation, APP
preached Florence Worthington. So all
thought and admitted who were not blind
ed by vanity or envy; so best OF all knew
her father-and it brought comfort. vet
some pain, to his weary heart; so decided
without hesitation Lord Harcourt Vernon,
as he bent over the bright young face so ea-
gerry uplifted to his own, as he drank in
the softness of her dark eyes, that were
conscious of their own power and beauty
and of the admiration they attracted; so
knew, beyond a doubt, Florence Worthing-
ton herseH. Her rich brown hair was gath
cred back in thick tresses under silver
veil and twined with strings of pearls the
delicate-tintcd silks she wore were broid-
cred with gold and silver and fastened
rounded arms laden with shining pearls
and giittering gems.
Well indeed had Mrs. Gilbert fulfilled
her promise. Miss Worthington's dress
was Indeed perfection, its effect most daz-
zlin@, Suiting its wearer's style of beauty
to perfection. Florence knew this well
herself, and it gave additional brightness
to her eyes and softer tenderness to her
lips. There was no doubling her power:
and apparently she was waiting for her
fate with little hesitation or reluctance.
Lord Harcourt was her shadow-and no
mean one, in his Greek dress, which &C
| corded well with his slight well-knit fig
ure, his straight dark features. Possibly.
without his title, Lord Harcourt might not
| so easily have found the way to beautiful
| girls heart. She might have found his
| face too expressionless, his grey eyes too
| dull, his smile wanting in sweetness and
| sincerity, his words lacking true sympathy
with herself or others but Florence SEEM
| ed to find no shortcomings in his lordship.
Lord Harcourt knew that he was the most
| envied amid all the brilliant gathering, and
| the knowledge pleased him not little
His head too was turned by the evident
| empressement with which the beautiful Me-
| dora favored him with her unmistakable
| preference.
Hugh Carleton, in his Cavalier dress
might well hide his diminished head and
| pace the conservatory in solitary and i'm
| potent anger, biting his tawny moustache
| viciously, but all the while his heart ach-
| ing sadly. He knew that for him the die
| was cast-he had never had much hope,
still, with the persistent hopefulness of
| youth he had hitherto revelled and been
content in the sunshine of Florence's
| smiles. Only once this evening their eyes
| had met, and he had noticed that Flor
| ence's had dropped and saddened under
his reproachful gaze; but it was all over
now-the next time their hands met hs
would probably be forced to offer some
| conventional congratulation upon her en-
| gagement to Lord Harcourt. For himself.
| he had long known that the prize was be-
! yond his grasp, unless Sir Arthur should
| smile upon his suit and give her a dover
! sufficient to enable them to marry; and
| this he had long been hopeless about, be-
| ing more thar suspicious of the baronet's
ability. even were he really inclined.
Just now Hugh Carleton's heart was
| very sore and he was trying hard to
| bear his disappointment phiIosophically-
| Nevertheless the cup was bitter one, and
| doubly so on this occasion, when he saw
| Florence's sweetest smiles so freely law
| ished upon man whom he felt sure she
could not really like; but Hugh Carleton's
| nature was generous one, and already a
| soupcon of contempt for Florence's worldli-
ness and ambition was beginning to tighten
| his disappointment.