The Dickinson press., 1892-02-27
LOVE FOR A DAY.
CHAPTER xI1I-Cosr,xu.p.

kho droWsy, musical mum OF the bees eS
thought Of the beautiful line
The bee is betrothed to the broom"
The birds were silent there was but .
teint murmur of the wind; the house was
lTansely still. Many of the servants had
gone to the Abbey to be in attendance. I
liver in the distance, and the tapping OF
leaves against the window-glass. Once or
twice l iancied that l hearda most unusual
bound-whether it was a laugh. q scream, or
amoan, I could not tell, for it was gone
almost assoon as heard. 1 went down to the
library in search OF something that l need
met Lady Severne's maid, Martha Clyde,
and I felt sure that she had the key ola
bedroom door in her hand. She was taking
ZONE soup, l thought, upstairs, for she was
carrying a covered basin. Martha had al
ways . grim smile for me. l was enc of her
favorites. 1 stopped impulsively.
How is Lady Severne this morning." !
ssked and the smile died in q moment A
hard, cold impenetrable look came into
the honest face. II am sorry she is i'll"
continued.
II am sorry" I said; ''for / knew she
wanted to see st. Ninian's. What is it
cold or headache?"
y must make haste" replied Martha.
ignoring, my question; a.. ah nas, i ms witb fa rs
less ceremony than usual. "Good-morning,
Miss she added hastily. as though she
knew she had been abrupt.
An hour afterward l had finished my
writing and begun to pack the parcels OF
clothes that Lady Yorke had wished me to
lend away.
Ny rooms were in the part of the house
called the Queens wing" Lady Yorke's
suite of apartments was in the centre OF the
building; while the rooms set apart for the
guests were in the western tower. Some OF
the clothes l wanted were i'll one OF the
broad corridors that led to the western
tower, l was struck by the unusual silence.
There was no sound Of visitors or servants,
but profound stillness-no hurry of foot
steps, no voices.
went to the cedar-room, opened the
wardrobe. found what l required, and was
on the point o freclosing it. when l heard
. sound that almost froze the blood in my
veins.
Was it a cry, a shrek? l could not tell
only that it was unearthly i'll its horror. l
knew by the sound that it must have come
from Lady Severne's room.
Half frantic with tear, the next minute l
was rapping at her door,.
"What is the matter, Lady Severne'" l
cried. care you ill? Are you hurt?"
There was a moment Of deadly silence. !
turned the handle OF the door, and found
that it was securely locked.
"Who is there?" Martha Clyde called
out.
t.it is miss Chester. What is the mat
ter" l replied.
"Nothing," was the curt'reply
'But Martha, l heard Lady Severne
SCREEN. ain sure she is ill. Do let me in.'
The next momen Martha had half-open-
ed the door, and I saw her face; it was white
and angry-yes, and alarmed.
"Miss Chester" she said-and the effort
try TO come in. You will only make things
worse. Believe me, there is nothing the
matter. Lady Severne is often hysterical.
She is not ill; but she would be annoyed ii
she knew you were here"
] went away; but ! retained my own be
cal. l wondered if Marks wife could be
mad: but l was not aware that people could
be mad one day and sane the next.
found that Lady Severne did not leave
her room that day; nor did she join the
dinner-party. Lady Yorke apologlzed for
her, saying that she had taken cold through
being out on the terrace on the previous
evening, but that she hoped she would be
better on The morrow. l saw Marks face
witch and his lips culver, but he spoke no
word. There was a murmur of regret: Tor
several of the gentlemen present there could
De no aCtrACLlOn tnat evening".
.Whenthe visitors retired, | remained to
give Lady Yorke a report OF all that she
left for ME to arrange, and then i told her
ofthe unearthly noise that i had heard
coming from Lady Seyerne's room.
She looked at me with q strange express
Ion on her lace.
"Did you really hear this yourself, Miss
Chester5' she asked.
Certainly, just as l have told you, Lady
Yorke."
Had any. one been in those rooms,
would they have heard it in the same
fashion," she asked.
Then" she said, speaking to herself
rather than to me, SIT must be seen to at
once. Poor Mark!'
I did not like to say any more; but 1
went to my room more unhappy than ever
about Mark, mere puzzled than ever about
the mystery surrounding his wife.
Hooked forward with some curiosity, to
seeing her the next day; but at breakfast
time came the apology-Lady severne did
pot feel well enough to come downstairs;
y h; Sat;o ssG s e was q s mSsyslf yet The no G Fno ssi%sa
that there YVES a mystery in the house was
painful to me. Lady Yorke too seemed
dist%ressed--not merely anxious, but dis
tressed. / saw tears in her eyes; and, when
we were alone, she sighed frequently and
her mind.
In the evening, just before the dressing
Clyde raped at the door of Lady Yorke's
She wanted 'to speak to her ladyship
mos particularly" but she would not keep
her long. l went away and left them to-
During dinner I saw that Lady Yorke
was quite unlike herself. nervous, agitated,
unequal to the occasion, and more than
once she glanced imploringly at Lord Sew
erne.
Dinner over, l was not much surprised
when a servant came to say that Lady
Yorke wished to see me in her boudoir at
once. I went. l had never seen the mis-.
tress Of Westwood lood so sad or so distress.
ed before.
Just turn the key in the door, Miss Ches.
ter" she said. want a few minutes con.
versation with you without Interruption
I did as she wished, and then stood be.
fore her. wondering at her agitation. hel
pale face, the sorrow expressedin her whole
demeanor. She wrung her hands, began tc
speak. and then hesitated.
what to say or how to begin. 1 feel the
shame and disgrace keenly, as though they
were my own. l must tell you, but I DOM
know how"
"Is tits it Lady seyernes" ! asked.
for breaking the ice thus lar
1t is of her l want to speak. You asked
me once II anything were wrong with her
and I told you, Yes the canker was Away!
always destroys the sweetest bud"
. remember, but l did not understand
In the least" l said.
Probably not. Lady severne is beautl
full, charming, she has many admirably
qualities, she is very popular; but there i
one fatal drawback, so fatal that all tn
Others are neuteralized by it."
what is II, Lady Yorker" I asked anx
II am ashamed to tel you. They are al
most the most horrible that can be said q
q woman, but they are unhappily true,
Miss Chester. The fact is, Lady eeverne
drinks"
Irecoiled as though she had struck me a
terrible blow; but Lady Yorke looked 70.
lieved at having told her horrible secret at
last.