Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1892-01-21

| Darrell Court now. Pray do not mlsunder-
Stand me; | was only expressing my belief"
| She bent down to take up her drawing
materials.
| I do not misunderstood you child" he
said, sadly. You love it because it is the
| home of race you love and not for its mere
| worth in money"
! Her dark eyes seemed to flash with fire;
! the glorious face had never s0ftened SO be-
| fore.
You speak truly" she said; that is ex-
| actly what [ mean.''
| Then she went away liking Sir Oswald
better than she had ever liked him in her life
| before. He looked after her half sadly.
"a glorious girl!'' he said to himself; "a
| true Darrell! | hope ! have not made a mis-
| take
! Lady Darrell made no complaint to her
| husband of Pauline: the girl gave her no
tangible cause of complaint. She could not
| complain TO Sir Oswald that Ptulinc's eyes
always rested on her with a scornful glance
| half-humorous, half-mocking. She could
| not complain of that strange power Miss Oar
rell exercised of making her always feel so
small" She would gladly have made friends
with Miss Darrell: she had no idea Of keep
ing up any species of warfare; but Pauline
resisted all her advances. Lady Darrell had
a strange kind of half-fear, which made her
ever anxious to conciliate.
She remarked to herself how firm and
steadfast Pauline was; there was no weak
ness, no cOwardice in her character: she was
strong, self-reliant; and, discerning that,
Lady Darrell asked herself often. What
will Pauline's vengeance be?"
The question puzzled her far more than
she would have cared to own What shape
would her vengeance assume? What could
she do to avoid it? When would it overtake
her?
Then she would laugh at herself. What
was there to fear in the wildly uttered, dra-
matte threats of helpless girt? Could she
take her husband from her? No; it was not
in amy human power to do that Could She
take her wealth, title. position, from her?
No; that was impossible. Could she make
her unhappy? No, again; that did not seem
to be in her power. Lady DARRELL would try
to laugh, but one look at the beautiful proud
face, with its dark proud eyes and firm lips,
would bring the coward fear back again.
She tried her best to cOnciliatc her. She
was always putting little pleasures, little
amusements in her way, OF which Pauline
, never avaiIed herself. She was always urg-
ing Sir Oswald to make her some presents or
30 grant her some. indulgence She never
interfered with her; even when suggestions
from her would have been useful, she never
made them. She was mistress of the house,
but she allowed the utmost freedom and lib
erty to this girl, who never thanked her, and
who never asked her for single favor.
Sir Oswald admired this grace and sweet
ness in his wife more than he had ever adj
mired anything else. Certainly, contrasted
with Pauline's blunt, abrupt franlIness, these
pretty, bland, Suaye ways shOne to advan-
tage. He saw that his wife did her best to
cOnciliata the girl, that she was always nind
and gracious to her. He saw, also, that Pau
line never responded; that nothing ever
moved her from her proud, defiant attitude
she had from the first assumed
lie said to himself that he could only hope
in time things must alter; his wife's careSs-
ing ways must win Pauline over, and then
, they would be good friends.
So he comforted himself. and the edge OF the
dark precpice was for time covered with
flowers.
The autumn and winter passed away,
| sprng-tide opened fair and beautiful, and
Miss Hastings watched her pupil with daily
increasing anxiety. Pauline never spoke OF
| her disappointment; she bore herself as
| though 1t had never happened, her pride
, lcfeI ONCE giving way Dut IOI tlI tlftt, OhN
, | gOverness saw that her whole character and
= disposition was becoming warped She
watched Pauline in fear. If circumstances
had been propitous to her, if Sir Oswald
would have but trusted her, would but have
had more patience with her, would but have
waited the sure result of little more knOwl-
edge and experience, she would have devel-
: Oped into noble and magnificent woman,
: she would have been one of the grandest
barrels that ever reigned at the old Court.
But Sir Oswald had not trusted her; he had
not been willing to wait the result of patient
training; he had been impetuOus and haSty,
and, though Pauline was too proud to own
} it, the disappointment preyed upon her until
+ it completely changed her. 1t was all the
deeper and more concentrated because she
, made no sign.
, This girl, noble of soul, grand of nature,
, sensitive, proud, and impulsive, gave her
whole life to one idea-her disappointment
and the vengeance due it; the very grandeur
! Of her virtues helped to intensity her faults;
the very strength of her character seemed to
deepen and darken the idea over which she
) brooded necessarily by night and by day.
, She was bent on vengeance.