The record-union., 1893-05-13
THE ARBOR IN THE GARDEN.
CHAPTER I.

CHAPTER Il
When Mrs. Lilburne returned from the
picnic and dismounted at her own garden
gate from the three-horse break which had
carried the party, she assured Mr.. Ches-
sail that she had had a most enjoyable
day, and she meant what she said. Mrs.
Lilburne was fond of picnics, and this
had been very successful one. Miss
Lilburne, too, told Mr.. Chessall that she
had enjoyed herself immensely. and then
when he Smiled back at her, well pleased,
she wondered whether she had been per-
fectly candid and truthful. Instead of
going into the house she sat down on one
Of the garden seats to think the matter
over. In the first place, she was quite
sure that she ought to have enjoyed the
picnic very much indeed; for she was
engaged to Mr.. Chessall, and he had got
up the Whole thing chiefly TO please her
he had told her so-and had consulted her
weeks before as to who should be invited,
and about all the other arrangements.
Then the weather had been perfect, and
nobody had been ill-natured or gloomy.
Still Miss Lilburne felt that the affair had
not been very lively, and she was in
clined to think that it was because Mr..
Chessall had lectured her too much.
The scene of their festivitY had been
kelvington Castle, a famous old ruin,
and Mr.. Chessall had discoursed upon its
antiquities at great length. He had talked
q great deal of English history and told
several anecdotes. She had read them all
before; history and anecdotes alike were
in the antiquities ofSouth Devon" and
1t was plain that Augustus (Mr. Chessall)
had got up the subject from that volume.
: IL aG q oil q
used such big words, and she had noticed
somebody yawning while he labored on.
And in the midst OF his eloquence she had
been picturing the future. When they
were married, they would still be living
in knagtord, and friends would come and
stay with them in the summer-Knag-
ford was such pretty place, and there
was good tishing-and all these friends
would be taken 10 kelvington Castle, and
her husband would discourse to them as
be had done to-day, and she would hear
the same stories over and over again.
The prospect seemed little depressing.
AT the same time she felt that she ought
not to feel like that. One may detect
faults in a husband; lover must be per-
feet.
Miss Lilburne's reflections were inter
rupted by her mother, who came out
into the garden, holding card in her
hand
Aueldlues Sne Sdlu, 40 you relneul-
Der the Christian name of that DR.. Viii
son VINO used to live in Knagtord ?''
~ light blush sprang TO the girls cheek
as she replied:
81 think it was Ernest, mamma; L am
nearly sure of it,"
"Well," Mrs. Lilburne continued,
handing the card to her daughter, "a Dr..
Ernest Wilson called while we were out
this afternoon; l suppose it's the same.
But it's five or six years since he went out
TO Australia or somewhere there, so [
wonder what he can want at knagford
now?'
Adelaide did not reply for some time;
at last she said slowly:
Il expect 1t is the same man, mamma.
But It was Borneo he went to, not Aus
tralia. And he has come 10 see George.
You know what friends they were ~
Here Mrs. Lilburne's youngest
daughter, Maud, tall, good-looki ing
girl OF eighteenA Aemerged from a sort OF
rustic arOor formed of trellis-work and
overhanglng creepers.
'Ah! you picnickers are back again. -
she said abruptly. Pm very glad l
didn't go. l had a most interesting novel,
quite exciting. And I've just finished it,
and everything turns out beautifully"
Then her eye fell on the card which
Adelaide was still twirling between her
fingers.
II saw him." she exclaimed. IT'S the
tall doctor-you remember him, Ade-
laide who used to go fishing with
George. Only he's got dreadfully brown.
/ was in the aroor, you know, and
1 could see quite well, though he