The sun., 1893-11-02
CHAPTER I.

Many people in Codlington We're sor-
~ when poor Jack Lilly died. He was
kind, smiling, good-looklng fellow,
year or two over thirty, and he was
taken off by fever after short ILL
ness, leaving young widow of three
and-twenty and an infant child. He
was a surgeon, and was getting to be
quite a formidable rival to old DIR.
Dummy, when death removed him out
of the way of that old-fashioned prac-
titioner.
Jack thought he was going to live for
the next forty years, at least, and so
did most people who knew him. So,
instead of saving out Of his professional
earnings, he "lived up to his income"
as the phrase goes. In fact, he died
trifie in debt; and his debts had to be
paid by his father Mr.. John Lilly, coal
merchant and barge owner, and twice
mayor of his native city. The son was
always called Jack Lilly, partly to
distinguish him from his father and
partly because he was one of those men
whom all the world would be sure to
address by a familiar abbreviation OF
his name, whatever it might be.
So it came to pass that his wife was
known as Mrs. Jack by all the friends
and acquaintances of the family; and
when her husband died there was n
good deal of sympathy expressed for
Mrs. Jack and her fatherless little girl.
Not that she was as popular as her hus-
band had been. BY no manner of
means. She was not native Codling
tonian. She was young. She was pret-
ty. She was-at least they said so in
odlington-dighty. / do not mean to
say that youth and good looks were an
absolute barrier against sympathy on
the part of the inhabitants of the little
town; but the ''tlightiness' was TN
doubtedly considered the more objec-
tionable in Mrs. Jack because of it's
combination with sparkling prettiness
and twenty-three years.
And then, with her late husbands
parents, Mrs. Jack did not get on well
at all. 1t was preat pity, people
said, that she could not. conform her.
self little to persons so much older
and wiser than herself, and who stood
in the place of parents to her-a great
pity! But, there, she was just one of
those fighty creatures who couldn't be
guided, Poor young woman! They
dared to say there was no harm in
her-not bit of harm. But she had
such wild, giddy way with her And
with such model before her as Mrs.
Lilly, senior!!' 1t did seem strange
Poor Jack Lilly lad been dead a year
and half when his widow walked ND
the shady side of the High street one
hne summer day to the residence Of her
father-in-law. Although the day was
hot, and she was loaded with heavy
black stuffs, and half-stiffed under
great Grape veil, she was walking fast,
Mrs. Jack had q way of walking fast,
with q light, eager, impatient step,
which seemed very girlfsh and impuls-
i've in contrast with her widows weeds.
How she do scud along, Mrs. Jack
Lily" was the comment of the gro
Ctr's foreman, as he looked admiringly
after her tall, graceful figure.
'Scud, indeedi" said Mrs. Hogg, the
grocer's wife, with a shake of the head.
"Ah, there's more than enough of scud-
ding, think: Up and down, up and
down the High street, every day. and
all day. Well, Mrs. Lilly has q handful
of her, that's certain"
Mrs. Iacll went on her way uncon-
scious Of the comments of her neighhors.
She was not given to consider much
what people were thinking about her,
| nor whether they were thinking about
her at allan Indifference to public
opinion which injuriously affected her
| popularity in Codlington
Percival House was the name of Mfr
Lilly'S residence. 1t was a large. solid
red brick building, some hundred and
| fifty years old. It had once stood
| alone, surrounded by large pleasure
grounds. But the city had crept up and
hemmed it round, and it was now only
| numbered 93 High street. But Mr.. Lii
l ly chose to retain the old name, and had
it engraved over the front door on q
stone panel. The lower part of the
house was occupied by the offices of
John Lilly & Son, coal merchants, as
/ set forth in Aourishing letters on the
ground glass windows of the front par
Iors. The living rccms " ere upstairs.
| Mrs. Jack turned the polished brass
handle of the front door, and went i'll
without knocking or. ringing. She
passed through lcng tagged passage,
secured and sanded. and with a mar
row path of green dlugget running
alcng the middle of 1t. Half way across
the passage, which divided the base
ment story into tWe equal parts, was
a double door Of green baize, and on
this was q brass plate, bearing the
name of Mf, Lilly. Behind the baize
door you game FLop a fine oak stair
case, biackened With age and polished
! with friction. And up this staircase
Mrs. Jack ran as lightly and as swiftly
as a child.
Come in," said Il woman's voice in
answer to her tap at door on the first
floor; and she walked into room full
Of the smell of dinner, and where five
persons were at table finishing their
meal,
"Qh!l I'm sorry to disturb you" said
Mrs. Jack, pausing in the doorway II
thought dinner would haye been oyer
by this time" -
And as she said it she raised her
Grape veil,and showed n very pretty,
blooming face, lighted by a pair of
dark, bright eyes and framed in two
braids OF wavy auburn hair, whose nat
ural tendency to curl was not to be
overcome by the most persevering at
tempts to make it smooth and sober
1 Come in, Bell! come in" said Mr..
Lilly, gractoqqsly. You don't disturb
us at all"
Mr.. Lilly was tail, gray=haired man,
with long horse face and a mouth full
l "a NAOAAAO WhIIG LGell1y ulSD D1 III
equine character He had a pair OF
large, blue, google eyes. And he rolled
his eyes and showed his teeth whenever
he made joke-which was often. And
when he rolled his eyes and showed his
teeth he did not look either wise or
dignified. And yet he considered him.
self to have no small share of wisdom
and dignity. But he wore these quail.
ties jocosely, so as not to be too hard
upon his fellow creatures. He was not
a fat man, but he had portly and pro-
truding stomach, on which heavy
watch chain and seal were displayed
conspicu9hsly. : we. :
Mrs Lilly was short and plump. She
had smooth, white-and- d-pink complex
lon still, despite her fifty-four years
and very pretty little features, like q
dolls. Indeed, as her countenance was
very smooth, very waxen in coloring
and very tmmoyable, she would have
looked precisely Ike p rnagnified way