The morning call., 1893-09-17

laugh ''We've just settled it all, aud
now I've only got 20 talk to the governor
and the mater"
Rather big only isn'tit?" said Lang.
grimY.
"Oh, there'lI be bit Of a tussle, no
doubt" said his lOrdship, "but shall hold
nv own. Shes worth it, you know"
The next morning, before 10 o'clock, Park
road was astonished by seeing the FeDbpr-
ough carriage stop at DR.. Hepburu's. and
the doctor himself was more than little
flurried when his study door opened and
Lady Fen borough, her cheeks unusually
pale and her lips contracted, entered the
room.
"1 have come for a few minutes private
conversation. Hepburn" she said in
hard, dry voice. without any preliminary
greeting. II knew l should lind you at this
hour"
Il trust your ladyship is not feeling in
disposed" said the doctor nervously, try
ing to repress vague misgiying.
II am feeling far more han indisposed,"
replied the great lady. II am feeling seri-
ously annoyed-seriously angry"
~ am sorry 10 hear it, bat if can 0e of
any use l shall be most delighted.
II don't think you will be delighted"
went on her ladyshlp. with increased acer-
bity. II am come to insist that You send
Miss Melhuish away from here this very
day"
OeUu OOyCr away At q y uOLkCS
But why, Lady FenborOugh? Nay, it
would be"
But you must" interrupted her lady
ship, ''unless | am to understand that you
are conuiviDg at this disgraceful affair and
that you aid and abet her in this entrap-
ping of Lord Marshlands."
"Disgraca full affair-Lord Marshlands-
connivance!" repeated the old man, be-
wildered. II fail to see what your lady
ship means"
''My good Hepburn. there is none so
blind as the man who will not see. You
surely know what l find is the common
gossip of the place-that this girl has been
meeting MarShlands day after day and that
she has entrapped him into what he is fool
ish enough to consider an engagement
Silly bowl As TO her. it is plain she is an
adventures"
But is it not possible" pleaded the old
man feebly. that your ladyship has been
misinformed? ?"
"Misinformed? rejoned Lady Fenbor-
ough sharply. Il tell you | have it ali
from Marshlands himself-he says he will
marry heT."
Then, as Dr. Hepburn himself afterward
expressed it, you might have knocked him
down with feather. 1t seemed impossi-
BILE that this story should be true.
Would you like to see he ?" he asked.
speaking at random in his first dismay
ITO see her! No, thank you! l wish
none OF us had ever seen her. The object
of my visit is TO make perfectly clear to
you that the girl must go from here. Must
you understand-there is no alternative"
DR.. Hepburn fancies to this day he was
about to take up the challenge thus i'm
periOusly thrown down; that he was about
TO refuse to Danish from her only home
the child he had learned TO love. But be-
fore he had found words fOreible enough
to express his open revolt against the ira'e
sovereign lady Of Fenborough the study
door opened and Jovce-her pale face
little flushed and her eyes bright with eX-
citement-stOod before them.
Il beg your pardon for intruding," she
said in her clear. steady voice, but they
told me that Lady Peterborough was here
! can guess the object of her visit. and /
am come to speak very important word
in the matter under discussion" She
spoke with graceful self-rOssessiOn
which the great lady even in her anger
could not help admiring. 'Lo'd Marsh
lands has no doubt told you," she went on,
turning to Lady Fen borough, what | had
not mentioned to DR.. Hepburn-that he
has done me the honor of asking me TO be
his wife. OF course, | can understand
that you are very angry about his offer,
and still more angry that accepted him.
You have come here In say that the mar
riage is impossible. YOU are quite right
il is impossible, but" and Joyce smiled
bitterly, mot because you say so. not be-
cause OF any barrier you would put be-
tween u.s. The fact is, / thought the mat
ter seriously over last night, probably
whla Marshlands was talking If il to you,
and the result of my thinking was that l
sat down and wrote letter TO him, which
he must have had before you left home
this morning. In my letter l told him
that, even at the risk of giving him great
pain, l must take back my hasty promise.
You understand, there is no engagement
hot W m fIUa aitr
none. l would not marry him 1T you
wished me to-"
Lady FenbOrough had listened in mute
astonishment to Joyce's lmpetuous speech,
her cold, gray eyes fixed on the girl's ami
mated face, and feeling of intense relief
in her heart. MarshlandS would, she re-
fiected, make an outrageous scene, but he
was not a str0ng-ninded parsonage. he
would yield to the force Of stances
after the first moment of fierce rebellion.
She heard the girl to the end, and then she
rose with con temptuOus gesture.
"Your behavior" she said, ''is most
incOmprehensibly disgraceful. No nice
minded young woman would do what you
have done"
II dare say not" replied Joyce. wearily,
"but then | don't pretend to be nice
minded young woman"
In The course of the day messenger
from Fenborough Towers brought a letter
ter which b ad cost poor Lord Marshlands
a long and bitter hour 10 indite; letter in
which he pleaded and Threatened and
despairPd and hoped through three sheets
of closely written paper; letter which h-
felt sure would move the heart of the only
woman in the world who was ever so ten
derlv loved. But the appeal had no effect,
for Joyce never broke the big seal with the
Fen borough arms. which gave the missive
such an aristocratic air.
When it was brought to her in herroom,
where she sat, feeling more unhappy than
she had ever imagined she could have felt,
she gave it back. with orders that some one
should run after the messenger and bid
him return it into Lord Marshlands' own
hands.
Late that afternoon another messenger
from the great house came riding wildly
into Fenborough. He galloped past DR..
Hepburn's, down over the bridges and
into the less aristOcratic part of he town,
where the exigencies Of the practice COM
PEELED the junior partner to live. Shortly
after the news had spread far and vide
thai Lord Marshlands had had a terri BILE
accident while cleaning his pistol, that h
lay in danger of his life and that an emil
nent London surgeon had been tele-
70 Dr