Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1894-06-21
CHAPTER II.
aNnrN WE TWO PARTED.


lodgings in one OF the shabbier streets
about Grosvenor Square, the lawyer to
the big dull house on the coldest side
of Russell Square, which his father
had bought and furnilhed some fifty
years before.
Sir Cyprian had work to do after the
Richmond dinner, and was occupied
till long after daybreak with letter
writing and the last details of his pack
ing. When all was done, he was still
waleful, and sat by his writing-table
i'm the morning sunlight thinking OF
the past and the future with gloomy
face.
Thinking Ct the past-of all those
careless hours in which one bright
girlish face had been the chief inhu-
ence of his life; thinking Of the future,
in which he was to see that sweet face
no more.
He began to walk slowly up and down
the room, thinking.
"There would lie just time for me to
do it," he said to himself, presently;
Gust time TO run down to Davenant,
and see the old place once more 1t
will be soil before | come back from
Africa, if ever do come back. And
there would be Il chance of seeing her
] know the Clanyardes have gone back
to Kent. Yes, l will run down to
IDagenant for few hours. A man must
be hard indeed who does not care to
give one farewell look at the house in
which the brightest years of his life
have been spent. And | may see her
again, only to say good-by and to 500
If she is sorry for my going. What
more can | say to her? What more
need be said? She knows that would
lay down my life for her."
He went to his room and slept kind
of fitful sleep until s o'clock, when he
woke with a start, and began to dress
for his journey. At nine he was
driving through the streets in han
som, and at midday he was in one of
the woody lanes leading across country
from the little Kentish railway station
to his own ancestral domaiD, the place
he had once been proud and fond of,
but which he looked at now in bitter
ness of spirit and with pas sionate re-
greet. The estate had been incumbered
when 1T fell into his hands, but he knew
that, with prudence rs might have
saved the greater part of it. He en-
tered the park by a rustic gateway, be-
side whicn there was keeper lodge,
gate dividing the thickest pnlt of
the wood from broad green valley,
whore the ferns grew deep under the
spreading branches of grand old oaks,
and AROUND the smopth silyer-gray
trunks Of mighty beeches, The Dave
nant timber had suffered little from
the prcdigaps destroying hand, He
could better endure the loss Of the place
than its Dissertation. The woman at
the keepers lodge welcomed her master
with an exclamation of surprise.
: | hope you have come to stay, Sir
Cyprian, she said, dropping rustic
courtesy
mo, Mrs. Mead. l have only come
for last look at the old place before |
go away from England"
Going away, sir! that's bad news"
I Cyprian cut short her lamentations
with friendly nod, ard was walking
on, when it suddenly struck him that
the woman might be u.eful.
1 ooh, by the way" he said, Lord
Clanyarde is at Marchbrook, is he
not?'
j "Yes, sir; the family have beon there
tor the last week"
"Then I'll walk over there before
go on to the house if you'll unlock the
gate again, Mrs. Mead"
Shall send one Of my boys to the
house with message, sir, abo~t din
ner, or anything"
you are very good. Yes, you can
send the lad to tell old Mrs. Pomfret to
get me something to eat at 6 O'clock, if
you please, must get back to London
by the 1880 train.
"Deary me, sir, going back so soon as
that?"
The gates of Marchbrook were about
o mile distant from the keepers lodge.
Lord Clanyarde's hou3e was dr. airy
red brick habitaton of the Georgian
era, with long lines of narrow windows
looking out upon blank expanse OF
pasture land, by courtesy park. An
avenue of elms led from the lodge-gate
to the southern front Of the house and
on the western ide there was prim
Dutch garden, divided from the park
by a ha-ha. The Place wa3 in perfect
order, but there was cold, bare look
about everything that was eminently
suggestive of poverty.
A woman at the lodge informed Sir
Cyprian that there was no one at home
Lord Clanyarde had driven to Maid
stone; Miss Clanyarde was at the vii
lage. She had gone to see the chill
dren at the National School. She
would be home at two to lunch, no
doubt, according to her usual habit.
She was very fond of The school, and
sometimes spent her morning in teach
ing the children.
But they leave school at twelve,
don't they?" demanded Sir Cyprian.
Eyes, sir; but / dare say Miss Con-
stance has stopped to talk to Miss
Evans, the schOolmistress. She is q
very genteel young person, and quite q
favorite with our ladies'.
Cyprian Davenant knew the little
schoolhouse and the road by viii III
Constance Clanyarde must return from
her mission Nothing could be more
pleasant to him than the idea Of meet
ing her in her solitary walk, He turned
away from the lodge. keeper, mutter-
ing something vague about calling
later, and walked at rapid pace to
the neighboring village, which con.
sisted of two Smuggling rows of old
fashioned cottages fringing the skirts
of a common. Close to the old ivy
covered church, with its massive square
tower and grass-grown graveyard,