The Washington times., 1894-11-11


violet woke next morning into sense OF
quickened interests. She was fond OF Lord
Stapleton, as she had told him; but, what was
better, he amused her. She was quite certain
that she was not in the least in love with him.
de never quickened her pulse by one beat,
aud she liked him best when they talked of
wholly indifferent things She felt that if
she had been free she would have married
him, because the trial she had given to the
plan of marrying the man she was in love
with had failed. Passion had burned itself
out and left, not friendliness not even indif-
ference, but almost aversion. When she was
with her husband she felt as she felt when her
nerves were little out of order-the least
thing irritated her. III he left the door open
she wondered why he could not have shut it;
if he shut II she was annoyed that he had not
left il as it was.
She did not even say or think that it was
! his fault-such things were nobodys fault.
He was a ST. ndIng cause of irritation to her,
tnat was true; but her own sensibilitles were
! lust as much to blame-possibly the blame
! Law with them alone as the qualities in him
! which irritated them.
"If one applies a match to a train of gun
POWDER she thought, lit will go off, 1t is
not the match which explodes, nor would the
! gunpowder explode without. 1t is simply the
combination of the two, because they are
made tnat way, and TO call il their fault
would be absurd"
And as November drew nearer, the prospect
OF ConstaLtinople. from being distastelul,
grew TO be impossible. She mad not sent
Jack to school. but had determined to take
| him with her, But one morning she wrote to
! her husband. "He is not stupid, she thought
! to herself: "he will understand what | mean
very we'll" she said that she was sure that
! Constantinople would not agree with her; it
was very raw and unpleasant in winter, and
! she was thinking of remaining in England
/ md "a month "a ATpritv
you have always trusted me- " the letter
went on, land am sure you will believe me
| now. when l tell you it is not because l find
/ England, or any one in England, attractive,
! that have decided not 10 come but because
| l really cannot face the thought of spending
! another year at Constantinople. Please make
this clear to your chief. and others. l should
think lungs, or something Of the sort, would
answer the purpose. l am going to st.
Moritz. didn't send Jack to school, but in
! tended to bring him with me out to Constan-
tinople. He had, therefore, better Join you at
once. Francois will so with MIN. He is
really at the cub age; bat you don seem to
mind that. You see We don't get on very
well together. l irritate you as much as you
irritate me- and We are clever enough to avoid
any possibility of scandal. l should be in
fnitely annoyed If people began 10 talk and
don't intend that they shall"
John answered the letter at once Every
was not coming; but, no doubt she was wise
to spend the winter at st. Moritz. Indeed it
would be criminal to come to Constantinople.
Let Jack come al once. 1t was an excellent
idea OF hers.
Violet read the letter twice and then put It
down and thought about it He had fallen in
with her wishes exactly; he had behaved eN-
actly as she had hoped; he had not made IN
reasonable objections or alluded 10 les con-
venauces in any way. But-but-wnGt was *
she did not like a.out the letter. Ii he had
expressed any egret, ii he had implied blame,
she would have been furious. Everyone IS
desolated-I most OF all. That was where
the sting came in; but why it stung she could
not say.
Anyhow she had her own way. Jack was
sent OF at once, charmed a. the prospect Of
seeing his father, and she was free. She
would 20 abroad. she determined. early 10
December; several friends OF hers were going
TO st. Moritz, and she would 80 with them.
That crisp, renoYattEg cold was too delicious;
she would skate all day, aud there were al
ways a certain number OF amusing people
there. She felt like boy who has been on
the point OF going back to school, when he
hears that an extra week Of holiday has sud
denly been given.
But her husbands letter-the more she
thought about it the stronger her feeling
grew; and the stronger 1t grew the more 1t
puzzled her. He had behaved charmingy;
she did him the justice TO confess thar lie
almost always did behave charninEly, and
Yet she was angry with him. she had told
him. quite plainly, that she wished not to be
with hlm that winter, and he had replied
that be thought her arrangement an admir-
able one; that, at least. was the meaning OF it,
If one stripped the husk off Yet, again. that
vague feeling. half OF wonder, half Of regret,
came over her.
Jack went TO school Christmas, but before
Easter an event happened which brought
John PeveriI back 10 England. Early in
February Lord Peveril had been attacked by
the prevalent influenza. which had settled
On bis lungs, ana within fortnight Of the
time be was taken Ill he was dead. His
brother had come back from Cousiantinople
and Violet from st. MOritZ, which sue was not
enjoying quite Is much as she had intended
10 do. The air, no doubt, was charming. but
one cannot remalnin state OF permanent
rapture over air. The skating was good, but
when no one talked about anything but sEat-
ing and consumption from morning till night
it was art to pail. Worst OF all, Mrs. Ri
Were had been out there, and had driven
Violet nearly wild.
she and her husband had gone to Peveril
for the funeral and after that came up 10
London. he had decided to throw up his
profession and settle down in Eng.an 1t
would still be some years before he got an
embassy, even with the best OF luck, and tho
strictest observance OF the Jecimaton oi only
the iittest meanwhile, il was hardly possible
TO leave everything, fOr an indefinite number
of years in the hands OF an agent.
He and Violet did not, OTscouTse, so out at
all, and one evening they were sitting alone,
after dinner. Violet was more pleased to be
in England again than sne cared 10 say. and
she was feeling particularly content Jack
had gone back 10 school that afternoon, and
il was OF JACK she was thinking now.
How be has grown, she said, ''since last
September"
Lord Peveril looked up from the paper ho
was reading.
"Who? Jack? I suppose you notice it
more than l.
Il think you are right about him, she
said II remember you wanted to take him
out with you, and wanted 10 send him to
school,
Peveril smiled.
'AIy dear Violet. what a concessionr'
She had risen from her seat, and was look
ing at a photograph OF Jack, which had come
home that day.
Hell be exactly like you, she said, half
TO herself.
Hes more like poor Vivian, think, said
her husband
Violet put the photograph down.
''Nonsensel He's not bit like Vivian!
EoW did you enjoy Constantinople this win
ter?''
"Oh. it was like what it always is-the same
people gave the same parties, and one tripped
up against the same dogs in the same streets. /