The Press., 1894-10-04

and expect haven t got used to speak ing to- to Mrs. Armour as I'll he sure to do in the future. !"
 As she spoke two or three deer came trotting out of the beeches down to the lakeside. If I,ali was pleased and ex- cited before, she was overwhelmed now Her breath came in quick gasps. She laughed, she tossed her hands, she seem ed to become dizzy with delight, and presently, as if this new link with and reminder of her past had moved her as one little expects a savage heart IS mov- ed, two tears gathered in her eyes, then slid down her cheeks unheeded and dried there in the sunlight as she still gazed at the deer. Marion, at first surprised, was now touched, as she could not have thought it possible concerning this wild creature, and her hand went out and caught Lali's gently. At this genuine act of sympathy, instinctively felt by Lali-the stranger ill strange land, husbanded and yet a widow-there came a food of tears, and dropping on her knees she leaned against the low railing of the bridge and wept silently. So passionless was her grief it seemed the more pathetic, and Marion dropped on her knecs beside her, put her arm round her shoulder and said: "Poor girl! Poor girl''
 At that Lai caught her hand and held it, repeating after her the words: "Poor girl! Poor grill"
 She did not quite understand them, but she remembered that once just be- fore she parted from her husband at the great lakes he had said those very words If the fates had apparently given things into Frank Armour's hands when he sacrificed this girl to his revenge, they were evidently inclined to play game which would eventually defeat his purpose, wicked as it Lad been in effect if not ill absolute motive. What the end of this attempt to engraft the Indian girl upon the strictest conven- tion of English social life would have been had her introduction not been at Greyhope, where faint likenesses to her past surrounded her, it is hard to con- jecture But from present appearances it would seem that Richard Armour was not wholly false prophet, for the savage had shown herself that morning to possess in their crudeness some strik- ing qualities of character. Given char scter, many things are possible, even to taose who are not of the elect.
 This was the beginning of better things. Lali seemed to the ArmOurs not quite so impossible now. Had she been of the very common order of Indian, "pure and simple, the task had re- solved itself into making a common savage into very common European. But whatever Lali was it was abun- dantly evident that she must be reckoned with at all points, and that she was more likely to become very startling figure ill the Armour household than a mere encumbrance to be blushed for, whose eternal absence were preferable to her company.
 Years after that first morning Marion caught herself shuddering at the thought that came to her when she saw Lali lowering on the bridge. Whatever Marion $ faults were, she had fine dis like of anything that seemed unfair. She had not ridden to hounds for noth- ing She had at heart the sportman's instinct. It was upon this basis indeed that Richard appealed to her ill the first trying days of Lali's life among them.
 To oppose your will to Marion on the basis of superior knowledge was only to turn her into Q rebel, and very effect i've rebel she made, for she had a pretty gift at the retort courteous, and she could take as much and as well as she gave. She rebelled at first at assisting ill Lali's education, though by fits and starts she would teach her English words and help her to form long sen- tences and was on the whole quite pa tient But Lali's real instructors were Mrs. Armour and Richard; her best, Richard.
 The first few days she made but little progress, for everything was strange to her, and things made her giddy-the servants, the formal routine, the hand some furnishings, Marion's music, the great house, the many precise personal duties set for her to be got through at stated times and Mrs. Armour's rather grand manner. But there was the relief to this, else the girl had pined terribly for her native woods and prairies This was the park, the deer, the lake, the hares and birds. While she sat saying over after Mrs. Armour words and phrases in English or was being shown how she must put on and wear the sashes which a dressmaker from Regent street had been brought to make, her eyes would wander dreamily to the trees, and the lake, and the grass They soon discovered that she would pay no attention and was straightway difficult to teach if she was not placed where she could look out on the park. They had no choice, for though her resistance was never active it was nevertheless effect i've.
 Presently she got on very swiftly with Richard, for he, with instinct worthy of woman, turned their les sons upon her own country and Frank This cost him something but it had its reward. There was no more listlessness Previously Franks name had scarcely