The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1895-08-02
TCoNTINUED.l
CHAPTER VI.

the desire for savage life in her. She
knew now the position she held toward
her husband; that he had never loved
her; that she was only an instrument
for unworthy retaliation. So soon as
she could speak after her accident she
told them that they must not write to
him and tell him of it. She also made
them promise that they would give him
no news of her at all, save that she was
well. They could not refuse to promise.
They felt she had the right to demand
much more than that They had begun
to care for her for herself, and when
the months went by and one day there
was hush about her room and anxiety
and then relief in the faces of all, they
came to care for her still more for the
sake of her child.
AS the weeks passed the fair haired
child grew more and more like his IA
ther, but if Lali thought of her husband
they never knew by anything she said,
for she would not speak of him. She
also made them promise that they would
not write to him of the child's birth.
Richard, with his sense of justice and
| knowing how much the woman had
been wronged, said that in all this she
had done quite right; that Frank, if he
had done his duty after marrying her,
should have come with her. And be.
cause they all felt that Richard had
been her best friend as well as their own
they called the child after him. This
also was Lali's wish. Coincident with
her motherhood there came to Lali a
new purpose. She had not lived with
the Armours without absorbing some of
their fine social sense and dignity. This,
added to the native instinct of pride IL
her, gave her new ambition. AS hour by
hour the child grew dear to her, so hour
by hour her husband grew away from
her. She schooled herself against him.
AT times she thought she hated him.
/ She felt she could never forgive him. but
she would prove to him that it was she
who had made the mistake of her life in
marrying him; that she had been
vrongeG, not he. and that his sin
would face him with reproach and pun
ishment one day. Richards prophecy
war likely to come true. She would de-
fear very perfectly indeed Franks in
tentions. After the child was born, so
soon as she was able, she renewed her
studies with Richard and Mrs. Armour.
She read every morning for hours she
rode; she practiced all those graceful
arts Of the toilet belonging to the social
convention; she showed an unexpected
faculty for singing and practiced it
faithfully, and she begged Mrs. Ar
mour and Marion to correct her at every
point where correction seemed 'neces-
sary. When the child was two years old,
they all went to London, something
against Lali's personal feelings, but
quite in accord with what she felt her
duty
Richard was left behind at GrcyfOpe
For the first time in IS months lie was
alone with his old quiet duties ( III e.
reations. During that time be sad uoG
neglected his pensioners-his lcor sick,
halt and blind-but deeper, larger in
terest had come into his life in the per
son Of Lali During all that time she
had seldom been out OF his sight, never
out Of his influence and tutelage. His
days had been full, his every hour had
been given keen responsible interest.
AS if by tacit consent, every incident or
development of Lali's life was influ-
enced by his Judgment and decision He
had been more to her than General Ar
mour, Mrs. Armour or Marion. Schooled
as he was in all the ways of the world,
he had at the same time mind as SEN
sitive as q woman's, an understandable
gentleness, persuasive temperament.
Since, years before, he had withdrawn
from the social world and become re-
cluse many of his finer qualities had
gone into an indulgent seclusion. He
had once loved the world and the gay
life of London, but some untoward
event, coupled with radical love of
retirement, had sent him into years Of
isolation at Greyhope.
His tutelar relations with Lali had
reopened many an old spring Of sensa-
ton and experience. Her shy depend
ency, her innocent inquisitiveness, had
searched ont his remotest sympathies.
In teaching her he had himself been re-
taught Before she came he had been
satisfied with the quiet usefulness and
studious ease of his life, but in her
presence something of his old youthful
ness came back, some reflection of the
ardent hopes of his young manhood He
did not notice the change in himself
He only knew that his life was very
full. He read later at nights, he rose
earlier i'll the morning, but unconscious
ly to himself he was undergoing
change. Tho more mans sympathies
and emotions are active the less is he
the philosophers 1t is only when one
has withdrawn from the more personal
influence Of the emotions that ones phi
losophy may be trusted.
One may be interested in mankind
and still be philosophical-may be, as
it were, the priest and confessor to all
corners. But let one be touched in some
vital corner in ones nature, and the
high faultless impartiality is gone. In
proportion as Richards interest in Lali
had grown, the universal quality of his
sympathy had declined. Man is only
man. Not that his benefactions as lord
bouptifn1 in the parish had GROWN nor.