Marble Hill press., 1895-04-04
CHAPTER Nv.


eervmonious affair, unattersbly sol
emn and dull The earl presided in
Great state. Everything was of the
raress and best, bat duh and cheer
less. Lady Latimer's eyes looked at
mo as though she would say, LET us
make haste and get it over and get
away again" could imagine what
those dinners were like when she was
quite alone with the old lord.
| She was quite different Lady Lati-
mer then. II seemed rs though all
the brightness and the sparkle died
out of her. She looked bored oy
everything. She eat little and drank
| less. She looked unutterably wear!ed.
Very few words were spoken, ami 1t
was great relief when We withdrew.
We went to the drawing-room, where
tho lamps were lighted, but not turned
on null.
.Come, Audrey, 10 the terrace y
she said. 'and let us see the May
moon shining over the trees AMI the
fountains"
As We stood watching 10 she sud-
denly caught my hand, and with a pas
sionate gesture | shall never forget,
she cried:
T ,.oh. Audrey. Audrey' is life worth
living after ALP"
was very much puzzled by Lady
Latilner It seemed to me that hay
ins 20 much money. living in such q
magnificent house, the iacs Of being
surrounded by every possible luxury
under the san, ought To have made
hor at least content, II she had passed
through those magnificent rooms with
q smile or q snatch OF song on her
lips, Or the light of glad content IN
her ewes, l could have understood.
She seemed to have two moods, When
she was with the Old lori, silence,
wearineSs, with certain tAe Scorn OF
all and everything; when she was with
me-, OF siaple, almost child>itSe nerri-
. nent When it Was possible for her
/ TO escape the stately, gloomy presence
; Of her husband, she did 50, and then It
was 10 hurry to ma sod beg that
would 30 out with her; and when we
. were IN the woods together she forgot
that she was Lady Lattner, and ran
, after butterflies, gathered Wild fow-
! ers like any simple country girl. We
, spent hours i'll those bonny Lortor
: woods. They were ike tairy-lan3.
9 The boaghs OF the trees met overhead
: 50 that the sunlight which fell on the
: green grass below became filtered. as
it we're, through the leaves; a bea0ti
: fui brook ran through the wood, sing
4 ing. rippling. clear rs crystal, 50 tha
!, one could see the pebbles plainly Ill t.
j.. bed; blue foeget-sne-nots grew on 1T
: banks, and the green grass was we
4 with the shining water. The trees IL
!. Lorton ~ooiS wele strong and tail
/, with great spreading bo0g1S, and IN
. birds had built nests IN them, >0reI
a no other wood or forest ever held 5
h marry birds, and surely no other olru
- ever sung 80 Sweetiy Us these. Ever
Is kind OF fern and Of wild lower gre'
-, there; great Sheayes Of blUebeLls,
at wild awberry blossoms, snd OF IN
Al lovely, delicate maados-swees. u wa
a wood faD OF hidden beauties; W
were always iinding fresh nooks al
n, corners, each one more beautiful tha
the other. Lady Latimer loved l
- We sat tor hours together by the SIT
a. OF the brook, talking On every poss
bic subject except one, We ney'
H. spoke OF herself. had 20 20 ov'
and over again all the details and ro
oi tine OF our home life. Lady Latin'
aq loved 70 hear of my father study III
ss his sermons, and how he visited q
oo sick, and how nervous he was If . bal
cried while he WIS baptt2lngit; how
ia cheered the old people, and how XII
nd he was 70 the young men anu made
OF his parish, how he loved the boy
al, and secretly enjoyed the fun Of thel
,ar She liked to hear about my mother.
II should think, Audrey, she 50
to me one day, from your descri
tion,. that your mother must be th
wonder OF wonders--~a perfect wonta
t.aa She is q saint in church. q help IN
all study, q manager IN the Kitchen.
eer mother in the nursery and alady
i'm the drawing-room."
or. ,s,She is all that, answered laug
ing, although my eyes we're full
ed. tears; that was my mothers aortr
, or to perfection.
,er. Lady Latilter liked best Of all
the hear about the boys, their adventar
his their eseapales, their desperate
counters, their daily deadly peril
less life anu limo. amused her more, ii
au- anything else. She would talk to
OF myself. anu what would be my pr
in able tate, could SEQ nothing bei
one me but few more quiet years
You home, taen probably q marriage "
rtsd q high ohireheurste; but Dady Il
laar would laugh ami assure me tn
was something more than onat In IT
red. for rne.