The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-06-02
LII


III.
That was a week later Thora Braydale
had just started with her aunt for Antilles
Lionel was glad of that, for he couldn't
quite have concealed from her the pangs
of agitation this telegram cost him; and
yet, it would have been impossible for him
to tell her the whole truth. She would
have begged him to go back and marry
the earls daughter
However, he did at once what his uncle
ordered hir-took the first train up to
town next morning, en- route for Fritting-
ton to see Mr.. Ashby on this fresh devel-
opment.
Lionel Etheredge had been brought up in
the midst of the wickedest society on earth
the respectable" wealthy, commercial
society in London. He had been sent to
public school and to fashionable college,
in order to form desirable acquain-
tances," and to pick up the point of view
of the best people" He had been sedu-
lously taught from his childhood upwards
that his clear duty was to trample under
foot all the hottest and purest instincts
of our nature; to sell his manhood for IL
tie or position in the best market; TO bar
ter the prospect of his uncle's money
against a peers daughter; and to hold
everything else, either human or divine
subservient to the base desire for social
advancement" He had learnt to think
all these things as part of an almost re-
ligious code of action. He had been assur-
ed that an early marriage, an imprudent
marriage, a marriage beneath him, 4"
was the eliminating point of wickedness
and folly; he had been given to believe that
right and wrong were as dust in the scales
in comparison with the claims of the best
society.
So he had always thoughtful he met
Thora Braydale. And then, with a rush,
the whole false philosophy, so sedulously
piled up by Mr.. Ashby's hands, had tumb-
| led piecemeal. He saw things as they really
were. He understood that it is better, no.
| bier finer to marry a woman you love and
| respect, a woman who can bring out what
ever there is of higher and holier within
| YOU. than to marry the daughter of a dozen
| marquses. 1t came to him with a flash !;
and once it had come, the vile faith in
which he had been brought up disappeared
| as if by magic. He stood face to face at
last with the moral realities of the uni
verse.
1t was a stormy meeting that day be-
tween uncle and nephew. Mr.. Ashby bland
| at first, and smirkingly self-congratula-
tory, grew gradually astonished then an
CRY, then indignant. when he found that
| the nephew whom he had brought up so
we'll "for the credit of the family was
/
| fusing to marry Lady Norah O'Sulivan.
For some time, he could really hardly I'M
derstand that Lionel meant it. But when
he did understand. his anger was unbound
! ed. you've met some girl in the north" he
said, cycling him sternly. Tell me. Who
was she?'
Lionel did not attempt to deny the ac-
cusation. He answered briefly with re-
strained vet glowing description of Thora.
Mr.. Ashby gazed at him in unaffected
disgust. "A companion he exclaimed.
IAN old woman's companion. A girl of
no family no position, no prospects. And
Won propose for her sake to chuck over
LADY Norah. who, as 1 understand from
Lord Ballyshannon himself, is quite will
ing TO accept you. This is more than fool
ish this is more than boyish; this is the
| conduct of a mailman"
| .sMadman. or not" Lionel answered
| calmly. 81 mean to stick to ii"
Then Mr. Ashby tried pathos. He had
considera Bile claims on Lionel; and Lionel
aid not attempt to deny or to mitigate
! them. He only maintained that in mat
! fer like this every man must follow the
dictates of his own heart and his own con-
! ecience. He would not marry woman he
aid not care for; he would not abstain from
marrying a woman he loved and honored.
At last Mr. Ashby saw argument was
useless against this headstrong young idi-
ut The boy WAS fmpracticable. He lost
his temper. "Weil, this is the long and