The Yale expositor., 1895-02-01
evasive answer. He


liked Colonel North so much. Lady
Latimer does. ! believe he is the fa-
vored guest
What time does he leave in the
morning" / asked, for the sake OF
showing some interest in him.
"Quite early" he replied. HE
has to be at the Royal horse guards 10y
noon"
"He will como back, hope" /
knew he would not.
understood why he had returned
to the house, and had gone to the
smoking-room where most OF the
guests could see him. Then, when
the visitors were all gone, went back
to Lady Latimer's room. found her
very i'll. i told the maid that would
sit with her and read her to sleep
81 do not like my ladys looks at
all, Miss Lowell" said the maid. Il
am afraid that she has overdone her.
self. l should not wonder if she has a
bad Illness
sat with her the night through.
She did not speak to me. She hardly
seemed to know that | was present.
She wept and moaned through the
night in such heart-breaking fashion
it made me ill to listen.
She did not hear, poor child, what
l heard-the quick galloping of horse
in the early morning. When it ceased
| knew that Colonel North had gone.
She was worse in the morning;
brain fever set in; the doctor was sent
for hurriedly. The visitors disap-
peared.
Lord Latimer was frightened to
death.
brain fever" he said. why,
brain fever only comes to those who
have great trouble, and she has none
in the world, absolutely none"
The doctors opinion was that Lady
Latimer had overtired herself with the
Christmas festivities.
"She had Colonel North 10 help
her." said Lord Latimer; Il don't see
how she can have done too much"
But there was no gainsaying the
fact. She was i'll for long time, and
was her faithful, loving nurse; but
the name of Colonel North was never
mentioned between us from that night.
1t was New Years eve when Lady
Latimer fell i'll, and the violets were
in bloom before she was able to leave
the house again.
Il want TO go away from here.
Audrey" she said to me one day. IL
want to go out-of-doors, and cannot
here; cannot endure the sight of this
place, and the sound of the river
makes me ILL.,"
Il understood, after that scene in
the park; it was no wonder that she
could not endure it.
spoke to Lord Latimer, and he
seemed pleased that she should have
a change. We went to Brighton. i
thought the life and brightness OF that
sunny watering-place would be good
for her. l might as well have brought
dead body to the seaside.
Once, and once only, terrible ener-
gy came to her. was sitting on the
cliff overlooking the sea, and she came
to me suddenly, holding an open news
paper in her hands.
II have been looking for you," she
said. 81 want you to read this; it is
your fault"
took the paper from her hands and
read that war had broken out ut the
cape, and among others who had ex-
changed to be sent out there was that
well-known and highly esteemed Of
fcer, Colonel North.
That is your fault" she said.
"Do you see the honorable mention
of him as brave soldier and noble
manP"
"Yes, do" she answered.
you may thank me for that"
said. II saved him as we'll as you.
English officers are men of honor, and
il Colonel North had stolen the wife of
his friend, they would not have asso-
ciated with him"
Her face flushed and her head
dropped.
Il WISH" said she, "that / could
fall from the cliff here into the sea-"
Decidedly, in those days, she was not
the most pleasant companion in the
world; but knew the gnawing misery.
II WISH" she said TO me one day,
"that Lord Latimer would leave Lor-
toms Cray. l shall never like the
place-again."
Captain Fleming came once or
twice, but he did not remain long. He
told me that he had never seen any
one so changed as Lady Latimer.
when / think of her leading the
cotillon on New Years eve, in that
wonderful dress of blue velvet and
pearls, and then look at her as she is
now, | cannot believe she is the same
woman" he said.
1t required a great calamity to
arouse her, and, surely enough, one
came. 1t was the month of August.
two years and half after that terri
BILE New Years eve, and was sitting
out among the roses making some lace
for her. saw her coming toward me
with a terrible look on her face.
was almost frightened. She wore q
long white dress; her hair was I'M
fastened, her face white as death; her
eyes had an expression l shall never
forget. She held out a newspaper TO
me.
al ooh - eho aoid ssaDd road