The Yale expositor., 1895-01-18
CHAPTER TX.

anu Z WI OtNl NiAt ldte "
boautift1 Lady Latimer grew faire
and younger. moro bright and NOR
radiant-overy day she woke up will
fresh plans and fresh designs-ever,
day she found some new beauty, som,
new happiness in the coming Christ
n as-tide. And all this because sh,
ba, learned TO love Colonel North
wifA out knowing it. AT last Christ
mas /, amo; and brought them botl
with iE.
The sTs> wv anil the biting frost had
come. the co was inches thick on tho
deep meres a nd pools round Lorton's
Cray, and Lon tons Cray itself was g
sconc of marFim, mt and fcstivity. A
large Christmas p arty was gathering
under its roof.
Lady Latimer was one Of the mosf
charming of hostesses. LcNd Latimcr
took very little part in it; he dinod,
as usual, with his guests, ami then re-
tired. He never carae to the drnwing-
room, but once or twice had made his
way TO the billiard-room.
may have been preiudiced, but to
me he seemed more movose and more
stern than ever. 1t may be that il
angered him TO SEQ youth and merri-
ment all round him, yet not be able to
share in il.
There was nothing to mar the hap
pincss. If Lord Latimer heard the
sounds Of music, dancing and song, he
made no comments, and the old walls
rocked again with Christmas fun and
merriment. Our boys shared il. Lady
Latimer never left them out, when il
was practicable to have them there.
They were at most of the skating
parties, and caused unlimited fun.
noticed one thing, and admired their
good sense; they had entirely ceased
TO advise me over marrying, and were
content TO take things as they were.
The dear boys! | can see them now
on the ice, with great red worsted
comforters, and hands perfectly blue
with cold. yet happy as kings. They
saw nothing OF the shadow that hung
over Lorton's Cray, but / did, and /
was powerless to prevent it.
can not tell exactly how I saw it
deepen, but the time came when |
could think of nothing else. | placed
my own love story aside TO devote my
self 20 her. can not tell either when
l first grew alarmed, and began TO
watch other people, to see if they
were watching her. But no, the
world went on its way rejoicing, and
no one saw that soul was in danger
but myself-unconsciously so; that |
shall always maintain-neverthel
in peril so great that the very angels
in heaven looked on in pity.
The first time that / was alarmed
was one lovely frosty morning when
the sun shone on the snow, and the
hoar-frost had silvered the trees and
hedges, and the icicles hung like huge
diamonds. A walk through Lorton
woods had been proposed, and when
we were all ready to start, Colonel
North was absent. | shall never for
get Lady Latimcr's face - all the
brightness died from il, all the anima-
tion vanished II was plain enough to
be seen that the walk had lost all iis
interest for her.
ut is bitterly cold" she said TO me,
with a shudder. 81 am not at all sure
whether we are wise in going"
Quite suddenly he came upon us; he
had been TO tho stable to give some
direction about his horses. No need
to speak. | turned aside with groan.
II all heaven had been suddenly
opened 10 her, she could not have
looked more delighted; her very soul
seemed to shine in her eyes as they
rested on him.
II thought VIC had lost you" she
said.
He took her arm in his, and with
laughing gallantry, said:
"You may lose your memory, Lady
Latimer, but you will never lose me. :"
And though he laughed, / knew the
words were true.
They went of together, forgetting
all the world. All me! And /, who
loved her better than / loved my life,
stood by, powerless to help her. But
the truth was apparent; she had
learned to love Colonel North-uncon-
sciously / know-and he loved her.
was as young as herself, but it seemed
to me that the entire responsibility of
her rested on my shoulders.
What should do? could not go
to the old lord and say, "Rouse your
self; the beautiful young child whom
you have made your wife is in deadly
peril. She married you without love
and she has learned unconsciously
what love is since then. Save her, for
she is in mortal peril" Heaven only
knows what would happen; he was not
that kind of man. Some men would
have been noble, tolerant. generous
would have helped her out of the dan
/ ger; not Lord Latimor; there was very
/ little nobility of soul about him. II
had gone to her and said: "My dear,
you are in deadly danger; you are mar
ried to a man older than your father,
whom you do not love, and you have
found one whom you do love, might,
by suddenly opening her eyes, do far
moro harm than good, and she might
do something desperate in her despair.
The only thing that seemed left for me
to do was to watch over her with do.
voted care and love.
More than once IL occurred TO mo 70