The record-union., 1895-07-20


the less one wrote about ones own, OF
even other peoples love affairs, the bet
ter.
A disappointment was in store for the
ladies, for, Notwithstanding the injunc-
ton laid upon him by the telegram, Lord
Noel arrived at Appleford unaccompanied
Dy captain Ives. nor was he able TO as
sure his inquiring mother that her sue
cessful ambassador would follow by q
later train.
You haven't quarreled I hope?'
asked the Duchess anxiously.
"Oh, l don't know! No. not exactly.
suppose, after all, it wasn't his fault"
mean to imply that you are sorry you
have been so nice and sensible; that you
regret having given her up?"
Il never said had given her up" de-
clared the other, blushing. 81 didn't; she
gave me up"
The Duchess lifted her eyebrows, with
a little ripple of laughter. THAT clever
Philip! Then-then there won't be a
breach of promise case after all! He
really is an angel! But do you mean
This isn't very pleasant for me-" put
} In Lord Noel, impatiently. THE long
and short of it is, that ever since Miss
Faunthorpe saw Ives she has declined to
look at me. He's cut me out; and if you
| ~AS PAOoSOd-Wcll, L oOu Lu1uh y w
ought to be.''
"But-good graciousp' cried the
| Duchess, growing suddenly grave. "Are
you sure? Do you know what you are
saying?"
Lord Noel shrugged his shoulders. 81
TOOK MIN to soc her-I suppose that was
rather ioolish-and next day she de-
| got letter from her to say that she was
very sorry, and all that, but she couldn't
thlnk OF marrying into a family which
evidently didn't want her''
! Dear me" said the Duchess thOug ht-
fully. That wasn't at all in accordance
with ones ideas OF an actress. But 1t
proves that the creature didn't love you,
! Noel: surely you must feel glad that you
| got out of itn'
''She never said she did," murmured
! her son. 81 didn't bother myself about
that. She said she was so tired of love
making-on the stage"
"And otf"' put in the lady shrewdly.
II dare say she is tired-of pretending
But the real thing-the real thing ~
"Ah !" said Lord Noel bitterly. ''No
doubt that's whore Ives comes in."
The Duchess looked out of the window
for few minutes, frowning intently.
! The vague hint which she had intended
| to convey to Ives, that he should get up a
| Irritation with Miss Eaunthorpe with q
| view to showing Lord Noel how trivial q
| person she was, suddenly flashed across
! her mind. She felt sure that she had
| Withdrawn the suggestion; indeed, she
remem bered that Ives had spontaneously
objected, reminding her of his position as
| q man under bonds TO her daughter. But
! if Lord Noel's evident suspicion was
| based on solid ground, her cousin had
apparently carried out this plan of cam
paign after all, doubtless in default OF a
| better. She felt uneasy, i'll spite of her
| reliance on Ives Her son had escaped
| from the frying pan; but it was not pleas-
ant to think that it was just possible that
Lord NoePs escape had been effected at
| his sisters eXpenSe-that poor Hilda had
! fallen into the fire. Tell me0 she said,
turning suddenly to her silent son. you
have seen Philip since you received your
! dismissal 2"
He nodded silently. "Of course; told
| him all about it as soon as | had made
sure that she meant it. He behaved very
queerly about it"
oh" murmured the Duchess, land
the wretch didn't write to me! What
makes you think that he cut you out, as
| you express it?''
Every thing" answered Lord Noel
Doesn't lie 60 10 see her every day?
And after all, its NATURAL" he added mis-
erably; ''he is much better looking, and
cleverer and all that
THE wretch!" cried the Duchess
breathlessly: And he's comparatively
rich, too. How do you know that he
goes to see her? Did he tell your"
n OF in so many words, but he didn't
conceal it. pve simply avoided him
since Another man told me, a friend
| Of hers, fellow called Nettleton."
Miss Faunthorpe appears to be init
mate with good many gentlemen" !"
commented his mother dryly. This is
awful, if there's anything in it. But
| there can't DO. And yet, why does he go
on seeing her alter Oh, Philip,
Philip! l must see him at once. And
that poor hilda! Didn't you think OF
that, Noel? Didn't it occur to you that
| you ought to interiere?"
Lord Noel shrugged his shoulders
again. 81 thought there had been quite
| enough of interference" he said, with
| something Of his mothers tone. "What
could l do?'
The Duchess was silent for minute.
II don't believe it," soc said dOubtfully.
Il can't. / must write to Philip" Then,
as she left the room. she turned to add:
Mind, not u word of this to your father
or Hilda. remember, it's your fault,
anyhow"
'Oh, leave it to youv' said the other
morosely. Il am sick OF the whole busi-
ness. L shall go TO the Rockies Or the
North Pole. Call 1t my fault if you like;
it's all the same to me-"
".
The letter which the Duchess dis
patched to her cousin was artfully artless,
the outcome of much deliberations and
Philip Ives, accustomed as he was to read
between the lines OF his Cousins epistles,
| did not dream, as he pushed it into the
drawer of his writingt table. that he was
an object of suspicion, or that the writer s
mind was burdened with anything be-
| yond her extreme gratitude for his skill
! ful rescue OF ner son. If she had any
| notion as to tho true position of affairs,
he argued, she would hardly have eXDa-
| tiated on so trivial subject as the merits
| OF the new cue which had just been made
! for her in London. At the same time he
was perturbed; the letter, conveying as it
| did, in urgent terms, an entreaty that he
| would come down to Appleford de-
manded an answer. He had already
more than once, reproached himself on
| the score Of his silence as regards his in
| fatuatiOn lit amounted 30 that for Miss
| Eaunthorpe. and he felt that to write to
| the Duchess without alluding to it would
| be- a piece OF coWardlce, reticence
touched strongly with the taint of du-
plicity.
| The longer he pondered the situation
| over his solitary breakfast BILE, the less
it pleased him; but he decided at last
that he might well be hanged for a
| sheep as tor lamb, and that before writ
ing the inevitable reply be would offer
! himself III due form 10 Miss Faunthorpe,
SO that. when he wrote, his cousin might
understand that his apostasy was a thing
irrevocable and complete. lie felt little
doubt as to what Miss taunthorpe's
answer would be, though he had seen
enough of her to realize dimly that she
was not an ordinary woman, that she
was capricious, Il charming enigma. fan
taslic, bewildering; he could not accuse
! himself OF presumption in concluding
that she had unchangingly encouraged
the passion which he had taken no pains
| t,, ri Tho eli ha b;,