Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1896-01-02


acquaintance retained the memory Of
those old unhappy days, they would
have limited at it in Lancelot's pres
ence, surely if they had held their
tongues so long they must have forgot
ten and forgiven. For it was a story
which did not add to his credit, as
told in the county version. 1t was a
story which he would have given his
life to be able to deny. But he had
no opportunity of either denying or
affirming; aud in the meantime, people
talked it over and were shy of him.
They would have got over their shy
ness before long, no doubt, for Lancelot
was a general favorite and was growing
up into an eligible young man whom
every mother would have gladly well
coined to her house, had not Col. Van
brugh, instead Of conciliating, become
angry and desperate and rushed madly
on to his fate He did not wait for the
gossip about his past to die out before
he issued invitations for this garden
party, thereby forcing people to declare
themselves either on his side or against
him. And the consequence was that
half his guests declined his invitation,
or having accepted it, chose to stay
away.
Constance Esler was one of the few
people who did not find the party dull,
as Frances had feared that she would
do. But she felt herself vastly superior
to Frances. She was walking with a
man whom she thought decidedly
agreeable and handsome and she was
nearly certain that he had asked to be
introduced to her 1t was quite easy
to read his admiration of her beauty in
his eyes.
Rene de MarSac was not as handsome
a man as she thought him, but he was
decidedly picturesque. At a distance
he looked young; very much younger
than Col. Vanbrugh, for instance; but
he must have been nearly the same
age. He was slight and rather short
for man, for he was little taller than
Miss Esler herself; and he was dark
in complexion, with a waXed mustache,
small aQuiline features and fine dark
eyes. He wore more ornament than
an ordinary Englishman wears, but
Constance rather admired the three
rings that adorned his fingers and the
golden trifles that hung from his mas
stYe Watch-chain. His necktie famed
and his hat was not of an English
shape, he looked little bizarre and
peculiar in the midst of number of
Englishmen, correctly dressed and we'll
"grOOmed." His hair was curly and
stood out from under his hat brim
like the locks of a medieval F'lOTentine.
Constance was charmed by his atten-
tons, she had understood from Col.
Nanbrugh that his friend was a count,
and she felt that her beauty was re-
ceiving the homage too often denied
to it. For Constance had very high
opinion of her own attractiveness.
You will not be fatigued with walk
ing?" said the Count de Marsac.
He spoke with a slight French ac-
cent, but his voice was agreeable and
his smile exceedingly pleasant.
''Oh, no, not at all. What a pretty
path, where does it lead, l wonder?'
They had been walking across the
lawn, but Constance now turned aside
to a shady sidealley, which seemed to
lose itself among great bushes Of rho
dodendron and rare foreign trees.
Il think it leads to the lake-the
pond as they call it. said the count.
He looked at his fair companion with
some curiosity as he spoke. These Eng
fish girls, as he sometimes said to him
self were not as the girls Of any other
nation under the sun. Did she wish
him TO conduct her to the pond, in the
very face Of the watching company up
on the lawn? NJ. de Marsac was not
a scrupulous man, but he would not for
the world act openly against the con-
ventions Of good society. He knew that
he could not pace retired garden paths
with a French girl Was it possible
that he might do so with an English
''mees' without exciting remark? He
decided that he must leave her to settle
that point.
ct looks charming" said Constance,
who, to do her justice, had no concep-
ton of De Marsac's ideas, and spoke
in the perfect innocence of her English
heart. Shall we go down to the pond?"
+ with the greatest pleasure in the
world" said Rene, little less respect
/ fully than he had spoken before. "Who
would not follow where mademoiselle
/ leads?"
Constance laughed softly.
q must not lead you into mischief
then" she said
"Ah, mademoiselle, as if that were
possible"
His eyes cleaned with a new light,
he turned toward her with an eager
smile. Constance scarcely knew wheth-
er she liked or disliked him, but his
fattering looks gave her pleasure in
spite of herself.
You are staying here, are you not?"
she asked, as they walked in the shade
Of the oyerhanging trees.
Yes, mademoiselle, l am staying
here. I do my best to make my friends
son speak little French. He is not
easy to teach
rs he not? I always fancied that
LanceIOt was so clever"
All, yes: clever; but when a pupil
i does not like his master he makes but
slow progress
+ He spoke so easily and so carelessly
that Constance was not Immediately
struck by the fact that he was taking
her into his confidence at q very early
stage of their acquaintance. She an