Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1896-03-05
BY ADELINE SERGEANT.
CHAPTER XVI.
A Stolen Interview.


called upon Mrs Gervase shortl. after
ward and that good lady inadvertently
let slip the fact that the two girls had
not arrived at her house until after
two o'clock. Miss Joyce said little or
nothing. 1t was not part of her policy
to make her disasters public; but it was
with a face of awful wrath that she
summoned Miss Esler and Madeline
Despard to her presence on her return
to WestbOurne house
Now, Constance was not a favOrite
with Miss Joyce She was never sub
missive, never obedient or Obliging
Miss Joyce had had her suspicious of
the young lady's propriety of demeanor,
she thought some hard things of Con-
stance ESler and in secret she thought
rather highly of Madeline Despard. But
this did not prevent her from trying
to put more blame on Madeline's Shout
ders than on those of Constance. The
willy Constance made it appear that the
meeting was purely accidental and that
Madeline, who had known the count
in Paris, was the person who instigated
the idea of a luncheon, and wanted to
go for drive" Madeline's invincible
truthfulness and keen sense of honor
prevented her from indicating herself
as she might have done. She received
a severe rating from Miss Joyce for
her behavior; and was told that but for
her desOlate condition she would have
been expelled; and Constance might
almost have escaped censure but for
what she termed IAN unlucky acct
dent" A letter fell into Miss Joyce's
hands at that juncture, which she
would barely have understood but for
the previous incident. 1t was addressed
to Constance and begged her to meet
the writer once more at the stores
without that little marpIot of a Des-
lard, who had spoiled everything last
time by her threat of telling the
dragon"
Miss Joyce read and pondered. 1t
was not her way to recall what she
had said and Madeline never knew that
she was eXonerated from blame in her
schoolmistress' eyes. But after great
deliberation, Miss Joyce sent the letter
to Lady Esler, told her the whole story
and requested her to remove Constance
from the school at the close of the
term, which was now approaching.
The girls at Westbourne house never
knew of the catastrophe which hung
over Constance's head. She went home
at the end of the term just as the
other girls went, but was received very
coidly by Lady Esler, who took an early
opportunity of having a solemn con-
versatiOn
Lady Esler had already taken some
decisive steps
i sent for this count, as he calls
himself, at once" she said, land taxed
him with his conduct. which he did
not deny He made great professions
of affection and so on, but I let him
know my opinion Of his behavior. A
fortune-hunter, a needy hanger-on
should not hope, I told him. to marry
Lady Fsler's niece"
You need not have insulted him"
said Constance, in a stifled voice.
"lnsulted. Nonsense. He is not very
likely to trouble us again | told him
that you would not have a penny from
me If you married him. Marriage
with child like you. What folly. Do
you want to emulate poor Madeline
Armstrong; fate?"
Madeline Armstrong married man
who was beneath her. the Count de
Marsac is not beneath u.s."
Indeed. Well, he is a friend of the
man Despard. | Know that. I sent him
about his business very speedily and
| wrote to Col. Vanbrugh."
oh Aunt Selma" Constance's
cheeks were crimson now.
yes, l did; and l had very nice
letter from him, in which he told me
that he had spoken to the Count de
Marsac and that the count was leaving
his house at once. In disgrace, evil
IDENTIFY. You know that your precious
count was only Col. Vanbrugh's secre-
tary-not much better than a valet. I
believe"
Constance was vanQuished. she burst
into tears of veXation and spite
He has left the neighborhood," said
her aunt TRANQUILITY, 80 l don't suppose
that we shall be troubled by him again.
Pray, don't make a fool of yourself in
that way again, Constance, | really
thought that you had more sense"
You have not-told-anybody else?"
Constance inquired, between her sobs.
mo, indeed, | should be very sorry
to let anybody else know. You would
never be invited to the Stevenages
again. [ hope that wretched man will
keep his tongue quiet" And the the
matter was allowed to drop, for Lady
Esler very wisely thought that the
sooner it was dismissed from Con-
stances memory the better She look
ed after her niece very sharply for the
next few weeks and, as far as she knew.
the girl had no opportunity of meeting
the Count de Marsac who seemed to
have disappeared from the neighbor-
hood. But Constance had ways and
means Of meeting her lover which Lady
Esler did not suspect
Lady Frances was also leaving
school, but with great regret on her
part and on that of her friends at West
bourne house. She had always been
popular with pupils and teachers alike;
and had constituted herself as much a
power for good as Constance Esler had
been a power for evil. To Madeline
her going was an unmitigated evil.
Poor little thing" Lady Frances had