Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1897-03-04
CHAPTER XVII.

Anne's spirit rose at the tone he adopt
ed. "They are your own relations she
said quietly. "You know better than l
whether they have any claim on you or
not
Claim on me? What claim should they
have? he said, starting into a sitting
posture, and turning very dark and
lowering countenance upon her.
"a claim for help and affection. They
have perhaps no very capable person with
them, and if they are i'll they must be
miserable. Oh, Damer, ought you not to
find out? Venice is not far off,"
Il wish it were at the Antipodes," he
said abruptly. 'Then perhaps you might
not be so eager to send me-"
"Had you heard of her illness, then,
Damer?" she asked, letting her fingers
close upon one of his hands as she looked
down at him.
Lawrence WINGED at the innocent in
QUESTION. II heard a rumor of it-in
fact, it was mentioned in a letter that
received the other day; but I did not
think it anything serious. If you knew
my aunt you would not be SO easily
alarmed my dear Anne"
'But you will find outy" she said earn
estly.
eyes, certainly, l will find out" he said.
biting his mustache.
He knew all about his aunt's illness
better than Anne supposed. He had let
ter from Mrs. Seymour's daughter in his
pocket at the very moment when Anne
asked her unsuspecting questions; q let
ter entreating him to meet his aunt in
Venice, and giving long account Of her
attack of bronchitis. He knew, too, that
Mrs. Seymour was now convalescent and
did not require his presence in the least.
But he had reasons of his own for wish
ing to see her; and, after his first vexa-
ton at Mrs. Burton's interference, he saw
that the opportunity was a good one for
leaving Anne for a time without exciting
her suspicion. And when he returned
say, in three weeks time or a month-his
engagement should be made public, and
the marriage should follow almost imme-
diately. He made a bargain with Anne
to that effect.
The Dumaresq party returned to Alex
andria on the Thursday before Easter. It
was in Easter week that Mrs. Dumaresq
took up the Egyptian Gazette, looked at
the list of arrivals from Europe and ut
tered 4 sudden cry of surprise.
"Why, Anne" she said, these must be
the very relations whom Mr.. Lawrence
went to see! Mrs. and Miss Seymour
from Venice! How vexed he will be to
have missed them! / wonder if they will
go on to Cairo or stay in Alexandria p
"He will be very sorry" said Anne,
with q qualm of regret for having dis
patched him on bootless errand.
She soon heard more of Mrs. Seymour
and her daughter. Mrs. Burton called
upon them, and reported to Alexandrinn
society in general that Mrs. Seymour was
in weak and suffering state, but that
she meant to stay at the Hotel de rEu-
rope until her nephew came to fetch her.
and that she would be glad to make ac
quaintance with any ladies who liked to
go and see her And Mrs. Dumaresq at
once suggested to Anne that they call in
company with Mrs. Burton.
Anne was rather glad of the opportu-
nifty of making the acquaintance of Da-
mer Lawrence's relations. She was shy,
too; and she wished that matters had
turned out differently, but at any rate she
would see his aunt and his cousin, and
she hoped that they would like her as she
was prepared to like them.
Mrs Burton, Mrs Dumaresq and Miss
Carteret were ushered by an Italian wait
err into a sitting room on the first floor,
overlooking the square. Here they found
Mrs. Seymour, a little, gray, dry-lipped
woman, with a self-contained manner
which was indescribably chilling. If Anne
had hoped that Damer's aunt would be
like Damer, she was very much mistaken.
Mrs. Seymour had been fair; but the
color had long ago faded out of her cheeks
and lips, out of the hair that had once
been golden and the eyes that had once