Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1897-09-08
CHAPTER N.


of one; and it was with the most affect
Ing languor that she turned her pretty
head on the cushion which supported II
"a the Young doctor entered.
"Oh, DR.. Armathwaite, how do you do J
I'm so glad you have come. What Q
lucky thing you hadn't left BranksOme
before my messenger reached your
And, apparently exhausted BY the effort
of shaking hands and inviting him to q
chair beside her, she drew . long sigh,
and let her arms fall at her sides with the
abandonment of utter lassitude.
81 feel just like that" said she, raising
her blue eyes and dropping the white lids
over them again Immediately. to indicate
the completeness Of the ply sical prostra
ton from which she was suffering.
He felt her pulse as a matter Of form.
and could almost have laughed at the
barefaced nature of the fraud she was
carrying on so beautifully. Luckily, he
was sitting with his back to the light,
which fell full on the lady, so that any
indiscreet Incredibly winch night peep
out In his face could not be noticed by his
interesting patient.
II see," he said, with becoming gravity.
"Your case is very serious"
Neat little hypocrite as she was. this
She opened her eyes to their full extent.
and gazed at him with that child-like
expression which only blue eyes have, and
. asked him in a soft tone of astonishment
what he thought was the matter with her.
THAT Is what want to know" he an
swered. at must be mental trouble, and
of some very acute kind, since it can pros
trate you SO entirely while your physical
health is perfectly good"
She lowered her eyes and sighed. II
have a great many worries, and troubles.
too" she said, but, Of course, l couldn't
think Of troubling a doctor with them"
"At any rate, your gaiety became you
so well that 1t is difficult to believe it
was not natural to you"
II suppose she said, with a pretty
mournfuness. that some people think
have everything l can wish for; no doubt
I have everything that some people could
wish for. l have a great hideous house
that some people might like, and a hus-
band whom l made no objection to when
they married me to him, and whom I've
only one objection TO now, but that one
objection is fatal" A pause. during which
Armathwate still, while maintaining an
attitude of respectful attention. asked no
questions She continued with weary
As
have his confidence; I never have his
trust"
Armathwaite was astonished. Remem-
bering the way in which Lord Kildonan
had spoken of her, had treated her; the
friendly welcome he had extended to him
self, stray acquaintance whom Lady
KildOnan had picked up in a particularly
easy fashion; the kindness he had shown
to the playfellow of her childhood; this
charge seemed not only without founda.
ton, but preposterous.
II think" he said gently. but with some
decision, that here is an ailment l can
remove. If one of your troubles is the
belief that your husband does not trust
you in the fullest manner, l can relieve
your mind by assuring you of my own
e knowledge that for this particular fear
there is not the slightest foundation"
You DON'T understand" she said, turn
ing in her chair SO that her great blue
eyes, which shone with a radiance that
seemed to throw n liquid brightness round
them, like stars on a summer night, look
ed full into his. when / explain the Pc
culiar circumstances of our marriage, you
will see what | mean. l was an only
child. and inherited all my fathers prop
erty, which was considerable. Papa was
naturally anxious to marry me to some
one who could look after my interests.
and see that the estates were managed
properly; that was comprehensive enough.
But when he decided ON Lord kildOnan,
who had no money, or scarcely any, of his
own. for my husband, papa was 50 delight
ed TO have found such pearl among men
as he considered him to be. that he left the
estates TO him for life in trust for me and
my children, if ! should have any. So
that, you see, I was made dependent on
my husband for every penny Of my own
money"
But surely Lord Kildonan lets you
have everything you wantr'
YES, like a child for whom You buy
a half-crown doll, though you won't let
her have half a crown to buy a doll with.
He has too much conscience to refuse TO
get me anything l want, but his Scotch
instincts of carefuness over the funds
will never allow him to put the money
into my own hands and say, There. dear,
buy what you have a fancy for Well,
dare say this sounds only like a trifling
grievance after all, but it's CALLING in
expressibly CALLING, when it goes on day
after day, and month after month, over
the smallest expense, and when you know
that after all it's your own money"
Armathwaite was obliged to admit tha,
il was an irritating thing, and he saw Icy
the Fuckers of annoyance and almost OF
shame in the lady's beautiful face that
in her pampered life this restriction at
tanned the Importance of a grievous afflic-
tion.
But there is one lucky thing" he said,
sonsolingIy, land that Is, that living up
here rs you do, the hardship of not being
able 10 buy anything yourself cannot press
very hardly upon you, as there is nothing
to buy"
At last he had touched the handspring
Of all this woe. She sprang up in her
chair. the lace falling off on to her shoul-
ders and the golden hair loOsened about
her face, which had instantly become con.
vulsed with excitement and indignation.
NO she cried passionately. her bosom
heaving and her eyes flashing. Nothing
to buy, nothing to see, nothing to do.
And that is the life l am condemned to,
chained to a man who doesn't understand
that l am active. pleasure-loving. young.
] can't read. l can't comfort myself with
philology and all that stuff. i want life
and movement round me. not this dreary
lake and these sitting hills. l shall break
away some day and become an actress. or
Z governess, or a telegraph clerk: any ,
thing is better than this hateful stagnant |
existence. 1t is like being buried alive !
with a corpse" |
She sat up, trembling and painting from
the effects of her vehemence; no longer :
looking at him, but staring before her
with such fierce yearning in her eyes that
It was evident she was agitated by a very