The record-union., 1897-06-05
A DREADFUL OCCURRENCE,

Lord and Lady Wilmington lived in
one of the Oldest houses in B square
I am writing of thirty years ago, when
the occurrence am about to relate to you
was fresh in every ones mind. There
are scarcely any old houses in the
square now, for as the leases have fall
en- in, new mansions have either been
erected, or the old ones have been SO
restored and bemodernized as almost to
count as new habitations. But even so
lately as thirty years ago there were
several ancient tenements still stand
ing. Solemn, sedate and ghostly man
sions they for the most part were, with
spacious apartments and lofty nails.
adorned with Queen Anne holdings, ana
hung with tapestries of far Older date
than that of the good Queen who has
given her name to such vast quanu-
ties of modern antique-and, fear,
often jerry-built structures.
Lord Wilmington's house, at the date
of the opening of my story, wore an
even gioomier look than was habitual
with it; for my lord and my lady had
been abroad for the last three months;
so Mrs Mason's, the housekeeper 5,
football woke the dreariest echoes, as
she stepped across the hall on her daily
tour of inspection of the various rooms,
accompanied by Jane Farmer, the up
per hous amaid. How Mrs. Mason longed
for the return of her master and his
young wife may be judged from con-
versation which took place one morn
ing between the old lady and a newly
acquired under housemaid, girl who
had only arrived from the country late
the previous night. AS rule, per-
son of such vast Importance as Mrs. Ma
son would have considered it beneath her
dignity to converse on terms almost of
equality with such a chit of girl as
Ellen Parker. But now everything was
changed. The season" was long over,
the autumn was upon them, the wind
whistled dismally through the already
half dismantled trees in the square, and
Mrs. Mason was positively glad of the
opportunity of speaking to any one fresh
even to an under housemaid.
And where have my lord and my lady
gone to, m'm?" Ellen ventured to ask,
before her first instructions in the du
ties of her new place had commenced.
Gone to? Where haven't they gone to,
my dear? Why, to Naples, and Corsica,
don't know where else"
And they've been away three months
so Jane Farmer told me-
well, child, l was going to say five
years, for it almost seems like that to
me-" replied Mrs. Mason. with a sigh of
resignation; but my almanac says
three months two days. I looked at it
this morning-as l do most mornings,
for the matter O. that-longing for their
return"
It's pleasanter when they're here, 1
specie"
We'll, it couldn't be much dismaler.
could it? Why. the house is as still and
lonely now as if it stood on Yorkshire
void, instead of in one of the very best
and most fashionable parts Of London.
Why, my dear" here Mrs. Mason al
most assumed a confidential tone, you
wouldn't know it was the same house
when my lord and my lady are here
such balls, such dinners, such concerts,
such life, and such merriment you never
saw in ali your lifei"
It's hard work for servants then.
suppose?" Ellen asked, not altogether
disinterestedly.
well, maybe it is" the housekeeper
replied: but who minds how hard they
work for such master and mistress?
I know I don't! And I don't think any
one in the house does, either"
T suppose they're quite a young
couple. judgin' by their running over
furren parts like that?'
Not a bit of it. That's just the
beauty of it, She-her ladyship's young
"A.
years older But, bless you, my dear,
that makes no kind of difference.
Whatever she likes. he likes; and what
ever he likes, she tries to like. There
never was a more devoted couple in
this world, l do believei"
And how long will it be before they
return. m'm?" Ellen asked, with some
little curiosity to behold the paragon
master and mistress Mrs. Mason de-
scribed in spite even of the hard work
their home coming would entail.
That's question that's beyond me
to answer, Ellen" Mrs. Mason replied.
1.-The last time l heard from her lady
ship was ten days ago; then they were
in Switzerland, but were to go on from
there to Paris in a couple of days,
where my lady was to do some shop
ping-that means buy new gowns-and
heavens only knows how long that'n
take She said she might be home be-
fore very long; but, bless We, there's no
dependence to be placed on that In
stead of going to Paris at all, she might
take it into her pretty head to go up
the Pyramids instead"
And his lordship. you say, doesn't
mind these rampagings?"
Mind Why, if she said Let's go
on to the North Pole and see if we can't
climb it, he would answer, Well my
dear. climbing's not much in my way,
but there's no knowing what one can do
till one tries Let's go"
Nice to ave a husband like that"
said Ellen, with a sigh, for her expert
ence with her first sweetheart had not
turned out complete success.
All but, mind you, it's not all on
one side by any means" Mrs. Mason
went on. Il do believe she's almost as
good to him as he is to her. She tries
to take an interest in politics just on
purpose to please him. I've seen her
poring over a blue book as she calls
it, by the half-hour together, tryin' to
understand it. And when she found
"H nm N