Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1898-02-17

would have given much if she could have
SHOWN even to this poor widow some proof
OF MS desire to please her-but she could
not. o1-1
she was one of those people who never
defer disagreeable duty. She sent that
same day for the poor creature who cana
trembling for the fate of herself and her
children. Lady Caraven received her
very kindly, but entered at once into tho
matter. 'i'e
am sorry to tell you," she said. sthat
| have failed. Lord Caraven does not
feel inclined to forego the rent"
1T is not my lord cried the woman
know it is not. 1t is Mr.. Blantyre's
fault; he said I should and must nav
But cannot, my lady; l have not thc
means"
, 1 have thought it all over said Lady
Caraven. L cannot get the cottage rent
free Tor you, but | can pay the rent.
VIII give 1t to you every month, but it
must be ON the condition that you tell no
one. Lord Caraven might be displeased
if he heard of it,
1t was humiliating at first to her to give
charities unknown to her husband, and
then to beg that they might be kept Sc
cret. The gratitude of the poor woman
IN some measure compensated her, and
made her feel less miserable.
But, though Lord Caraven had laughed
and sneered and spoken angrily. he had
not forgotten his wife's words. Not for
the world would he have owned it. or
that they had made the least impression
on hlm-on the contrary, he was, if posi-
bic, more brusque and abrupt, quoted
Blantyre, more frequently, and talked
more than ever Of what he would do with
the poor tenants-yet her words haunted
him. They seemed to be written in let
tiers Of fire, let him turn his eyes whittier
he would.
As to Hildred, her humiliation had been
great. She was fast losing heart and pa
tience; her hope had died q lingering
death-there was no CLEAN of comfort
left her, turn which way she might. Sir
Raoul was i'll and seldom able to leave
his room. Owing to the number of guests
in the house, she could not spend so much
time with him as formerly. She was dis
pirited and depressed. Above all, she dis
liked some of the visitors whom Lord
Caraven had invited. There was one who
was young, effeminate, weak in character,
not much stronger in mind-a Lieutenant
Hilstone, who had just succeeded to
large fortune, and who seemed at loss
how to get rid of it most quickly. Lady
Caraven had q shrewd suspicion as to
how much they won from him. More
than once she had overheard heavy wag-
ers made with him which she knew he
must lose. She was scornfully impatient.
Was not this conduct of her husband dis
onf1 oil xvnoH cn1Iior
like the lieutenant to be what she consid-
cred robbed?
One of the earl's most intimate friends
one, indeed, who knew all his affairs
was Sir Anthony Oldys; and Hildred over
heard him, quite by chance, one day lay
ing a heavy wager with the young lieu
tenant. She looked at him calmly.
''Sir Arthur" she said, II do not con-
slider that is quite fair; Lieutenant Hill
stone has no chance. You know more
than he does when you lay such wager
you know that you will win it.
She never forgot the sheer with which
he turned to her.
LADY Caraven," he said, permit me to
offer you my congratulations. You un-
derstand money matters almost as well
as your talented father"
Without replying to Sir Arthur Oldys'
insult, without word or comment, Lady
Caraven instantly quilted the room, her
heart burning with hot indignation. How
we'll her husbands friends must know
that he did not love her! They would
never dare to speak to her as they did
but for that knowledge. How we'll they
must know it, when they dared to try to
insult her through her father!
The pleasaunce must have been con-
structed by some one who knew how hu-
man nature longed for rest. Few of the
Ravensmere people knew of it's existence
the visitors did not. Some of the ser
wants were in perfect ignorance as to its
whereabouts. 1t was constructed for the
sole and exclusive use OF the Ladies Car
aven.
The young countess bethought herself
of this retreat. She had one key Of the
dark green door that led to it; Sir Raoul
had another. She would go thither, she
said to herself, and look her life in the
face, and then decide what to do with it.
1t was slowly dawning across her that
she would not be able to bear her trials
much longer; that she could not and would
not endure them; that there was q bright
er life somewhere, which she was deter
mined to find out; that she could not sac
rifice her whole life to a shadow of duty;
that, IN fact, she would go forth free.
Free! The very word made her heart
beat quickly.
She went to the pleasaunce. II she
were interrupted there, it could be only
by her husband or Sir Raoul there was
no fear of intruders. A sense of relief
came to her when she found herself be-
tween the four high walls. The blue sky
smiled down upon her, the languid air
stirred family, the scent of roses came
to her on the wind it was like reprieye
to enter that quiet retreat and feel alone.
She walked down one of the broad,
straight paths to where crimson carna-
lions grew side by side with white lilies,
and there she seated herself to rest,
alone. There was no sound of mems
voices or of light laughter; no sheer could
%t.n~a swryraES mt h