Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1898-11-24

| radiant, eYer-varying brown eyes, her
soft, dark hair, and southern complex
| ion.
Their time at the chateau was now
nearly over: early in February they
were to return to England, and Es-
| perance began to dread all the fare
wells; however, they passed off more
! happily than she had feared Claude
| arranged village fete in one OF the
great disused rooms, and all Mabillon
came to pay its respects to madame"
| and her baby. Nor was she to go
| back to England alone; Marie Bonnier
had pleaded hard to be allowed to act
as bonnie to little Noel; and Esperance.
who knew well enough how faithful
and devoted were French country SER
wants, gladly accepted her. Claude
| was guilty Of one other extravaganza
which perhaps pleased Esperance
more than anything-he insisted on
comforting a pension on Pierre, ia
votes son, in memory of his mothers
| seIf-denying devotion. And Pierre was
not too proud to receive the substan-
| tial souvenir, but gratefully kissed
madame's hand, purchased a COW
with part Of his newly acquired
riches, and began to save up for his
| little GRIT dot
The return to London was not with
out its pleasures. Esperance looked
forward to arranging her new home,
and she was anxious to see Lady
Worthington and Frances again.
Bertha and George, too, had left their
German home, and were now living
at Bayswater, and the two cousins
made many plans for meeting. Dean
Collinson still refused to see his
daughter; and though Cornelia had
written, she had not been up to town
since their return, so that Bertha well
coined Esperance doubly, longing to
see home face once more.
In spite of that, however, the meet
ing was very trying one; Bertha was
strangely subdued and changed, and
Esperance was dismayed at her pale
worn face, and hollow eyes; the old
nonchalant expression had certainly
quite vanished, but it was replaced by
a look of sorrowful, harassed anxiety,
which made Esperance's heart ache.
All she could do at present was to
sympathize with her, and try to give
her fresh interests; and Bertha did
seem rather happier when she was
fairly out of the dreary Bayswater
lodgings, and established in Esper-
ance's pretty drawing-room.. George
was in the city all day, and the time
passed slowly when she was alone;
but in the Magnays' house there was
brightness and geniality in the very
atmosphere which reused her from her
depression of spirits. After a time
her visits there became almost daily
institutions; she would sit nursing
iCtle Noel by the hour, or talking
sadly yet with a kind Of pleasure of
chichester and the deanery, and the
by-gOne times. Esperance was only
too glad to have her, and was always
bright and cheerful while she was
present; but after she had gone her
face would become thoughtful and sad.
and sometimes tear would fall on the
baby's white frock as she thought
over poor Bertha's troubles
IF my uncle would only relent."
she used to say to Claude, when most
troubled by Bertha's paleness and
depression.
We'll, cherie," Claude would reply.
you and Noel must go to Rilchester
and touch his heart, that is the only
plan | can think Of"
And Esperance would laugh, and
hold her baby more closely, while she
declared that his little brown face
would be worse than useless.
Strangely enough, before the sum-
mer was over, it seemed likely that
a visit to Rilchester might really take
place. Claude had a commission for
another picture in Rilchester Cathed-
raj from a friend of the Worthingtons,
who had seen and greatly admired his
picture Of the south aisle, and it was
arranged that they should go there
early in the autumn. Esperance was
very anxious to see Cornelia but per-
haps she was more relieved than
otherwise when a letter arrived
from Mrs. Mortlake, expressing great
regret that the house would be full all !
October, and that it would be i'm
possible to accommodate them. She
had no great love for the deanery,
and felt sure that it would be far
more convenient to have their own
rooms at the Spread Eagle, where
CIaude could choose his own hours
and make as great a litter as he
pleased. Frances tried hard to per-
suade them to stay at Worthington;
but much as they would both have
liked this, 1t was too far from the
cathedral to be convenient. and
Claude's work was of course the first
consideration.
Cornelia was the only one who did
not quite like the arrangement; she
would greatly have preferred having
Esperance in the house; however,
Christabel, as usual, raised objections,
and Cornelia, who never could argue
on household orderings without be-
ing worsted, was obliged to submit.
She came to the station to meet
them on the day Of their arrival, and
was delighted to find Esperance not
the least changed, perhaps looking
even younger than before her mar
riage. She could hardly realize at
first that the bonnie in the snowy
white cap, and the fine, dark-eyed boy
Of nine months, really belonged to
her; nor was Claude, with his still
bOyiSh face, and easy, artistic dress