Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1898-02-02

paused and glanced at her, but Lola
took no notice of his words, and he re-
sumed: "But what you promise me
now is Just the one touch that is wanted
to make life life and worth living. You
at any rate must see that such place is
most admirably adapted for that form OF
your English virtue of self denial which
consists in denying your own identity. If
others can do this, why not I?' And he
laughed with malicious glee.
81 tell you you must not come to stay
| in this house. You shall notl' said Lola
vehemently.
pardon me, madame" and his
shoulders went up and his hands spread
out as be bowed again, "but most as
suredly shall.
"You shall not, at any hazard, said
Lola very firmly, when she was inter
rupted by Sir Jaffray. who said. with
good natured laugh:
"Hello, you twol ! hope you're not
quarreling there because the violin mis-
sion isn't getting forward"
Pierre Turrian turned and laughed
gayly.
"No, no; Lady Walcote and I are, l
trust, too old friends to quarrel over
that. Her energy is all friendliness.
was telling her that you had asked me
to come here after your return from
town, and I was explaining to her that
am going on the continent for awhile
to perfect a plan which is often in my
thoughts, and she was insisting that /
should not break off my arrangements
there in order to return here, because in
some slight respects the two things
might rather clash. But l assured her
that / could not think Of letting any
other considerations interfere with the
pleasure of visit here. Of that am
determined, but Lady Walcote is too
solicitous on my behalf.
"Oh, of course you'll come if you
can, professorp' said Sir Jaffray. II
should be sorry if you didn't I'm glad
you two weren't at loggerheads want
you to be friends, you know"
II trust we shall never misunder.
stand one another more than we do at
present." And the Frenchman bowed
and shot swift, cunning look at Lola
which stung her like poisoned barb.
"What say you, madame? he asked
softly and courteously. And Lola hated
herself and her accomplice at being
driven into this course of loathsome de-
ception of the man she loved.
The moment after she turned and left
them. She was sick of the part she had
to play.
She began to feel already that in at
tempting to guide events to suit her
own purposes she had undertaken task
which might lead to infinitely greater
trouble than that she was striving to
avoid, and this fear led her to associate
the idea of coming disaster with this
visit of Pierre's to the manor.
While she and Sir Jaffray were in
London and the Frenchman was absent
the feeling wore away, but as the time
for the return to Walcote approached it
came back again, and could she have
had her choice she would have taken
Sir Jaffray right away out Of Europe
for another long tour, such as that
which had made their honeymoon so
pleasant.
But Sir Jaffray would not hear of it.
He was anxious to spend the late sum-
mer and autumn at Walcote. He longed
to see Lola at the head of his splendid
old home, and he was keenly anticipat-
ing the shooting. Thus be left London
full Of the most pleasurable anticipa-
/ tion.
Sir Jaffray and Lola were alone in
the house for two or three days before
any of the guests came, and during that
time Lola struggled against the pre-
sentiment of evil which depressed her.
But she could not shake it off. and as
the day approached on which Pierre
| Turrian was to arrive she grew dull
and moody and even irritable.
She had done all that she dared to
prevent his coming to stay in the house,
and the idea of it both angered and dis
gusted her. She had entered on the de-
oeption without at all realizing the
constant association with lies which it
| necessitateGs
She shrauk from having the two men
under the same roof She had expected
that Pierre would have taken her
money, and, after staying perhaps a
short time at Walcote, would have gone
away to the continent, back to that dis
reputable, roaming life which he had
always lived. She could have borne
that, but this constant association with
him, his presence in the house and the
life of continuous deceit and lying
which it forced upon her made her sin
against the man she loved so patent, so
fragrant, so ever present and pressing
that she began to repent that she had
ever chosen the path of deceit.
Sir Jaffray caught her in one of her
fits of moodiness OH the day when Pierre
Turrian arrived. Mrs. De Witt and
Beryl were also in the house. Sir Jaffray
had surprised Lola with her mask off
Just before dinner.
He crept up to her quietly, and, run
ming his arm round her waist, kissed
her.
'eWhat's the matter, Lola?" he asked
gently. "You look sad and i'll, and both
are strange for you, though I've seen
you so two or three times lately. Is
anything up?'
To his CONSERVATION, she burst into
tears. He had never seen her do such a
thing before, and he did not know what
to do.
Like everything with her, her grief
was violent, stormy and passionate, but
it soon passed.