The Yale expositor., 1898-06-17


band say, Eyes, and will tell you the
story of my marriage"
She did not wait to ask herself il It
were mere fancy. She believed that
she heard II, and the idea of it drove
her almost mad. They were going to
watch the sun fade amongst the flow
ers, and the earl would meanwhile en-
terrain his companion with the story OF
his marriage-how he had to wed the
money-lender's daughter, or else lose
Ravensmere, but how he had avenged
himself by neglecting her. Hildred's
heart and brain were on fire. The hus-
band she loved, despite his neglect, and
the rival whom she disliked, were go
ing to laugh over her together.
AN idea suddenly occurred to the un-
happy wife-they should not do this,
they should not laugh at her, her love
and her jealousy should not be sport
for them. She would follow them un-
perceived, and then, when they began
to laugh over her story, she would
confront them and dare them to
amuse themselves with her anguish.
All the pride of her nature was aroused.
She would suffer death rather than be
laughed at by her husband and her
rival.
She was bewildered-not herself.
She had never been herself from the
moment in which she recognized the
fact that she loved her husband with
all the strength and passion of her
nature. She was bewildered by the
pain of her love and the smart OF her
jealousy. The only idea quite cleas in
her mind was that her husband and her
guest should not laugh at her.
When the idea of going out had first
been mentioned, she had sent for
scarf, and it lay upon a couch now, a
glittering mass Of silvery gauze.
Whose is this?" he asked; and no
one answered. 1T is very pretty" he
added, land if it has no owner, you
shall have it, Lady Hamilton"
The young countess did not step for
ward to claim it; she saw her husband
throw it over the pearly shoulders and
the white neck, and Lady Hamilton
look up at him with coquettish laugh.
Evidently" she said, you are quite
ignorant of the fashion in which ladies
now wear scarfs. Our great-grand-
mothers drew them tightly stretched
across the shoulders-we like them in
this fashion"
Raising her arms, she wound the
silvery gauze around her head and neck
and arms, shading the bright face, and
making her look so piquantly beauti-
miration:
THAT is capital" he said; ladies
always know what is picturesque"
The young countess saw them quit
the room together. She resolved upon
following them. She heard her hus-
band say laughingly to his companion:
I'VE will go straight to the lake-I
want you to watch the sunset there"
Lady Caraven delayed only few mo-
ments-it was to go to her room for
large dark shawl that should hide
her-hide the amber satin and rich
that anyone meeting her should quite
fail to recognize her. Creeping along
in the dark, who will know me? Or,
If they know me, who will care for
me?" she said TO herself.
When she reached her room she
found a message there from Sir Raoul,
asking If she would go to his apart
ments for a short time. She said to
herself, NO." with her heart and soul
in a ferment she could not talk to Sir
Raoul She had dim idea that what
she was about to do was wrong, I'M
dignified, ungenerous. She could not
have persevered in her purpose had
she looked but once in the calm, noble
face OF the man who wanted her to be
a heroine.
Tell Sir Raoul that am engaged
just at present, but that will see him
later on in the evening"" she said.
She sent him some books and flow
ers-she did not go to him.
(To be continued)