Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1898-11-10

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Hilton led the way TO the dining
room: the elder boy gave his arm to
his sister. and I was about to follow
with the younger when from one of
the deep bay-windows glideu out, still
in white, the same figure which had
passed me upon the lawn. | started,
and drew back With Il slight bow,
she preceded me. and followed the
others down the great staircase.
Seated at table, l had leisure to make
my observations upon them all, but
most of my glanceS found their way
to the lady who, twice that day, had
affected me like an apparition. What
is time. but the airy ocean in which
ghosts come and goi
She was about twenty years of age;
rather above the middle height, and
rather slight in form; her complexion
white rather than pale, her face be-
ing only less white than the deep
marbly whiteness of her arms. Her
eyes were large, and full of liquid
night-a night throbbing with the
light of invisible stars. Her hair
L
profuse The expression of her face,
however, generally partook more of
vagueness than any other characters
tic. Lady Hilton Csie1 her Lady
Alice; and she never addressed Lady
Hilton but in the same ceremonious
style.
| afterward learned. from the old
housekeeper. that Lady Alice's posi-
ton in the family was very peculiar
one. Distantly connected with Lord
Hilton's family on the mothers side,
she was the daughter of the late Lord
Glendarroch, and step-daughter to
Lady Hilton, who had become Lady
Hilton within year after Lord Glen
darroch's death. Lady Alice, then
quite a child had accompanied her
step-mother, to whom she was mod
erately attached, and who had been
allowed to retain undisDuted posses
sion of her. She had no near rela-
tiyes, else the fortune I afterward
found to be at her disposal would
have aroused contending claims to the
right of guardianship,
Although she was in many respects
kindly treated by her step-mother, GER
tain peculiarities tended to her isola-
ton from the family pursuits and
pleasures. Lady Alice had no accom-
plishments. She could neither spell
her own language, nor even read it
aloud Yet she delighted in reading
to herself, though for the most part
books which Mrs. Wilson character
lied as very odd. Ber voice when she
spoke had quite ipdescribable music
in 1t; yet she neither sung nor played.
Her habitual motion was more like a
rhythmical gliding than an ordinary
walk, yet she could not dance. Mrs
Wilson limited at other and more SER
ious peculiarities, which either she
could not, or would not describe; al
ways shaking her head gravely and
sadly, and becoming quite silent,
when | pressed her for further explain
alton; so that, at last, l gave up all
attempts to arrive at an understand
ing of the mystery ty her means. Not
the less, however, 1 speculated on the
subject.
me: that she was considered not
merely deficient as to the power of
Intellectual acquire ment, but in a
quite abnormal intellectual condition.
Of this, howeyer. ,.i,.s | could myself see
itv. of some of her remarks was evi-
denuly not only m sunderstood, but,
with relation to her mental state, mis-
interpreted. Such remarks Lady Hill
ton generally answered only by an
elongation of the lirs intended to rep
resent a smile. To me, they appeared
TO indicate a naturc closely allied to
genius, if not identical with it-a pow
er of regarding thipgs from an origi-
nal point Of view, which perhaps was
the more unfettered in it's operation
from the fact that she was incapable
of looking at them in the ordinary
commonplace way. 1t seemed to me,
sometimes, as if her point of observa-
ton was outside of the sphere within
which the thing obnerved took place;
and as if what she said had a rela-
ton, occasionally, to things and
thoughts and menta1 conditions famil-
lar to her, but at which not even a
definite guess could be made by me.
am compelled to acknowleeg how
ever, that with such utterances as
these, mingled now and then others,
silly enough for any drawing-room
Young lady; which seemed again to be
accepted by the family that she was
not altogether out Of her right mind.
She was gentle and kind to the chill
dren, as they were still called, and
they seemed reasonably fond Of her.
There was something to me exceed
ingIy touching in the solitariness Of
this girl; for no one spoke to her as If
abe were like other people, or as *
any heartiness could be possible be-
tween them. Perhaps no one could
have felt quite at home with her but
O mother whose heart nau been one
with hers from a season long anterior
to the development of any repulsiye
oddity. But --er position was one of
peculiar isolation, for no one really
approached her individual being; and
that she should be unaware of this
loneliness seemed to me saddest of all.
soon found, however, L.. the most
distant attempt on my part to show
her attention was either received with
absolute Indifference, or cOldly repelled
without the slightest acknowledgement
But / return to the first night of my
sojourn at HiICon Hall.