Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1898-12-08
Won by w aiting.
.$BYt
EDNA LYALL.

Lady Worthington's visit had cheered
and refreshed her
You always do me good she
said, gratefully. do you remember
that first time when you came to see
me on the jour des morris? That will
be just four years ago tomorrow
Lady Worthington remembered the
visit we'll enough. Could it be only
four years ago? How much had hap
pened since then to her poor little
pTotege! She was taken upstairs to
see Noel; and just as they passed
Claude's room the door was opened,
and Esperance, reckoning her in, took
her to the bedside.
She was greatly shocked; at first
indeed she could hardly believe that
it was Claude at all, so greatly was
he changed. He was in a state of
stupor. lying perfectly still, and
breathing heavily. His head had
been shaved that morning, and this
of course made him look much more
i'll. The sick-nurse had just left the
room, and Esperance, putting on a
clean muslinette apron and bib, took
her place by the bed and began to
change the ice bladders 1t was evil
IDENTIFY great relief to her to be able
to do anything, and she was en-
crossed heart and soul in the present;
but Lady Worthington trembled when
she thought of the probable future
Leaving Esperance with her hus-
band, she went down again to the
sitting-rOom, where she found the
dean waiting for the last accounts of
Claude. He looked very much aged
and shaken, and Lady Worthington
fancying he could not care to see any
greeting and a few words of SYM
pathy, but he begged her almost
| pathetically to stay.
eff you could tell me, Lady Worth
ington, what | can possibly do for
| that poor child, she is wearing her
self out, and seem powerless to
help-both their deaths will lie at my
door"
"Esperance told me that Cornelia
has been the greatest comfort to her, -
said Lady Worthington, anxious to
say something soothing, but the dean
only grew more agitated.
! Yes, Cornelia can help he said
piteously, but l myself who
| caused all the trouble, can do nothing
but watch the effects. Lady Worth
ingtOn, | am an old man and a
scholar, but now for the first time l
have found that all my life has been
Lived for self. and because of that
wrong motive, l have been self-de-
ceived | see it now all too plainly,
but the punishment is very hard, very
! bitter. 1t is grievous to sit helplessly
| by, watching the ruin one has caused
in the present, haunted by the spec
tiers of past deeds. My sister
whom you and yourself remember
Monsieur de Mabillon, his son, even
his own onlidren, all rise up before
| me with reproaches. | see that you
/ think this strange confession for
me to make; but 1 tell you this that
you may know how all important. it
is that | should find some means of
helping Esperance. You know her
better than any one, you and Miss
Neville; can you not think of some
thing which I can do to relieve herr"
Lady Worthington's still beautiful
face was full of sympathy; her hui
morous gray eyes we're softened, and
beamed with kindly light; years
ago she had owned to her husband
that she felt that it would be a sheer
imposoIOility to rouse the dean from
his selfishness to a perception of his
duties, and now from his own lips
she was hearing that Claude and Es-
| perance had succeeded in this. She
paused for moment before answer
! ing, then, with the hesitation of
one who speaks while yet thinking
out some doubtful point, she said,
There is one way that has just oc-
| Cured to me, in which l think you
might perhaps help Mrs. Magnay. l
know from what she said just now
| how much she longs to have her
| brother with her-would it be pos
sible for him to be sent for?"
The dean started to his feet with
! sudden anima tion.
Lady Warrington, l don't know
how to thank you enough she must
surely be relieved by that; and it
has never struck me-you see 1 am
not accustomed to think of other
people, l have been self-engrossed,
that is the fact, and now when l long
hru 70 ~, T
am blind and powerless. But that is
really a good idea, I will telegraph
to Mr.. Seymour, tell him to advance
the necessary money to Monsieur de
to Gaspard, and offer any compensa-
ton which Mr.. Seymour may think to
charge for his sudden withdrawal"
f'I think you can hardly fail to
comfort Esperance in this way" said
Lady Worthington, warmly; perhaps
in case of disappointment, though,
you would not tell her of the idea I'M
til you have an answer from Ceylon y
The dean fully agreed 10 this, and
having escorted Lady Worthington to
her carriage, sat down again in the
the MagnayS Sitting-room to con-
slider the wording of his all-important
telegram. He had never been an
illiberal man, although he had gained
a reputation for being close handed
because he disliked anything which
caused him personal discomfort or
trouble. but now that he was reused
to take a real interest in something
altogether outside himself he was
really paoarOlIc