Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1898-03-26
CHAPTER, VIII.

CHAPTER VIII.
Mrs. Scarlet was alone; she was very
simply but very cxquisitcly and expensive.
~ dressed, and she was rs calm and sinil-
inrly sclf.composcd n though loves III.
mults were unknown to her. She rose as
Wriothcslcy entered. and greeted him
with precisely the proper amount of gray
ity due to u young man who had recently
lost his mothcr-for Lady Mary, she
knew, had been quite that TO him.
Il was wondering when you would
come" she said.
lie looked ut her quickly. When he
would come! How strange her tone was!
Had she forgotten:
"Did you get my notct" she went on.
"No? oh, am 50 sorry about that! You
must have thought me 50 cold, So unfccl-
ing: but nowadays don't you think the
postal arrangements are very defective!
I wish you had had that note; but even
without II, dear Wriothcslcy. you know
you had my sinccrcst sympathy I'LL
through.
did you think ought to have Gomez
he asked, clinging In u dull way to her
first sentence. Perhaps he had offended
her by obcying her too closely and keeping
away until the day named. lie hoped so
with n passion of which he himself was
hardly aware. lie had heard nothing
more that she had said--only those first
words.
20. no; In the circumstances I could
not have expected or desired that you
should call! l hope l am too much your
friend not to know when TO cffacc my
self" She smiled her usual brilliant,
Hccting smile. "lnlccd, ! did not dare
10 think l should have the pleasure Of
seeing you again for quite u long time
10 come. But you have been very good to
me. DO you Notwithstanding toward him
--"thc very last thing expected was 10
sec you to-day"
What did Il all mean? Why did she
sneak to him like that? His friend! How
strange II all was. lie felt dazed, con-
fused, and u surging sound came into
his ears and tormcntcd him. The very
last thing she had expected! Then the
singing sound died away. and he found
himself quite calm and cold. She was
still talking, her soft trainante voice was
subtly sweet rs ever.
"Though personally unknown to me. l
feel from all have heard that Lady
Mary Craven was u friend not to Ia re-
placed"
"You are right" he said, gravcly; Lady
Mary's was II singularly perfect nature
IAN her acquaintance say that And
the little girl, the protcgc--what OF hcr!''
"rhat Is q matter that has been trOu-
that Il IL impossible to make her under.
stand certain things. Yet Of course she
cannot go on living at the Towers In the
old way. hardly know what to do with
her"
"Why, marry her, of COURSE" said Mrs
Scarlet, laughing. "That Is the best and
readicst way to solve such problem ~
that"
"You are jcsting," he said. very slowly
''Indccd ! am not. Why should you
think 500 If all that we outsiders hear il
true, she was well named Marvel by
you; she Is a very vision Of loneliness, l.
she not? Why, how conscious you look
! do believe that that marriage scheme
has already suggested itself to you"
"Your usual clear sightcdncss Is ut fGul,
there" said Wriotheslcy, with u mirth
less smile. "rhc only way out of the diff
fculty that has suggested itself to me has
been my marriage with yourself
"And, by the bye. as to that" she said
as IL suddenly remembering something OF
trivial importance, II have been thinking
II over, and have come to the conclusion
that It wouldn't do! 1t wouldn't do a
all. Was this the day told you to call
But of cOurse-how stupid of me to let i
slip my memory! Welr'-smiling-"yol
have had an escape. Much reflection ha
revealed to me the fact that you were borl
TO he the husband of a better woman thar
am"
WriOthcslcy was staring at her, lookin,
very pale, but not Offering to move from
where he stood. She glanced ut him fur
lively, aud saw something in his eye
which so far affected her that she did no
care, or else feared, to look again.
"You don't mean II word of all that.
he said at last, with suppressed violcnc
in his tone-'you shan't mean it. ID
You hcar:'
"Pcrfcctly.'--with n feeble attempt a
laughter. "But, after all, do mean 1t.
"Somcthing has happened he persist
cd; "what Is III | do not cntrcat you I
change your mind about all th!s-but
must know"
"lf You really expected to have iii
fcrcnt answer" she said in icy tones, -
can only say that ! deeply regret it,
"no yuuI That is very good of yol
1t IL more than one should hope for III;
yor should feel regret. Great heaven,
he burst out, with Il passion that move
her, hardhcartcd rs she was, ito thin
that the earth should hold such womc
us you! You who have let me kiss va
and have kissed me back again, You VII
have fooled me to the top of my bent, onl