The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-03-29
Chapter VI
THE VEIL.


Leaving the Earls presence l refused
cid Stanford's invitation to take some
fefreshment, and walking along the COR
ridor on my way out came face to face
with HrayIing, who was being conducted
&c the library.
'tGoing?" he inquired.
eyes, " I answered, and passing on en-
crossed in bitter thoughts that over
V7helmed me, STROBE out into the park.
wandering aimlessly across the grass tc
where q we'll kept footpath wound away
among the trees. Taking it, needless OF
INV destination, I walked on mechani-
cally, regardless of the brilliant sunshine
and the songs of the birds, thinking only
of the unjust accusation against me, and
of my ina bility to clear myself. L saw
that the stigma upon me meant ruin,
both social and financial Branded as
& spy should be spurned by Ella, sneeTed
1T by Mrs. Laing, and avoided by Beck.
Friends who had trusted me would no
longer place any confidence in man who
had, according to their belief sold MS
country into the hands of her enemies,
while it was apparent from the Earl s
words that he had no further faith in my
words or actions.
Yet the only man who could have
cleared me, who could have oorrobornted
my statement as to how I spent my time
during my absence at lunch and shown
Strand nor visited she branch post Office
next to Exeter Hall, was dead. His lips
were forever sealed.
/ went forward, plunged deeply in
thought, until passing small gate LET'S
the park and found myself in Warnham
Churchyard. For a-moment stood on the
peaceful sDo6 where I had often stood
before, admiring the quaint old curch, with
its square, squat, Uncovered tower, its
siIded clock face, and its ancient doors
that, standing open, admitted air and
sunshine. Before me were the plain
white tombg OF the departed Earls, the
most recent being that in memory OF the
Countess, one of the leaders of London
society, who had died during her hus-
bands absence on his official duties;
while across the well-kept lawn stood a
Quaint old sun dial that had in silence
marked the time for century or So.
From within the church the organ
Wears daughter, pretty girl, still in
her teens, seated at the instrument prac-
Using.
Warnham was quiet Sussex village
unknown to the world odtside, unspoiled
by modern progress, untouched by the
hand Of the vandal. As presently passed
he lynch gate and sentered It's peaceful
gtreet it wore distinctly old.world air.
At thesend of the churohyard wall stood
the typical village blacksmith, brown
faced and brawny, swinging his hammer
with musical clang upon his anvil set
beneath great chestnut tree in full
bloom: further along stood the schools,
from the playground of which came the
Joyous sound of ohildre n's voices; and
across the road was the only inn. the
Sussex Arms, where on more than one
occasion I had spent an hour in the bare
and berry tap-room, chatting with the
garuleus village gossips, the burly land
lord, and his pleasant spouse. The air
was heavy with the scent of June roses
and the old-fashioned flowers growing
in cottage gardens, whilst the lilacs sent
forth a perfume that in my perturbed
state of mind brought me back to real
ization of my bitterness. Lilac was Ella
favorite scent, and it stirred within me
thoughts of her. low, wondered, had
she borne the news of Dudley's tragic
and mysterious end? How, wondered,
would she greet me when next we met?
Yet somehow distrusted her, and as
walked on through the village towards
the Ockley road, nodding mechanically
to man knew, I was seriously contem-
plating the advisability of never again
seeing her. But I loved her, and though
I strove to reason with myself that some
secret tie existed between her and Beck,
I found myself unable to break of my
engagements, for was held in her tolls
by the fascination Of her eyes.
For fully an hour Walkeo on, ascend
ing the hill swept by the fresh breeze
from the Channel, only turning back on
finding myself at the little hamlet at
Kipgsf61d In that walk tried to form
resoI utfons; to devise some means to re-
gain the confidence of the Earl, and to
conjecture the cause Of Dudley's death,
but all to no purpose. The blows that
had fallen in such swift succession had
paralysed me. I could not think, neither
could act.
Re-passing the Sussex Arms I TUNED
in, dusty and thirsty. In the bare tap
room, deserted at that hour, old Denman,
a tall. tight-trousered, splayfootsd, grey
haired man. who drove the village fly
and acted as ostler and handy-man about
the hostelry, was busy cleaning some