Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1898-08-04

RANGES Neville, n2nQIng an open let
ter to her sister.
Lady Worthington read it in much
surprise.
Who would have thought of Dean
Collinson coming to the rescue. Ny
opinion Of him is raised. But they
might have managed to keep him in
England. This poor child. what a
heart-broken letter it is"
y suppose it is really good
thing" said Frances, signing. But
it does seem hard to send him to the
ends of the earth like that"
IF Henry could only have
found something for him; but he is so
very just, he would not hear of giving
Gaspard de Mabillon the chance of a
situation tial Julius Wright was set
tied. There was that capital secre-
taryship the other day, but he got
that for Mr.. FARMLAND, you know"
"They have been waiting q long
time" said Frances. 81 suppose it is
all right
"Of course; but still" and Lady
would have liked to help all the world,
in her own way.
Just then Sir Henry came in, not
too busy to listen to his wife's story
Il am sorry we are forestalled." he
said, kindly. "But it is a capital ap-
pointment for him, and Mr.. Seymour
is a very pleasant sort of man; I
met him at the deanery once, not so
very long ago"
"Ah, yes" said Lady Warrington
Il remember now, it was at that dull
dinner which they gave for some col
lonian bishop, while Mrs. Mortlake
was at Bournemouth. Mr.. Seymour
was the little, dark, talkative man
who tried so hard to put a little life
into us ALL"
Sir Henry smiled at this descrip-
ton.
He is a kind-hearted man, l
should think, and will be a good
friend to young De Mabillon."
But | do wish we could have
helped him, Henry; we have done
scarcely anything, and now that he
is going out of England there will
not be a chance"
Il will call on Mr.. Seymour, and see
if we can not be of some USE" said
Sir Henry. Perhaps I might take
his passage for him, it will be a
heavier expense than he can bear, l
should think
'Oh, that would be delightful -
cried Lady Worthington. Il dare say
the dean has not thought of it. 1t
would please Esperance, too. Poor
child, Claude's picture will not be
exaggerated now; I fancy her with
just such a look on her face I assure
you, Henry, I fairly cried over tina;
picture, when I saw it the other day
in the Academy"
Il hope you won't find it depress-
ing in the house." said Sir Henry,
laughing, for I bought it yesterday"
Really! oh, I am so glad. Claul lie
will be pleased that we should have
it; he was always very tender over
his :. riana.'
1T is one Of his finest pictures, in
my opinion" said Sir Henry, ''and it
has raised him immensely in the
public estimation, according to all &C
counts"
yes, every one is talking of it.
find it hard work sometimes not 10
tell the true story Of the real Mari
ana Well, I am very glad we
shall have it. Claude must dine with
us soon and we will consult him as to
the hanging; I suppose he will wish
it to be in the Hall at Worthington.
And thereupon Lady Worthington
became engrossed in another subject,
and did not revert again to the De
Mabillons. They were not forgotten,
however; the next morning Esper-
ance received one of Frances Neville's
most comforting letters, and Sir
Henry, in spite of busy day, found
time to call on Mr.. Seymour.
Meanwhile Gaspard, in his dreary
lodging at Pentonville, was looking
forward almost with Impotence to the
time when he should leave England,
To be freed from the life of almost
unbearable privation which he had
been living so long, to be working
for Esperance, seemed to him all
that heart could wish; and though
he did shrink from leaving her alone
in a strange country, this could not
mar his happiness, for he was full Of
plans for the future in which he was
to make a home for her in Ceylon,
and end her exile at the deanery-an
exile, the bitterness of which, after
ALL he little understood.
The practical difficulties of the pre-
sent were first suggested to him by
Esperance's reply to his letter, in
which she secuted his notion of get
ting on with no outfit, and told him
of her preparations. Then, when
brought face to face with money mat
tiers, he began to think of his passage,
and resorting to an old Bradshaw was
dismayed to find that at the lowest
computation it would cost him forty
pounds. Such a sum was, OF course,
utterly beyond his means, and for
one miserable day he gave himself
up TO despair. 1eL WndL cOulu HG uO
To ask help Of any one was out OF
the question. He had, indeed, been
reduced to actual begging once, but
that had been for Esperance, and un-
der the conviction that she would die
if he did not force himself to do it; il
this case she was not so greatly af-
fected, and for himself he could not
beg. What he had done for a year he
could go on with, he argued with
himself. The semi-starvation had