The Wichita daily eagle., 1898-02-19
Maruska, a Modern incident.
Tale from Blackwood's Magazine. In

|
Saxon Marshes, suddenly breaking across
Lord Bulverhythe's question, have you
heard of our poor dear bishops illness?'
.'Illness?'' said Mrs. Pierrepont, turning
quickly away from her Old Friend, her
voice kindling with that hieropathetic
| affection of which the female spirit is the
seat and the ministers OF religion the OBJ
| jects''-'i illness, no, have not heard OF
it, What is the matter? Nothing serious,
L hope?"
His Lordshfp," pursued the aTchdea-
| con, taking no notice of this interruption
stood, positively exposed to the rain, for
over twenty
"Oh, Lordr' muttered the Old Friend to
himself, Il see his venerableness is in no
way changed. If once we get on TO the
bishop and his maladies, we are lost.
Positively, 1 believe the archdeacon
can te. all his bones! l suppose, MIS-.
Jierrepcnt," he went N loudly. drowning
without mercy monOlogUe composed Of
episcopal catarrp, you find all your
young men friends go drwn like nine
pins before the princess's charms. 1t
seems to me. however, that her neigh
Dor Geoff Dallis is, at any rate at present,
a nine-pin firm on its legs, for he pays
hardly any attention to the princess; all
y
little cousins ear. And no wonder, for
what pretty girl little Lady Molly has
grown into-a perfect English beauty, so
fresh and whOlesome-looking, just like
clean little dewdrop. Evidently I am
not the only person who thinks so. Mas
ter Geoff has so many interesting things
to say to her. that he is obliged 20 look
very often and very long into those lovely
blue eyes of hers.
'Ah!' said Mrs. Pierrepont, softly, you
have then heard of it. Yes there can
be no mistake, I think,-but at present
congratulations would be premature.
Nothing, 1 am sure, is settled, and yet
why there should be any delay I do not
know. GeOffrey behaves as if he were
deeply in love, and 1 should say little Mol
ly certainly does not dislike him. All last
season in town he haunted her footsteps,
and here they are constantly together.
Still, 1 feel pretty sure Godfrey has not
asked her yet. My opinion is, that for
once in his life he has turned shy and
timid. He is SO much in love that he is
positively afraid of risl1ing his all"
PITY the sorrows of a timid nervous
Dallas! Cad! 1 should say that if it is
come TO this, Geoff is in a desperate bad
way. But, Mrs. Pierrepont. surely you
are going to finish your Russian story
Don't go yet"
Il have not time to finish it now How
ever, the young people will be dancing this
evening in the oak parlor, so if you like
to come and sit beside me there for a
little. you shall hear the end. Now 1 have
caught the august eye, and must be off"
BY and by dancing began briskly in the
oak parlor. The Old Friend strolled in,
cd
Mrs. PierrepOnts side
Now, go on he said seating himself
in comfortable chair and preparing both
to look and to listen. Was it in Peters
burg that you met Princess Alexis?"
In Petersburg! oh, dear, no." Mrs.
Pierrepont answered. "Maruska never
would go to Petersburg, which was an
additional cause of offence to her father
ln-law and his family. OF course, as his
sons widow and bearer of his name, he
felt obliged to support her in the position
TO Which her marriage entitled her He
had her brought to Alexandroysky, and
intended, of course, to take her to the
capital for the winter with the rest of
his family. But just as she had been
with Alexis so she was with the old prince
on this subject-immovably obstinate She
refused to leave the country during win
ter, and would give no other reason than
her old foolish one L could not live shut
up in walls, and l must rest during the
winter As nothing moved her from this
determination, the Oustreloffs were COM
PEELED to yield, and they came to Peters
burg, leaving Maruska to the gloom and
solitude of Alexandrovsky, with few
servants TO take care of her and it. In
summer, as usual, they prepared TO return
to the country, and the old prince begged
me to go with them on visit which l
was very glad to do, as l wanted to see
something of Russian country life
4 remember so well the evening we ar
rived at the castle. We had had a long,
firing journey. humping and joting over
the worst roads l have ever felt, in great
heavy coaches, attended by a perfect ret
inue of servants of all conditions. The
sun was beginning to set as we turned in
through a great hammered-iron gateway,
and the dreary-looking castle came into
view at the end of the drive, which wound
along by the banks of a stream. Such
lovely, shining stream it was, reminding
me of many a Scotch burn 1 had seen In
the old days. \ tall slender girl was
sauntering along, close by the edge of the
water, dressed in green clothes. She did
not stop or turn her head, as our heavy
procession OF carriages rolled by; but 1
knew at once from the profound saluta-
tiOns of the servants, and also from the
sudden look of disgust on Prince Oustre-
lofts face, that 1t was his despised daugh-
ter-in-law past whom we were thunder
ing.
"As you may imagine. I had come full
of prejudices against her. l fancied she
would be a bold. hardy mOujik beauty
who, having inveigled poor young Alexis
into a hasty marriage. had behaved with
shameful heartlessness after his tragic
death, and now took upon herself to be
full of obstinate fancies. giving thereby
cause for veXation to the family into
which she had thrust herself. You, who
can look at MarUska while l tell you this
story, can imagine my shock Of surprise
as l looked back and saw her that sum-
mer evening-taIl, delicately formed. fraE-
ile.-the evening sun behind her lighting
up her wonderful hair. which seemed to
flow round her in golden-brown waves,
something like the stream that flowed at
her feet. Her lap was full of Waterfowl
ers, and she was singing TO herself as
she walked. I sat struck dumb with
amazement and admiration. asking my
self with a sort Of stupid wonder. Could
this radiant. exquisite creature be OF the
same race Of beings as myself and belong
70 the same world? I am, l know, a mod
erately gOod-looking, well-preserved En-
glishwoman; but as I stared at Maruska
that evening, and then conjUred up my
own image, dirty, rusty. arrayed in my
serviCeable brown beige gown. cIasp!ng
the umbrella Of my nation with no uncer-
tain hold-when I recalled the row OF
Oustrelon faces. which 1 had studied and