Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1899-08-10
CHAPTER XIII.

Inez, Lady Lynne, sat alone in her
sumptous boudoir on the day after
the Duchess of RuthwelI's ball. Her
husband and sister had begged her to
join them in drive but she de-
clared herself fatigued, and said that
nothing would restore her so quickly
as a few hours Of rest and solitude
They were unwilling to leave her, for
her illness of the previous evening
had alarmed them; but she asked to be
alone, and they could not refuse. She
wished to be alone, to collect her en-
ergies and thoughts, to meet this, the
crisis of her fate. Of all blows that
could possibly have fallen upon her.
this was the least anticipated the
most deadly; and yet, when she
thought it all over she wondered that
it had never struck her before. The
plot was so clumsy; yet at the time
she had not doubted it's truth. Even
when she discovered the husband
whom she believed dead to have been
false, treacherous, and decetful,-
when the traitor friend stood before
her, convicted by his own words,-no
shadow of doubt as to his death
crossed her mind. She hated herself
row for her credulity; a child would
have had more penetration and more
sense. But the crisis of her life was
come; the hour was at hand when she
must confront calmly and coldly, the
past and its secrets.
Women are always true to their in
stinct: although Lady Lynne believed
herself to be in deadly peril,-al-
though not only her happiness, but her
fair name, her love, her life itself,
were all at stake,-she did not care
the less for her toilette. 1t may be
that some thought of revenge actuated
her, and she meant Rinaldo to see
that the girl he had sighted and de-
ceived had grown into woman so
beautiful that the world lay at her
feet
She bathed her face until all trace
of her nights weeping disappeared.
In the rich tresses of her hair was
placed an exquisite white camellia,
fastened by a diamond arrow. A dress
of rich silk showed her noble, grace
full figure to advantage. Her face
was proud, cold, and infexible; her
rich red lips had no culver, her dark
southern eyes were bright and defiant,
her white jewelled fingers did not
tremble. There was not one single
sign of weakness in Lady Lynne.
Beautiful and dignified in her queenIy
magnificence she descended to her
boudoir. there to await what she knew
was inevitable, the coming of Count
Rinaldo.
All the spirit of her brave Spanish
race was awake within her He was
a brave man who would not quail be-
meath the light of her eyes and the
fire of her words. When she heard
the knock that told of his arrival, and
the footman announced his name, she
rose haughtily, and received him as a
queen would have done rebellious
subject.
He expected weak womanly tears;
but this magnificent naughty lady
whose proud face neither paled MOI
sOftened, whose eyes wore a look OF
unutterable contempt, took him by
surprise. For one moment, as she
looked calmly and coldly upon him
there came to her mind a vision of the
summer evening when she had frs
met him, of the orange grove where
he had asked her to be his wife, ant
the rapture of happiness that haC
thrilled her girlish heart. She sickenet
at the thought. He drew near her
and tried to take her and.
Il expected you. Count Rinaldo,
she said; "and yet l wondered if you
would dare to come"
Dare is strong word. my lady" h,
replied in Spanish, and the sount
of the words brought for one momen
deep flush to her face.
IF did not know that all word
are wasted when spoken to one s.
unprincipled," she said, with bite
scorn, Il might ask Count Rinald,
how it is that after the pathetic stor
of his illness and death, the grief o
his friends, the heartrending last mes
sages,' delivered with such sorrow, b
finds himself alive and in England
Answer me- she continued; 'eXplair
if you can, your cowardly, infamou
lie
She stood before him, proud and un
bending: the counts face fell as he
words shamed the manhood With
him.
Lie is not nice word" she cor
tinued, mockingly; land for a Ver
etian noble to tremble before a woma
and feel himself convicted liar is n