, 1899-01-06
BIT over thv Sorrow of your
nj so pleased" he said. Lady

a beautiful little son, SO that
[ have a brother now, and l mean to love
him with all my heart"
Like wildfre the welcome news flew
over the neighborhood. Lady Beatrice
Selwyn had a little son She had care
fully refrained from even saying one
word, and people were taken by surprise.
No one was more pleased than Rupert,
the heir of Selwyn.
Lord Selwyn was very pleased. He
was fond of children; he liked the music
of their pretty laughter, the innocent pratt
tie. the amusing ways. 1t was a delight
to him to think that once more he should
hold a baby boy in his arms, once more
teach baby lips to speak. And If he was
pleased and proud, what was the happy
mother? She had not the tenderness that
distinguished Violante: her heart did not
overflow with love for the helpless, inno-
cent child in her arms. But she was
proud of him, fond of him, In her stately
way. There was one dra wback. This
beautiful boy, so strong, SO healthy, her
W son, war not heir Of Selwyn. He
had no proud rank to sustain, no grand
position to hold In the world; for him there
was no title, no estate; he would never be
anything save a younger son, with a small
income, and the thought of 1t was gall and
wormwood to Lady Beatrice.
She was difficult to please In selecting a
name for her child. She chose Lancelot,
after much consideration. Lord Lancelot
Selwyn, in olden days, had won great
fame as a warrior, and had made his
name famous through all the land.
Envy is a weak word to describe the
-. - z...ou ooI N urinn bittar hnttoH
that filled the heart of Lady Beatrice for
the heir of Selwyn. Her own boy was a
beautiful child, fair of face, noble and
generous of disposition; slightly inclined
TO be ~tyrannical and imperious, yet loving
and gentle when his little fits of anger
were over. He resembled his father even
more than Rupert did.
THE pity of it." as my lady often said,
that he, descended from a noble line on
his mothers side, as well as his fathers;
that he, who resembled so closely the
master of Selwyn, should not be its heir
She detested this interloper, this grand
son of a country attorney, this son of a
plebeian mother. She hated him with all
the seorn of a passionate, proud soul.
Had little Lance never been born she
would have tolerated Rupert; but, side by
Side WIN nef love TOT ner own cnllu, grew
her intense and angry hate for him. She
was obliged most carefully to conceal it
Lord Selwyn would never lave permitted
from any one living the least unkindness
to Niolante's son.
No one knew better how to infict q
wound than Lady Beatrice Selwyn. Sht
had a way of speaking to him-a quiei
sarcasm, a killing contempt-that stabbed
the boy; yet careful was she that there
was no word ever passed her lips thar
could be repeated to his father.
She made his home SO uncomfortable
that he went oftener than ever to the cot
tage. Lord Selwyn just at that time was
busily engaged in some political business
and was very often from home. Lady
Beatrice cared little where the boy spep
his time, provided it was not with her
So, when his days lessons were over
Rupert would mount his pony and gallon
away. He never tried to explain, even t.
himself, the attraction that took ain t.