The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-02-26
CHAPTER VIII.
My Lady Schemes.

My Lady Schemes.
Lady Tudor sat alone in her boudoir, with
cloud upon her beautiful face.
! 1t was nearly week since her Cousin Basil
first came to Tudor House, and in another
week he would leave Devonshire.
The opportunity on which she had built so
many hopes was slipping away, and, far
she coulr see not the faintest prospect that
! those hopes would be fulfilled.
| Sir Basil was all that was kind and friendly
all that was cousinly, too, since she would
have it so-but assuredly he showed no signs
of wish to enter upon a tenderer relation
ship
The love with which he had loved her years
ago seemed dead-quite dead.
In proportion as her object grew more
difficult, Lady Tudor set her heart more and
more passionately on it's attainment.
Ii she mad ever loved human being be-
yond herself, she loved her Cousin Basil.
She had loved him even when she refused
his suit
| Had he possessed then the wealth which
came to him afterwards, she would gladly
have become his wife, and even as it was,
her middle-aged husband would have had
just cause for anger if he could have known
how fondly, during their brief married life
her thoughts chung to the frank-faced, hand
some young cousin whom she had refused in
! order that she might be free to sell herself
! to Sir Robert.
| Wealth had seemed the ultima Thule of
human good to Isobel Mostyn in those days.
but now that she possessed it, the flavor of
! Dead Sea fruit was in her mouth, and she
sighed for nothing so much as love.
Again and again she looked at her own fair
image in the glass, and asked herself why it
was Sir Basil was so cold to her
| Assuredly her beauty was undimmed
Time had placed no mark on that; and he
had loved her once.
How was it he did not respond to her soft
WoOing now?
She had made diligent secret inquiries con-
corning him, and knew he was unfettered by
any matrimonial engagement.
| He still free to be Won and she was
resolved that she would win him.
| Sometimes, when she thought of Nora
Drummond, pang of jealous fear assailed
! her.
The girl was certainly very beautiful and
with kind of beauty that men are prone to
admire-even my lady admitted that.
But she had really no reason to suppose
Sir Basil cared for her-no reason save the
fact that his eyes had rested on her with a
very kindly gaze that morning when he met
fher with her pupil, and that he was not al
ways quite master of his countenance when
her name was MENTIONED
+ She had deemed it wise to make him think
Nora was engaged, and hence had promptly
coined that story about the lover in America
She did not trouble herself with fears lest
the falseness of this story should be dis
covered.
| If only she could induce Sir Basil to renew
that offer Of marriage she had once refused
it would not be discovered until the time was
past for it to work her any mischief; and
| then, it was always easy to aScribe a thing
of that sort to a mistake.
She had only to insist upon it that she had
heard the story from someone, and had, of
course, believed it.
But now, as she sat alone in her dainty
bou6oir, with that look of anxious thought
on her white brow, my lady was telling her
self that it was all of no to guard Sir
Basil against the possible Vaccinations OF
other women unless she could so contrive it
that he might fall victim to her own.
Something must be done, and that quickly,
or Sir Basil would leave Devonshire, and the
golden opportunity for which she had yearn-
ed and waited would be lost
Something in her heart warned her that, if
it were lost now, it would be lost forever
She rose from her chair, and began to pace
up and down the room in her excitement
Suddenly a carmine spot glowed on her
cheek, her eye sparkled with excitement like
a bright-blue gem.
A thought had crossed her mind-a cum
ming, daring thought-one that made her
heart leap like mad thing.
IF could do that!'' she painted ooh, if
I could do it! He is the soul of honor. Yes,
do believe should win him them"
Nora was sitting in the school-room. cor
recting little Laura's French exercises after
tea, when the door opened to admit Lady
Tudor radiant in dinner-gown of delicate
rose-color, with trimmings of costly lace
My lady looked her best, and knew it,
There kind of suppressed triumph
in her eye, as though she were challenging
her rival to show face and form more fair
than hers.
Her voice, however, all sweetness as
she said
Miss Drummond, I should be so much
obliged if you would come down to the draw
ing-room this evening, and favor us with a
little music. Sir Basil will be here and
am sure he would enjoy it. You sing SO ex-
tremely well, you know.
Nora murmured a courteous word or two
of compliance; and my lady after a few most
graciously complimentary observations as to
Laura's progress in her lessons, trailed her