The Saint Paul globe., 1899-02-19
someone passed behind her chair and bend
ing down, whispered
Your secret is safe with mel"
CHAPTER w.

Your secret is safe with mel"
CHAPTER ".
What do you think Of the Laroques, Odille
now that you have seen more of them?" said
Lady Lillian, breaking silence that had last
ed some minutes. The two girls were seated
on either side of the fire in Odilles bedroom in
dressing-gown and slippers, brushing their
hair and chatting-as girls delight to do. Il
am anxious to know your opinion"
Well can't say l much care for Madame
La1oque, though no one can deny that she
is still very handsome, and must have been
really beautiful. L don't like her STYLE"
Nor do 1. She is too f1ashy and artificial
But most of the Fashionable Frenchwomen
have seen are the same. They never look
really aristocratic, as we English understand
the word. But 1, da.e say she would pass
muster in Paris for G. gentlewoman.'
Perhaps Sc; but I doubt it," replied Odille,
as she combed out her long dark tresses. Il
have met few Frenc hwomen of good family,
and they were everything that is dignified
and refined"
You lived in France for time did you
not?"
Il spent the summer there with-with a
relative of mine several years ago.
Odille spoke quietly enough but something
unusual in her tone-a certain constraint and
embarrassment struck strangely on the ear
of Lady Lillian, had caused her to glance
enqulrlngly at her companion.
The 1atters face was, however hidden by
her long dark hair she had drawn across it
with comb; but it seemed to Lady Lillian
that the hand which held the comb trembled
She was on the point Of asking Odille, if she
were not well, but refrained, wondering, how
ever, within herself what she could have said
to affect or distress her in any way. Lady
Lillian, like her brother, had often been struck
by the broodng sadness of her companions
face, and had tried to guess the cause of it,
AS everyone knows, there is nothing more
inexplicable than the association of ideas, and
certainly there was no reason why at this
moment the idea should flash into Lady Lii
ian's mind, and became a conviction, that
Odilles melancholy was closely connected
with her visit to France. and that the mention
of it recalled memories of a painful nature
so painful indeed that she unable wholly
to hide her emotion. Meaning to change the
subject, and little suspecting that she was
only increasing her companions torture and
embarrassment, she said abruptly
Would you marry a foreigner-a German
or a Frenchman, if you liked him?'
Perhaps L might" replied Odile, with
deepening color. But 1 should look well be-
fore 1 leaped think, as rule such mar
well.'
so people say. But 1 can't see why the ex-
ceptions should be Judged by the rule. If
cared enough for any man to marry him 1
she uldn't care whether he was a Hindoo or
a Turk M
You might mind very much afterwards
when it was too late" laughed Odlle, throw
ing back her hair over her shoulders and
reminds me that unless I send you off to bed
at once, Lillian, we shall neither of US get
any beauty sleep. 1t is nearly midnight
so it it, replied the Earls sister. How
time does fly when one sits over the fire talk
ing" and, rising from her low seat, she bent
her head to kiss Odille, as she always did
night and morning.
The two girls were about the same height
but otherwise they afforded a striking con-
trast both in figure ano coloring-Lady Lii
ian being fair and slender and ethereal
locking as Odille was dark and splendidly
developed. lover of beauty would have
found it difficult TO decide which was the
more beautful-each being a perfect speci-.
meE of type.
A moment later Lady Lillian left the room,
looking like a picture in her pale blue satin
peignoir, with her long g1stenng golden
hair falling over her shoulders far below her
waist, and Odille in her crimson dressing
gown, remained ben1nd in front of the fire
leaning her elbow on the mantelpiece and
gazing into the dying embers, and as she
gazed, the shadow of gloom that so often
darkened her beautiful face stole over it once
more.
II wonder what can have brought him and
his mother to this-for a foreigner-out- of
the-way place? I know too much for him to
think that it can have been chance-he is not
the sort of man, and I should say his mother
was not the sort of woman to leave anything
to chance; neither do I put faith in the hunt
ing theory. 1 am convinced they came to
this neighborhood to be near as possible
to Roseraye, with definite object in their
minds.
Madame used to know the earl ten years
ago SO she must have felt that it would be
an easy matter to gain an entry to this
house. What can this object have been,
unless it-but no! that would be preposterous
l-horrble!" she shuddered-"and yet 1 cannot
bu. suspect such to be her purpose. He has
enough assurance for anything-he would
even dare to lift his eyes to her. Happily
there is no fear for her; she is so proud and
exclusive in her ideas; she merely sees in him