Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1899-11-20
CHAPTER Ii.
The Confession.

he would have told me-
81 assure you, Lady Chandos, that it
is true. Captain Blake spoke to him
there, and Lady Evelyn saw him.
Madame Vanira was with him."
The speakers were Lady Chandos
and Lady Ilield; the place was the
drawing-room at Stoneland House; the
time was half past three in the after
noon; and Lady Ilfield had called on
her friend because the news which she
had heard preyed upon her mind and
she felt that she must reveal it. Like
all mischief-makers Lady Ilfield per-
.suaded herself that she was acting
uron conscientious motives; she her
self had no nonsensical ideas about
singers and actresses; they were quite
out Of her sphere, quite beneath her
notice, and no good, she was in the
habit of saying, ever came from asso-
ciating with them. She had met
Madame Vanira several times at Stone
land House, and had always felt an
noyed over it, but her idea was that a
singer, an actress, let her be beautiful
as a goddess and talented above all
other women, had no right to stand on
terms of any particular friendship
with Lord Chandos. Lady Ilfield per
.suaded herself it was her duty, her alb
asolute Christian duty, to let Lady
rChandOs know what was going on
She was quite sure of the truth OF what
she had to tell, and she chose beaut1-
full, sunshiny afternoon for telling II
She wore a look of the greatest impor-
tance-she seated herself quite close
to Lady Marion.
"My dear Lady Chandos," she said,
SCI have called on most unpleasant duty
I am cutie sure 1 ought to tell you, and
a really do not know how. People are
saying such things-you ought to
know them"
The fair, sweet face lost none of its
tranquility, none of it's calm. How
could she surmise that her heart was
ito be stabbed by this woman's words?
"The sayings of people trouble me
but little, Lady Ilfield,' she replied
with calm smile.
What 1 have to say concerns you,
would not tell you but that I consider
it my duty to do so. I told Lady Eve
lyn that she, who actually witnessed
the scene, ought to be the one to de
scribe it, but she absolutely refused;
unpleasant as the duty is, it has fallen
on me-"
"What duty? what scene?" asked
Lady Chandos, beginning to feel some
thing like alarm. eff you have any
thing to say, Lady Ilfield, anything to
tell me, pray speak out; am anxious
now to hear it,
Then indeed was Lady Ilfield in her
glory. She fastened to tell the story
How Captain and Lady Evelyn Blake
had gone with few friends for river
party, and ait Ousely had seen LORD
-Chandos with Madame Vanira, the
great queen Of song.
Lady Marion's sweet face colored
with indignation. She denied it en-
phatically; it was not true. She was
surprised that Lady Ilfield should re-
repeat such calumny.
''But, my dear Lady Chandos, it is
true I should not have repeated it il
there had been single chance of its
being a falsehood Lady Evelyn saw
the boat fastened to a tree, your nus
band and Madame Vanira sat on the
river bank, and when the captain
spoke to Lord Chandos he seemed
quite annoyed at being SEEM
Ecf, 60 Tla1 or
as she listened; the story seemed SO
improbable to her.
Lord Chandos, my husband, does
not know Madame Vanira half so well
as [ do" she said cit is I who like
her. nay, even love her. 1t is by my
invitation that madame has been to
my house. Lord Chandos was intro
,du3ed to her by accident. [ sought her
acquaintance. IF people had said she
had been out for a day on the river
with me there would have been some
sense in it,"
Lady Ilield smiled with the air of a
person possessed of superior knowl-
edge.
MY dear Lady Chandos," she said,
cit is time your eyes were opened; you
are about the only person in London
who does not know that Lord Chandos
is Madame Vaniras shadow"
Il do not believe it," was the indig-
nant reply. 81 would not believe it,
Lady nfeId, if all London swore it. -
Lady Ilfeld laughed, and the tinge
of contempt in that laugh made the
gentle heart beat with indignation.
She rose from her seat.
'I do not doubt" she said, chat you
came to tell me this with a good-na-
tured intention. I will give you credit
for that always, Lady Ilfeld, when l
remember this painful scene, but 1
have faith in my husband. Nothing
can shake it. And if the story you tell
be true, I am quite sure Lord Chandos
can give a good explanation of it..
Permit me to saw goOd-mOrning, Lady