Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1899-02-25
CHAPTER XIX.

f1euCuuTu i'll lIuCettu utUTt WUb ~ "a
pertinent in calling on her, performed By
Farfrae with some apparent trepidation.
Conventionally speaking. he convefsed
with both Miss Templeman and her com.
panion; but, In fact, II was rather that
Elizabeth Jane sat invisible In the room.
Donald appeared not to see her at all,
and answered her wise, homely little re-
marks with CURLY Indifferent monosylla-
bles, his looks and faculties hanging on
the woman who could boast Of more
Portean variety in her phases, moods,
opinions and also principles, than could
Elizabeth. Lucetta had persisted In drag
ging her into the circle; but she had re.
manned like an awkward third point which
that circle would not touch.
Susan Hencbard's daughter bore up
against the frosty ache Of this treatment,
as she had borne up under worse things,
and contrived as soon as possible to get
out Of the inharmonious room without be.
Ing missed. The Scotchman seemed hard.
~ the same Farfrae who had danced with
her and walked with her In a delicate,
acrobatic balance between love and
friendship-that period In the history Of
love which alone II can be said to be
unalloyed with pain.
She stoically looked from her bedroom
window and contemplated her fate as II
Il were written on the top Of the church
tower hard by. "Yes," she said at last,
bringing down her palm upon the sill with
a pat; HE IL the second man Of that story
she told me-"
All this time Henchard's smoldering
sentiments toward Lucetta had been
famed into higher and higher inhamma.
ton by the circumstances Of the case. He
was discovering that the young woman,
for whom he once felt a plying wermth
Of gratitude. which had been almost chill.
ed out Of him by reflection, was, when
now qualified with slight inacccssibility
and more matured beauty, the very be.
Ing to make him satisfied with life. Day
after day proved to him, BY her silence,
that II was no use to think Of bringing
her round by holding aloof; 80 be gave In,
and called upon her again, Elizabeth Jane
being absent.
He crossed the room to her with heavy
tread Of some awkwardncss, his strong,
warm gaze upon her-like the sun beside
the moon in comparison with Farfrae's
modest look-and with something Of
hail.fellow bearing, a., indeed, was not
unnatural. But she seemed % transub-
stantiated By her change Of position, and
held out her hand to him In such cool
friendship. that be became deferential,
and sat down with perceptible loss pow.
er. He understood but little Of fashion In
dress, yet enough to feel himself made.
quate In appearance beside her whom he
had hitherto been dreaming Of % almost
his property. She said something very
polite about bis being good enough to call.
This caused him "a. recover balance. He
looked her oddly In the face, losing bic
awe.
"Why, Of course have called, Lucet.
ta," he said. "What does that nonsense
meant You know couldn't have helped
myself IL I had wished-that IL, II I had
any conscience at all. I've called to soy
that am resdy, - soon a. custom will
permit, to be publicly married to you"
1T II fully early yet" she said, evas.
lively.
"why. for . man and wife to talk to one
another like thisy'
I'VE are not man and wife," she an.
swered. firing quickly.
III going to the registry don't make 20
10, I should like to know what It does
make u.s."
Lucetta burst In passionately: "How
can you speak 20! Knowing that Il prov.
ed to be void by her coming back, and
that Il was entirely on your side thGt the
blame lay which put me In 20 awkward
position, you ought to allow me to look
at Il % ! choose. suffered enough at
that lonely, terrifying time after I was
sent back from joining you-n0t knowing
what was to happen to me. And II am
little independent now. surely the priv
ilcge 10 due to mev'
Eyes, II 10. Il was bad job for you"
he said repentantly. But perhaps you'll
have the Justice to own that was % In.
nocent a. youf"
Eyes, I believe you WERE" she said.
more calmly.
"Then let ~ be quick and lesaliss your
state BY going through the service again
a. soon 40 We can; and 30. In spite Of the
mishap the FIRST time, we shall wind up
well at last. II 10 very odd" he murmur.
| cd, that ], 10 little of q woman's man
% be, should 6nd It necessary to marry
two women twice over. Well. what do
you sayr'
For the Arst time In their acquaintance
Iucetta had the move; and yet she was
backward. "For the present let things
BE-" she said with some embarrassment.
"Tfeat me % an acquaintance; and Ill
treat you % one. Time will" she stop.
ped; and be said nothing to GIL the gap for
Q while, there being no pressure Of half
acquaintance to drive them into speech
II they were not minded for Il.
"That's the way the wind blows, 10 itf'
he said at last, grimly, nodding an af.
frmative to bis own thoughts.
A yellow food Of reflected sunlight al.
ed the room for few instants. Il was
produced by the passing Of load Of new.
" trussed hay from the country In new
wagon marked with Farfrae's name. Be-
side Il rode Farfras himself. Lucetta'G
face became-as Q wOman's face becomes
when the man she loves rises upon hey
case like On apparition.
A turn q the eye BY Henchard. glance
from the window. and the secret Of hel
inaccessibllity would have been revealed
But Henchard In estimating her tone was
looking down 70 plumb.straight that b
did not note the warm consciousness upon
Lucetta's face.
~ shouldn't have thought it, shouldn't
have thought II OF womapv' he said. en-
phatically, BY and by. rising and shaking
himself into activity; while Lucetta was
20 anxious to divert him from any sus'
picion Of the truth that she asked him "a
be In NO hurry.
He had hardly gone down the staircase
when she dropped upon the sofa. and
jumped up again In q ct Of desperation,
II will love him!" she cried. passiOnately
"as for him-he's hot.tempered and stern
| and Il would be madness to bind myself