Evening star., 1901-04-27
CHAPTER XIII.
In the Long Gallery.

In the Long Gallery.
The man with whom the fighters and the
hnubters We're concerned was thinking very
little about his champions or his enemies,
M fresh whispers of danger had come to
Harry Tristram's ears. He knew nothing
Qf Nevld and could not think of that quiet
old gentleman as possible menace to his
secret: he trusted Nina Zabriska and
lied on the influence which he had proved
himself To possess over her; he did not be-
iieve that Dupay would stick TO his game,
and was not afraid of him if he did. The
engagement was accomplished: the big
check. ar the prospect of it, lay ready to
his hand No voice was raised, muir
: mvr was heard, against the right of the
rev Lord 'rrist ram of Blent. The object Of
all those long preparations, which had oc-
r'pied his mother and himself for so many
lrars. achieved. He sat in Addie Iris
lram's place. and none said him nay.
Ills mind was not much on these matters
at all. Even his engagement occupied him
v~ry little. Janie's letter had arrived and
lJd been read. 1t came at midday, and the
',-nins found il still unacknowledged. 1t
lfl broken in from outside, as it were. in
trudinG like something foreign into the life
that he had begun to live on the evening
i--fure Addir Tristram was buried; the
evening when for an instant he had thought
b.. her phantom by the pool: life
fIreShddDwed by the new mood which Nina
had noticed in him while Lady Tristram
sim lived, Dut brought into reality by the
presence of another. He had struggled
against il. saying that the Monday morning
would see an end of this unlOoked-for epi
SDde Of feeling and of Companionship. Ac-
cldent stepped in; Gainsborough lay in bed
with chill and could not move. Harry
aCquieSCed In the necessity of his remain
ing. not exactly with pleasure; rather with
"a sens, that something had begun to hap
pen. not by his will, but affecting him
deeply.
Addie Tristram's death had moved him
strangely, then came that hardly natural.
errly fascinating remintscence-no. 1t was
NOR than that-that re-embodiment or
resurrection Of her in the girl who moved
and talked and sat like her, who had her
ways. though not her face. her eyes set in
another frame. her voice renewed in youth
1ul richness. the very turns of her head,
even her old trick of sticking out her foot.
IT. Sr1wIcd sometimes, he surprised
iI.t" laughter sometimes: at another mo-
TT~rJ H. would rebel against the malicious
power that seemed TO be having d joke
WITH him, for The most part he looked and
I.rll-J AMI looked. unwilling to miss a sin
81 rt.-. nj the characteristic touches which
lad been Addie TristramS s belongings. and
,hich H. had never expected to see again
.tt,-r her spirit had passed away. And
H.. outcome. OF all his looking was still
IT, Stn. AS the effect of his first impress
SON or tho -vening before the fuueraI-a
S>rt of despair \ thing was there which
H.. tllI Not hUpH how 70 deal With
Md she happy. So ibSur1ly
happy She had soon found that he ex-
I,-cr.d AGO conventional soIemnity; he
laughed himself at the idea of Addie
~Tri-tr.tul wanting people to pull long faces
'sI.d keep them long when pulled, because
-. had Raid her burden down and was at
f,..a,e Cecily found she might be merry.
;,ud merry she was new life had come
l. hrr too. q life Of river and trees and
meadows; deeper than that. life of
l,-autv about her She absorbed it with
- native thirst There was plenty of it.
a.sd she had been starved long. She
lied ON Hlent and enjoyed it to the full.
Sne "uJ 'yed Harry, too. laughing
hen n" stared at her. and making him
stUGh. yct herself noting all his ways, his
prid" his little lordlineSSeS-the grew dear
tu hrr-hiS air of owning the country side
and making no secret of her own pleasure
III beiuG, part of the family. and i'll living
i'll th- house that owned the country side.
Ii II - he feared that Mr.. Gainsborough
and his chill We're rather neglected but
hr got ON very well with Addie Tristrams
ancient maid she had the nobility at her
.ugers ends. and even knew something
about their pedigrees. Cecily was free or
assumed the freedom, To spend her time
with Harry, OF, IL he failed her, at least
With and among the things that belonged
I" him and had belonged to beautiful Ad-
di- Tristram. who had been like her-so
Harry said. and Cecily treasured the
thought. teasing him now sometimes. as
they grew intimate, with a purposed repe-
frtiun of II pose or trick that she had first
displayed unconsCiously, and found had
power to make him froWn smile. She
smiled herself in mischievous triumph
when she hit her mark, or she would
t'"ak into the rich gurgle of delight that
i remembered hearing from his young
mother when ne himself was a child. The
III Mas 10 her all pure delight; she had no
SrtT" IN The thoughts that often darkened
MS brow. 10 knowledge of the thing which
'asdin and again filled him with that Won
d"ring despair.
On the evening OF the day when Major
DGplay Went 20 FairhOlme the two sat to-
SFther III the garden after dinner 1t was
g. O'Clock, close, still night, with dark
clouds now and then slowly moving off and
on to the face Of the moon nearly fun.
They had been silent for some minutes
Slipping coffee. Cecily pointed to the row
Of windows in the left wing of the house
Il We never been there, 80 she said What's
shat
The long gallery-au one long room, YOU
Know. he answered.
One room, All that, What's in it?''
W ell, everything. mostly he smiled
- All our treasures, and our pictures. ana
So on
Why haven't you taken me there?'
Harry shrugged his shoulders You
never asked me- he said
Well. Will you take me there now
when you've finished your cigar?"
There was pause before he answered
Yes. If you like" He turned to the sery-
ant VINO had come to take away the coffee
Light up the long gallery at once"
Yes. my lord" A slight surprise broke
through the respectful acceptance Of the
Older.
at was lighted last for my mother
months ago., Harry said as though he