The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-05-12
CHAPTER XIV.

met with the first installment of expos
ure. / have told you what was done at
the church and what was our own be-
wilderment. not knowing what to br-Iieve
or how to explain things. For my own
part. though 1 might have guessed, be-
cause / had discovered the jealousy Of
Lady Anastasia. yet the truth, even the
possibility of the truth. never came into
my head. | had no manner of doubt in
ny own mind but it was Molly herself,
nd none other. whom / saw standing as
{; bride at the altar rails with Lord Fyl-
| ingdale for bridegroom The fact l say,
admitted of no dispute. Yet why should
Molly change her mind? And why should
she deny the fact?
l sought her at the house begged her
to come into the garden and to talk with
me privately. Then 1. asked those two
questions. Her answer TO both of them
was most amazing
Jack, she said, Il know not what you
mean / have not charged my mind 1t
| Is impossible for me to marry a man of
whom such things can be said unless he
| you think that | have changed my mind?
| As regards this talk about an early we'd
ding, what do | know about it? At 6
9 clock l was in the kitchen with my
| of the house at ALL
Then l persisted. L asked her If she
| could nave gone out and had perhaps for
| gotten
''Forgotteni" she repeated scornfulIy.
DO you suppose that woman could by
any possibility forget her own wedding?
But what is it, Jack? What is in your
mind?
Then L told her. Molly" / said, last
night forgot your letter There was so
| much to think and talk about with these
| l remembered. Then l hurried ashore. /
ran to the Crown. 1t was just upon 6. |
| was too late. His lordship had gone out
| in chair. ran to the church. 1t was
! just after s. The doors were open. l
! heard voices. ! went in, Molly. Do not
say that l am dreaming. / saw you-you.
| say-you yourself. with your pink silk
| cloak, the hood pulled over your head,
| domino to hide your face, just as had
| been arranged"
You saw me. Jack? You saw me? How
could you see me2' 1ff
And your hand was n Lord Flying
dale's. and Mr.. Purden was pronouncing
| the words which made you his wife
Whom God hath Joined together let no
ment
I'm my pink silk cloak? Jack. are you
| in your right mind, or is it | myself who
am gone distraught?"
Indeed | know not which
Did you speak to me? Did you con-
| graduate the bride, jack
NO: | was sick and sorry Molly.
went out of the church. / had seen
| enough. The clerk, however. has been
| telling the story of this private marriage
| The marriage is duly entered in the reg
| listers. 1t was a marriage by the arch
| bishops license. The man Purden may
| be all that the Wears letter exposed, but
| the marriage was in order"
Molly said nothing for a while: then
| she said gently: This letter from the
| bookseller. your cousin. spoke of Lord
| Fylingdale as ruined. If he were to marry
1 q n wi mn ha.
Il believe that there are sometimes let
ters-bills of lading or whatever they are
| called-which give the wife the control
| of her own property: otherwise everything
becomes her husbands
why did he wish to marry me? There
was never n CLEAN of love in his eye nor
| that he might get my money!"
That is. l am convinced. the reason"
''Villainy. villainy. vilIainyi Jack, this
is a conspiracy. Some woman has been
me as his wife and lay hands upon all
that L have"
mo, Molly; he shall not while you have
| friends
Friends cannot help where the law or
ders otherwise So much | know, jack
| Yet you can do one thing for me You
can protect me from the man He must
not take me away
IAN Lynn will fight for you"
Jack, | want more. l want all Lynn
| TO believe me. You have known me all
L
| of mind? Am | capable OF so monstrous
| a falsehood as to steal out to marry the
| man and then to declare that | have never
| left the house? Oh. the villain, the viii
| flashed.
| l seized her hand Molly" I cried.
| they shall all believe you. 1 will tell
| the truth everywhere
| Just then the garden door was thrown
open, and Sam SempIe appeared. With
smiling face and bending knee he adj
| vanced. bowling low.
Permit me to offer congratulations to
| the Countess of Fylingdale.''
Miller"
| perceived that, plot or no plot he had
no hand in IL.
Il am come" he said. from his lord
Il have nothing to do with his lord
ship"
| is some misunderstanding. | am sent by
| his lordship with his compliments to ask
when it will be convenient for the count
css 10 receive him.
You have been Informed. I suppose,
| that | was married TO him this morn
Certainly. my lady"
"Theii go back to Lord Fylingdale and
| tell him that he is villain and liar.
that ! have learned his true character.
| and that / am not married to him and
| that if he ventures to modest me my
| friends will protect me. Give him that
message, sir, word for word.
Il believe, SAM | said, for his discom-
| fiture and bewilderment made him reel
| and staGger. that you have no hand in
| this new viaainy. 1t was you, however,
| who brought that man TO Lynn, knowing
his true character and his antecedents.
| Let us never see your face here again.
| Col If / thought you were in the plot, l
would serve you again as the captain
served you three years ago.
| lie went away without another word.
Then the captain came home, his face
troubled. + l.-
Il know not" he said, i'what has hap
pened in this place. | have seen Lord Fly
| !ingdale. l told hims of the charges and
accusations. 30
We'll. did he deny them?'
"rfe denied nothing. and he admitted
| nothing. He says that you married him
| this morning. Molly L.
Il know. He has sept Sam Sempie
| here with the same story Cap>>.l. you
| believe me, do you uQt?'
believe you, Moly2 Why if | did not
| believe you, | should belieVe nothing. Be
| lieve your NJ dear. I-wouid as soon
| doubt the prayer book. He laid his hand
upon her arm. and the fears came into
| his eyes My dear. Il have been an old
| tool. But | did it for the best. He says
| that you are his wife: Let him come and
| take you If he cant
1T is not Molly that he would take; it
| is Mollys fortune.
why. sir" she said. eff he takes the
| whole and wastes and dissipates IL, So
l long as he does not take me, what does 1t
natter
Then the vicar came again. and the
| whole of the business had to be dis
| cussed again At FIRST he adhered to his
| theory of unconscious action, because
| scholar always likes to explain every
| theory by examples chosen from Latin
| ard Greek authors He had looked up
several more stories of the KIND from /
Il