The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-05-05
The Lady Of Lynn.
By
Copyrighted 1900 by Sir walter Besant)
By SIR WALTER BESANT.

u y
Alas. they were cold and hard. There
was no softening influence of love visible
in those eyes-Only resolution ana pur-
pose. His eyes were as cold as his fore
head and as hard his lips. Poor Molly
Poor countess,
is it not, my lord" she asked "a mere
passing fancy? You will be tired of mt
in a month. You will regret that YOU die
not choose, rather. among the fine ladies
who speak your language and follow your
manners"
Molly. | am a man who does not en-
courage idle fancies and passing loves
You Will find no change in me. As l am
now SO l shall be always"
She shivered. The prospect made hei
feel cold.
Then, my lord she said, II have moth.
ing more TO say. ! shall not do justice to
your rank, nor shall bring to your house
the dignity which you deserve. Such as
| am. take me, If YOU will; or let me go
if you will.
Can you doubt Molly? 1 will take
you. He hesitated; he took her hand
again; he stopped and kissed her fore
| head. There was no passion in his kiss,
no tenderness in his touch, no emotion in
his voice. Such as he was then such he
would always be, and, though the door
was closed, Molly seemed to hear again
| the voice of her mother murmuring, But
| only thou. o Cod
| Her lover drew the captains armchair
! and placed It at the open window. which
| looked out into the garden, then filed
! with flowers, fragrant and beautiful and
! illelouious WITH the humming or many
Sit down. Molly. and let us talk
He did not sit down: he stood before
her; he walked about the room; ne played
| with the gold tassels of his sword.
molly. since we are to be married. we
must be married at once
am your lordship's servant"
As soon as possible. Are you ready?"
Ready? suppose / could be ready in
a month or six weeks"
Why. what is there to dor
Il have to get things-dresses, house
linen, all kinds of things"
My dear. you are not going to marry
a cit Everything that YOU want you can
buy. There are plenty of shops You
wardrobe, your fine things and your CON-
mon things and your Jewels. You must
not forget your Jewels"
L thonght that brides were always pro-
vided with things for the house but If
your lordship has already the linen and
the napery-"
Good gracious, How should I know
what l have? The thing is that you will
need nothing
Where will you take me?"
II think, first of all, to my house in
Worcestershire. 1t is not fully furnished.
The late possessor, my cousin whom /
succeeded was. unfortunately a gambler
he had to cut down his woods and sell
them. He even had to sell his furniture
and pictures. But | can soon put the
house in order fit for your reception" 1t
was ne himself and not his predecessor
WHO Hdu sofa these Things 1t IL is not
so fine at first as you would wish, we can
soon make II worthy of you
have often wondered what he intended
to do with his bride If things had gone
differently. / am now of opinion that he
intended to take her TO this great country
house, which. as have understood stands
in secluded part of the country. with no
near neighbors and no town within reach
and that he intended to leave her Their,
while he himself went up TO London to
resume the old gaming and raking which
ne desired SO much. although they had
been his ruin. Fate, however, prevented
this design.
IF you desire my happiness, my
lord
/ should desire?''
You will take me to that country place
and live there. l fear the world OF fash
ion, and 4 have no wish to live in London
l have learned from the Lady Anastasia
how the great ladies pass their time"
veiytbing shall be as YOU wish, Molly
everything. believe me.
He then. by way of Illustrating this as
surance, proposed thing which he him
self wished.
We must be married Immediately.
Molly, because | am called away by af-
fairs OF importance to Gloucestershire. /
ought to leave this place not later than
Saturday. The day was Thursday.
Saturday? We must be married on Sat
.urday?"
Sooner than Saturday. Tomorrow.
That Will give us tirIsS enough to make
what little preparations may be neces-
sary-''
Tomorrow! But we cannot be married
so soon"
Everything is prepared ! have the H.
cense. We can be married tomorrow"
oh" II was all she could say.
There is another thing. Your guardian
would like to make public ceremony of
the wedding. He would hang the town
with hags and ring the bells and summon
the band of marrow-bones and c!eavers
while all the world looked on"
Yes. He is so proud of the marriage
that he would like to celebrate it
And you. Moly2''
should like to be married with no one
TO look on and no one to know anything
about it until it was all over"
Why then. Molly-then we are agreed
i was in great fear that YOU would not
think with me. My dear. If there is one /
thing which abhor it is the public cere-
ment with which a wedding is accomna-
nled we DO not want the town to be all !
asoS- we do not want to set all tongues |
@agslhG, nor do we want to be show |
with a grand triumphal arch and a feast |
to last three days afterward.7
can we be private, them"
Certainly. / can arrange everything
Now Molly. my plan is this: We will De |
married privately in St Nicholas Church |
at b IN the morning. before the COMPANY |
are out of their beds. No one will see ms |
After the marriage you will come back |
mere i VIII return with you, and we will |
then inform the captain and your mother |
OF the joyful news. Believe me when |
they come to think it over, they will be I
reJoiced to be spared the trouble and the |
preparation for a wedding feast"
But l cannot deceive the captain"
There is no deception. He has agreed |
10 the match; he knows that Won have
agreed. There Is one consideration Molly
"mch makes private marriage neces-
sary. | could not consent TO a public we'd
ling or to "A wedding feast. because my
rank forbids IL would be impossible for |
me TO invite any person of my own posi-
ion TO such feast, and it would be i'm
possible Tor me TO sit down with those
no doubt and honest
whom the captain would certainly wish To
invite $500 ~
This was certainly reasonable and GER
AMY true. Rank must be respected and
4 noble earl cannot sit down to feast with
he like.
.;,,rhen IT shall be as your iordship
plca5es..
BE at the church at G." he said. ''I will
provide everything and see that every
hing Is ready for YOU Do not be recog-
IAN wear a domino with the pink silk
'loak which you wore the other night at
he assembly. Then l shall recognize Won |
70 one else. Molly, need be considered.
aye you sure that you understand" /
Yes she sighed; II understand
Then. Molly He bowed low and
Without Offering TO kiss her, this wonder
ul lover left his mistress and was carried
home in his chair.
CHAPTER Y
THE SOCIETY" AGAIN
Inc society continued to meet. but
rresuiarly, during this period of excite
heht when everybody was busy making
money out OF the company or foinIns,