The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1903-09-11
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; A TERRIBLE Temptation {
BY
+ CHARLES READE <
IN N~~NCN
CHARLES READE
B Z.

painted on her contenance.
MY lady there's something wrong In
the hunting field
Sir Charesl'
AN accident. they say
Lady Bassett put her hand 10 her heart
with faint cry. Mary Wells ran 20 her.
Come with me Directly" cried Lady
Bassett. She snatched up her bonnet. ani
In another minute she and Mary Wells
were on their road 70 the village. aues-
4 toning everybody they met.
But nobody they questioned could tell
them anything. The table-boy, wao had
told the report in tie Kitchen OF Hunter
combe said he had II from gentlemans
groom, riding by as he stood at the
gates
The III news thus luns in at the gate
I by one passing rapidly put was not con-
Armed by any further report. and Lady
Bassett began TO hope that IL was false.
But terrible confirmation came at last.
In the outskirts OF the village mistress
and servant encountered sorrowfui pro-
cession: the cart itself followed By hve
gentlemen on horseback pacing slowly.
and downcast ns at funeral.
In the cart Sir Charles Bsssctt, splashed
ell over with mud. and his white waist
coat bloody. lay with his head upon Rich
ard Bassetts knee. His hair was wet
with blood, some OF which had trickled
down his check and dried. Even Rich
ards buckskins were slightly stained with
IL.
Al that sight Lady Basze,t uttered a
scream which those who heard IL never
forgot snd fung herself heaven knows
how. In the cart but she got there. and
soon had that bleeding head on her bosom.
She took no notice OF Richard Bassett'
but she got Sir Charles away from him,
and the cart took her, embracing hm ten.
derly. and kissing MS hurt head. ana
moaning over him, all through the VII
Four years ago they passed through the
same village I'm carriage -four--bells
pealing, rusucs shouung-to take possess
sion OF Huntercombe. and MI II with
| snIn 90 - .fr md
as they flashed past their heir-at-law
shrank hopelessly into his little cottage.
Now how changed the pageant--a farm
ers cart, spiashed and bleeding sense
less form in fl. supported by a childiess
despairing woman, one weeping attendant
walking at the side, and. among the gen
tlemen pacing slowly behind. the heir
at-law. with mis- head lowered in that de-
cent affectation OF regret which all hers
can put on 10 hide that indecent compla-
cency within.
CHAPTER XIV.
At the steps OF Huntercombe Hall the
servants streamed out. and relieved the
strangers OF the sorrowfu load. Sir
Charles was carried into the nall, ana
Richard Bassett turned away. with one
triumphant fash OF his eye, quickly sup
pressed. and walked with impenetrable
counterance and studied demesnor into
Highmore House.
mask. II peeled of by degrees he began
by telling his wife, gravely enough, Sir
Charles had met severe fall, and he
had attended 10 him and taken him home.
"Ah. am glad you did that. Richard. .
said Mrs. Bassett. And Is her very badly
hurt?"
Il am afraid he will hardly get over
IL. He never spoke. He just groaned
when they took him down from the cart
at Huntercombe.
Poor Lady Bassett."
"Ay, IT will be bad job for her. Jane!'
There is a providence in IT, The fall
would never have killed him. but his
head struck a tree upon the ground; and
that tree was one OF the very elms he
had Just cut down TO rob our boy"
Indeed"
Yes; he was telling the very hedgerow
timber, and this was one OF the old elms
in hedge. He must have done II out OF
spite. for elm-wood fetches no price II is
good for nothing know OF, except coffins.
Well. he has cut down his"
Poor man, Richard. death reconciles
enemies. Surely you can forgive him
now"
II mean TO try"
imbibed the spirit OF quicksilver. His oc-
cupations were not actually enlarged yet.
somehow OF other, he seemed full OF bust
ness. He was all complacent hustle about
Sir Charles. And indeed. " you are
one OF those weak spirits TO whom censure
Is intolerable. there is a cheap and easy
way 20 moderate the rancor Of detraction
you have only TO die. Let me comfort
genius in particular with this little re-
cipe.
Why, on one occasion. Bassett actually
snubbed Wheeler for a mere allusion.
That worthy Just happened to remark.
NO more Telling OF timber on Bassett
Manor for a while"
had his faults but he had his good quail
ties, too: high-spirited gentleman, be-
loved By his friends and respected by all
the county. His successor will hnd IL
hard to reconcile the county to his loss"
Wheeler stared and then grinned satir-
ically.
This eulogy was never repeated. for Sir
Charles proved ungrateful-he omitted 10
die. after all
Attended by lrst-rate physicians. ten
derly nursed and watched by Lady Bas-
sett and Mary Wells he got better by de-
grees; and every stage OF his slow but
hopeful progress was communicated to the
servants and the village, and 70 the ladies
and gentlemen who rode up. to the door
every day and left their cards Of inquiry.
The most attentive of all these was the
new rector. young clergyman. who had
obtained the living by exchange. He was
a man highly gifted both In body and
mind-a swarthy Adonis. whose large
dark eyes from the very first turned with
glowing admiration on the blond beauty
OF Lndy Bassett
lie came every day 10 inquire after her
husband; and she sometimes left the suf-
ferer minute or two to make her report
to him IN person. At other times Mary
soon discovered what had escaped her
mistress conversation.
The bulletins were favorable and well
coined on all sides.
Richard Bassett alone was incredulous
II want 10 sec him about again" said
he. Sir Charles II not the man 10 lie in
bed " he was really better. As for the
doctors. they fatter n fellow I'LL the last
moment Let me see him on hi. legs. and
then I'll believe he IL better"
strange to say. ohliging Fate granted
Richard Bassett this moderate Request,
One frosty. but sunny afternoon. as he
was Inspecting his coming domain from
The Heirs Tower" he saw the hall door
open and mufrled figure come slowly
down the sters between two women.
II was Sir Charles. feeble but GONZALES
cent. He crept about on the sunny
gravel for about ten minutes, and then
his nurses conveyed him tenderly in
agaip
This sight. which might have touched
with pity more generous nature. start
led Richard Bassctt and then moved his
bile. II was fool" said he: nothing
will ever kin the man. He Will see me
out: sec US all out. And that Mary
Wells nurses him and dare say H. In love