The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1903-05-26
THE WOMAN IN WHITE


after. II is impossible. on any other sup
| for her execution 10 a deed OF any kind
being wanted at all.
I'm the event Of Lady Glyde's signing
such document l am compelled 10
suppose the deed In question to be, her
! trustees would be at liberty to advance
money 10 Sir Percivai out Of her 10000
not he paid back. and IL Lady Clyde
should have children. their fortune viii
then be diminished by the sum. large or
small. so advanced. In palmer terms
still. the transaction. for anything that
Lady Clyde knows TO tho contrary. may
be fraud upon her unborn children.
"Cnder these circumstances. | would
recommend Lady Clyde TO assign as rea-
son for Withholding her signature that
she wishes the deed to be FIRST submitted
10 myself. as her family solicitor dn the
| absence Of my partner. Mr.. Gilmore) No
reasonable objection can he made TO TAX
| ing this course for. II the transaction Is
an honorable one. there Will necessarily
he no difficulty I'm giving my approval.
Sincerely assuring you of my readiness
to afford any additional help Or advice
that may he wanted. beg to remain.
madame. your faithful servant.
WILLIAM KYRLE"
read this kind and sensible letter
very thankfully. 1t supplied Laura with
a reason Tor pDJffllHB 10 the
which was unanswerable and which We
could both of us understand. The mes
senger waited near me while ] was read
ing TO receive his directions when | had
done.
"Wll you he good enough to say that
I understand the letter and that am
very much obligedr said. There Is no
other reply necessary at present"
EXACTLY at the moment when ] was
speaking those words. holding the letter
open In my hand. Count Fosco turned
the corner of the lane from the high
road, and stood before me as II he had
sprung up out OF the earth.
The suddenness OF his appearance. in
the very last place under heaven in which
/ should have expected TO see him. took
me completely by surprise. The messen-
ger wished me good-morning,T and got
Into the fly again. / could not say a
word to him-I vas not even aole 10 re-
turn his bow. The conviction that | was
discovered--aDd by that man. OF all 9th
ers--absolutely petrifed me.
"Al, you going hack 10 the house, Miss
IIalcombe?" he inquired. without show
ing the least surprise OH his sid ani
without even looking after the ny,wh'ch
dro"c off while he was speaking To me.
| collected myself sufficiently TO make
sign In the affirmative
II am going back too he said. pray
you. WIN you take my arm? You look
surprised Mt seeing mel"
took his arm. The first OF my scatter
cd senses that came back was the sense
that warned mo tn sacrifice anything
rather than make an enemy Of him.
You look surprised at seeing me- he
repeated. In his quietly pertinacious way
II thought. Count, I heard YOU with
your birds In the breakfast room" an
swered as quietly and firmly as ] could.
surely. But my little feathered chill
dren. dear lady. are only too like other
children They have their days of perver-
sity; and this morning was one Of them.
Ny wife came In as was putting them
back In their cage, and said she had loft
YOU going out alone for walk. You told
her SO. did YOU not?
"Certainly."
wen. Miss Halcombe. the pleasure OF
accompanying you was too great
temptation for me To resist At my age.
there is no harm I'm confessing so much
as that is there? | seized my hat, and
set of To offer myself as your escort.
Even so fat an old man as Fosco is sure
ly better than no escort at ALP ! took
the wrong path-I came back In despair
and here I am, arrived (may say it7) at
the height OF my wishes"
He talked on In this complimentary
strain. With a fuency which left me no
exertion TO make beyond the effort OF
maintaining my composure. He never re-
ferred in the most distant manner TO
what he had seen In the lane, or TO the
letter which / still had In my hand This
ominous discretion helped TO convince me
that he must have surprised, by the most
dishonorable means the secret OF my APP
plication. In Laura's interest, TO the law
yer. and that. having now assured him
self OF the private manner In which
had received the answer. he had discov-
cred enough to suit his purposes. and was
g...l. Ht,.. .tAs Il
cions which he kenw he must have
aroused In my mind. I was wise enough,
under these circumstances, not To at
tempt to deceive him by plausible ex-
plantations, and woman enough, notwith-
standing my dread OF him, to feel as II
nv hand was tainted by resting on his
arm.
on the drive I'm front OF the house wa
met the dog-cart being taken round to
the stables Sir Percival had just return
cd. lie came out to meet MS at the house
door. Whatever other results his Journey
might have had II had not ended I'm soft
ening his savage temper.
oh here arc two OF YOU como back"
he said with lowering face. What is
the meaning OF the house being deserted
I'm this way? Where Is Lady Clyde"
told him of the loss OF the brooch, and
said that Laura had gone into the planta-
tion 10 look for II.
Brooch or no brooch" he growled.
sulkily. II recommend her not 60 forget
her appointment I'm tho library this after
noon I shall expect To sec her I'm half an
hour"
| took my hand from the Counts arm,
and slowly asccndcd the steps. lie honor
cd mo with one Of his magnificent bows;
and then addressed himself gayly to the
scowline master Of the house.
Tell me. Percival." ne said. have YOU
had n pleasant drive? Aud has your
all tired?"
Brown Molly be hangcd-and the drive
too. want my lunch"
And 7 want five minutes talk with
YOU. Percival FIRST" returned the Count
five minutes talk. my friend, here on
the grass"
What about"
"Abont busiress that very much con-