The San Francisco call., 1904-12-25
CHAPTER XVIII.
To Life and Light Again.

TO put Mindean into an unwonted stir
Everybody was very excited about the
event and very sympathetic. Kate
Raymore had come TO the front; not
even preoccupation with Charley could
prevent q marriage from interesting
her. She had given much counsel and
had exerted herself t0 eject a recon
ciliation between the bride and Jeremy
Chiddingfcrd. Into this diplomatic ef-
fort Sibylla also had been drawn. and
peace had been signed at a tea party.
With the help Of ChTistine's accom-
plished manner and Grantley's tactful
composure il had beer found possible
to treat the whole episode as boy
and-girl affair which could be laughed
at and thus dismissed into oblivion
The two principals could not take quite
this view; but they consented to be
friends, TO wish each other well. and
10 say nothing about the underlying
contempt which each could not but
entertain for the others fckleness. For
Jeremy would have been faithful if
Dora had been. and Dora could not
perceive how the fact of her having
made a mistake as to her own feelings
explained the extraordinary rapidity
with which Jeremy had been able to
transfer an affection prOfessedly so
lasting and so deep. Christine warned
her that all men were like that-except
Mr.. Mallam; and Grantley told Jeremy
that Dora was fiighty. as all girls were
except Eva RaymC-e. So peace,
though not very cordial peace, was OBJ
tained, the satirical remarks which the
parties felt entitled TO make privately
not appearing on the face of the for
nal proceedings.
Important though these matters
might be they were nct in Sibylla's
mind as she stood at the end of the
garden and looked down on Old Mill
House. Twenty-four hours before Mrs.
Mumples had started on her journey.
Sibylla. Eva and Jeremy had escorted
her to Fairhaven. The fat old woman
was very apprehensive and tremulous;
anxious about her looks and the MT
OF her new silk gown: fun of question
ings about the meeting to which she
went. II was Impossible not TO smile
ccyertly at some Of these manifesto
tions, but over them all shone the
beauty cf the love which had sustained
her through the years. Sibylla prayed
that now il might hay- its reward,
half wondering that il had lived TO
claim it-had lived 50 long in solitude
and uncontrolled. II had never des-
paired. however long the waiting, how
ever much it was starved OF all salts
faction. bereft Of all pleasure, con-
den1ned 10 seeming uselessness, even
unwelcomed, as he well might fear
These things had brought pain and
fear, but not despair nor death. Yet
Mrs. Mumple was not by nature pa
tient woman: naturally she craved a
full return for what she gave. and an
ardent answer TO the warmth OF her
affection. None the less she had not
despaired; and as Sibyila thought OF
this she accused herself because, un-
like the old woman she had allowed
herself 10 despaiT-nay, had been ready,
almost eager. to do it. had twisted
everything into a justification for it.
had made no protest against it and no
effort 10 avoid il. That mood had led
TO ruin; at last she saw that it would
have been ruin. Was there now hope?
IL was difficult to go back, to retrace
the steps so confidently taken, TO real
ize that she, too. had been wrong
Yet what else was the lesson? 1t
came 10 her in one form or another
from every side-from the Courtlands.
where death alone had been strong
enough 10 thwart the evil fate: from
the RaymOres, where trust, bruised,
but not broken. had redeemed a boys
life from evil TO good; even from Chris
tire, who waited in secret hope; above
al, from the quarter whence she had
least looked for it-frem Grantley him
self. for whom no effort was too great,
who never lost confidence. who had in
deed lacked understanding, but had
never lacked coura ge: who now, with
eyes opened and at her bidding, was
enceaVoTing the hardest thing a man
can do-was trying to change himself
10 look at himself with an0ther's eyes,
TO remodel himself by a new standard.
to count as faults what he had cher
ished as virtues, to put in tha fore
most place, not the qualities which
had been his pets. his favorites, his
ideals. but those which another asked
from him, and which he must do him
self violence to display. Had she no
corresponding effort to make? She
could not deny the accusation 1t Law
with her also to try. But il was hard.
John Fanshaw found it sorely diff
cult, grossly against his prejudices, and
even in conflict with principles which
he held sacred. to belittle his grievance
or tc let il go. Sibylla was very fond
Of her grievances. too. She was asked
10 look at them with new eyes, to think
of them no more as outrages. as stones
VI clulLOiluB GIU IOCkS OF OIGnSe. she
was asked to consider her grievances
as opportunities. That was the plain
truth about il, and it involved so much
recantation. such turning upside down
of old notions. such a fall for pride. Tt
was very hard to swallow Yet unless
IT were swallowed. where was hope?
And if it were swallowed, what did IL
mean2 An experiment-only another
difficult experiment. For people are
not changed readily, and cannot be
changed altogether. Difficulties would
remain-would remain always; the vain
ideal which had once governed all her
acts and thoughts would never be real
lied. She must not be under any de-
fusion as TO that.
She turned TO find Grantley beside
her. and he gave her a telegram ad-
dressed to her. She opened il with a
word Of thanks.
From John Fanshaw," she exclaim-
ed eagerly He's coming down here
tonight"
We'll, you told him to wire when
ever he found he could get down, didn't
yOu?''