Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1904-01-18
CHAPTER XVI.

Impossible to tell which is fairest;
Easiest TO know the best"
The morning OF the day Lady VIC
lante had dreaded so long dawned at
last. bright. beautiful. with sunshine
that reminded one of the scent of
roses and mignOnette-warm and in
MIGRATING. The sky was clear and
blue as the heaven that smiles on
sunny Italy. Lady ViOlante awOke
with a sigh; the day she had feared
lad dawned. and must somehow be got
through.
They were in the library. ready at
last. and Vivian. as he looked on the
two ladies before him, felt proud as he
had never done before. Mrs. Selwyn
had declined going, and her grace the
Duchess OF Roxminster was TO pre-
sent Lady Seswyn 10 our most gracious
Iiegs lady the queen. They were
dressed now. and waiting Lady ViO-
lante looked. in her delicate loneliness,
like "the queen of the lilies" her dress
Of what Lord Vivian called May sun
beams. and her tiara of diamonds,
with the white plumes. suited her to
perfection. She had tried to reassuTe
herself. but the small ieweled hands
trembled and the sweet lips half quiv-
cred as they smiled.
Court dress suited the imperial
beauty OF Beatrice Leigh as no other
did. Mrs. Selwyn had presented her
with a magnificent suite of diamonds
and rubies. Her dress was OF maize
colored velvet. and the rich. sweeping
train was no trouble to her. One
could see at a glance that she was at
home and well az ease. The white
waving plumes added to her patrician
beauty. She was herself well satisfied
when she saw Vivian's eyes rest ad-
miringly on her.
A drive through the sunlit streets,
and then they reached the palace. Car
riage after carriage was drawn mp
there: lovely faces. waving plumes.
shining Jewels. exquisite dresses. Lady
NioIlnte was bewildered.
Il did not think" she said. naively.
60 Lord Vivian. that there were SO
many fine ladies i'm England. How
beautiful they are. Oh. Vivian. when
you lived amongst such as these. why
cid you come TO Oaksid- 10 seek me?'
There rs not one amongst them to
be compared 10 you" he said. looking
at the fair young face. Il am so
proud of my wife. know she will do
credit TO my choice"
He said the words partly TO reassure
her. for he saw the roseleaf color
coming and going. They stood at last
I'm one OF the ante-roOms. and there
her grace Of Roxminster was waiting
for an introduction TO them. Miss
Leigh had known the duchess for
some time. To Lady Selwyn she was a
complete stranger. There had been
one or two appointments made for an
introduction. but her grace's engage
ments had prevented the keeping of
them.
Remember that Lady ViOlante had
lived all her sweet. simple life at Oak
side. and that she knew no more Of IA
haute nOblesse thar she did Of Greek.
At Selwyu Castle their neighbors and
guests had been people of simple
habits. When she. Lady Violante Sell
wyn. stood face to face with the Ouch
Css OF ROxminster. il was with great
difficulty she repressed the cry Of
establishment that rose TO her lips.
an old woman of sixty dressed like
a bIushing girl Of eighteen-eXcessive-
~ deCoIlette; n diamond necklace
round a thin. withered neck; a dia-
mOnd bracelet round a shrunken arm;
false hair. wreathed with jewels and
plumes; false teeth cleaning white
thrOBgh thin lips; painted cheeks and
renciled eyebrows. Lady Violante
involuntarilv wondered what was false
and what was not
An old woman Of sixty who had