Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1904-02-01

of her rank. that he fell into the blum
der of thinking Beatrice anxious for
his wife's success in society. In AFTER
years. when he realized what the fair
young wife had suffered, he wondered
that he had been so blind.
The season in London was a failure.
The graceful. delicate loneliness Of
his wife could not fail in winning
friends, but even in the manner or
those who loved her best he read some
thing of regret for her, and pity for
himself. He did not like, when he
took her, magnificently dressed, and
looking most "divinely fair" to some
grand party or ball, to hear whispered
praises Of her always poisoned by the
remark. "She was the daughter OF
some country lawyer; he married be-
meath him" 1t was gall and worm
wood 10 Vivian.
After some long and anxious thought
he resolved upon going abroad for
year or two. Society is differently
constituted abroad, and he had great
hopes that in those elegant circles
his wife might learn to feel herself at
home. Florence was the city he de-
cided upon. partly for its own sake,
and partly because some of his own
friends were staying there.
Mrs Selwyn had proposed that her
son and his wife should go alone, but
he was not willing. He loved his
mother, and admired Beatrice. The
fatal time had come when Lady
Violante's society no longer sufiiced
for him.
So they came to Florence when
Rupert was three years old, and they
had remained there since. Lord
Vivian owned to himself, after a
time, that the change had not been of
so mucn benefit as he expected.
There, as at home, Lady Violante was
timid, frightened, and failed in self.
possession at the time she needed il
most. There she was greatly adj
mired; her fair, angelic style of
beauty was something wonderful to
the sons of the south. Such faces.
such hair as hers, were only seen in
pictures; they raved about her; but
when il was discovered that La belle
Anglaise" did not like flirtations, did
not care for compliments, detested the
name Of gallantry, avoided rather than
sought their homage, they took up the
tone that had driven Lord Vivian from
England, and spoke of Lady Selwyn
as one who had married above her
station"
She was unutterably lonely, being at
heart still a simple, loving child.
She no longer clasped her tender arms
round her husbands neck, and asked
him il he repented. feeling sure of a
loving word in reply. She knew now
that il was a mistake. She was alone
in this strange land, friendless, and
almost desolate. The one love of her
heart. the one comfort of her life, the
one source of her happiness, was her
child. He was al her own; she could
love him in her own simple. loving
way, without repulse. He believed in
her. thinking her the fairest and
grandest of all Gods creatures. He
was her companion and friend; yet
through him she suffered perhaps
most cruelty of all. Her method OF
training him was called old-fashioned.
her teaching obsolete. and on this. the
bright August morning when our
chapter opens. she felt heartsick ana
weary.
Suddenly she looked up, for from
among the orange trees came a burst
of silvery laughter that seemed in har-
mony with the sunshine and flowers.
Quickly as possible she dried her
tears and stood awaiting the stranger.
Imagine, reader, a woman cOmbin-
ing the charms of a Greek goddess and
Partisan coquette; a woman won
drous to behold in her superb classical
lloveliness and easy, graceful, winning
manner: the Countess Satani, the
belle of Florence. who might have
been Helen of Troy, from the fatal
fascination and charm she had for
men.
A tall, slender figure. proportional
like the Venus of Milo; a form fault.
less and beautiful, graceful. dignifled,
every motion full of poetry, every
movement full of elegance, every at
titude displaying fresh loveliness.
Her very walk was a study; as she
now from between the odorous orange
trees she seemed to float rather than
10 walk.
Imagine a fact perfect as those
which charmed the old Greeks, cen
turtles ago; a low, broad brow; short
upper lip. and an arched under one;
eyebrows straight and dark: eyes that
resembled a purple heartease with a
golden slight shining through it; "
features that were simply perfect, and
over all a ripple of laughter and fun
that was irresistible; laughter in the
wondrous eyes and on the beautiful
mouth. an air of gayety and winsome
lightheartedness that was bewitching.
All. Lady Selwyn," she said, in her
broken English, Il have found you;