The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-04-05
CHAPTER III.

then ran out of the house.
CHAPTER III.
Lord Catherington appeared already
to have recovered his good humor by
He laughed as he glanced at the
great front door, which had just closed
behind the discharged servant.
I've frightened you, I'm afraid"
said he, land Ermyn too. Here, come
to daddy, little one; he won't hurt you,
at any rate"
And again he took the child, who
Hooked half sleepy, half scared, from
Beatrice's arms, and led the way into
the room they had left.
Beatrice picked up the letter the
man was carrying when he was dis
it to Lord Catherington.
He was bringing you this,' said
she. II really think-perhaps, 1
mean-do you think he was really lis
tening, or had he perhaps only come
in too quietly for you to hear?"
Lord Catherington shrugged his
shoulders.
Perhaps" said he. IT daresay I
was too hasty. But I confess never
liked the man; I can just put up with
that old automOton, Green, because I
remember him when he was some
thing like a human being. But that
fellow Barnes I detested from the first
moment l found him here; his eyes
were too near together. Prejudice, I
suppose"
Beatrice looked down. She thought
she ought to tell him what the man
had said, and yet, in the face Of her
own guilt, she felt sort Of shame in
doing SO.
"Sit down, and try to forget this
unfortunate little incident" said the
, viscount kindly. Let me reassure you;
I'm not usually SO explosive, indeed.
You are thinking you are rather sorry
you let yourself be persuaded to take
up your quarters in the household Of
such a bear. Come, that's it, isn't it ~
She shook her head.
II was thinking" said she, in a low
: voice, that I ought to tell you what
this man said as he went out"
"Well?"
"He said that you were unwise to
send him away, and that he knew
eomething." ..
Lord Catherington laughed easily.
,, discharged servants always know
something" said he. But their
knowledge is generally useless to
=. very much more than there is to be
l known. Haven't you ever noticed
: how the evidence of servants is treat
ed in the law courts? These people
can never understand how much more
forcible statement becomes if it is
founded on a slight foundation Of
! truth"
Beatrice said nothing to this. And
perhaps Lord Catherington did not
e feel quite SO much confidence as he
v assumed, for he presently returned to
e the subject, still holding in his hand
j. the letter, which he had forgotten to
open.
Y However, if he has anything to tell
n he's welcome to spread it abroad. Say
8 that he knew the worst thing that
q could be known, as far as my pros.
= poets are concerned, that my nephew
I Goeffry was alive, after all, and on his
Z way to claim all that now seems to be-
Q long to me! Well, except for this little
creature here"-and he stroked the
q lint-white head Of the child in hi:
o arms, who was by this time agar
more than half asleep-"I shouldn'
Of men and things, I own to having
e feathered my nest already, so that j.
: I were turned out of this old barrack
e I shouldn't grieve for the loss of it
a While as for Stone Court, the famil!
n Eplace in Hampshire-
e "Hampshire!" echoed Beatrice will
e start.
g eyes. Why. do you come from
there?"
"No-oh," said she, trembling lit
a tie. But nay husbands people belong
IL to Hampshire"
Lord Catherington looked up, inter
e, ested.
IS What! Was he one of the Froyle
l. Of Froyle Placer"
q She saw at once that she was ex
20 posed to a new danger. But Their
le was no help for it.
y, Eyes," she said, hoarsely, "hi
), father was Sir tombstone Froyle."
"a by Jove! I knew the old boy yer
IT well-Sir Johnstone's father, I NEAR
ss The present baronet was a young ma
of thirty or SO, with two or three littl
children, when I went to America.
don't suppose I should remember an
of them now-or them me. But onl
fancy your being the widow of one G
the young Froyles whom I knew a
children! Which one was 2"
-l-latimer," almost whispere
Beatrice.
Names" said Lord Catherington, shak
ing his head. He was looking at tn
fire, and did not notice her extrem
agitation; Or perhaps he ascribed it
the emotions aroused by the mentio
Of her late husband. "You see. Froyl
Place is good many miles INLAND
right way from Stone Court, which
on the coast. But the old boy, you
husbands grandfather, used to hur
a good deal, and it was in the huntin
held that I used to see him and hi
son tombstone. too"
There was a silence, and Beatric
managed to recover her composur
before he spoke again. Then-pe1
haps it seemed strange to him the
she should show such little apparer
interest in her husbands relations
he turned to her with some abrupt
. mess:
Don't you know them we'll, then
don't know them at al Sai
IN Beatrice, hurriedly, in low voic
BY i've never seen any Of them except a
aunt who lives in London. My hus