The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-04-30
CHAPTER VII.-Continued.


with some Slight ,oconstraint, she
thought.
"Theres so much to do she be-
gan, with her eyes down, rather con-
fused.
you're right, there is. I'm busy
i all day long myself. But doing Moth /
Ing, that is"
thought she ought to take this as, +
joke. |
"But it's lonely too" he added, sud-
denly. Il
Beatrice said nothing to this. He
went on
II find I've got out of touch with
the men of my own class who Were
boys with me. I've met half dozen
of them, and there isn't one who
doesn't think me half a lunatic, in re-
turn for my opinion that he is wholly
I fool. That's the worst of roughing
1T about the world, you have to learn
something; so that it's precious hard
to settle down afterwards among men
who've learnt nothing. Worthy chaps,
all Of them too, doing their duty as
not quite SO worthy as their own
horses and dogs, who; by the bye,
would, I think, administer justice.
quite as WE'LL
"Aren't you rather severe?'
81 don't think so. And the way they
p rc in the the World: Wen, out vest
they'd get shot for it! And serve them
right -.
She laughed shyly.
"The ladies are like that too she
said. "At least, the one I've SEEM
She spoke very demurely, with her
eyes still down; but she had to look
( up, in response to his vehement out
burst: what! Do you mean that old
woman who came here yesterday"'
] yes"
He looked down this time
Il THE inevitable old Woman' she
was bound to come, and to pry into
things, and to set the neighborhood's
mind at rest about you!'
I-Me?" said Beatrice, family, tho
she was not surprised.
'Yes, you, you, you! OH you know
that as we'll as [ do. What does she,
what does anyone care about my chlld,
except to wonder who the mother 49,
and why she hasn't turned up? TO
make q mystery and q scandal about
x 1t If possible, and to scent 1t out and
grub it up, as pigs do truffles! Oh, /
know them, these good ladies who
lead peaceful and virtuous lives in the
country, and wonder how a man can
find any attraction away from them!
did she worry you with great
many questions, then?' asked Bea'
trice, quietly. "She was dying to ask
me some, but I was so disagreeable
that she didn't dare
*. "She didn't mind my disagreeable-
ness" said Lord [an ca aa1ef bien
how surprised and pleased she was
to know that / was married, anC
asked me when Lady Catheringtor
was coming to stone court
"And what did you say?''
q "Well, / didn't say that it was ike
iyI1r,
daresay I looked it. l told her m!
wife wasn't likely to turn up, but tina
II she did, no doubt the nelghbor
would hear about 1t. And then sh'
seemed to be seized with surprising
notion that 1 might think her impertl
nent; and she turned the conversation
abruptly to Ermyn, and then to you:
"And what did she say about me?
asked Beatrice, quickly.
He looked up with sudden slyness
Must L tell you?'' said he, quietly
ooh. [ suppose you'd better.
"Wel, then, she said what yer
ladylike woman you were, ana aske
me If | thought you good-looking.'
@ "Oh!" cried Beatrice, indignant.
moving as If to go away;
IA COZ course | said | hadn't noticed,
at once, and suddenly losing a lit
of his constraint. "But these oil
women are always more intellige1
. than they seem, confound them!
she didn't believe me, of course
Beatrice felt hot, uncoTfo5 ia b!
I and miserable. For his tone had sue
denly changed, and she saw In his ey'
the look SHE had before feared
see, and knew that the interest she fe
In him was not all one side.
.'These old ladies are very impert
nent!" said she, quickly, with feeb
assumption Of intense haughtiness.
wish they would attend to their oN
affairs. Come, Erymn.'
mo Leave the child alone sa
Lord Catherington, with sudden pc
emptoriness. "You can't stop me no.
Look here. You know 1 have no viii
You know
II know that Mrs. Nottingham
right, that I'm in a false position, al
Beatrice at fever heat. Still, I'm su
prised, Lord Catherington, that
~ should be you who have driven n
from your house. It's not like yo
It's not worthy of you, and-and
breaks my heart!
And snatching the child up in n
arms. Beatrice ran across the grass
wards the house, knowing we'll that
dared not follow her in her flight.
Back again into the old miser
Back into the old fears, the half-fc
gotten terrors went Beatrice, knoWl
Very we'll that she had deserved it g
and repentinS with bitterest of all 1
pentance--that which comes of hea
punishment
She would have to go, that was CO
tain. She could never bear to ms
Lord Catherington again. She
that half q dozen more words fro
him would cause her to burst into
~ passion of tears as would betray G
at least, Of the secrets in her breast
that of the feeling with which he h
inspired her
What madness was this that h
# seized him? That he believed hims
free she knew, but of what use
that belief in face of the unheard
difficulties of his position? And WI
would not the transformation in n
s#1 be, il he knew that She instead of
0.H ing a helpless, innocent woman,
an impostor OF the vilest kind?
Should she tell him everythlr
Should she confess and bear
worst? Was not his anger, his bit
H tiisap pointnent, even the scandal t
woy,la come upon his home and nal
~ better to be borne for him, for
and for the child than this horri
burden of deception and sin?
On the spur of the moment, as
such natures act, Beatrice sudde
doo;de5 IN SEQ him at once, to ma