Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1904-03-07


all heed now mo madame, / have
not discovered that"
But it is so, indeed" continued
Mrs. Rochester; "all Florence knows
+ it. They say he came abroad because
/ he was not comfortable in England"
Il do not understand why" said her
companion, slowly; his wife, Lady
/ Selwyn. is one of the sweetest and
I fairest women / have ever SEEN"
"Ah, pardon me, but you gentlemen
are blind-so blind Do you not see,
prince. that with all her beauty she is
not de nos autres-she does not belong
TO the same class as her husband; she
is far beneath him?"
Il cannot believe it" was the slow,
grave response.
1T is true" cintinued madame, with
nod of her vain, empty. pretty head.
Il remember hearing Of il in England.
/ People say il is tho first mesalliance
the Selwyns have ever made"
II suppose Lord Selwyn loved the
lady, and so married herr" said Prince
, Cesare.
Undoubtedly. It was a love match,
and they seldom turn out well. / did
hear that he was engaged for years to
Miss Leigh / wonder he could for
sake her for an inane, insipid, merely
pretty woman like Lady Selwyn"
Lady Selwyn is something more
than that, Mrs. Rochester" replied the
prince.
The lady laughed; she closed her
fan and began to play with the sprigs
of Grange blossoms growing near her.
you are very charitable to think
So" she said. For my part, am real
. ly sorry for Lord Selwyn The girls
father was an attorney, | am told;
without doubt my lord was deceived
and entrapped.'
4 do net think Lady Selwyn capable
Of setting trap" said the prince; and
his companion could not help seeing
now great was his annoyance.
you are a great partisan of Lady
Solwyn's." laughed Mrs. Rochester;
nevertheless. even you cannot alter
Facts. Rely upon it, what the world
SAYS is true. Lord Selwyn is unhap-
py. and most bitterly regrets his mar
age Miss Leigh ought 10 have been
his wife"
He pleased himself suppose"
ea,G the prince. growing angry at last.
He pleas I'd his fancy for the mo-
ment and has a lifetime to repent of it
in" was the smiling response. Every
one says what pity it IS that he did
not marry Mis-; Leigh. I really do
link" she continued. that the wisest
thing left for Lady Selwyn would be to
die. then L9-6 Selwyt .ould marry
Miss Leigh aud everything go on
comfortably"
Prince Cesare looked, as he felt,
disguised.
Il crave pardon, Mrs. Rochester" he
said. haughtily; 81 do not smile in a
lady's face. enjoy her hospitality. and
calculate upon her death. Allow me
70 suggest a change of conversation;
f. I. for one. admire and esteem Lady
. Selwyn."
But his words fell unheeded. The
gossiping. foolish chatter OF the silly
. MNUldH. vi no AnOuSnL onN vas bNAAC
very witty and clever. had struck the
foolish. tender heart a deathblow.
Down. lower and lower, amid the odor-
Gus leaves and the crushed blossoms.
fell the white face-down, until it
rested on the ground. and a merciful
Oblivion stole over her. All uncon-
scious of who was near. Mrs. Roches-
ter and her companion rose and walk
ed toward the house. the prince in
wardly raging. inwardly vowing that
nothing should induce him to speak
again to the foolish woman by his side.
1 "Ah, those women" he thought. with
a grave shake of his handsome head;
how they hate each other; how they
delight in speaking evil of one another.
Poor, gentle Lady Violante!"
Quite still and unconscious for some
time lay the unhappy lady. The moon
shone full upon her, the stars came
out with their brilliant light, the night
wind played around her, the leaves
and flowers fell upon her; but Heaven
had Leen merciful, and for a time she
ceased to suffer. The dew fell upon
her. and the bright pearly drops shone
On the golden hair, while from the
villa came the sound of music, laugh
ter and song.
How long she lay there Lady Vic
lante never knew. The chill of the
night air and the dew restored her.
She opened her eyes. forgetting in that
first moment the mortal sorrow that
had flung her there 1t came back
TO her. slowly at first, then, like a
rushing wave, forcing from her lips a
passionate cry that rose To the very
heavens-a cry that was drowned in
the sweet, dreamy music of a German
waltz.
II all came back to her-the long,
dreary years; the scorn, the insults,
the thousand singing sarcasms heap
ed upon her by imperial Beatrice
Leigh: the GOODNESS that had grown