Middletown transcript., 1905-02-25
lcoNrINuED FROM LAST WEEK.

.sYes. 1t has thirty-two bedrooms
and nearly as many dressing-rooms. 1t
used to be show-pIace years ago. but
it has been neglected for long time.
Sir-my-Sir Jasper did not like it. We
I'VE never lived here"
She grew very nervous as she spoke OF
her husband, and noticed that her hand
shook as she lifted the glass Of water
to. her lips.
II wonder that you like living here
alone,'' said bluntly. IF l were You
should take a dear little house near
town and not bury myself in the coun-
try This place seems to be miles away
from civilization ~
cit is rather lonely, but butt have
my reasons for living here I, she SAID
with sort of rush, as if she were forcing
herself to speak. "It-Il ke to be quiet?
After dinner we sat in small oak-pan-
elled room. 1t was infinitely pleasanter
and more cosy than any room l had yet
seen at Verriker Court. There was
piano in one corner, and l played and
sang. My performance did not show any
particular musical talent, yet it was prob
ably above the average, but | never ielt
so small in my life as when Lady Verri-
ker took my place. She was born
musician, and the music which she called
forth from the little piano thrilled me.
1t was wonderful. But my pra Sc seemed
almost to frighten her. The col1r rose IN
her cheeks, and she seemed quite incred-
ulous that should mean what | said.
81 love music p she said softly, and
she had changed marvellously. | could
trace some resemblance in her now to the.
word-portrait which Sir Adam had given
me. sit has always been my solace."
s.Sir Adam Gordon is awfully fond of
music too =, L said tentatively, for she
had not once mentioned his name. sit
was he who used to encourage me to
practice. My father does not know one
note from another"
':No?" The color rose in her lace
again. hoped that she would say more'
but her habitual reserve overlook her,
and she seemed quite anxious to leave
Sir Adam out of the conversation.
She was strange woman | thought
SO when saw her first, and I still thought
so when 1 had been in her house for
nearly week. 1t was an awfully slow
week. The weather was very unsettled,
and it was impossible to take any walks
beyond the limits of the park. There
were no visitors to the court. Lady Yer
riker told me that she knew no one, and
l learned afterwards that she had set her
self against friendliness with anyone,
though, indeed, there were few people in
the neighborhood who would have con-
sidered themselves OH an equality with
her.
But there was little inducement for any
one to visit the Court. An air of ruined
desolation and decay prevaded house and
grounds alike. There were only three
servants in the place-the man who acted
as coachman, gardener, footman and
steward, rough country girl who seemed
more or less OF an idiot, and Anne, an
austere and forbidding woman who COM
bined all the domestic duties in herself.
1 did not like Anne, and l knew that
Lady Verriker did not. She used to
shrink back when the woman came near
her, and 1 could see that she was very
much in her servants power. 1t was
great puzzle to me but then the whole
of the proceedings at Verriker Court
were the same. It was very difficult to
believe that Lady Verriker was the
wealthy woman that Sir Adam and my
father had assured me she was. If she
were, why did she save and haggle over
pence? Why did she wear such shabby
clothes and deny herself even daily
paper? Sir Jasper had been very ex-
travagent, but he was dead now, and she
was her own mistress. But an event
occurred which made me suspect that
she was miserly and that she simply
could not bear to spend money.
One morning, shortly after my arrival,
her lawyer and his clerk came down to
see her. She was very. disturbed and
distressed at the prospect of their coming
and when they drove up the avenue in
the antiquated brougham, her evident
nervousness and unhappiness were pitt
able to behold.
"Oh, dear-oh, dear! p l heard her
gasp. "Another battle How shall
get through it p
She was closeted with the two men for
a long while. passed this time in read
ing until presently Anne appeared in the
doorway.
"Her Iadyship's compliments, and she
would like you to join her in the library"
she said.
I was greatly surprised at the summons,
but went at once and found that was
wanted to witness Lady Verriker's sigma
ture to some document, The table was
covered with legal papers, and in front
of the old lawyer, who looked and spoke
as If he were in very bad temper, heap
of notes and sovereigns was lying. 1 had
an occasion to lean over to Lady Yer.
riker, whose face was very flushed and
who seemed TO be on the verge of tears,
and saw that she had just signed a
receipt for fourteen hundred pounds.
Yet that very morning had heard her
tell the man servant that she could not
afford new wheelbarrow
'I hope that you don't intend to keep
all this money-and the jewels-in the
house, Lady Verriker," the lawyer said
testify. sit is very risky and danger
GUS thing to do. This place''-and he
looked angrily round the decayed, neg
lected room-"would be very easy one
for any burglar to enter"
"I-I will be careful p she said family,
and the lawyer shifted angrily, as if he
.tto<~ost,or o,,t of, ,,atia,,oa