The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-04-07
IRR1 booKlI
A C~Onscientious PaiV,

Ala ~ IAoDS obSAy 49, NhAA WI III v
estng questions Of conscience will be found
10 Una L. Silberrad 3 "Curayl' Doubleday,
Page d Co... 1t appears In the beginning
that Anthony Luttrell had strong and clear
convictions In regard to conduct and It's con-
sequences. His sermon in the old and out
OF the way church at Curayl had a powerful
effect Upon everybody who heard It,. From
hs text, Thou, Lord art meroiful; Thou re-
werdest every man according to his works, "
no preached that mercy meant Justice, and
that the reapins wa to be exactly what had
been Gown.
Beatrice Curayl, tho most distin guished
member Of the congregation, was 20 i'm
pressed by what Luttrell said that abe did
, a remarkable thing. The preacher was a
n to her; he had never been In Curayl
before. Meeting him In the churohyard
after the service, she asked him II q woman
who had married for money and repcntSd
ought to abide by the bargain. He replied
that he thought she should. "one has
usually to abide by one's bargains, p he said
1T Is not gentlemanly for either party to cry
of. We can't exactly do 1t. We don't all
Of US 6nd q place for repentance. One can't
weep over such affairs in public and daren't
think over them in private; there Is nothing
for II but to laugh and go on. 1t Is no use to
make bad worse by adding broken promises
to broken hearts"
There was one bit Of this advice that
Beatrice CIrayl was not constituted to fol-
low. AS the reader goes on with the story
he will understand how unlikely 1t was that
she should laugh. The less likely, perhaps,
because OF something that Luttrell added.
He said; The wedding ring is Of little
Importance in such cases. The man buys
the woman he wants for the price which
will purchase her. The spirit is much the
same whether there Is a ring in the bargain
or not OF course Beatrice had been
stating her own case. Her interlocutor
must have known as much. 1t says: "He
spoke with studied indifference, but the
figure beneath the yews recoiled as if under
a blow. He felt as II he had given one,
as II he had struck a woman in the face;
no was heartily ashamed of himself" But
Beatrice, though she reooiled, was Of too
ancient a lineage to be meek. She re-
covered herself and half remembered that
she was a Curayl. How dare your she
said"
The story goes on to show in detail the
price that Beatrice paid for marrying for
money. She had hoped to restore the perish
ing estate Of Curayl. Now her husband
would give her nothing for this purpose. She
might ave all the lu1uries Of London, but
he considered Curayl to be decayed be-
yond hope, and it must shift for itself.
Unable to obtain money for the rehabilita-
ton of Curyal, Beatrice devoted to It
her personal energies and ministrations.
Fever broke out at the Waterside, Its most
impoverished quarter. She went to the
Waterside as nurse. Luthrell was there
before her. He had cared for Caser, q
rowing and rough character, who had
brought the fever from abroad and had
Of 1t. The dying Caser had given to
the preacher a miniature set with diamonds
and rubies, and had expired while trying
10 tell what was to be done with 1t.
The fever at the Waterside was the
1t ragged for weeks. Luttrell
cremated the bodies. He and Bea trice
dwelt In the same cottage. He was not
really a minister. For a fairly plausible
reason he had masqueraded as one when
he preached the remarkable sermon in the
church at Curayl. He continued to pass
for one during the run of the fever at the
Waterside, He held services and preached
the oremations were effected. When
the fever was over he made confession to
He advised her to go to her
husband. This though he loved her and
he knew that she loved him.
Her husband treated her with coarse
ness and violence in the ancient house at
The next day in London he was
thrown from a cab and killed. The law
all his vast wealth to his widow. She
to receive it. She became a pro-
nurse. An illegitimate Curayl
and pestered her. He wanted
money. He wanted a certain valuable
heirloom. She had neither, and he was
outrageous. While he was being outrageous
Luttrell came in through the window.
He had been to South Africa looking for
an heir to the diamond and ruby studded
miniature confided to him by the dying
,aser. 1t then transpired that the minia-
.ure belonged to Beatrice.
Luttrell, rich to begin with, had recently
become richer. While he was away in
Africa he had inherited coal mines and iron
manufactures. There is absolutely no
'eason why a woman should not marry
rich man if she loves him. The admirable
conscience Of Beatrice permitted her to see
lbs, A readable story, a little queer in
olaces. We wish the author would reform
Ter cruel and therefore surprising habit Of
the infnitive.