Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-09-15
SYNOPSIS OF PRECEDING cHApTERs.-The

SYNOPSIS OF PRECEDING CHAPTERS.-The
Earl of Thurso goes with his sister. Lady Maud
fever epidemic is raging among the tenants wal,
ter Cochran, young American, VINO mas leaseu
enlist Ry the practice OF Christian Science he
quells the epidemic and converts Maud 10 MS
creed. He and Maud strongly attracted to
each other. Thurso. 10 cure nervous headacues,
has recourse TO laudanum. The drug exercises d
P snd he becomes more and more addicted to it.
Maud observes his growing fondnesT Tor tba
vice in secret. and lies to her when she questions
him as to its continued The typaod epidemic
abates In time to permit Ihurso and Maud to re-
turn to England before the end of the season
a social climber and delights in amazing so
ciety by her costumes and entertainments Innrso
couple are growing further and further apart.
Maud forming the only connecting link between
Austrian diplomat appears lie and Lily, years
before loved each other, but could not marry for
s IL evidently ID anxious to renew his Outline devo
ton, ard Lily longer fond of her husband, Is
half tempted TO accept his attentions. Thurso, on
his return from Scotland amazes and troubles
Lily by his growing nervousness, due to the opium
the London season ends Lily plans little house
party at their Thames summer home, at Bray.
Nillars is TO be one OF the guests
The house at Bray was long and low and
rambling standing in the middle of Hover
beds and lawns and stiff box-hedges cut
INTO shape, WHICH SCTctHtu II IiOiAl TIC Nv SA'
so that the Sunday afternoon crowd could
not, as in most of the riverside houses OBJ
serve exactly who was there and what they
had for tea Indeed had it not been for this
impenetrable hedge, what they had for
breakfast lunch and dinner would have
been equally clear, for Lady Thurso
had built big open pavilion on the lawn,
where when the day was hot, it was pleas
anter to have all meals. Another pavilion
on the opposite side of the lawn served as
drawing room or card room, and often
nobody really set foot in the house at all
from breakfast till bedtime. A dozen guests
were all that the house itself would hold,
but If, as often happened, people proposed
themselves at the last moment, 1t was pos
sible to get accommodation for them at
neighboring hotel. where they retired for
the night. Today, however. there was 60
ing to be no sleeping out 1t was doubtful,
indeed. whether the house itself would be
quite full. Maud was certainly coming.
Count Villars and Alice Yardly and her
husband were certainties, as also were Jim
Stratton and Ruby Majendie. and a couple
of American cousins had proposed them
selves, but that only brought their number
up to ten. Dly hardly knew whether she
was or was not glad of this. For once. it is
true. she would have a quiet Sunday, but
she was little worried, not only about the
emotional history of her own which has
been touched on, but also about her huS-
band, and she not sure that she would
not have preferred rush and hustle. Yet,
after ALL with only these few people in the
house. she could keep herself fairly well
occupied. The American cousins, too, a
plain elderly millionaire, dyspeptic and
rather mournful, with his WIFE who was
young, voluble and carried about with her,
as it were, pals of gross and fulsome fiat
terry, with which she whitewashed every
body. would want little management, Lily
however, never neglected even the most
distant cousins when they came to England,
for she had inherited from her mother that
idea of American hospitality which makes
all other hospitality churlish in comparison,
and did not consider her duty as done when
she had asked even the most undesirable
cousins to dinner. She acknowledged to her
self that these particular ones were little
trying but she acknowledged it to nobody
STA. whom he always addressed slowly as
Theodosia. giving each syllable its full
value, had arrived before they got there,
and met them Hospitality at the front door.
why. If this doesn't tickle me to DEATH
exclaimed Theodosia, Ito receive you at
your own house, Lily; and how are you,
Lord Thurso, and my, what beautiful mo-
tor! Silas and / got here just half an hour
ago, and your servants brought US tea right
away out on the lawn and made us ever SO
much at home. But I'm forever saying
to everybody, Lily ThurSo is Just perfect,