Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1908-08-18
The Fatal Three
MISS II. Z. BRADDoH
CHAPTER xiv-(Continued.,
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10 you mean to say that you cues
toned him about his feelings-for me ~
i did what felt YVES my duty, Pamela
my DUTY to you and to your uncle"
Duty!' calculated Pamela, with such
an cir that Box began to growl, imagin-
ing his mistress in want Of protection.
DUTY 1t Is the most hateful word in
me whole of the English language. You
asked him when be was going to propose
to me-you lowered and humiliated me
beyond all that words can say-you-you
spoiled everything"
Pamela, Is this reasonable or just"
To be asked when he was going to
propose to a girl-with his artistic tenn
perament-the very thing to disgust him, >
said Pamela, in a series of gasps. If
you had wanted to part us forever you
could not have gone to work better.
Whatever I wanted yesterday, L am
quite clear about my feelings to-day, Pa
mela. 1t Is my earnest hope that you and
Mr.. Castellani will never meet again."
You are very cruel. then-heartless-
inhuman. Because you have done with
love|because you have left my poor
Uncle Georges no one else to be hap
pyT
You could not be happy with Cesar
Castellani, Pamela. Happiness does not
lie that way. ! tell you again, he is a
bad man"
And l tell you again I don't believe
you In what way is he bad? Does he
rod, murder, forge, set fire to peoples
nousesk What has he done that is bad?'
has frod,,AnI
his wife"
You-you may have misunderstood
him"
No, there was no possibility of mir
take. He slandered my husband. He let
me see in the plainest way that he had
no real regard for you, that he did not
care how far his frequent visits compro-
missed either you or me. He is utterly
base, PAMELA man without reetitude
or conscience"
Pamela shrugged her shoulders petu-
lantly, and turned to the window in tok-
en- that she had said her say. She griev-
ed like child who has been disappointed
OF some jaunt looked forward to for long
days of expectation. She tried to think
herself ill-used by her uncle's wife: and
yet that common sense of which she pos
sessed a considerable share told her that
she had only herself to blame.
She had been at Nice more than a
week, and had made no effort-yearning
to know more-to know all-yet dread
ing every new revelation. She had to
goad herself to action, to struggle against
the weight of great fcar-the fear that
she might find the slanderer's accusa-
tons confirmed instead of being refuted.
Her first step was a very simple one.
Mildred remembered that CasteiIani had
spoken of meeting Mr.. Ranspme and his
wife at Lady Lochinvar's palace at Nice.
her tirst step, therefore, was to make
herself known to Lady Lochinvar. who
had wintered In this fair white city eyer
since she came there as young widow.
twenty years ago, and had bought for
herself a fantastic villa, built early in
the century by an italian prince, on the
crest OF hill commanding the harbor.
Lady Lochinvar received the stranger
with a cordiality which would have set
Mildred thoroughly at her ease under han
pier circumstances. As 1t was, she was
too completely engrossed by the object
OF her visit to feel any of that shyness
which person of retiring disposition
might experience on such an occasion. She
was grave and preoccupied, and it was
with an effort that she responded to Lady
Lochinvar's illusions to the past.
Your mother and / were girls togeth-
er," said the dowager, 'at dear old Cas-
tie Cornell. My fathers place was with
in drive of the Castle but away from
the river, and che of my first pleasant
memories is OF your grandfather's gar
dens and the broad, bright Shannon.
What river! When / look at our stony
torrent beds here. and remember that glo-
rious Shannon 70
Il am very glad to be alone with you.
Lady Lochinvar. feel myself bound to
tell you that l had an object in seeking
your acquaintance, pleasant as it is to
me to meet any friend OF my mothers
youth"