The Washington herald., 1908-06-30
CHAPTER II.

shall speak out. l shal speak out
very plainly"
Thus spoke Edward to his wife at the
moment when Guy was passing the Way
farers' Club. Cynthia Charters nodded,
putting out her delicate hands to the
fire. She had the air Of being slightly
chilled as she sat close by the fender
rather huddeld up. not at ease. as she
ought to have been In such a comfortable
chair. Edward stood upon the hearthrug.
looking down upon her with angry
slightly congested eyes. He very seldom
allowed himself the luxury Of any ex-
element.
"will it do any good?' she said doubt
fully. She put her hands nearer to the
fire as she spoke
You are cold? To me this room is
simply sitting. II must be over 65 de-
grees."
Mrs. Charters smiled family Was It
worth while TO explain that what ex-
cited and heated him might well have the
contrary effect un her? And besides, he
was the sort oe man who could never
be made to understand that women reg
ASAAi 4ANaN hllA NRNA III AtAdANE VI AAAGl-
mometers
She said nothing, and looked at the
room.
Some OF the furniture had been Of her
own choosing, but the finer bits. and the
arrangement OF the whole, she knew 10
be the expression OF Angela Tempest
unerring taste. Cynthia had persuaded
f,uV h11u al
Aubusson. What fun they had had
haggling over the price with the dealer,
In the blazed Chippendale bookcase she
could see half a dozen books given 10 him
/ by her shortly after he left oxford. and
the bookcase itself had been found in a
curiosity-shop in Bury st. Edmunds
They had lunched together afterward az
the Angel Inn. Cynthia never bought
/ pretty things for herself, because SAT-
/ from Charters was full OF furniture
some good. some excruclatingly bad. good
and bad alike being sacrosanct to Ed
ward, and. standing side by side as they
had always stood. significant in Cynthia
/ eyes Of the good and evil in all ancient
houses and systems.
There were some frightful gilt cornices
IL the long saloon. for instance. Gym.
thia, as a bride. had entreated Edward
to take them down. He had refused
that his mother had placed them there
Most OF the silver too, was Of the best
Georgian period. but an early-Victoriar
urn. detestably florid, dominated IN,
breakfast table. The lady who represent
ed outlying coverts bought Il, and IN,
cornices and other solid. indestructIbl,
! monstrosities. II. poor thing, she wa.
indeed married with no more soul-in.
spring motive than 70 improve the shoot.
ing, she truly had her revenge-albeit az
unprecedented one,
In Guys sitting-room. with one nolabl,
| exception. there was nothing TO offend
nothing 10 mar the harmony OF the gen
eral scheme Of decoration. The excep
ton was a large framed photograph; IN,
portrait OF the lady upon whose acCoun
Edward had declared his intention o.
speaking out, the lady whose name wal
in the mouths OF men and women and
newsboys-especlally newsboys. Cynthi,
had looked at the pretty. sparkling fac,
once, as soon as she entered the room
She never glanced at IL again. being on,
Of those who. by temperament, resolute
ly decline 20 contemplate what exas
perates them. Edward. on the other hand
scowied at 1t repeatedly. This made hin
warm, uncomfortably warm-an effect. in
deed. natural enough. for Angela TEN
pest was undeniably a source OF heats
warm that he wiped his forehead an,
opened the window.
And he leaves that hanging there! 1
he a moral idiot?"
Edward indicated a full-length por
trait hanging above the mantelplece, th
portrait OF Guys mother. Of which men
tlon has been made. It was one Of Pyn
sent's earliest and best pictures-admir
ably drawn. subtly conceived, masterl
In every touch-the counterfeit present
ment of a young woman painted by
youthful genius. Youth informed Il. an
youths coloring, gay. vivid. seizlnl
Pynsent, ! am told, admits now tina
it was a happy fuke. Instinctively-fo
he knew nothing of the truth-he ha
posed this adorable creature against
Nui n anu EOIllDtl ndIhkIuullu. ne lldu III
sisted upon her wearing black dress, a
II TO emphasize the contrast betwee
heredity and environment; for who coul
doubt that she was sprung from som
laughter-loving, pleasure seeking race
although with incredible recklessness sh
had selected a Nonconformist brewer fo
father? Her mother. however. wa
Irish; and the psychologists will haste
to assure us that. being the only chill
OF a marriage Of convenience, she ha
not taken after her sire. The portrai
was painted at the time of her marriag
TO the squire. Disappointment ha
touched her no more but the artist seen
ed to have OWNED the future-an air
sprite imprisoned IN Cimmerian DARK
ness, doomed to wither and die prema
turely.
Cynthia glanced at the picture. Sh
had great quickness Of perception. bt
her thoughts had so far outstripped ht
husbands that she failed TO understan
him.
"A moral idlot?' she repeated
THAT and that in the same room" H
pointed a denunciatory forefinger at Il
lGrge photograph.
But she died when Guy was baby
Il don't care-she was his mother. 1t
sort of sacrilege When 1 think ,
my own dear mother"
vision of his own dear mother AZ
, sailed Cynthia. Cornices. crinoline,
preposterous urn, antimacassars. ha
worn In Madonna bandeaux. a lars
. cameo brooch
Pixton came to the rescue with Il
tea things. Edward looked al him wit
interest In a sense Pixton saved Il
situation. He came from Saffron Cha
h. .