Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-03-09
CHAPTER VII.

CHAPTER VII.
Lady Editha and Sybil came to lunch
Cammarleigh. who dreaded the strain OF
being left alone with them. implored An
thony to make one of the party.
Il said I would come in later" replied
Anthony.
That would simply look silly. I would
much prefer you to be with US from the
beginning
We'll. as 1 am very anxious to oblige
you whenever possible / will do So
Cant think what you want them here
for"
Because I am determined to be on
good terms with all your relations"
'Once you get women in the house you
never get them out again-and that's
more especially the case with ones rela-
tions.''
You had better say nice things about
me to your sister: it will save you q
great deal of trouble afterward."
WHO am to say you are?''
"Your secretary"
Yes. but even secretary must come
from somewhere
Its not necessary. but let me think.
haven't any near relations-at least, not
relations that should care to quote
WHO was your father?
"Oh. yes. l had a father. had for
gotten. He was a clergyman. and I was
very fond of him. Let me see-he would
be about your age. I suppose you are be-
tween forty-five and fifty, aren't your
Never mind my age"
We'll. you were at Oxford with my
father. Yes, think that's about the best
thing you can say. 1t may be quite true
BY the way. what did your sister say to
you at the lawyer's?"
Nothing. / didn't see her. l was toe
early. and she was too late so / signed
he reflected what that signature had cost
him.
II am glad to see," said Anthony. ap-
provingly. that you are getting into the
way of making your explanations suff1-
GENTLY elaborate. 1t saves cross-exam-
nation
Cammarleigh. thanks to Anthony. could
not complain that the luncheon party suf-
fered from any constraint. Without ap.
pearing to be presuming he set the others
at their ease. Lady Editha looked a lit
tie surprised when her brother called him
Tony which Cammarleish did in quite
a successful way, just as If 1t were his
own idea.
It'll look as If you have taken a great
fancy to me- Anthony had said.
But 1 haven't snapped his lordship.
"Oh. yes. you have, and that's where
the fun comes i'm
But whether he had or not he addressed
Anthony quite affectionately.
Sybil looked at her uncle curiously
Somehow it didn't sound quite right in
her ears: Cammarleigh was not the sort
Of man who would be likely to address a
dependent by his diminutive.
Lady Editha, who would have preserved
her beauty better had she shown more
discretion as to what she considered
necessary for it's sustenance, remarked
on the excellence of the lunch. Anthony
had taken the greatest pains over it since
he had heard Cammarleigh say, apropos
of his sister. that he didn't mind man
who thought too much of his meals, but
that in woman it was unpleasant
Before Cammarleigh could take Lady
Editha's compliment to himself Anthony
interposed.
81 assure you. Lady Editha. this menu
is an intellectual effort. Lord Cammar,
leigh says that | have a astronomical
genius"
Don't you think that sounds nttle
heavy?" said Sybil.
ION the contrary" explained Anthony
1T implies fastidiousness which reduces
feeding to Its simplest. I quite sympa,
thize with the cook who could never com,
pose a new dish unless he was inspired
by Chopin's nocturnes; he understood the
Anthony was wise enough to address
himself almost entirely to Lady Editha
though Sybil had. directly she entered the
room. stirred him f1ercely. Before theil
arrival he had determined that Lady
Editha and her daughter should go away
with a mutual agreement that he was g
very charming young man. Ere he saw
Sybil he had been perfectly confident o,
his power to convince them of this, but
even such audacity as Anthony's loses a
little of its confidence when 1t takes into
account the risks Of love. Anthony wa.
perfect slave to love at first sight. He
knew at once that he loved Sybil with 9
great passion, and, inasmuch as all rea
romanticists are old in experience al
lovers at twenty-three. Anthony realized
Immediately the dangers of such an emo
ton at this crisis. 1t might upset his
nerve. A grand passion Is terribly de-
moralizing to a career. Men who marry
for love can seldom be counted among
the sane for q period of two years: Their
they crawl back to their fellow-men tired
moral, Anthony had never lacked. an6
the complete success he had achieved
with Cammarleigh had strengthened thi.
quality. His. swift-fying imagination al
ready saw himself as the husband OF
Sybil Travers.
what a delicious couple we should
be-! he reflected. There are so few
picturesque marriages, that we should b
almost unique. Married people become
well. married people, as soon as they ART
married. and L am sure that neither she
nor would ever be that"
He felt not only that the lunch wa:
good, but that he was at his best and
was saying just the sort of things which
would please her. although ostensiblJ
they were all addressed to her mother
There is nothing so stimulating to the
conversation of a born talker as the &C
compartment of an undercurrent of pleas
urable emotion-and Anthony was sing.
ing inwardly of her beauty. He had the
greatest difficulty in keeping within those
limits which even the most original pri
vate secretary must observe. for to &c
beyond them might have Jared.
Lady Editha did not understand q great
deal that he said, but he spoke as one
having the authority of humor and wis
dom. and with that gift of domination
which secures q respectful hearing fol
nonsense, where the labored wisdom of 9
small personality goes by the board.
BY the time coffee was reached she hat
asked him to come and see her.
"YOu play bridge. of cOurSe?"