The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1909-05-11
CHAPTER XII.
Continued.

sands, or away in the other direction
to the line of the eastern coast, with
all its curious rocks and coves. About
ten days after her arrival in St An
drew's Lady Car made one of these
expeditions accompanied by Beaufort
and Janet. They took her in her lit
tie vehicle as far as it would go, and
then she walked little down to the
shore, to a spot which she recollected
In her youth, where a grassy bank
Of the close short seaside grass bor-
dered ridge of broken rocks higher
than the level of the beach. Over
this line of rocks there was wonder
full view of the little town isolated
upon its headland, with the fine clus-
ter of the ruined cathedral, the high
square tower of St. Rule, the gray
heap of the destroyed castle, and the
little port below, set in the shining
sea; and great breadths of the blue
armament banded with lines of pearly
cloud. Here Carry sat down to rest
while her companions went further Cd
the coast to the curious little bay
with its bristling rocks where stands
the famous Spindle, left among the
sea-pools by some gigantic Norman
of the north. The wide air, the great
sky, the sense of space and freshness,
and separation from all intrusive
things; and, on the other hand, the
picture made by that cluster of hui
man habitations and ancient work of
man defaced and worn, standing in
the rays of the afternoon sun, which
streamed over it from the coast, made
a perfect combination. The ridge of
red rocks and piled stones which cut
off all vulgarities of the background
and relieved in warm color against
the gray headland and the wonderful
blue sea, made the foreground of the
picture shut in Lady Cars retreat,
though the coast road wound on be-
hind her, communicating by rocky
passage, almost like a stair, with the
sands below. Lady Car seated herself
upon the grass. She did not care
even to sketch; all her cid pursuits
had dropped from her. She was con-
tent to sit still, with her eyes more
often upon the wide line of the hori-
zon than on any intermediate point,
however attractive. There was sort
of luxury of the soul in that width of
stainless silent air which required
nothing, not even thought, but filled
her with faint yet exquisite sense
IF calm. The peace of God-did she
dare to call it SO? Certainly it passed
understanding. That she should sit
in this beatitude in a calm so COM
plete, with so many--oh, SO many
things to make her anxious and to
make her sad. Still SO it was.
She did not know how long she had
sat there in that wide universe of sea
and sky when her attention was first
called to voices underneath the ridge
of rock. The sands beyond were on
lower level, and it might well be
that people underneath might discuss
the most private affairs without any
thought of possible listeners above.
Carry had heard the murmur of the
voices for some time before she took
any heed of them, or distinguished
one from another. These tones she
presently observed were very unlike
the peace all around; there was a
sound of conflict in them, and now
and then a broken note as if the
woman sobbed. For it was apparent
at once that the two Jere man and
woman, and soon that there was some
controversy between them. When
Lady Car began to awaken out of her
dream of calm to become aware of
these two people below and in discus
sion or quarrel which was every mo-
ment increasing in intensity, she did
not perhaps know how to make her
presence known, or rather, perhaps, it
was something in the sound of one of
the voices which bewildered and con-
fused her. At first she thought with
vague trouble it was a voice she
knew. Then she started from her
grassy seat with a horrible sensation,
as If she were hearing over again,
though not addressed to herself, one
of those mocking, threatening, insult
ing floods of words which had once
been the terror of her life. Torrance!
Had she lived to hear him speak
again? She had escaped from all
imagination of him in this beautiful
and distant scene. What was it that
like a terrible wind of recollection,
like an hour come back from the mis-
cradle past, made her hear his voice
again?
She had risen up in her dismay and
alarm, almost with an impulse of
fight, to get out of his way. lest he
should find her again. when an i'm
preston almost more terrible still
made her pause and hold her throb-
bling breast with both hands. She
turned her face toward the rock with
faint cry, and sank down again
upon the grass, There could be no
doubt that it was a man speaking to
a woman over whom he had almost
absolute power, husband to a wife
Or, perhaps--but Carry knew no
other relationship than that which
permitted such tones, and when her
first irrational panic was over she
became aware that it was the voice
of Tom.
To whom was he speakingy She
did not ask what he was saying. She
could not hear the words, but she
knew them. A woman who has once
borne such storm recognizes it
again To whom could Tom speak in
that voice of the supreme knocking.
threatening, pouring forth abuse and
wrath To whom did the hnv dare