The Cotton Factory Times. — 1892-01-22 (Manchester, Greater Manchester, England)

CHAPTER XL—Continued. With trembling fingers the Lady Barbara tore open the missive.  It contained a olosely-written page. The lady started back, recoiling as if the letter bad contained a serpent.  "Well ?" said his lordship, coolly. " I—l recognise the handwriting," murmured the wife, faintly. "Of course you do," sneered the baron. "I supposed you would. But goon. Read the letter." " I cannot! I will not I" cried the Lady Barbara, crumpling the missive between her fingers.  "I insist upon it. If you refuse, you will only more fully confirm my convictions. You know the handwriting, and it would appear that you know the contents of the letter before having read it. That argues a state of rapport between you and the writer. Are you afraid that I shall want to read the letter? If you do not read it, I will." Terrified by this threat, the Lady Barbara unfolded the letter and read it, the words dancing strangely on the tinted page, as if they had been so many mocking, live things. When she bad finished its perusal, her cheeks whitening strangely, Lord Champney said: "You have read it, then? Shall I read it also?' The wife shook her head. "Barbara," said his lordship, bending nearer to her, in a sorrowful sternness, "if you are innocent of downright falsity and wrong-doing, you will place that letter in my hands. If anyone has insulted you in that letter, I will avenge your wrongs. If anyone has written to you in pursuaneo of what is called a flirtation,' having presumed upon your recent unprotected condition, I shall pardon you and punish him. Barbara," and his voice rose passionately, "if you are innocent, show me that letter ?"  "I cannot."  A groan burst from the baron's lips. ais wife could have echoed it with a greater despair. She had been forced by her enemies into a cruel situation—the most cruel conceivable. The letter was from the Colonel Effingham to whom she had alluded in her conversation .with Willard Ames.  The dastardly writer—as if with a view, one might imagine, to this very scene—had began by addressing her in the fondest words of love, and had thanked her for the encouragement she had given him; expressed his gratitude at having learned that she returned his ardent affection, and had begged her to meet him at a certain spot near the sea, on her own grounds, "where we met the last time ;" and concluding by assuring her that he had heard of her husband's return, but that the writer would continue to elude or quiet any suspicions the baron might entertain of the actual state of affairs. To this precious document was appended the name of Albert Effingham. A more diabolical letter had never been conceived, nor one more likely to utterly madden Lord Champney_.  The Lady Barbara, familiar as she had been with many of the dissolute colonel's proceedings, was utterly amazed at the unparalleled audacity and falsity of this missive.  Bu all her anger, annoyance, and righteous indignation were swallowed np in her great fear lest, after all, it should fall into her hnsband's hands.  This Colonel Effingham was an egregious coxcomb, vain, heartless, and unprincipled. He bad been formerly a devoted admirer of the Lady Barbara, but her ilarriage, and his own, had come between them for many years. His wife's death, and the Lady 11, rb ,--'• loneliness and unprotected condition, had • -ned his thoughts to her, and, as she ha ,v 1 annoyed her greatly by sending her f tters, and in haunting at times her gr she could not go out for a stroll wit m. And dm , I. to his persecutions this Crowning  To ex' preci pi scan&  :419 baron would be but to calamity, to arouse a Eugland to ring with her . her own. For the Lady ese false words would be to apirit like a flaming brand t of gunpowder. aat letter, she knew that any innocence would be laughed to  ,Low the lying document would be  1 she do? :aged in her soul. Her brain seemed heart beat quickly, with muffled  " said Lord Champney, gtimly. "Will ,l'ou give me the letter ?" _  "Sidney," his wife whispered, clutching the / letter closely, a strange dizziness seizing her, " sup, pose it was a love-letter. Suppose it alluded to former letters, and to—to meetings. Suppose it made me seem false to you, and yet I should declare the letter a base lie, would you believe me ?"  "No I" thundered the husband, beside himseh with passion. "No man would write such a letter to a pure and modest woman. No man would make such assertions in a letter to a woman unless they were true. Are there such statements in that letter ?"  The Lady Barbara forced a quivering smile. "That question to me?" she asked, trying to speak haughtily. "I was putting a case to you. Have I faller' so low in your estimation that you could suspect me of receiving such letters as the one I described?"  " No ; you have not yet." "Then I never shall 1" cried the baroness, arousing herself, and looking up at him strangely. Before be could speak or hinder her, she deliberately tore the letter into a hundred fragments and tossed them out of the window.  The vagrant breeze caught them up, whirled them into an outgoing current of air, and they were carried out seaward.  The Lady Barbara tossed the bouquet after them, and then sank back into her seat.  'What am I to understand from that strange mo- • —ant ?" demanded Lord Champney, fiercely. that I decline to make a confidant of  •ink the worst then?" .hink what you please." least. ell me who wrote that letter." le secret is mine, and I shall keep  evor.  Tl4e  ea.erl 10  Aothered an imprecation. His eyes  "ft rer between us," he exclaimed. "I ; as much as I once loved you. Love and contempt cannot dwell together. I shall never make any further advances to you, madam. I regret that you are my wife, but I have no intention of committing suicide that you may be free. Neither will I sue for a divorce or go back to Germany. In short, Barbara, I shall stay at Saltair as your guardian and protector, and make it my care to preserve in honour your good name, since you have proven yourself incompetent to the task. Therefore be cautious. My eye will be ever on you. I intend, first of all, to discover the identity of this secret lover of yours. If it's Effingham," and his lordship's face grew yet darker, "he shall pay for his insolence in blood I And now, madam," he concluded, hiding his awful grief under a cover of mockery, "permit me to wish you good-morning!" He bowed deeply, and went out. The Lady Barbara tottered to the door, locked it, and fell fainting on the door.