Year: 1869

II


ished and overpowered as myself by the


unexpected turn things had taken, and
with admirable celebrity disappeared from
| the dock


Some four years afterward I received a
| very pressing invitation from my old E on
| friend, Charlie Forester, asking me ia
| run down to his place in Devonshire, and
spend a few days there. Master Charlie,
| whose lines had fallen in exceedingly
pleasant places, and who at twenty-one
had come into a very nice estate and some
| five thousand pounds annually, after tan
talizihg all the marriageable girls in the
| county by refusing to go to the balls and
croquet parties, with invitations for which
he was pertinaciously pestered from morn
ing till night, had finally taken himself
abroad, no one knew whittier, and there
remained between four and five years
When he returned home again he brought
| a wife with him, proceeding on his part
which excited general discomfort and dis
appreciation But Charlie cared very
little what the county folks thought
about him. He was passionately fond of
his wife, and consequently devoted to
home, while he occupied his time in
regulating the affairs of his estate, and
improving the breed of pigs. In short,
he found within the limits of his park
fence all the amusement and society he re
Quired His attachment for his wife wac
not surprising, for she was indeed most
lovely and charming woman, full ofintel-
| ligence and good sense, and in every way
| fitted to preside over a household. When
she and Charlie first met at Pau, she was
| the governess in an English family that
was staying there the courtship lasted


but a few days; and one fine morning
they met by appointment. and walking to-
gether to the church, were married be-
fore breakfast. Violet Danvers had no
idea of the position, pecuniary or other
wise that attached to Charlie, but her life
had been full of troubles, and all she
knew was that he had been very kind and
goO1 to her.


Friends and relations, she had none,
| she said and then, as she rested her head


against his breast and looked up into his
eyes, Charlie felt that Heaven had sent
her for him to love and cherish. He told


her of his past life, and his wanderings in
distant countries, and sought to engage her
confidence in return; but she always
seemed to avoid all reference to her own
past, and would hurriedly turn the conver-
sation into quite another channel. Charlie
| was not of suspicious nature, and had


far too much love and confidence in his
wife to fancy that she was concealing any
thing from him.


And SO Violet came to her new home
to the old home in which generations of


Forresters had lived and died.


1t was not so very long after they had
taken ND their abode at "The Lions" that
L. received the invitation before alluded
| TO; and as the long vacation had already
commenced, and my pecuniary resources
were not in condition to stand a trip
even to the seaside, l thought the best
thing | could do was to accept the hospi-
| tality that my old frieni offered to me-
| A few days more saw me comfortably in
stalled at "The Lions" thoroughly enjoy.
| ing the fresh air and strong exercise that
| followed, in pleasing contrast to the heat
ed atmosphere Of close courts and con


tinuous sitting in dingy chambers.


found Mrs Forester most charming and


amusing companion, though | could not
| help being struck by an air of constraint


and reserve that at times settled upon her
A very brief acquaintance satisfied me


that there was some mystery attaching tC


her which she dared not reveal.


| One morning at breakfast, Charlie, after
reading letter he had just received by
the post, informed us that it was from al


old Paris friend of his whom he had me,


in his traveller days, and who, in pursu


ance of loDg-standing invitation, haC


written to say that he proposed coming


on visit to 1.-THE Lions" and would


without waiting for reply, put in an ap


pearance that very evening. Charlie was
| delighted at the prospect OF seeing his ole
/ ax.I -, Of oil


over the farm he informed me that the


name of the coming guest was Murray
and that he was blessed with great dea


more ready wit than ready cash.


Though he is bit of an adventure


in his way" said Charlie, he is a capita


fellow, and the best company in the
world"


1t was very late when the expected
| guest arrived. Mrs. Forester had retired


to bed some time before. AS for Charli,


and myself, we kept the newcomer com
pany while he supped, and when he hae


done ample justice to the good things be


fore him, it being already in the small


hours, bed was voted and carried unani


mOusly. l was very sleepy, and beyon'


uttering mere commonplace or two hat


taken little or no notice of the stranger


but when he came across the room ant


held out his hand, which oddly enough


was encased in a light-colored glove o


some sort, to bid me goodnight, as look


ed him full in the face, he seemed to star


for a moment. Although his features


were hidden by heavy mustache anC


huge beard, there was something abou


them that appeared familiar to me. Wher'


on earth could | have seen him before


When got up stairs into my bedroom


puzzled my brain with inquiries, but al


in vain | CO Id connect the face witt


nothing, and nothing with the face, AM
with that l got angry with myself ant


with that l went to sleep.


The next morning awoke early, an,
feeling strong inclination for walk be
fore breakfast, tumbled headlong into m
cold tub, and in very short time afte
had completed my toilette" and was on
in glorious fresh air. An hours stro
brought me back to the window of tn
i breakfast-room, which opened into tn
garden, and with the appetite of tiger
} was on the point of entering, when m
| step was arrested by the sound of Mr.
+ Forrcster's voice, tremulous with emotion
exclaiming, "Say it is not true for pity


sake, say it is not true"


e What could this mean? Being of
s curious turn-my conduct may have bee
disgraceful, but hereafter / hope to stan
/; excused for it, moved into a positio
5 where could see into the breakfast-rool
without being seen, and hear all that wa
: said. In an armchair by the table, be
: face buried in her hands, and her elbow
3 resting on her knees, Mrs. Forester WIS
o rocking herself to and fro in way this
4 showed. her to be laboring under dee
a emotion. Close to her, in a strangel