Year: 1869

much wondering about these public days.
For six years Kempton Court was house
closed to all but particular friends; and
during all that time the wondering as to
the possible .fete days of the future was
every day renewed. During all this time
Lady Margaret had been the angel of our
house. She had won my mother out of
her desponding grief for my fathers carly
death, and she made me love her as could
not hope by any description to make any
body understand. Iquite worshiped Lady
Margaret The most perfect lady! could
echo the village judgment now from my
own heart, and because of my own eXpe
rience; and generally Lady Margaret was
even more delighted In as widow than
she had been as wife e-our perfect lady
Lady Margaret used often to have me STAY
with her at Kempton Court; and rather
more than six years after her husbands
death, when | was her guest-it being Feb
ruary, and in fact, st. Valentines eve, she
said.


"Mary the people have been six years
without their public days in the park. l
am thinking this year of beginning them
again. I wonder If it would be liked?"


spoke positively Of the pleasure It
would give; and when l looked at her



been more than twenty-seven, I think-I
felt glad that she would no longer deprive
our little world of so much loveliness of
person and mind.


"And You will go out again-sce friends,
/ mean"


Eyes" said she; /" but I shall not go to
London this year. think"


Then knew that by degrees the old
ways were to be returned to, and ] was
glad. Yet with my gladness there min
gled girlish regret, because | felt that
Lady Margaret might become something
else-sOmetbing not known to me-that |,
who had only known her so very well
since her widowhood, might lose a some
thing, and that what lost others would
gain. l had begun to be jealous of the
world already


She talked very merrily that evening :;
she spoke of her maiden life, of London,
of my coming out for was seventeen
of people who had been beauties and
heiresses; of some who had married well
and others who had married i'll of love in
a cottage and Of those who had agreed
that, considering the chances of this
mortal life, "'tis best repenting in a coach
and SIX" l was amused and interested
| beyond measure. She spoke with a bril-
liant familiarity Of the life Of her youth
1t came back to her in memory with evil
dent pleasure, and we stayed up gossiping
much beyond our usual bedtime.


AS we stood at last on the landing OF the
stairs, saying goodnight, she said:


"Shall we walk to the Beeches to NOR
row?"


40, yes" exclaimed for the Beeches
was wooded hillside, dotted about with
huge masses of granite, at the foot of
which rapid river ran, with most pic
turesque windings, and here Lady Marga-
ret had already given me two lessons in
sketching, the spot to which we went
being both sheltered and sunny, and SO
very agreeable for the time of year.
To tell the truth, l Greamt of the things
we had talked about, and when Lady
Margaret met me in the hall, after break
fast, in her short black serge, and said
"Comc, Mary, or the morning sun will be
gone And do you know it is Valentines
day." l colored up to my eyes, because
had said to myself over and over again,
81 hope she will not marry again-Oh,
hope, 1 hope!"


Away we went the day was the bright
est that ever dawned on any Valentine, l
am sure; the sun was like summer, the
birds were singing, the primroses were
showing in the sheltered places, and when
we got to the Beeches, there was the dry
rustic of the beech mast beneath our feet,
and gay green patches where the leaves
of the blue hyacinths had pushed their
way.


go, this is exquisite !" cried Lady Mar
garet. "See the light on those glittering
rocks-look how the shadow of those
great boughs gets painted on them. But
we have not the river yet let us get up
the bank and see how it looks from above
] declare, it is hot"


Lady Marraret was quite right. We
had walked fast, we were in a place at
once sunny and sheltered, and it was a
moment of as much enjoyment and prom
ise as any lady-sketcher could desire
She had got beyond me now, by rough
path up the steep bank, and she stood
waiting.


go, Mary, it is delicious So peaceful
so pretty 1t seems odd to think Of SO
much beauty going on, whether or moi
there be any to look at it Nature is q
prodigal. Here we are quite alone, mol
a creature have we seen-nOt Valen
tineI'


And then she laughed like o girl. She
took one or two steps more, so IS to com
mand the other side of granite rock, anG
then she came back quietly to me.


40, hope he did not hear. There is 9
man there, sitting down, drawing in water
colors; what shall we do"


"Go home," said.


az don't know. The place is my own
| shall speak to him."


She went up the bank once more, keep
ing me by her side. But as we neared the
highest point of the intervening wall O
stone, the man appeared on the top. Ht
took off cloth Scotch cap that he wore
and bowed to US. We were both STRUCK
by the extreme picturesqueness of his po
sitiOn, attitude and general appearance
and it was with peculiarly sweet voice
that he said:


81 know am on Lady Margaret Ca
ryll's grounds. But | hope | have no
trespassed too far-too near the house,
mean"


"YOu are nearly mile frcr n my house,
said Lady Margaret. The stranger agall
gave little bow. "Do not leave you
sketch unfinished. The scenery here
very fine, and you will not often get s
good day at this time of the year"
"Thank you" he said. And ono
more touching his hat, he turned away
as if to go back to where Lady Margare
had seen him. We, too, turned away
and l thought Lady Margaret looked dii


turbed


"We will come some other time"-the
she added, after pause, with an ode
: short laugh, as if vexed at being diear
: pointed of our sketching hour" whe
there are no Valentines about" and /,