Year: 1878

lou WOulU uOJ u'tNC ulCt huO"iuS yOu w w
he wife of another man, repeat what told
you last night, and I can take no middle
course"


'tNo; you are right" she said sadly. 81
will try to forget how you look and speak,
and tell you my story as ! would tell 1t to
Doctor Bell and you shall judge for your
self how far am to be blamed or pitied
My father was the chaplain OF the Protestant
church at -, in the South of France,
little retired village where few English ever
came, and half dozen residents comprised
his whole parish. My mother died when
was mere baby, and lie and lived so hap
pily together that we cid not seem to care
for any one else in the world. One summer
O young Englishman named John Law.
rell-- Do you know The name?'


She broke off as Geotfrey looked up
quickly. -,


ii don't know. I was at school with o
Jack Lawrell, and nearly killed him, for we
| had fight, and he fell against doorstep
and laid his head open, half the length OF 1t.
He had brother Bob, horrid young
scamp, who was expelled for stealing money
from boys pocket one night"


Sibyls eyes opened wide.
| 'FThat is the man. John Lawrell is my



| the story. Bob never saw he was abroad
| for some scrape he had got into. How
strange that you should have known each
other! Well, John Lawrell came to the vii
lage sketching, and made friends with my
dear old father, and was at our house every
day. He was handsome man, and an at
tractive one, and we both liked him, little
accustomed as we were to the polish OF good
society. was Just seventeen, and my face
took his fancy ; he used to draw me in diff
ferent position or costume every day, and
pleased my father by doing SO. Then came
the terrible day that wrecked my life. My
father was brought home dying, stabbed IN
trying to part two men who were lighting.
He could barely speas to wish me goodbye,
and I was left alone-all alone in the
world"


She paused and hid her face in her hands
for some minutes, and then went on more
steadily a


"John Lawrell was everything that was
kind and good I believe he really cared
for me then but doubt whether he would
have wished me to be his wife had he not
heard, the day before, from my poor father,
of a strange thing that had happened re-
Gently Ny father owned three shops in a
small street in the city of London, left him
by his godfather, the three together bringing
in about three hundred year, or perhaps
two hundred and fifty. The lawyer who
managed these for him and sent him his
rents wrote to say that railway company
wanted to erect large station on that spot,
and that, after much worry and pertinacity,
he had succeeded in extracting from them
| sum that would bring us in, when proper
ly invested, two thousand year. This
money was now mine, and curse 1t proved,
for, but for that, do not believe that John
Lawrell would have thought of making me
his wife Now, knowing me to possess the
money, he came forward and i'll the first
burst of my grief and loneliness told me
that he loved me, that he had asked and OBJ
tanned my fathers consent to our marriage
and implored me to be his wife. was
barely eighteen, I liked him, and knew
nothing Of love, so I consented, and three
weeks later became his wife-but not until,


fortunately for me, the lawyer had tied up


my money tightly in q settlement about


which he wrote me such an urgent 4etter


that was firm and refused to marry until 1t


was signed. was very wretched after my


marriage, though at first John was very


kind and seemed fond of me; could not


enter into the gaieties he loved, SO ne went


out day after day, night after night ana


soon-very soon-l found that ne Mrely


came home sober. had barely liked MN


before; now shrank from him with nor


ror and he saw it and dlsllked me- Ihen


Cecil was born, and l made myself happy


with him; but John seemed actually TO


hate the child. Sometimes think ne fan


cied as was 30 delicate then, that I should


die and the money all be his; but now that


a son had come there was little hope Of his


aver Gaining possession of it. may be


wrone,at any rate, ought not to speak so
| il is enough to tell you that our life together


became more and more miserable. He was


hardly ever SOBER and my life was often IN
) danger: but bore that till one day, IN III
; of delirium tremens, he tried to Kill the
child Then made up my mind and tolc
him I should leave him. l agreed to lei


him have the remainder of the money II hee
: would allow me five hundred year ano
never come near me and he was glad to bt
rid of me on such terms. That was three
wears ago, and have never seen him since
I dropped the name of Lawrell-Elton Il
really my second baptismal name--and
though I did not say I was widow | Wa'


plad to find that people here thought was
, little dreaming what the consequences Wouit
r be. Now you know why have SO steadll.
; refused ref to know Lady Temple or any on.
: else. Do you blame me9 Do you thlnl
, they would care to know me ii they ha'
Q heard all have told your


L Eyes, I do" he answered readily "ther
9 is nothing disgraceful in all that you hav
+ done. Tell Lady Temple, and try,
1 ~ cannot" she said, shaking her hea,


sadly. 1T has been hard enough to tel
even you, but I felt I owed it to you, and


would rather you knew Now what are yo'
r going to do2" y, .o.u,
v leave Cecil until he is better but you ma