Year: 1879

illness. They seemed no longer to have
part or parcel in the matter.


If Edna did not realize the pain of all


this to her parents, it surely was not be-


cause she did not love them. She loved


them dearly, with tenderness all hel


own; but at that time she was too ut


terly absorbed in her own tumultuous
happiness to be able to conceive of there


being serpent trail in her paradise. She


clung to them with passionate kisses be-
fore she started on her wedding journey


and had almost to be torn from theil
embraces; but this without probing the


nature of their regret and wretchedness
She and George sailed for Europe al


most Immediately. He was rich man


but he had a profession to which he


proposed to devote himself. For the


next two years he attended medical


lectures in Paris as assiduously as though


he had been needy student anxious to


go to work to earn a living. He and


Edna were very happy during those two


years; it was the life that suited Edna


art and music and congenial society


The world was even gayer and brighter


than her day dreams had pictured it.
Then year of travel. Then home.


Eddie had never known how she had


missed her dear father and mother until
she found herself once more clasped in
their loving arms, How had she done
without, all this while, their extraordin-
ary devotion, their blind infatuation
She had never half enjoyed her own two
babies until she had shown them to her
father and mother Tears of JOY and
pride rained down Mrs. Clark's cheeks.
Eddie's little girls! There never were
such beauties, such darlings Eddie's
eyes, clear, brown, eager, with their
fathers beautiful golden hair. Forum
ately they were sufficiently like their
fathers family to win favor with their
grandmother LIE Roy on that score. On the
whole, she was satisfied with the appear
ance presented by her sons family. Ed
dies French toilettes were stylish and
becoming; the elder baby prattled in
French in a distinguished way; the baby
proper was a study for a picture as she
lay in the arms of her bonnie, whose pic
turesque cap and apron were the first
that had ever appeared in Port Royal
Edna really did not do George discredit;
she would be well enough, if only it
were not for her vulgar father and
mother.


Still there were no jars. But, all the
same, Edna grew gradually harassed and
unhappy. 1t became patent to her that
Mrs. LIE Roy looked down upon her ante
cedents, and that it was perpetually upon
her mind to instruct her in the different
articles of her own social creed. Eddie's
gentle soul rebelled. She had her own
pride of birth, She hated Mrs. LIE Roy's
arrogance and assumption. She almost
hated Mrs: LIE Roy. Day after day she
was made to appear to disadvantage be-
fore George. Day after day she felt that
she was stiffening and hardening before
the icy breath of her mother-in laws
constant surveillance. A word here and
word there will prejudice almost I'M
twares. George, for the first time,
noticed that his wife had defects; she


lacked self control, self-possession. These
things would come in time but they were
:tn indispensable part of the equipment
of q finished woman of the world.


Gradually George began to object to
her frequent visits to her parents, al
though never in so many words. The
he used was that she was so
much away from home; he saw so little
of her. Gradually Eddie abandoned
iii S point; but in return she resolved
that she would be equally chary of her
visits to other places. She established a
character for unsociability and indiffer-
ence among all the lie Roys' friends in
Port Royal, people whom Mrs. LIE Roy
had urged her to cultivate for your
sake, my dear; a physicians
wife cannot exercise too much discretion
in the choice of acquaintance.


Gradually she did not seem to herself
to be the same girl. Oh, if only she and
George could live in little house of
their own! This great, grand house was
Il prison. But it had always been on
the cards that George should live with
his mother An unusual devotion ex-
listed between the mother and son.


Eddie was not a wise woman. She
made no effort to conceal the bitterness
in her soul from her own parents. They
knew that she was not happy; thev
never dreamed of blaming her when day
after day went by without their seeing
her. But they did blame Mrs. LIE
Roy, and none the less as they saw Eddie
grow quiet and dull and changed.


George and she drifted farther and
farther apart His was an impression
able nature, which speedily fell away
from the magnetism of any influence
which was not vigorously exerted. And
he liked life and gayety; Eddie's mood
chilled and repressed him. He had no
sympathy for people with the blues. So
he sought amusement elsewhere. If Ed
die,refused to return visits, the more rea,
son that he should visit vigorously. He
was always warmly welcomed at the
houses of his old intimates. The Sto-
reys, for instance, made as much of him
as though he still were unmarried. He
believed those girls would do anything
for him. He showed Eddie with some
what of schoolboy triumph pair of
slippers Minna Storey had worked for
him in shaded fosses.


Port Royal-at least it's exclusive
left home in August and
September. The LIE Roys from time i'm
memorial had gone to the Sweetbrier
springs during those months. 1t was
decided to carry out his usual pro-
gramme, almost without consulting
Mrs. George LIE Roy. She, for her part,
detested the idea of going, as indeed she
had ended by detesting all the LIE Roys'
doings.


Nevertheless, Sweetbrier springs was
pleasant place enough, in the heart of
the peaceful, serene mountains. 1t was
not so tar from Port Royal but that
George could Join his family once a
week. for which fact Eddie would have