Year: 1879

"Where is he staying, thenp"


presume in the left wing of this
mansion. notice there are more lights
than usual in it tonight. His apart
ments are there"


"Now, Kate, do tell me all, dear.
You know / love romantic love affair,
and / am sure this is one


You were never more mistaken,
Selma. There is no love at all in the
affair. That is the secret of the whole
position. | thought, as you were stay
ing here this week and might probably
see or meet my lord, it was better to
make all clear to you. People are so apt
to associate wrong with things they do
not understand"


"To be sure, dear. | suppose Lord
Richard and you have had a little dis
agreement. Now, if | could only do
anything toward reconciliation
should be so happy, you know


mo, Selma, there has been no quarrel,
and you can do nothing at all between
us. l don't want you to try. Just be
kind enough to ignore the whole cir
cumstance. Lord Richard and / under
stood each other nearly four years ago."


But it is not four years since you
marriedP"


"Just four years-yesterday.


And my lord has been away"


"Three years, eight months and
eighteen days, as far as | know"


"Well, this is most extraordinary
thing, and very, very sad, must say"


g 1t might easily have been much sad
der. am going to tell you the exact
truth, and | rely upon your honor and
discretion to keep the secret inviolable." :"


"My dear Kate, | would not name it
for worlds"


Listen, then. One night, when
was scarcely seventeen years old. my
father sent for me to his study. / had
known for months that he was dying.
He was the only creature that | had to
love, and | loved him very tenderly. |
must add also, for it partly explains my
conduct, that the idea of disobeying him
in anything had never presented itself to
me as a possibility. This night | found
with him his lifelong friend the late
Lord Talbot, and also the present lord,
my husband. was shy, shrinking girl,
without any knowledge of dress or So
ciety, and very timid and embarrassed in
my manners. Then my father told me
that it was necessary for the good of both
houses that Richard Talbot and | should
marry, that Richard had consented, and
that must meet few friends in our pri-
vate chapel at seven O'Clock in the morn
ing week afterward. OF course these
things were told me in very gentle and
considerate manner, and my dear father,
with many loving kisses, begged me as a
last favor to him to make no objections. p"


And what did Lord Richard sayP"


81 glanced up at him. He stood near
a window looking out over the old park,
and when he felt my glance he colored
deeply and bowed. Lord Talbot said,
rather angrily, Richard, Miss Esher
waits for you to speak Then Lord Rich
ard turned toward me and said some
thing, but in such low voice that did
not catch its meaning. My son says
you do him n great honor and pleasure,
explained Lord Talbot, and he kissed
me and led me toward the unwilling
bridegroom.


"Of course I ought to have hated
him, Selma, but did not. On the con-
trary, | fell desperately in love with
him. Perhaps it would have been bet
ter for me if had not. Richard read
my heart in my face, and despised his
easy conquest. AS for me, suffered in
that week all the torturing suspense of a
timid schoolgirl in love. l dressed my
self in the best of my plain, unbecom-
ing, childish toilets, and watched wear
lily every day for visit from my prom
ised husband; but l saw no more of
him until our wedding morning. By
this time some very rich clothing had
arrived for me, and also u London maid,
and think, even then, my appearance
was fair enough to have somewhat con-
ciliated Richard Talbot. Buthe scarce
| ly looked at me. The ceremony was
scrupulously and coldly performed, my
father, aunt and goveTness being present
on my side, and on Richards his father
and his three maiden sisters.


" never saw my father alive again
he died the following week, and the
mockery of our marriage festivities at
Talbot Castle was suspended at once in
Difference to my grief. Then we came
to London, and my lord selected for his
own use the left wing of this house, and
placed at my disposal all the remaining
apartments. considered this as an in
timation that was not expected to in
trude upon his quarters, and / scrupu-
lously avoided every approach to them.
| knew from the first that all attempts
to win him would be useless, and indeed
felt too sorrowful and humiliated to
try. During the few weeks we remained
under one roof we seldom met, and
am afraid Ibid not make these rare in
terviews at all pleasant. felt wronged
and miserable, and my wan face and
heavy eyes were only a reproach to
him."


"Oh, what a monster, Kate"


Not quite that, Selma. There were
many excuses for him. One day l saw
a paragraph in the Times saying that
Lord Richard Talbot intended to accom-
pany scientific exploring party whose
destination was Central Asia. | in.
sthntly sent and asked my husband for
an interview. had intended dressing
myself with care for the meeting, and
making one last effort to win the kindly
regard, at least, of one whom | still
could not help loving. But some un-
fortunate fatality always attended our
meetings, and l never could do myself
justice in his presence. He answered
my request at once. | suppose he did so
out OF respect and kindness; but the
consequence was he found me in
an unbecoming dishabille, AMI with my
face and eyes red and swollen with weep
ing.


felt mortlhed at prompt attention
SO malapropos, and my manner, instead
of being winning and conciliating, was
col and unprepossessing. / did not
rise from the sofa on which l had been
sobbing, and he made no attempt to sit
down beside me or to comfort me.


=" "Ipointed TO the paragraph, and asked
fit was true.


60 Yes, Lady Talbot, he said, little
sadly and proudly; shall relieve you
of my presence in few days. in