Lippincott's Magazine of Popular Literature and Science, Volume 17, No. 099, March, 1876

eople, but not to him? Was it possible that, after all, Ingram was right, and that he had yet to learn the nature of the girl he had married? It

as another person who maintained that when the days of his

to enter crowded drawing-rooms and have all the world standing back to regard her and admire her and sing her praises. But now he was not so sure that that would be the result of Sheila's entrance into society. As the date of a certain dinner-party drew near he began to wish she was more like the women he knew. He did

is dinner-party, "you should not say like-a-ness. There are only two sylla

And then she cast down her eyes again, and said submissively, "I will try not to speak like that. Whe

think it so odd. I wonder why you should always say gyard

t this very word as typical of one peculiarity in the pronunciation. But she did not remind him of tha

im, for he went after her and took her hand, and said, "Look here, Sheila. When I point out any trifles like that, you must not call them faults, and fancy I have any ser

eyes still cast down, "but it is your wife they must not talk abo

notion of how you differ from them; and if you should startle or puzzle them a little at first by talking about the

ange land and going to see strange people, whose habits were different from hers. Moreover, when her husband had gone she reflected that these people, having no fishing and no

eet, and of the manner in which they would carry away such and such impressions of the girl, he lost faith in that admiration. He would much rather have had Sheila unnoticeable and unnoticed-one who would quietly take her place at the dinner-table, and attract no more special attention than the flowers, for example, which every one would glance at with some satisfaction, and then forget in the interest of talking and dining. He was quite conscious of his own weakness in thus fearing social criticism. He knew t

urse, and I shall take in somebody else, and we shall not be near each other. But it's after dinner, I mea

look at yo

hemselves or to each other, 'Poor thing! she hasn't got over her infatua

them saying that," sai

that fashion. Let them keep th

ate the interest people will take in me? I don't think I can be of such

I have done something romantic, heroic and all tha

said Sheila simply. "And they will soon

as they were driving up to the door a young man, slight, sandy-

ew Mrs. Lorraine and her mother. That is Lord Arthur Redburn, She

id, "How am I to reme

erself and her daughter, to find him out; how there was in the same hospital another dying man whom they had known some years before, and who had gone away because the girl would not listen to him; how this man, being very near to death, begged that the girl would do him the last favor he would ask of her, of wearing his name and inheriting his property; and how, some few hours after the strange and sad ceremony had been performed, he breathed his last, happy in holding her hand. The father died next day, and the two widows were thrown upon the world, almost without friends, but not without means. This man Lorraine had been pos

ly plaited in the latest fashion. They were both dressed entirely in black, except that the daughter had a band of blue round her slender waist. It was soon apparent, too, that the manner of the two women was singularly different; Mrs. Kavanagh bearing herself with a certain sad reserve that almost approached melancholy at times, while her daughter, with more life and spirit in her face, passed rapidly through all sorts of varying moods, until one could scarcely tell whether the affectation lay in a certain cynical

the young wife, and, so far as she could in that awkward period just before dinner, strove to make friends with her. Sheila was introduced to a number of people, but none of them pleased her so wel

rivolous ways and talk of ordinary society. He gave himself credit for being the clever member of the family; and if there was any cleverness going, he had it; but there were some who said that his reputation in the House and elsewhere as a good speaker was mainly based on th

ied with Sheila that the opportunity escaped her. Lord Arthur accordingly knew only that he was beside a very pretty woman, who was a Mrs. Somebody

ceased Wife's Sister bill, in which he was, for family reasons, deeply interested, and

ent Garden last

and it is very pretty to see the flowers and the fruit

said Lord Arthur. "But I w

a theatre

and inwardly hop

, no. But don't you kno

in any theatre, not

e not some rumor about the girl having come from a remote part of the Highlands? He determine

ssed before his eyes so that he could not see for a moment whether the stag had fallen or was away like lightning down the bed of the stream? Somehow or other, Lord Arthur found himself relating all his experiences, as if he were a novice begging for the good opinion of a master. She knew all about it, obviously, and he would tell her his small adventures if only that she might laugh at him. But Sheila did not laugh. She was greatly delighted to have this talk about the hills and the deer and the wet mornings. She forgot all about the dinner before her. The servants whipped off successive plates without her seeing anything of them: they received random answers about wine, so that she had three full glasses standing by her untouched. She was no more in Holland Park at that moment than were the wild animals of which she spoke so proudly and lovingly. If the great and frail masses of flowers on the table brought her any perfume at all, it was a scent of peat-smoke. Lord Arthur thought that his companion was a little too frank and confiding, or r

the middle of the board. But though they could not easily be seen, except at such moments as they turned to address some neighbor, they could be distinctly enough heard when there was any lull in the general conversation. And what Sheila heard did not please her. She began to like that fair, clear-eyed young woman less. Perhaps her husband meant nothin

ected of a man in politics who hoped some day to assist in the government of the nation by accepting a junior lordship, admired her. But was it all pretence? Was she paying court to him merely to annoy her husband? Had her enthusiasm about the shooting of red-deer been prompted by a wish to attract a certain pair of eyes at the other side of the table? Lo

ne put her hand within Sheila's arm and led her to the entran

aid Sheila, no

husband's friends you will feel rather lone

e," said

I could understand it. But they merely sit, looking at win

do it, then?"

But here we keep to the manner

ents?" said Mrs. Kavanagh, tapping her daughter

said the daughter with composure, "-in th

had said; and indeed Mrs. Lorraine immediately turned, with the same calm, fine face and careless eyes, to ask

the piano and sang a mystic song of the present day, in which the moon, the stars and other natural objects behaved strang

o your husband's studi

toward the la

he least expression of contempt in the gray ey

hisper, "and it is such a dismal place. It is very hard on him to have to work in a big bare room like

it?" said Mrs. Lorraine. "I should so like to see the stu

alone. Fortunately, there was no need to answer the question, for at this moment

graphs she had left-"thank you very much. I knew some one would instantly ask you to sing that s

a again: "How did you li

is a very go

rraine, not perceiving that Sheila had blundered on a wrong adjective,

the sake of his daughter, who sang just now. He is too rich. And he smiles blandly, and takes a sort of after-dinner view of things, as if he coincide

ike her,"

't you,

, but I shall t

of medicine. I fancy I smell calomel when she comes near. I suppose if she were in a pantomime, they'd dress her up as a phial, tie a stri

herself being drawn to the girl, so that she could scarcely help taking her hand, and saying how sorry she was to see her so pale and fine and delicate. The hand, too, was so small that the tiny white fingers seemed scarcely bigger

Mr. Lavender anything in the Academy? Oh, I forgot" she added, with a smile. "Of co

when she put a little air of plaintiveness into the ordinarily cold gray eyes, and looked at her small hand as much as to say, "The f

a was seated near a small table, and Mrs. Lorraine was showing her something. She was just like anybody else. If she was a wonderful sea-princess who had come into a new world, no one seemed to observe her. The only thing that distinguished her from the women around her was her freshness of color and

and song. By this time Lavender had succeeded in interesting his companion about something or other, and neither of them noticed that Sheila had gone to the piano, attended by the young politician who had taken her in to dinner. Nor did they i

hark!

ain-bree

it is

Monal

ves outside and a scent of sea-weed coming in at the door and the windows! It was from the shores of Borva that young Monaltrie must have fled. It must have been in Borva that his

es of wi

he sult

with anxi

eks Mo

heila had finished singing he looked at her, and it seemed to him that she was still that wonderful princess whom he had wooed on th

rtling and wild in their effect, and the slowly subsiding wail in which it closed, did not much resemble the ordinary drawing-room "piece." Here, at least, Sheila had produced an impression; and presently there was a heap of people round the piano, expressing the

she said

t back to hi

to you," said Mrs. L

hought meanly of himself for saying

lumbers, by Tigh-

sung by Macdiarmid

aber the true h

mbed in the grave wh

n its predecessor. When the song was over, Sheila seemed rather anxious to get out of

ea-princess had produced no startling impression. He forgot that he had just been teaching her the nec

ny one talked to her she answered, and when she was left alone she turned to the flowers. All this time, however, she could observe that Lavender and Mrs. Lorraine were very much engrossed in their conversation; that she seemed very much amused, and he at times a trifle embarrassed; and that both of them had apparently f

joy yourself?" said her husba

am had been ther

utes, unless he could play the part of Diogenes and say

lit

ebody look

ersons were ver

el

y all seemed to be wanting something to do; and

is evident; but you will get on better when you know more of the people. You were

was examining her own heart to try to discover why such bitter feelings should be there. Surely that girl was honest: there was honesty in her eyes. She had been most kind to Sheila herself. And was there not at times, when she abandoned the ways and speech of a woman of the world, a singular coy fascinat

her on the part of those who knew her story, and that was all. Sheila bore herself very well. She made no blunders. She had a good presence, she sang well, and every one could see that she was handsome, gentle and honest. Surely, he argued with himself, that ought to content the most exacting. But, in spite of all argument, he was not content. He did not regret that he had sacrificed his liberty in a freak of romance; he did not even regard the fact of a man in hi