A Mere Chance, Vol. 3 of 3

if she had tried, appeared to be over

his domestic occupations and the homely companionship of nearly half-a-dozen wedded years around her; missing him fro

ver them, and kissed them, and laid them away in sacred drawers, to be treasured relics and heirlooms for her little Alfy, who was to be taught to rev

spacious rooms, making loving inventories of all the rich appo

had this carved dado made because I didn't like tiles; he gave me this Florentine cabinet on my twentieth birthday; he chose these hangings h

nd were still unopened; and though many of them were addressed in the kind of handwriting that was especial

she burnt them all without taking one of them out of its envelope,

s," she said, when to her o

y bereavement, was comforted to be able to repeat th

nt out of the room, and his relief when she came back again. And she was so devoted! Such a thoroughly suitable marriage in every w

It meant that Mr. Kingston had left the half of his great property absolutely at his young wife's disposal, and that she was the sole and un

young widow of twenty-five was not inconsolable for the loss of her el

he merest apology for weeds-for everybody knew that Mr. Kingston had had a horror of crape, a

per respect to his memory, in spite of him-and even that his protests against conventional suttee were never intended to include this particular case (as was very probable), but only indicated hi

ver her bonnet-in the case of a veil so transparent, it didn't make much difference whether it w

r that she infringed the laws of good breeding an

s sufficiently indicated that she was recovering from the shock of her sud

o them, perhaps with her serene, sweet, grave smile; "you mark my words-that woman will be married again by this time next year.

and generally he suggested that by remaining a widow she would be most likely to secure that object), with youth and be

solemn severity, and wonder how it was that that poor, dear, foolish man never could se

-which had been so extremely proper hitherto-and was herself conscious of the subtle change that

nd the back gate, wearing a light, black cambric dress and a shady straw hat, looking-Mrs. Hardy thought, glancing up at her

? And where's Alfy? Have yo

er aunt's shoulder, and k

I wanted to have a little quiet talk,

ity in Rachel's voice and manner, and understood that there was something of importance to be attended to. So she g

le hesitation. "But, auntie dear, I am going to-do some

a corner of the writing-table; and she looked into the

faint, instinct

ou to the best of my power. But you are your own mistress now, you know." The

el, "auntie-you know al

to say-! And your poor husban

tly, auntie-as soon as you would think it right-I want to marry Mr. Dalrymple. And in the meantime he is waiting for me to send h

what poor Graham would say if he could know! And he left little Alfy in your ha

nt Elizabeth, I think he wished to make reparation to Roden and me. Don't you wish it, too? Only think, it is six years-six whole years-that poor Roden has been lonely in Queensland, without any brightness or comfort in hi

t him see you-I would not have allowed you to have him. Oh, child, child! when you have grown-up daughters to look

and kneeling down flung her warm

t! It is always a mistake to deceive people, but I deceived you, too, not telling you all I had done. I know you were right to keep me away from him knowing o

esn't want you now for your money? He has none of his own, and you have a great fortune tha

ut afterwards I was ashamed that I could have any fears. We understand each other better. Aunt Elizabeth, Beatrice knows

ot for me to interfere, I suppose. But you w

e known to ours

n't get married again under t

ise you that. If I can go and stay at

wn at the

, au

ardy, sighing. "It is a quiet place, and out of t