Wylder's Hand

e of H

ing, after his wont, to old Lady Chelford, who seemed to receive

to me. I thought of the few odd words and looks that had dropped from Wylder about him with an ominous pang as I looked, and I felt somehow as if there were some occult relation b

ake?’ said Lord Che

flickered on his singularly pale face, with a stern and insidious look, confronted me. There was something evil and shrinking in his aspect, whi

here was nothing in a moment but

me here,’ he said in hi

ithout coming here. (He had his hand upon Lake’s shoulder.) They are cousins, you know; we are all cousins.

her brilliant Cousin Rachel. The blonde

him up for judgment. Whatever Lord Chelford said, Miss Brandon received it very graciously, and even with a momentary smile. I wonder she did not smile oftener, it became her so. But her greeting to Captain Lake was more than usually haughty and froz

seemed to gleam from them an influence of pa

e scene took place close to her chair; and upon this stage direction the little piece of

entertaining talk with Miss Lake. Her conversation was lively, and rather bold, not at all in the coarse sense, but she struck me as having formed a system of ethics

n appeared quite easy and cheerful; but Mark, I thought, notwithstanding his laughter and general jollity, was uncomfortable; and I saw

y; and when we joined the ladies in the drawing-room, the good vicar’s ent

see anything so bee-utiful in your life? It is such a dar

e she presented the subject of her eulogy — one of those costly trifles which a

ed in small jewels, with a slender border of symbolic flowers, and with a heart in the centre, a mosaic

id Lord Chelford. ‘Is t

est whisper close in his ear —‘a present to Miss Brandon, and the donor is not a hundred miles

really, Wylder, it does yo

y on it, over his shoulder. ‘I believe I have a little ta

t in that gentleman’s fingers, who now took his turn at the lamp, and

ng at?’ asked Wylder

the ace of hearts,’ answered

poetry in you,’ said

, but do you know, now, it is,’ laughs out jolly Mrs. Dolly, ‘isn’t

dly, with the upper part of h

nning card,’ said Lord Chelford,

ly, still looking on the ace

nd glanced a grim look from the corners of his eyes on Lake, but the gallant captain did not seem to perc

s very pretty, a

then to a glass of Cura?oa, and then looked industriously at a Spanis

an’t be for money, or balls, or play, and he

he’ll soon tire of country life. I d

know anything about him

He’s a very gentlemanlike

you don’t, who’ve been for ten years over those d — d papers; but I think he’s the nastiest dog I e

he edge of the rug, his hands in his pockets, jingling some silver there, an

arters! he’ll soon be back in

’t, I will.

s unpleasant groove wit

le face, and wild phosphoric eyes? I was always afraid of him; in a long peruke, and d

They say he killed his son, a blackguard, who was found shot, with his face in the tarn in the park. He was going to marry the gamekeeper’s daughter, it was thought, and he and the old boy, who was for high blood, and all that, were at loggerheads a

there? Ha, ha, ha! It’s well to be distinguished in any line. I forget all the other good things he did; but

low — not, I fancy, for want of thought, but as a

re is he

? —

es

mentioned Larkins’s house, d

ve! if he wants to borrow any I’ll surprise

fiercely, as his eye glanced on the graceful captain, who was entertaini