Only a Girl's Love
'Lenore,
n her mental calendar. Never would she be able to look upon a field of primroses, never hear the music of t
oking out into the gloaming, he lost in memory, she going over and over again the incidents
dinner, and once again as she sat beside him, leaning her arm on his chair while he smoked his pipe-she had opened her lips to tell him of that sudden outburst of fury on the part of[58
im of her meeting with Lady Lilian, but of that passi
er in silence. Now, as she sat looking into the gloaming, she saw him in her mind's eye still, his beaut
help which Stella had disregarded, and had rowed her across to her uncle. Without a word, but with the same penitent, imp
lian's lips it had rung in her ears. There was a subtle ki
h her dark eyes fixed on the stars which glit
Lenore
chair and looked
iar. Where did you hear it? It's scarcely fair to spring a question
laughed
Lady Lilian told her brother as s
Who is Lenore?" and he smiled. "There is scarcely another w
eyes upon him with surpris
at is just the wo
he a great actress, pa
, reckons far above any of the classes you
all!" said St
e echoed
nodded. "It s
!" and h
f you happen to be born so. There is n
by her sang fro
o be a great beauty-if you are one-but it is rather difficult if you a
how does she enchant? Does she keep tame snakes, a
again with great enj
tural gift? No, she does not keep tame snakes, and I don't know that she has acquired the art
is like?" interrup
sed a moment to
ery fair,
mile; "with yellow hair and blue eyes, and a pink an
s as unlike a china doll as it is possible to imagine. She has golden hair it is true-but g
ole
on the bank over there. Her mouth is not small; there was never yet a woman worth a f
?" said Ste
at can speak volumes with a curve of the lip. Y
rly desirous of seeing her, uncle. It reminds we of what t
lau
many have seen her-many men, and
laughed
for you to talk like this,
w; "with a charm that one is bound
asked Stella, with a tou
is the type of our latest requirement, which demands more than mere beauty, and will not be satisfied with mere cleverness; she rides beautifully and fearlessly; she[60] plays and sings better than
s silent
on, uncle. How all her wome
lau
I never knew a woman mor
band must be of he
at husband? She
a lau
ossible that mankind can permit such a paragon to
she is not married. Lenore might have been married long before this: she has had many chance
oman should be nothing less than a duchess. I
"I don't think anyone knows; pe
a moment; her imagin
ch, poor-w
ich, I should th
has she only one name, like a
auchamp-Lady Le
rised. "She has a title, then
the daughte
she a woman or a girl, though. I h
lau
he thought a moment-
l, within sight of us. Tell me, uncle, do they keep her in a glass case, and only pe
d his hand str
remarked. "'If you want a woman to hate
tly, and she laughed wit
-to feel for myself the wonderful charm[61] of which you speak. I should like to se
le her. I think if she were on board a ship that was going down inch by inch, and she knew that she was within, say, five minutes of death, she would not flinch, or dro
fashion, more like communion with his own thoughts than a direct address to
y, so it seemed to her, she felt fascinated by this beautiful creature, who
e live?" she a
n silence f
e would not be received with a welcome accorded to princes. It is rather strange that she should be down here just now; the season has commenced, most
vague irritation took possessio
o come to Wyndward Hall at any time-even Lady
nod
o-well, to palaces. There is not a ball-room in London where her absence will not
a, turning her eyes toward hi
cester," he s
cest
efore she was aware of it, and
ycester,
es, that must be it, of course. Well, he could not do better, and as for her, though she has refused greater chances, there is a charm in bei
rt which was scarcely distinct enough for pain, but which annoyed and shamed her. What could it matter to her-to her, Stella Etheridge, the niece of a poor painter-whom Lord Leycester,
ld, and yet the gods were not satisfied, but they must give her Leycester Wyndward! For of course it was impossible that he should resist her if she chose to put forth her char
and to the dull aching, then with a gesture of impat
matter, Stell
have lights? The room is so dark and sti
and as she did so she looked up and saw her f
he put the dark hair from her brow, and gliding to the organ began to play; feverishly, re
w it, she felt it! This woma
of light broke in from the
re! I thought it was Mr. Etheridge playing; you d
med Stella, turning on h
ld smiled
d there's an a
te; the envelope was addressed in a thin, beautiful hand to Miss Stella Etheridge. Stella turned the
offering to open it, then with an effort she t
6
ring you to dine with them to-morrow at eight o'clock? I say 'them' because I dine always alone; but perhaps you will not mind coming
urs ver
lian Wy
y Lilian's invitation had sounded so vague that she had scarcely remember
s?" said M
a sta
the answer dire
the letter in her hand. He was lost in thought, and qu
ave just go
re from,
Lady L
ed up q
d me to dinne
etter in his hand. "Read it,
conscious that he
?" he
repeated,
s hand to
ell! You would like to go?" and he looked
face was delicately f
You see, Stella, your wish is gratified almost as soon
and her fac
ice. "I find I don't want to see her so badly a
. She was still
yndward Hall! Nonsense! Besides, it
d with the let
le-I have not
" And he looked a
Hall," she said. "Uncle, I
ghed g
past[64] seven to-morrow," he said, "or my faith in Mr
e table and wrote two
e very glad indeed to come and se
ella Et
ell and gave the no
e said, with a smile, "and I have got nothi
p her hands after th
, what shall we do?" Then she glanced at the a
at we can manage. To the Hall! Think of
g on with a smile, while the
ly require, but a dinner at the Hall was quite out of the ordinary. At last, after holding up d
y pretty,"
sateen!" exclai
little," said Stella "b
and silks, and velvets," de
" said Stella, consolin
nced at her with
ut it must be this dress or nothing; you can't go in a cotton,
ke this sateen do, Mrs. Penfold. I think it
ed from the room, returning in a few moments with a small box. "Speaking of lace just reminded me, Miss Stella, that I had some by me
it's
ss? I didn't know
beautiful, delicious, heavenl
6
ill take it, Miss Stella," said t
ook a long strip and put it round her throat. "Oh, it is beautiful, beautiful! It wou
beautiful face admiringly. "And you'll want gloves-let me see-yes, you have got some cream gloves; they'll go with the dress, won
as she went down-stairs, "I don'
ype="