The Translation of a Savage, Complete

were giving a large party in Cavendish Square before going back again to Greyhope, where, for the sake of Lali and her child, they intended to remain during t

little cowardly, in staying abroad until his wife was educated and ready to take her position in society. There was one thing on which they were all agreed: Mrs. Frank Armour either had a mind superior to the charms of their sex, or was incapable of that vanity which hath many suit

ummer nights when she slept in the prairie grass or camped with her people in the trough of a great landwave. Sometimes the hunger for its freedom, and its idleness, and its sport, came to her greatly; but she thought of

s; and before he started back he would not write, because he wished to make what amends he could in person. He expected to find her improved, of course, but still he could only think of her as an Indian, showing her common prairie origin. His knowledge of her before their marriage had been particularly brief

o arrive, it might unnerve her so as to make her appearance in the evening doubtful. Richard, the wiseacre, the inexhaustible Richard, was caring for his cottagers and cutting the leaves of new books-his chiefest pleasure-at Greyhope. They felt it was a matter they ought to be able to decide for themselves, but still it was the las

ly consultation. It is somewhat singular that in this case the women were quite wrong and the men were quite right. For General Armour and Captain Vid

e; but they had respected each other, each after her own fashion; and now they had a real and mutual regard. Lali's was a slim, lithe figure, wearing its fashionable robes with an air of possession; and the face above it, if not entirely beautiful, had a strange, warm fascination. The girl had not been a chieftainess for nothing. A look of quiet command was there

bruptly,-she scarcely knew why

y so much by inflection. She lifted her eyebrows at Marion, and said presently, in a soft,

next. They passed into the room where the child lay sleeping; they went to his little bed, and Lali stretched out her hand gently, touching t

hand fall on her shoulder gently, and repli

e girl away again into the other room. Then she turned and faced Marion, a deep fire in her ey

er hands clasping before her, she drew herself up, and added: "Am

ould never-wished never-to resign. Since then she had been at her best,-we are all more or less selfish creatures,-and had grown gentler, curbing the delicate imperiousness of her nature, and frankly, and without the least pique, taken a secondary position of interest in the household, occas

me then. He used me-" She shuddered, put her hands to her eyes with a pained, trembling motion, then threw her head back with a quick sigh. "But I wi

o-morro

orrow," was the reply. "S

as afraid to do so, and was, moreover, withheld by the remembrance

e showed little of it, being most prettily employed in making people pleased with themselves. Mrs. Armour also was not free from apprehension. In reply to inquiries concerning her son she said, as she had often said during the season, that he might be

gain to the house. He entered quietly. At the moment the hall was almost deserted; people were mostly in the ballroom and supper-room. He paused a moment, biting his moustache as if in perplexity. A strange timidity came on him. All his old dash and self-possession seemed to have f

over his shoulder-a child! He got to his feet and turned round. On the table was a very large photograph of a smiling child-with his eyes, his face. He caught the chair-arm, and stood looking at it a little wildly. Then he laughed a strange laugh, and the tears leaped to his eyes. H

gone and told her father and mother, to prepare them, and had followed him upstairs. He did not hear her. She stepped

rion!" he said, and he could say no more. Bu

don't deserve it.... Frank dear," she added, "I am glad-we shall all be g

ooked at the portrait. "Where i

m." Marion was wonderi

He winced in spite of himself. "I will

nse of justice left, Frank: the wife first, the bab

s here, and also Lady Haldwell," she persisted cruelly. She did not mi

e it over. Say what you like, and I'll not whi

ally wanted to see how much he wa

. "That will be best; and I

. He braced himself for the interview. Assuredly a man loses something of natural cour

ple of minutes) before the door opened again, and

nside it. The figure did not move forwards, but stood the

e had married in a fit of pique and brandy? He could hardly believe his eyes; and yet hers looked out at him with something that he remembered too, together w

urteously, but her fing

r," she said, "but they cannot be said n

s if interpreting his thought, she added: "You see, it is our last affair of the season, and w

, when told that her husband was in the house. She had had presentiments, and, besides,

supplicant, "our child

f the baby on the table, understood how he knew. "Come

n him against any demonstration. Then they entered. She went over to the cot and drew back the fleecy curtain from over the sleeping boy's head. His

ly replied. "You married me-wickedly, and used

. "Lali," he added, "I don't deserve it, but

lied. "We have both duties to do. You wi

horribly. He offered his arm in sil

said, "to appear cheerf

heerful, then," was his reply, spoken with a grim kind of

llroom. "Yes, with your kind h

that Marion, telling General Armour and his wife first of Fra

sides. Old club friends rallied him as a deserter, and new acquaintances flocked about him; and presently he awakened to the fact that his Indian wife had been an interest of the season, was n

y. He had nothing but bitterness in his heart for her, but he spoke a few smooth words, and she languidly congratulated him on his bronzed appearance. He asked for a dance, but she had not one

the guests were leaving, and saw with what manner she carried it all off,-as though she had been born in the good land of good breeding,

awing-room, a silence suddenly fell amongst them. Presently Marion

arion good-night, and then, turning to her husband, said, "Good-night"-she did not even speak his name. "Perhaps you

his moustache fiercely, and, it is possible, enjoyed the situation, despite its peril. Mrs. Armour turned to the mantel and seemed tremulously engaged in arranging some bric-a-brac. Marion, however, with a fine instinct, slid her ar

nd as she did so he replied to Lali: "I s

ife hurriedly. At the same time she allowed hers

hion in which the tables had been turned on him struck him with its tragic comedy, and he involuntarily smiled. His sense of humour

n the court of the king.'" And he turned and went back, and said to hi

orn soldier." His mother said to him gently: "Frank, you blamed us, but remember that we wis

om Lali, but was told that she must stay; and the three met at the child's cot. Marion stooped down and kissed its forehead. Frank stooped also and kissed its cheek. Then the wife kissed the other cheek. The child slept peacefully on. "You

I would rather not talk to-nig

d: "I will not detain you, but I would ask you, Lali, t

rangers, as you know,

e together-after we were ma

you killed her... We have to

my wretched ange

of it," she said; "it i

me, and care for me? We have

eary voice; then, breathlessly: "It is of much more

sigh, and spread out his arms to

easonable; we know so little of e

kissed the child on the lips. Then he said: "Yo

on her knees, and kissed the ch