The Yellow House

-looking daughters, who had gushed over our late roses and the cedar trees which shaded the lawn. The Holgates of Holgate Brand and Lady Naselton of Naselton h

mild cordiality. There were wrong Ffolliots and right Ffolliots. We belonged to the latter. No one had made a mistake or compromised themselves in any way by leaving their cards upon a small country vicar and his daughters. And earlier callers went away and spread a favorable report. Those who were hesitating, hesitated no longer. Our little car

rked absence in her deportment and mannerisms of anything bucolic or rural. I enjoyed talking to her, and this was her third visit. We were sitting out upon the lawn, drinking afternoon tea, and making the best of a brilliant October afternoon. A yellow gleam from the front of that oddly-shap

"our nearest neighbors ha

repeated. "Whom do you mean? There are

inclining my head towards it. "It is a woman who lives there, isn't it? I fancy that

sh in her tone when she spoke. The symptoms were unmistakabl

experiencing positive p

dear girl, don't you really know anything

I have not many weaknesses, but I hate scandal and scandal-mongering. All the same

ng enough to have mastered the annals of the neighborhood. I have not asked any one

th a delicately gloved hand. She was evidently an epicure in stor

the neighborhood, and, of course, know nothing about anybody, it is only my duty to put you on your guard. I do not know the particulars

ed, with involuntary irony. "Don'

dy Naselton replied a little stiffly. "The opinion of t

not, judge," I said. "I suppose that there's

with her past life, I belie

posed to be rather interesti

h of a favorite with Lady Naselton. She set her tea cup do

re society; not in any part of it with which I am acquainted, I am glad to say. You must allow me to ad

ll, it is much more comfortable to keep one's self in accord with one's

ast are very horrid. One is so utterly tired of them in fiction that one does not want to meet them in

with eagerness to tell me a good deal about this undesirable neighbor of ours. As it hap

tely, is to tell you of the ot

nd raised my eyebrows in

king!" I

My reception of the innuendo ha

eaning over towards me confidentially. "I am thankful t

?" I murmured. "It is the woma

y followed him down here, and took up her quarters almost at his gates whilst he was away. She was there with scarcely a stick of furniture in the house for nearly a month. When he came back, would you believe it, the house was furnished

interrupted hastily. "I have no

was silent for a moment. Something that was almost like a gleam o

aid, slowly. "I suppose that is why

ng about him yesterday, but I only heard fragments he

s. Then she rose from her chair, and walked a step

here,

grey fronts and red-tiled roofs, and snug rickyards close at hand, had a particularly prosperous and picturesque appearance. The land was mostly a

. "Does that look like a

ok my

eville, and has belonged to the Devilles for centuries. There is no other land

s pu

"They say that the Court is virtually closed, and that he

him in all manner of queer and out-of-the-way places. Then he lived in London for a time, and spent a fortune-I don't know that I ought to say anything about that to you-on Marie Leparte, the singer. One day he came back suddenly to the Court, which had been shut up all this time

e been living t

four

at you see hi

k her he

r than I can help. He is

what he

he takes so little care of himself. He goes about in clothes my coachman woul

. "What a very unplea

d possibly take him for a gentleman. He is cruel and reckless, and he does nothing but loaf. There are things said about him which

my chair, "it is perhaps well that he

pon the afternoon stillness. The idea seemed

perfect prototype of degeneration in a great family I have ever come in contact with. The worst of it, too, that he was such a charming

ountry clergyman. He was tall and slim, and carried himself with an air of calm distinction. His clean-shaven face was distinctly of the intellectual cast. His hair was only slightly grey, was parted in the middle and vigorously mobile and benevolent. His person in every way was

he said, courteously. "My daughter has t

easing and conventional re

"I have been making a long round of c

nswered, striking the gong. "Mary shall make s

gs, and I knew better than to offer him cold tea. He drew up a

," Lady Naselton remarked. "Do you think

"As to the work-well, I scarcely know. Rural existence

at Belchester, had you n

"I am fond of work. I have alwa

ted silently. Lady Naselt

s are in a most backward condition. My husband says that unless there i

am only curate-in-charge here, but still I shall do what I can. My youngest daughter Alice is

. "She will not be home for tea. She has gone

ntly. "Alice is a g

ly. My father sipped his tea for a mo

ked. "Some one not altogether a desirable neighbor I should imagi

telling me all about the man that lives at

ordinarily pale. He moved his basket-chair a few feet further back into the deep, cool shad

ed, softly-"Bruce Deville! It

liot. If you really want to achieve a triumph you should attempt his conversion. You should try and ge

ggested, softly. "I have known so many unfortunate cases in which the

had risen to her feet, and was hol

hould advise you to give him as wide a berth as possible. Listen. Was that actually six o'clock? I must go this second. Come over and see me soon,

everal minutes talking to her earnestly after she had taken her seat and gathered up the reins, and it seemed to me that he had dropped his voice almost to a whisper. Although I was but a few paces off I could hear nothing of wha

ur neighbor is at all correct," he r

odd

er godson, but she can find no

specially-to carefully avoid him," my father continued, keeping his c

edly I do,"

perhaps because of it-I was already beginning to feel a cer