The Red Bicycle
l fashion. All his restlessness seemed to have departed since the failure of his scheme to marry Claudia to Sir Hector, and he was content to live a listless existence devoid of exciteme
her soul in patience until such time as Edwin would be able to help her. Everything was as dull as ditchwate
getting on his nerves, and he felt the need of change and fresh air. Claudia suggested that she should go with him, as she felt hipped herself. Lemby, however, roundly said that he wished to be by himself, and therefore went off alone. But he was punished for his selfishness, for during his absence Lady Wyke paid her promised call. She sent in her c
me?" questioned La
y. "I am surprised to re
explained everything to your father a week ago in
ing about the matter, L
said the visi
ou Lad
a
know there was
know
in for the title, and are you his wife?" Cl
has kept you quite in the dark. Why, I don t know." Lady Wyke laughed in an amused manner, and
o greatly by surprise that she was unable to stand. "Are you in earn
andal, who will show you my marriage certificate, and will tel
ed to marry me," stammere
was free to marry again. I learnt from a society newspaper in America, that such was the case, and came
ged her elegant shoulders--"it might be that he hoped to gain time and think matters over. Perhaps he wou
ery badly!" cried the gir
s Sir Hector is dead, suppose we say no more about the matter. After
assured her. "I neve
title and the mo
d by my father in
You love
d to a side table, on which stood a silver
he photograph. Then her face changed, and, a variety of emotions displayed themselves rapidly. Love, j
n Craver, to wh
hrew down the photograph to face The g
, I do not see why you should speak in
ll him that to myself, although until now I never heard his nam
en Lady Wyke announced who she was, and the other on hearing about the recognition of the photo. Dange
not know his name, as I never asked it. It was another man who attended to me, and I only saw Mr. Craver at a distance. But he was so very handsome that I admired him exce
Claudia, hardly relishin
g lover I should be jealous of everyone who looked at him. However, I was beginning to for
dia, excitedly. "Edwin doe
ade me so giddy that I had to close my eyes. But when he came down safely I went up to his machine and congratulated him on his courage. Then, my
, in a disturbed manner. "Edwin certainly is in a motor factory, and you might have seen him in
I fancy, and perhaps he did not tell you what he was doing, lest you should worry. I know it w
lk of Mr. Craver in that way,
ime being,
dare you hint a
, impertinently, "you took my husband,
, heatedly. "So far as I am concerned, I did not wish to marry your husband, and I never knew that he had a wife already. My father forced me
aved you from a mar
Sir Hector was murdere
ion which sent Sir Hector down to Hedgerton to consider matters. Had he not gone t
rton to got him murdered?"
and rose indignantly. When she got it again i
re you come here and tell me that yo
accuse me of mur
each trying to bear the other down. The widow felt her inferiority
our quarrelling like two fishw
dia, refusing to obey, for by this time s
side for the time being. I told your father tha
y. And
sband's death you have lost a title an
allow you to
in--"I am not surprised. But your father wants money to
you will make an appointment you and he can talk the matt
get the whip hand of this haughty girl and make her pay for such insolence. The little woman liked no one to be insolent but hersel
promisingly. "We part as we m
don t see why you should not like me. And you know, Miss Lemb
ing to live th
ector of Hedgerton. Mr. Sandal told me so, amongst other matters, when I made inquiries about the dea
id Claudia,
his parents. And I shall be in the parish also
iss Lemby look
the spot, in order to search for the murderer of my late husband. We were not particularly good friends; but I owe it to his memory to ave
dia turned cold as Lady
use when my husband was killed. Think it over," and with a