Dorothy Vernon of Haddon Hall

made an early start. An hour before noon we rode into

sunlit glory. I could compare its wondrous lustre to no color save that of molten gold deeply alloyed with copper. But that comparison tells you nothing. I can find no simile with which to describe the beauties of its shades and tints. It was red, but it also was golden, as if the enamoured sun had gilded every hair with its radiance. In all my life I had never seen anything so beautiful as this tall girl's hair. Still, it was the

Stuart's was pale as the vapid moon at dawn. The girl seemed to be the incarnated spirit of universal life and lig

kles need not be considered when an agreeable, handsome man offers himself as a husband. She usually is willing to the point of eagerness. That is the manner in which I had thought about Dorothy Vernon, if I considered her at all. But when a man is about to offer himself to a goddess, he is apt to pause. In such a case there are always two sides to t

mplexion such as we see in the faces of nuns. She walked with a hesitating, cautious step, and clung to Dorothy, who was gentle and

e inn, my companion and I dism

but now entered the inn door? God

eplied, "I

my faith, I-I-she looked at me from the door-steps, and when I caught her eyes it seemed-that is, I saw-or I felt a stream of burning life enter my soul, and-but you will think I am a fool. I know I am a

been in this world long enough for every man to understand. Eve used it upon Adam.

Sir John, h

ill have the same experience fifty

of her. Will you-can you present me to h

that the girl whom he so much admired was the daughter of his father's enemy. I

" I said. "The eldest is Lady Dorothy Crawf

n; "she is the lady whom you h

aid I, hes

to be congratulated

shall marry he

asked M

, chief among whi

r declining a woman," respond

great beauties are won. But I continued, "A woman of moderate beauty makes a sa

r, Sir Malcolm," said

er marry Dorothy Vernon, and I do not mind telling you, even at this early

mpelled to give you up to yo

t again, it shall not be for the lack of my wishing. Your father and Sir Geor

better that no one should know of it. Neverthe

" said I. "That is true, but 'good wine needs no

wish that

so w

ave my hand to Sir John, after which we entere

sent the maid to my cousins, asking that I might be permitted to pay my

hed hands and a gleam of welcome in her eyes.

e exclaimed, clasping both my hands and offering me her cheek to

uty with my eyes. "Doll! Doll! What a splendid girl you have become. Who would have th

nkled. Great staring green eyes. Awkward!-" And she threw up her hands in mimic horror at the remembrance. "No one could have supposed that such a girl would have become-that is, you know," she co

ent at the long eyes which changed chameleon-like with the shifting light, and varied with her moods from deep fathomless green to violet, and from violet to soft voluptuous brown, but in all their tints beaming forth a lustre that would have stirred the soul of an anchorite. Then I noted the beauty of her clean-cut saucy nose and the red arch of her lips, slightly parted for the purpose of showing her teeth. But I could not

iny Dorothy lowered her

me the truth. Who would

, if you will pardo

ncy, for a woman to speak of the time when she was plain than to refer to the time when-w

a change," said I. "Why, Doll, you are wondro

with a smile that fringed her mouth in di

ady, Doll," I answ

n. But don't call me Doll. I am t

tall as you. I will now try to make you vain. You look just as young and as handsome as when I

sked, hoping, though with little faith,

ring candor. "Prodigiously. Now who is vain,

ging my shoulders and c

girl of twelve is very immature in her judgment and will fal

ire begins very early to burn in

d; "but in my heart it burned itself out upon y

at time, Doll-Dorothy?" I asked with more

by the help of the Virgin I hope I never shall be; for when it come

th," I answered, little dreaming how qui

othy to tell me

tries, poor father, to find relief from his troubles, and-and I fear takes too much liquor. Rutland and his friends swore to one lie upon another, and father believes that the judge who tried the case was bribed. Father intends to appeal to Parliament, b

father stood in the queen's good

exercises a great influence over her Majesty and her friends. The young man is not known in this neighborhood, for he has nev

es between Vernon a

ashing eyes and hard lips. "I love to hate the accursed race. They have wronged our house for three generations, an

leave the tap-room. The Peacock was her father's property, and the host and hostess were her friends after the manner of persons in

or did it at first occur to me to wonder what attracted her attention. Soon she began to lose the thread of our conversation, and made inappropriate, tardy repli

it not cool here? Let us go over t

orothy, but quite a different sort of flame. In short, much to my consternation, I discovered that it wa

point of brazenness; but if the movement was bold, what shall I say of her glances and the expression of her face? She seemed unable to take her eager eyes from the stranger, or to think of an

gentleman with whom

ed rather curtly: "He is a stranger. I picked

ed, awkward in

his-name?" asked Do

" I r

the girl, who spoke in a quick, imp

what

was quite by accident that we met. Neither of us knew

n, except in the unravelling. Come, tell me! Tell me! Not, of course, that I really care a fa

id not seem bold. Even to me it appeared modest, beautiful, and necessary. She seemed to act under compulsion. She would laugh, for the purpose, no doubt, of showing her dimples and her teeth, and would lean her head to one side pigeon-wise to display her eyes to the

l tell you the gentleman's name. I would not for a great deal have your father know that I ha

omise, of course I promise-faithfully." She was glancing constantly towar

to say. The gentleman toward whom you are

's face, followed by a hard, repell

said, as she turned and walked

or of the tap-room behind

you, a Vernon, came

rrow; and he was so gentle and open in his conduct that I could not and would not refuse his proffered olive branch. In truth, whatever faults may be attributable to Lord Rutland,-and I am sure he deserves all the evil yo

not," said Dor

girl, but I could not work my feelings into a state of indignation against the heir to Rutland. The truth is, my hope of winning Dorothy had evaporated upon the first sight of her, like the volatile essence it really was. I cannot tell you why, but I

ur father my association with Sir John, and I hope you will not spe

. "After all, it is not his fault that his father is su

never saw Lord Ru

so entirely natural and candid that it was a complete bar to undue familiarity. In truth, I had no such tendency, for the childish act spoke of an innocence and faith that were very sweet to me who all my life had lived among men and women who laughed at those simple virtues. Th

ause. "Poor fellow! His mother is dead. He is like me in th

im. He seems to be sad," sai

was taken

it is not right to hate even our

Rutland," said I, a

apidly developing in the perverse girl,

way, usually is superfluous whe

Lord Rutland

at, but you know it would be very wrong to-to

r that I had praise

family," I said, alarmed yet amused at Dorothy's s

ing her head to one side, "I am sorry ther

laimed. "What has come ov

ised myself by-by my willingness to forgive those who have injur

," thought I, "you

said, "Shall I fetch him from th

the girl. Evidently that sort o

uptly, and after a little pause, short in itself but amply long for a girl like Dorothy to change her

oice was soft and conciliating as if to say, "I

I said: "I spoke only in jest. It certainly would not b

me. Of course it would be unpleasant for me to meet him, and as there is no need-I am curious to know what one of his race is like. It's the only reason that

will tell you all I know about him, so that you may understand what

d not fail, but it did, and I have seldom

, I saw him

, Dorothy, however much you may wi

for you to say that I wish to meet him,"

shoulders. I could do nothing else. With all my kn

nsive to his compelling woo-song? Is the seed immodest when it sinks into the ground and swells with budding life? Is the cloud bold when it softens into rain and falls to earth because it has no other choice? or is it brazen when it nestles for a time on the bosom of heaven's arched dome and sinking into the fathomless depths of a blue black infinity ceases to be itself? Is the human soul immodest when, drawn by a force it cannot resist, it seeks a stronger soul which absorbs its ego as the blue sky absorbs the floating cloud, as the warm earth swells the seed, as the magnet draws the iron? All these are of one quality. The iron, the seed, the cloud, and the soul of man are what they are, do what they do, love as they love, live as they live, and die as they die because they must-because they have no other choice. We think we are free because at times we act