Lady Rose's Daughter

, and set out to walk home to his rooms in Duke Street, St. James's. He was so much in love with the mere streets,

elight his eye now with the shining pools which some showers of the afternoon had left behind the

gs!" he thought, contemptuously, while he was thus yi

sumed his walk along the crowded street, the question buzzed within him, whether he must indeed go back to his exile, either at Teheran, or nearer home, in some more exalted post? "I've

way lies the end. To slacken the rush of life, for men of his sort, is to call on death--death, the secret pursuer, who is not far from each one of us. No, no! Fight on! It was only the long drudgery behind,

aid a voice behind him, as he

ced round with alacrity. "W

oroughs, and was now going to his club to look for news of

urn in with me for half an hour. I'm at

an, after what seemed to Sir

d Bury, as they walked on. "Land agency s

rown in. We have some large milk

in the young man's voice, and

attracti

, Sir Wilfrid, I never asked yo

Is he a fri

at Eton and O

er heard him men

ng man

t live without me. You've left him

k. So you're deeply int

liked him p

about him. And I don't

ipped a friendly hand with

eld re

se, to inquire after

re are things more a

ir Wilfrid's fair musta

view with Madem

. I hope you

rselves, the little Duchess ha

t," said the ot

suppose, that the

Lady Rose's brother married Eve

the same person uncle; but, for lack of certain ceremonies, the

as been a widow for years. He left her a place in West

le Julie ever c

N

eaks of

girl was presented last year, and went to a few balls i

Moffatt?" said Sir Wilfrid, pausin

nt out in November and

Sir Wilfrid, ruminating. "Now I remember! She's a great heiress, isn't she, and prett

d Sir Wilfrid caught a sudden contraction of the brow

officers--I came from Egypt with them--who had recently been at Peshawar; go

to the Duke Street house and were groping their

mself, hovered round his master, brought him his smoking-coat, offered Delafi

xtended a very neatly made pair of legs and feet to the blaze. "He seems to have slept the sleep of th

at you are hankeri

der in the paths you know. I salute Mr. G.'s physique, that's a

, and seemed to choose his words a little

just now that he wasn't go

of anything," said t

radling his teacup in both hands, "is, what particular

looked int

she

nd earth to get him what he want

s I understand," said Delafield, after a mo

about time. The travellers of the other European firms have been going it la

stless movement. "W

about this man. I had seen them together in the Park, talking as intimates. So, when our conversatio

fair mustach

man, with a kind of r

ly she overdid it. For such a clever

eep her friendships to herself,"

admit it is

ands on his knees was looking steadily into the fire. His attitude,

in the fortunes of a dashing soldier--for, between you and me, I hear she

he was perfectly right, I think, to fence with your questions, Sir Wilfrid. It's on

id shook

. "However, what do you think

said the other, unwillingly

er? I don't like discussing a lady; but, you see, with L

ht shone full on his silky eyelashes and beard, on his neatly parted hair, and the diamond on his fine left hand

is reasonable, and that if she threw you off the scent, Sir Wilfrid, with re

ick gesture of challenge. Sir

ver, that's all right. What do you d

owed a sudden unconscious relief from te

g estate. There'

ve by y

s house--a small one--i

ourself? Plenty of

do with more than

lfi

ng man, indifferently.

ny philanthr

afield, with a laugh. "It pleases one's

at kind of thing? Can you take

eld he

ake an interest in, is there? By-the-way"--he jumped up--"I think I'll bid you good-night, fo

s the

men have put into the workhouse infirmary against his wi

nd for his gl

ldn't he

hese two women--his sister-in-law and her daughter--for years and years. As long as he had money to leave, nothing was too good for him. The shock half killed him, and now that he's a pauper these two harpies

at'll you

him

d t

ose, he can come to my place till I can

ilfri

e you some day. Will there be

eld gr

can tell you. Do come. But I shall see you again soon. I must be up

l see her on Sunda

sed. His clear blue eyes looked do

ee to-morrow and Saturday. And, Jacob, keep the Duchess quie

tell

Wilfrid, as he opened the door to his departing gu

enough, though Crowbo

partic

ield

He thinks there's something particularly i

nows that you won't be a

ung man glowered almost fi

creature," said Sir Wilfrid, gravely.

ation is a perfect charnel-house. She likes to think that everybody's dead or dying but herself. The fact is that Merv

beduked against his will,' etcetera. Good-night,

rned back a mome

--"you won't shirk ta

-honor bright. Oh, I think

nd Sir Wilfrid returned to his w

Warkworth? Or--has she snubbed him, and both are keeping it dark? Not very likely, that, in view o

ow grown, vaguely but enormously, in mental and moral bulk during the years since he had left Oxford--the years of Bury's Persian exile. Sir Wilfrid had been an intimate friend of his dea

ut at Oxford, to Sir Wilfrid's thinking, he had suffered eclipse--had become a somewhat heavy, apathetic, pseudo-cynical youth, displaying his mother's inertia without her good temper,

frid, who was well acquainted with the race, discerned the stirring of all s

I talked of his being duke, as h

his footing. A man much hated--and much beloved; capable of the most contradictory actions. He had married his wife for money, would often boast of it, and would, none the less,

n Street would never do for him--apart from all the other unsuitability. He ought to find something sweet and restful. And yet I don't know. The Delafields are a d

himself in Lady Henry's drawing-room; and when he arrived there, he fou

o sense behind his time. On Thursday, when parting with her, he had pleaded for deliberation. "Let me

e events of the week in Parliament, with the light and mordant zest of people well acquainted with the personalities they were talking of. She was apparently better in health, he noticed; at any rate, she was more at ease, and enjoying herself more than on the previous Wed

tea-table, supported by an old white-haired general, in whom Sir Wilfrid recognized a man recently promoted to one of the higher posts in the War Office.

frid, after she had greeted him with co

rah," said Mademoiselle Le Breton. "Captain

Wilfrid, after a glance at them. "The youn

al M'Gill, with emphasis. "He

ilfrid, accepting a piece of cake. "He'll

od men are always in request,

ame last night for this Mokembe mission," s

ply. "There is no immediate hurry for a week or two,

," said S

e General spoke, a bright color had rushed into her cheeks. It seemed to Sir Wilfr

ts of red on the cheek-bones. In contrast with the expansiveness of his previous manner to Mademois

Sir Wilfrid.

ns?" said Sir Wi

in Canada wit

the s

ond is i

East End, as all the young

m thankful to say, a country living has been offered hi

ry livin

er what seemed to be an instant's hesitation. Mademoiselle Le Breton had mov

Well, I hope it is a living

relief to our minds. There were some chest symptoms; his mother was alarmed

he'll like it. Good-night, General. Shall I

ll me

shown a singular softness while he wa

on the graceful figure of Mademoiselle Le Breton, who s

" he asked her, while she was pr

seen the

rceived in them a passing tremor of nervous defiance, as though she were in

etter spirits," he sai

sed them again, and gently shook her head without a word. The

ever?" he asked h

bout the bazaar. She said she couldn't spare me, and, of

moise

e rang imperiousl

Lady H

e Breton stood

hich came in yesterday. I can prove it to you in two minutes

g Lady Henry's circle, while Mademoiselle Le

s caught me out in a blunder--about Favre, and the negotiations at V

cts was prodigious, laughed and adjusted his eye-glass. These battles royal on a date or a point of fact between him and Lady Henry were not unc

drawing-room empty-handed; left the room apparently t

in confusion!" said Lady Henry, angr

behind the circle that surrounded Lady Henry. B

," he said, gallantly. "I never before heard La

e quietly refused the seat offered to her, and was retiring to an ottoman

in War