Lady Rose's Daughter

im a few moments of scrutiny, during which the Minister's heavily marked face took on the wary, fighting aspect which his dep

" he thought, admiring against his will, as the tall, slim soldier paid his respects to Lady Henry, a

r letters?" said Lady Henry,

arkworth's laughing reply, as he looked f

, throwing herself back in her chair. "Mr. Mont

fted his han

ase!--even after the Lamb has been devoured he is still the object of calumny on the part of the Wol

Her brow was lowering, her talk forced. Throughout, Sir Wilfrid perceived in her a strained attention directed towards the conversation on the other side of the room. She could neither see it nor hear it, but she was jealously conscious of it. As for Mon

ed; and all to the flattery and glorification of the talker. The famous Minister had come to visit Lady Henry, as he had done for many Sundays in many years; but it was not Lady Henry, but her companion, to whom his homage of the afternoon was paid, who gave him his moment of enjoyment--the moment that would bring

enry could bea

er coldest voice, just as Montresor, dropping his--head thrown back and knees crossed--was about to pour in

ing himself a little, returned to Lady Henry; and though she received him with great coolness, the circle round her, now augmented by Dr. Meredith, and an

while the applauding laughter of the group of intimates amid which he sat told him that his epigrams ha

n swept through him. He turned away, ashamed of having seen, and hid himself, a

r. They had been talking earnestly, wholly forgetting and apparently forgotten by the rest of the room. On his side there was an air of embarrassment. He seemed to be choosing his words wi

s the thought that rushed through Sir W

en o'clock all were gone. Mademoiselle Le Breto

est disappeared. "I must have some private talk with you. Well, I understa

and she arranged the folds of her own thick silk dress, as though, for some re

ossed, finger-tips lightly touching, the fair e

on the whole. It seemed to me she was quite conscious that her behavior had not been always what it should be, and

rew out her h

hich I pay her to Evelyn Crowborough's bazaar, and asked what she was to

an propitiated by her confession?

e, I guessed that it was not spontaneo

cried Sir Wilfrid. "I seem, indeed,

ve done some good. I was beginning to--to have some ret

" ejaculated Sir Wilf

and I told her a few home truths about the way in which she had made mischief and forced Julie into a totally false position. On which she flew into a passion, and said a lot of silly nonsense about Julie, that showed me, among o

ir Wilfrid, "if you

who behaved like a brute to his daughter while she was alive, and is, all the same, a poseur from top to toe--walking in here one night and demanding his granddaughter--spreading lies, perhaps, that I have been ill-treating he

Because h

at, in my opinion, doesn't touch people much nowadays. Insulted bec

d, meditatively, "only the Duchess, Delafiel

lf. "Montresor! That's new to me. Oh, she s

Have you had any

to have been living in her pocket, and the three have been intriguing against me, morning, noon, and

his angry companion

t know what

"A lad whom I sent to Eton and Oxford, when his father could

thought Sir Wilfrid. "A ma

, al

afraid lest he shoul

!" said Lady Henry, with the inconsiste

ough feeling his way--"have you never ha

do you

ouble Mademoiselle Le Breton is taking--on behalf of th

laughed i

rigante. If you knew her as well as I do, you wouldn't think much of that. Oh no--make your mind easy. It's

haps of the head of the family--yo

hess or no Duchess! Did you see the audacious way in which she behaved this afternoon?--how she absorbs my guests?--how s

d Sir Wilfrid, laying a kind hand up

olerable, considering who and what she is--that she makes me appear in an odious light to my old friends. No, no, Wilfrid, your first instinct was the true one. I shall have to bring m

the temper?" he aske

e gets on my nerves, and I'm

ly, "I hope you under

ends!" she said, defiantly. But h

on't quarrel with everybody who may sympathize with her. Let them t

the lips. "Whoever goes with her gives

iend, liste

the end of that time her gust of passion had more or less passed away; she wa

. Her look of exhaustion distressed him, and, for all her unreason, he felt himself astonishingly in sympathy

ess of this mood in him which

tongue," she granted him, sullenly. "But, u

reply. "Nothing would put you in a be

ow good-night, Wilfrid--good-night. You're a very g

could neither read nor write nor sew, owing to her blindness, and in the re

ned and Julie Le Breton'

to you?" she

ommanded the Observ

han her very acute sense of touch noticed s

t carefully. "You remember, I gave you a message about

aper and looked in perple

gave me a messag

hat did

that was al

k Lady Henry's quick ears.

o Winton's at all?

ED. SHE FELL BAC

" said Julie, hurriedly, "and she went for me. I th

hether you went to Shaw's, or to Beatson's, or the Stores, or any of the

own very white. Suddenly he

commissions. But I was persuaded by Evelyn to spend a

ry flush

hours of my time amusing yourself at Crowborou

the Duchess in her p

e else there? Answe

d again spoke with a kind

Delafield

re formidable, more withering--"that whatever ambitions you may cherish, Jacob Delafield is not altogether the simpleton you imagine. I kn

Breton

aid, quietly, though her thin arm shook against her dress. "I shall n

ell back into her chair,

e--refus

. It is horrid of me to say

nd excitement had blanched her no less than Lady Henry, but her fine head and delicate f

you ref

ugged her

--I had loved him--I should not have

tter than anything you've said yet. You are awar

heard you say so," s

things that Wilfrid Bury had said recurred to he

he held ou

tricks with me. In a good many ways, we're quits. Still, I confess, I admire you a good deal. Anyway, I off

d slowly and took the

d, and her voice trembled,

enry g

we may as well have one more trial. And, mademoiselle, I shall

hook he

it," she said, sadly; and then, as L

tired. Shall I

Henry. Her companion appeared to her, for a moment, in a new ligh

ther day like this wo