Red Money

somewhat misanthropic frame of mind he had retired to this hermitage, after the failure of his love affair, since, lacking the society of Agnes, there was nothing left for him to desire. Fr

great Mother could do so much, she could not do all, and the young man still felt restless and weary. Hard work helped him

ors, considered that both he and his cousin owed something to those of the past who had built up the family. Thus his pride told him that Agnes had acted rightly in taking Pine as her husband, while his love cried aloud that the sacrifice was too hard upon their individual selves. He was a Lambert, but he was also a human being, and the two emotions of love and pride strove mightily against one another. Although quite three years h

six months he had been shut up here, occasionally going to London, or for a week's walking tour, and during that time he had done his best to banish the image of Agnes from his heart. Doubtless she was attempting the same conquest, for she never even wrote to him. And now these two sorely-tried people were within speaking distance of one another, and strange results might be looked for unless honor held them sufficiently true. Seeing that the cottage was near the family seat, and that Agnes sooner or later would arrive to stay with her brother and sister-in-law, Lambert might have expected that such a situation would come about in the natural course of things. Perhaps he did, and perhaps-as some busybodies said-he took the cottage for that purpose; but so far, he had ref

e remained as much as possible in his studio. Chaldea visited him, as usual, to be painted, and brought Kara with his green coat and beloved violin and hairy looks. The girl chatted, Kara played, and Lambert painted, and all three pretended to be very happy and careless. This was merely on the surface, however, for the artist was desperately wretched, because the other half of himself was married to another man, while Chaldea, getting ne

loved into subjection; but he never gave her the least encouragement, so she was obliged to stay away. All the same, she often haunted the woods near the cottage, and when Lambert came out for a stroll, which he usually did when it became too d

characteristic cunning, the girl dived into the undergrowth, and there remained concealed for the purpose of spying on the Gentile lady whom she regarded as a rival. Immediately, Chaldea guessed that Lady Agnes was on her way to the cottage, and, as Lambert was alone as usual for the afternoon, the two would probably have a private conversation. The girl swiftly determined to listen, so that she might

r useless person she was, but the steady and resolute look in the lady's brown eyes gave the lie to this mental assertion. Lady Agnes had an air of breeding and command, which, with all her beauty, Chaldea lacked, and as she passed along like a cold, stately goddess, the gypsy rolled on the grass in an ecstasy of rage. She could never be what her rival was, and what her rival was, as she suspected, formed Lambert's ideal of womanhood. When she again peered through the bush, Lady Agnes had disappeared.

states, Mrs. Tribb knew all the servants at the big house. She had married a gamekeeper, who had died, and unwilling to leave the country she knew best, had gladly accepted the offer of Lord Garvington to look after the woodland cottage. In this way Lambert became possessed of an exceedingly clean housekeeper, and a wonderfully good cook. In fact so excellent a cook was Mrs. Tribb, t

Noel. He don't go out enough, and don't take enough interest in his stomach, if your ladyship will pardon my mentioning that part of him. But you don't know, my lady, what it

fore, wondered why Lady Agnes had come, and asked herself whether it would not be wise to say that Master Noel-from old associations, she always called Lambert by this juvenile title-was not at home. But she banished the thought as unworthy, the moment it entered her active brain, and with another curtsey in response

o. This was slightly open, and the girl could hear every word that was spoken, while so swiftly and cleverly had she gained her point of vantage, that those within never for one moment suspected he

, that he woke to the surprising fact that the woman he loved was within a few feet of him. The blood rushed to his face, and then retired to leave him deadly pale, but Agnes was more composed, and did not let her h

in a voice which he strove vainly t

ashion, she looked wonderfully cool, and pure, and-as Lambert inwardly observed-holy. Her face was as faintly tinted with color as is a tea-rose, and her calm, brown eyes, under her smooth brown hair, added to the suggestive stillness o

walking," said Lambert, reining in his emotions

ed the walk. I am st

unders

are stayi

e no doubt o

acting wisely?" she as

Agnes, seeing that you have come to l

," rejoined Agnes, with a slight color deepening her cheeks. "Is it fair to me

id down his palette and brushes with ostentatious care, and face

t I may induce you, in justice to me, to

he observed in a low voice, and threw

onsense," she said with some sharpness. "The

re than cou

that. But you needn't make matters wor

to see you often?" he asked, and there was

lly I do

tall and very straight, looking down on

ady, and stared at the floor, becaus

lk. What doe

ps, but to me a great

my cost," he

cost," she said pointedly. "Sit d

at once. "I am only a

like a man, then, and don't place

t bu

can't you u

. I wish you hadn't come here to-day

of passion ruffling her enforced calm. "Do you think

ght you here. I am wait

f explaining what

" he repeated do

e that an explanation is really necessary, as apparently I a

did so. "Your taunts don't hurt me in the

se again. I did not come here to re

And a dead passion; how well you put it. So far as I am co

to appeal to that passion. Love means sa

you for the sake of the family name? Und

another since we were boy and girl, and we intended, as you know, to marry. There was no regular engagement

f sale out of which he hoped to make mo

en my father died we were nearly ruined. Only by the greatest cleverness did Garvington manage to keep interest on the mortgages paid

utton, and she know

ough I daresay that seeing the position he was in, people would laugh to think he should marry a poor woman, when he ne

ved you and you l

finally accepted my explanation tha

I hated your sacrific

moment of madness Garvington altered a check which Hubert gave him, and was in danger of arrest. Hubert d

ert jumped up. "I

rt. However, I married Hubert, and he put the check in the fire in my presence and in Garvington's. He has also fulfilled his share of the bargain which he made when he bought me, and has paid

it," said Lambe

what a poor figure I and Garvington, and the whole family, yourself included, cut i

changing of t

Agnes hurriedly. "Hubert has been ver

ares to say tha

t," she repli

t?" he demanded, flushin

n ordinary man, people would not talk. But you shun my society, and ev

et, owing to your marriage, so far

oman vehemently, her passion coming to the surface. "People talk of t

Agnes, you kn

uld only come to The Manor, and meet me in London, and accept Hubert's invitations to dinner, people would think that ou

cried Lambert wit

r his money. I don't love him as a wife should love her husband, not with heart-whole devotion, that is. But I give him loyalty, and I respect him, and I try to ma

ifice yourself w

crime. But no one knows of that, and no one eve

aid Lamber

u must come to The Manor, and meet me here, there, and everywhere, so that people shall not say, as they a

dare. I have

I am in the world, hearing everything. And the more unpleasant the thing is, the more readily do I hear it. You

ld be act

ert knows that you and I loved; that I could not give him the love he desired. He was content to accept me on those terms. I don't say he was right; but am I right, are you right, is Garvington right? Is any one of us right? Not one, not one. The whole thing is horrible, but I

"I understand at last, Agnes. You shall no longer bear the burden alo

iend to my husband?" sh

nd he bit his lip. "Go