Barbara Rebell

ear, was hon

ut by indi

wl

Halnakeham Castle. Because of the great ball which was to take place that evening, this day was regarded by the Duchess and the more sober of her guests as a

h had consistently treated them. She was fond of James, and believed in his political future. Arabella she respected and admired: both respect and admiration having sure foundations in a fact which had come to the Duchess's knowledge in the days when she

n order, if possible to see, and if not, to hear, on what terms he found himself with that one of his fellow guests

; but Arabella's brother, so her host informed her when they were actually seated at table, had gone over for the day to Chillingworth! This meant that the sister had had

of importance and responsibility, is the extreme willingness shown by those about them to profit by that same kindliness an

k-when, indeed, without the potent help of Halnakeham Castle, Miss Berwick would have been unable to achieve what had then been, not only the dearest wish of her heart, but one of the utmost

e over to Halnakeham determined to say nothing of what she thought, for she was one of those rare women who never cry over spilt milk,-the harm, if harm there were, was already done. But the old habit of confid

ise French proverb, the more so as she had not made up her mind how much she meant to say, and how much to leave unsaid, co

ere! In fact, he has hardly been here at all. He goes off in the morning and comes back late in the afternoon. He did stay and help yesterday, and made, by the way, a

at that attraction could be which took Berwick daily to Chancton, and as her own confidential mai

I suppose the truth is he wisely tries to escape from Mrs. Marshall. Knowing all you know, Albinia, and all I said to you last year, how could you have the woman here? I was really aghast w

ing about him to me. She has paid a woman-some poor Irish lady recommended to her-to look up all his old speeches, and she devotes an hour every day to reading them over, and that although she doesn't understand

shocking that it was not worth an answer. Indeed, she shrugged her shoulders, a slight

her unhappy, felt suddenly angered. She took up a book. It had a mark in it. "Reading

ought this rather a mean way of avoiding a d

alse positions, relations in life which are false in themsel

, "how this can in any way have suggested James! I never met a man who was less of a Don Juan. If he was so he would be happier, and s

me,-"I do not say by any means that your brother is a Don Juan in the low and mean sense of the term, but circumstances and you-yes, you, in a measure-have made his relations to women essentially false and unnatural. Yes, my dear girl, that sort of thing is against nature! You are amazed and indignant when I spea

her guest's rigid face, then

n the ordinary sense, an honourable man! I fear," concluded the Duchess dolefully, "that you think me very coarse. But James and Louise between them have ma

, had she allowed herself to be

ctly contrasted types of what centuries have combined to make

conscious that she had herself made them to a great extent what they were. Particular to niceness as to her own conduct, and that of her daughters, she was yet the pitying friend of all black sheep whose blackness was due to so

e strength of character, the mingled cruelty and firmness, Arabella had shown, and she wondered, not for the first time, whether the agony endured had been in any sense justified by its results. Then

nd-and-please forgive me for speaking as I

dant, the Duke, to scourge her for the folly to which her kindness of heart and platonic sympathy with the tender passion had led her; and husband-wise he would by turns comfort and scold her, saying very uncomplimentary things of both the sinners now in full e

w, to-day, she was looking forward, as her hostess well knew, to the evening. At the ball it would surely be impossible for her lover to escape her, though her anxiety-and this, the Duchess's fatal knowledge of human nature also made clear to her-was somewhat tempered by the fact that on this occasio

otherwise have been rather a prosy gathering,-that her guests so much enjoyed an item which had no place i

ment, A

ntures had cut her to the quick. Heavens! was this the way people were talking of her brother? The word

matters. There is a whole side of life to which I feel," her voice dropped, "the utmost repugnance. I have never allowed anyone to make me those confidences which seem so usual nowadays, nay, more, I have never even glanced at the de

dear Ara

natural. But, after all, many men remain unmarried from choice, ay, and even free from foolish intrigues-to me such episodes are not lov

again into a chair-she was looking up at her friend, full

yself, but I have longed for it, Heaven alone knows how keenly, simply to be relieved from constant care and wearing anxieties.

e is not e

travagant. But he cares supremely for those things which, in these ignoble times of ours, money alone ensures-Power-the powe

ed the Duchess, rather superbly.

penny of whose income is laid out beforehand, can hope to do. If James, instead of marrying as he did do, had gone on as he began, where would he be now? What position, think you, would he occupy? I will tell you, Albinia,-that of a Parliamentary free-lance, whose very abilities make him feared by the leaders of every party; that of a man whose necessities make him re

n began speaking again in

. I cannot find words to express to you what I think of her. She sold herself, her youth, her great beauty, her name, and her family connections-you among them, Albinia-to

ar Ara

all behaved last year? Do you know that, when that wretched old man lay dying, she came to Bosworth House-to my house-and insisted on seeing James, and-and"-the spea

ch Arabella had not, Mrs. Marshall's confidences, and then she knew, what Arabella evidently did not know, how James

, a fact has come to my knowledge-I need hardly tell you that I have said nothing to Louise about it-which has made me, I must say, feel rather indignant. I asked you just no

ck, "why there's absolutely no one at Cha

fe, she was sometimes apt to suspect others of ideas which to them would have been unthinkable. She knew that her friend's maid was a niece of Madame Sampiero's housekeeper. Was it possible that

mpiero's cousin,-of this Mrs. Rebell, who has been at Chancton for the last six weeks, and whom, if I judge rightly from the very path

raordinary idea! Certainly, I have seen her. My uncle made me call the very moment she arrived,

che or ill at ease at

e had been, I should, of course, have seen her. Do you mean the wom

your eyes could have been. She's a strikingly attractive-looking woman, with-or so I thought, when I cal

to James, all I can say is that I only wish he did admire Mrs. Rebell-that, at any rate,

suggestion that her brother was attracted to the quiet, oppressed-looking woman with whom she had spent so uncomfortable a ten minutes some weeks before, seemed really ludicrous-the Duchess got up with a sudden movement

hing shamed and tremulous in quality-"Sir John Umfraville has le