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WILD MARGARET. 89
_ He’d get tired of her ina week. Iknow himso well,’
she said, ina low voice. — ,
_ ‘Exactly. In less than a week, pernaps, and then——’
he shrugged his shoulders. .
‘*And she would be the Viscountess Leyton, and, of
course, the Countess Ferrers when the old man died?” for
Lottie knew her peerage pretty well. /
?
her.
She made an impatient gesture.
‘*T don’t care about the title, and all that,’’? she said;
‘‘why should I? If he had been going to marry Miss
Graham, or any other of the swells, why—why it would
e all right, and- I shouldn’t complain; but a servant!
Blair, too! Why, he’s as proud as Lucifer, really, though
people wouldn’t think it! He'd be wretched for life! He’d
be fit co cut his throat a week afterward, and he’s too good
for that sort of thing.’’: es
There was a pause. She drank some of the stout, for
her lips felt dry, then she said, more to herself than him:
“Yes, he’s far too good! Poor Blair! Why, the very
first diamonds I ever had he gave me. He’d have given.
me the top brick off the chimney if I’d asked for it! You
won't believe it, because you don’t believe anything, Mr,
_ Ambrose, but I tell you I’d do anything for Lord Blair! I
Never told you when I first met him?” :
‘*No,’’ said Anstin Ambrose. ot
- Lottie took another draught of the stout, and her color
came and went. ! .
‘Tt was when I was singing at the South Audley Music
Hall. I wasn’t much of a singer, then, and one night I
sang worse than usual; I was ill too, and out of sorts, and
the people—they aren’t the most refined at the South
Audley, you know—they cut.up rough, and began to_hiss
and shout. I was only aslip of a girl, and I got fright-
ened—too frightened to run off, and one brute of a fellow
took up a wineglass from one of the tables, and flung it at
Me. ~ J suppose I must have fainted, for the next thing I
remember was finding myself ina’ young gentleman's
arms, It was Lord Blair, He’d sprung on the stage, and
caught me, and I shall never forget, till the day of my
death, the look on his face as he looked down at them.
ll give a sovereign to anyone who'll keep that fellow in
the hall till Teome back!’ he said. and though he didn’t —
shout it, you could hear his voice all over the hall. Then
_-he carried me into the greenroom, and got me some wine,
and put me into a cab, as if I was a lady! Just as if I
~ Wasalady, mind! Then he went back to the hall, and it
was a bad time for that brute with the glass, I expect.”
‘Yes, and we must prevent that,’’ he said, looking at_