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50
TIIE IN'TERN‘ATION'AL
interfere with your expenditure. You have
what you ’ c, and you keep your presents
when you like. You owe me some gratitude,
at l st. ‘You refuse to marry Linwood, and
that is rights-lzc has nothing to give you that
you olan’t now enjoy. But"-hev,spoke.with
u slarv cruelty or'f1n‘.onation that made Vera
inum-dly flinch, and that sent every drop ‘of
;l)l0OLl from her cheek-“thereis another man
Lwho may ask the same gift of mo orof yon“ nnd=
in-ill you refuse it to him? Aha! have Ifound
incw where to stab you 7 Is my cold Vera. cold’
-tine more when my lord viscount whispers in her
gears and looks into her e ‘eel "
.He laughed softly, an pausedns thou h to
give the girl time to speak, but, she as :1 no
word. Eve faculty was hint to hide and kce
down the fierce agony an passion that hel
‘her. Her father tapped his fingers gently on
her arm. ,
. “I have no objection, my love,“ said he,
“ Oh, none whatcver. My Lord Devereux may-
whispor what he likes to you, and you may
listen; but -there must be no talk of marria e,
and,you must not Icnyo my house-‘we must
respectable before all things."
“If on dare say one word more of such
insult,” Vern said, throuvh her set teeth, " I
will leave your house this night, this hour-
your house where on have degraded me, ‘and
moxie me what am. It is not your fault
that I have not long ago flung away the last
remnant of :7. womans honour. God knows it
is but the remnant I keep 1 ”
Sho-tnmed away, an 'ithout waiting for
anything more her father migl1t'hnve to say,
went swiftly across the room. upstairs tozlxer
orvn chamber, and shut herself in.
She paced up) and down, clnsping and
unclasprng her ands in’ .a passionate ages
that swept over her like :1. wlxirlwind-and :1 l
the while she knew that this new sensitive-v
nose to such wounds as Berkeley Ten: le had
dealt her, was hem of something that sdtill
now left her soul untronbled. ,
For it was not tho first time that he had
; told her she might do as she liked, only keep
' clear of scandal and .ma'rringe, n.nd‘the words
had not hurt her as they did now.
. “Ah, child,” ‘
",Gllnk.1 had once said to her, half pin ful
half bitterly, “you will hear your ll e, u cl
be tolerably happy as things go, onl don't-let
yourself lovo anyone; lhaven tnnd nnrhappy
and merry a.‘.Ivn.ys. For if youievcr love, Vera,
as of course you will notwithstanding rn
excellent advice, it will
be solftetliing that in
make or wreck your life." V
And the princess was both wise and kind,
although she played half the .ni ht, anclwvas
not a woman whom a motlxcrrujg tchoosorlor
the friend of her daughter-..
lg ,9 CHAPTER IX.
F1‘ ‘'11 Is A.VEl1Y or.n sroav
Vrscouur Dzvrznnux occupied clxambcrs in
Piccadilly, which overlooked the Green Park,
and were models of luxury and comfort,
‘although notmerely luxurious. Thovfurnishing
and .‘ppurtenances thcrcof gavo am he evidence
5 9. inc and correct taste in bot literature
and art ; and n. Broadwood grand occupied one
portion -of the sittinrv-room, to the serious
crowding of some articles of furniture which
most men would‘ hare considered for more iro-
ortant. But Dovercux, who was a proficient
In musrlc, always said if he had only ten feet
square of room,'his piano must take up the
lion's share of it.
Ills father, the Earl of Evringham, did not
live in town. nl lxonglr there was a splendid
town house on arlton House-terrace. '
Bo preferred the connt . he said, and only
. ran up to town occnarona from a place‘ he
had. justabovo llenleygto me at the Carlton,
‘ and veto in the Lords on some important
, question.
‘It had not cccurrcd to him that he might
crhapsuhave niado n homo for his son in
' Ecndon, and in ‘navy way: have been a check‘
on tho reckless cxpcnilitnro which he was
constantly deplonng, and which was the
bcotslou of not a. few quarrels between lrlm
and Ernest. For Ernest had adcap '
her friend the Pi-inc 3'
vc‘.-s‘.vl'eO..,
for his father,gnotwithstanding the jars, and
was ver susceptible to the influence which is
dictate vb affection; but, somehow, their
lives flow apart, and the earl did not under-
stand his son, and perha s the son had too
little inward toleration of tie father’s views.
And so people said, “they did not get on
tov‘ether."- .
,I.ately the earl had taken up with great
fervour the idea. that Ernest and his cousin
Alisa were made for each other, and was
inclined to make his marriage with her a
sine gudnon to evew cheque 'he drew for
Ernest. . , . .
It isneedless to say that Ernest did not‘
himself take this view, nor, in her‘ heart, did
gtett Alise, who found Jack Crawford “too;
‘ elightful,” and much more on hcrxlevel ; but
who would, all the same, have taken Viscount‘
Daverenx, future Earl of Evringham, had he
asked her, though secretly glad that he did
not, and apparently was not going to. . -
The rnornlng.aftcrjthe: dinner in Bruton-,
street Deverenx sat alone, looking through his
letters, of which he had a. great many and at
least half of which he threw on one side with-
out leoking farther than the address.
It was yet early, according to some men's
reckoning of that word, the hands of the clock
pointing to eleven; but Daverenx ‘was always
up, and had breakfasted and generally ridden
out before most of his friends had “opened
their eyes to the sun.”
But, after glancin through several and
throwing aside scvera , Devereux ansed -sud.
denly in his work and pushed as’ o the little
pile, with a. half-impatient movement and a.
nick short sig , and leaned back, shading his
orslreod with his hand. '
“ It is no use,” he half muttered ; “I cannot
attend to these things now. Itis her eyes 1 sec
lookin up into mine from these pages-her
voice hear-the touch, of her hand in mine!
And what can come of it all!" .
He bent his head down lower on his hands
and set. his teeth, and n shiver passed‘ over
him-the shiver of that deathly ‘chill which
alone answers the heart's or y, that would fain
make an in: ossiblo vision its own dear reality.’
It was to o the old battle foughtout again
and agains-lost, who knows how many, times,
to honour-‘how many times to ride!’-lovein.
the lists avalnst honour and pri He. .
Ho wa.s= he last of alias of noble men and
peerless women; she the love of his life,-of
gentle birth true,‘ but that gentle l>irth‘nranred.-
.-the dang er of a mere money-lender'an'd
professional, glarnblet-disguised ‘though his
calliri might e. l ’
“S e- is not responsible for her father’s
sins,”-tlre inward voice cried out passionately,
‘dghtlng those hard facts that would not be
crushed out of the way. “She is pure as the
sunlight from heaven I N 0 man or woman dare
point at the wife of Devereux; or breathe word.
of suspicion against her! The proudest blood
isinet contaminated: by mating witho woman
who lragbreathed sail: an atmosphere, and yet
remained wlmt she is.”
Should. he who loved her be the first to
‘tempt her from that noble purity--which was?"
er crown 2 ,
‘Could he force himself to see her no more.-.,
to leave England, to avoid her'n.lways, to put
seas and continentsbetween them? ,
He knew he had no strength for that. At
tlrstlt had been perhaps possible, but then he
had been reckless, and driven away the thought
of what must follow. For‘ love with some‘
natures is not the growth of months, the slow
building u of deeper feelings on It foundation
-of esteem or good and noble qualities, and his‘
had been no such "leurnin" to love." Somo
swift subtle sympathy, commvv straight from
soul to soul, had possessed hidi from the first
night he saw Vera. Then it was too late.
Anciyct to link his name with one so placed;
to sink his pride of birth and honour, and to
burstnllthosebandswhichsociallifela saround '
its children 0 to break with his fat er, who
looked to this his only son to redeem all the,
hopes that had been garlandcd around his very
cradle ; to keep the g cry of the old name; to
make alliance with some name not as old-as
stainless l
Couldvhe do this‘!
-wane beer ‘0'he:'&' ufoeea. -' Wizards.
3 ‘rate, for you had lost ever so nauchfto
Dovercnx’s wife 7" and the answer, ‘-‘ Oh, don't
you know that old card-sharpens daughter.
the diva of Paris, and New York, -and every
city under the sun ? "
The very thought was madness.
Yet Vcra's was not the fault or the sin. ‘
The world was really beginning to wake
when Dcvcreux at last roused himself from the.
thoughts that had held him in subjection, and
was no nearer victory, one side or the other,
than he was since he had allowed himself to
think definitely at all.
He drew some letters towards him, nud‘
began meclranically to tun1'thcm‘over, when
a. knock came at the door, and Deverenx drew.
his brows -together. . 3
u-- "Some chatterin fool!" he muttered rm.’
patiently. “I am :1 no humour for that sorta
of thing. Come in," and the door opened,"
admitting Jack Crawford. - 4.;
“Thought: I should find you in. HOW <10.‘
old fellow?” sztidithe young man, coming up
to Deverenx and throwing himself into a. chair;
formal salntations of meeting. "Confounde<lly'-
hot. You look cool enough, though." ’ I .
“I don't find it hot," answered Deverenx,
smiling. “ Have a cigar, J ackr” pushing over
his civar-case. , , 4
“ ’1lhanks; and a S. and B. if you love tnel”
“Not I, Jack; you've probablyhud tworor
three’ already. I shall hold rnyself guilty-of
slow poisoning if I let you have any more.” '
“ It’s all very well for you," grumbled J acka
“Everyone isn't such a fellow as you, who
can turn night into’ morning, and‘ then getu
ever so early and go riding. Nevervsaw sucr
error 1'’
" f you did -the same, dear‘ boy. when
on felt your seedlest,” remarked Devereux,
lighting a. cigarette, f‘ you .would have twice
‘the energy. But ’tis no use preaching.”
" Preach away; I'll listen '
"1 lraven’t"the' lcastr doubt. Everyone
viscount, laughing. " What
so early! . .
“Don't be s:1r,c',astic,I)ev. I've been down
to the club already 5 and, tell you the truth
now,“ said Jack, -sitting up‘ and pro ping
his elbow on his knee, "it’s what I ' '
there that made mo coxueon to you." ,
“Ah, what's the ‘ Re inn’ concerning-hen
self about-ms fort‘: as ed Dcvereux r:;tlreP
lazil .‘ > .
“Ilfcll; it's not the Iicrrina. exactly. "hilt
one of-its mernhcrs,"returne Jack; “1t’sthat
rougbt you out
how he ever -got in; ' You were at Berkeley’s'
late last night, wer.en’t' you‘! I left early, you
know." . . ‘
“Yes: what 'then!”‘tthe..same quiet half.
litt e..
.“ Linwood came inrthis morning and bevvan
chaliiug mo‘for,golng.oll"soiearl ', andtren
asking; nppa'reatly'in' goko still’, - utany fool
could see with intentioruiifyou had narrelled
with your father, or with tl1e'%last la y of your
choice '4-that he-hoped not the first‘ ‘at ,an&
um,an
ghaiasked himto let it stand over.-j ;'S.ingulnr,
;thing ‘for Derereux to.doo4ch 1‘ he said, with‘
tliab kind of sneer he intends to do duty for a
laugh. I said it was nothing singular for a
man not to be able at once to ay lns'lzand ‘on
ncon lo of thousand; and, hotly enough, you
may clicve, if he wanted to say anything
narnol
Devercnx laughed. V
"The man is n. black:zuard," be said q'nietly,l
knocking the ashes off his cigar, “and not,
worth‘ nnyone's while to quarrel ‘with. I was-
:1‘ foolto play with him, a greater feol‘to lose‘
oo-
0
H1.
.‘,‘. Your luck deserted you quite last nightl,"
.,,.(".'I‘hcrc's no mistress so fickle as this sum I
‘tlncky hand.’ " said. Devercux. “Mr. Limroof -
need be, however under no, apprehension:
I told lurn it would stand until to-day,’.-mdit
.wrll be-‘no longer, xx-hoztevcr I have to‘ doggy
it,'l he added through his set teeth.
“‘ Cleaned out?" said Jaclrsuccmctlyx adding ’
almost .in1mmliatc,ly with a sigh of cm’ I: 1-4 Bi“
yopy governor‘: sughmn trunyzgh ' '
listens; that's the ca.siest,.‘part,” .saidutho.
eard ,
l manner, but-hiapulses had quickcned
ugninst"yon, lua’d.bettcr say it out. in Hcnvcxfs ’
They were friends enough to dispense witlrtlrc ,
sneak, Linwoo<l.‘wlro'm I detest. ‘Can't think‘ -
