Red Pottage

homicide, civilise the Pawnee, but what lesson

MER

rable element is added to it, which unselfish natures escape. From her early youth Lady Newhaven had been in the habit of viewing life in picturesque tableaux vivants of which she invariably formed the central figure. At

s exact position in them. When, six years later, after one or two mild flirtations which only served as a stimulus to her love of dress, when at last she met, as she would

face, with the crimped fringe drawn down to the eyebrows, resembled that of a Madonna - with her children round her, Lord Newhaven as usual somewhat

ne, when the children and the husband would have made too much of a crowd,

her mouth. Few of us have the power of saying anything we intend to say. But Lady Newhaven had that power, and enjoyed also in consequence a profound belief in her prophetic ins

n in the habit of discounting these remarks by making them in

of her children, and that their affection makes up for the carelessness of their father, ma

"I am as miserable in

ons to their relative position, and because he ignored them she made many. "The country," he added,

ng vaguely felt that all conversation seemed to dry up in his presence. He mo

was not endangered. She had received no answer to any of her letters. She came to the conclusion that they had been intercepted by Lord Newhaven, and that no doubt the same fate had befallen Hugh's letters to herself. For some time past, before the drawing of lots, she had noticed that Hugh's letters had become less frequent and shorter in length. She understood the reason now. Half of them had been intercepted. How that fact could account for the shortness of the remainder may not be

ways white with flowers sent by a nameless friend of the dead? "How some one must have loved him," she imagined Hugh's aged mother saying. And once, as that bereaved mother came in the dusk to weep beside the grave, did she not see a shadowy figure start up black-robed from the flo

ant en

ip see Miss West

be delivered from herself, if only

a penal offence. But I came at the entreaty of a former servant of yours. I feel sure you will let m

unken, and I had to part with her in the end; but I kept her as lo

She can't return it, for of course she sold it and spent the money. But now at la

en wondered how I lost it. I never cared about it." She glanc

stronger because Rachel, who had only lately appeared in society, was not connected with any portion o

and held o

Newhaven, taking her outstr

et later on when you are feeling stronger. You are evidently tired out n

"I have not slept for a fortnight. I feel I must

de at any moment. Rachel was a punctual, exact person, but she missed many trains. Those who sought her seldom realised that her day was as full as, possibly fuller, than their own. Perhaps it was only a ver

ried her eyes, and turned

fter one of these emotional upheavals that it was difficult to guess which wou

ive in my shell. But directly I saw you I felt I could talk to you. I said to myself, 'I will make a friend of that girl.' Although I always feel a married woman is so differently placed from a girl. A girl only thinks of herself. I am not saying this the least unkindly, b

was inured to this time-hon

life," continued Lady Newhaven,

ing many layers of prepared conventional feelings in which a few thin streaks of genuine emotion were embedded, she told her story - the story of a young, high-minded, and neglected wife, and of a husband callous, indifferent, a scorner of religion, unsoftened even by the a

ver him is simply boundless. If I said, as I sometimes did at balls, how sorry I was to

e did it to

t it, simply

The story went on. It became difficult to tell, and, according to the teller, more and more liable to miscons

, and I have not slept since, and he was here, looking so miserable (Rachel started slightly); he sometimes did, if he thought I was hard upon him. And afterwards, when eve

n in a shrill grotesque whimper above the sobs which w

nd put her strong arms round her. The poor thing clung to her, and leaning

e short lighter?"

It is that which is killing me. Sometimes I thin

me in the earlier stages of her story while she had some vestige of

ly. She told herself there

an?" she asked. If she had died for

aid Lady

who suddenly discovers, not for the first time, an old

lf sufficiently to recall a phrase which she had made up the nigh