Only a Girl's Love

'Lenore,

n her mental calendar. Never would she be able to look upon a field of primroses, never hear the music of t

oking out into the gloaming, he lost in memory, she going over and over again the incidents

dinner, and once again as she sat beside him, leaning her arm on his chair while he smoked his pipe-she had opened her lips to tell him of that sudden outburst of fury on the part of[58

im of her meeting with Lady Lilian, but of that passi

er in silence. Now, as she sat looking into the gloaming, she saw him in her mind's eye still, his beaut

help which Stella had disregarded, and had rowed her across to her uncle. Without a word, but with the same penitent, imp

lian's lips it had rung in her ears. There was a subtle ki

h her dark eyes fixed on the stars which glit

Lenore

chair and looked

iar. Where did you hear it? It's scarcely fair to spring a question

laughed

Lady Lilian told her brother as s

Who is Lenore?" and he smiled. "There is scarcely another w

eyes upon him with surpris

at is just the wo

he a great actress, pa

, reckons far above any of the classes you

all!" said St

e echoed

nodded. "It s

!" and h

f you happen to be born so. There is n

by her sang fro

o be a great beauty-if you are one-but it is rather difficult if you a

how does she enchant? Does she keep tame snakes, a

again with great enj

tural gift? No, she does not keep tame snakes, and I don't know that she has acquired the art

is like?" interrup

sed a moment to

ery fair,

mile; "with yellow hair and blue eyes, and a pink an

s as unlike a china doll as it is possible to imagine. She has golden hair it is true-but g

ole

on the bank over there. Her mouth is not small; there was never yet a woman worth a f

?" said Ste

at can speak volumes with a curve of the lip. Y

rly desirous of seeing her, uncle. It reminds we of what t

lau

many have seen her-many men, and

laughed

for you to talk like this,

w; "with a charm that one is bound

asked Stella, with a tou

is the type of our latest requirement, which demands more than mere beauty, and will not be satisfied with mere cleverness; she rides beautifully and fearlessly; she[60] plays and sings better than

s silent

on, uncle. How all her wome

lau

I never knew a woman mor

band must be of he

at husband? She

a lau

ossible that mankind can permit such a paragon to

she is not married. Lenore might have been married long before this: she has had many chance

oman should be nothing less than a duchess. I

"I don't think anyone knows; pe

a moment; her imagin

ch, poor-w

ich, I should th

has she only one name, like a

auchamp-Lady Le

rised. "She has a title, then

the daughte

she a woman or a girl, though. I h

lau

he thought a moment-

l, within sight of us. Tell me, uncle, do they keep her in a glass case, and only pe

d his hand str

remarked. "'If you want a woman to hate

tly, and she laughed wit

-to feel for myself the wonderful charm[61] of which you speak. I should like to se

le her. I think if she were on board a ship that was going down inch by inch, and she knew that she was within, say, five minutes of death, she would not flinch, or dro

fashion, more like communion with his own thoughts than a direct address to

y, so it seemed to her, she felt fascinated by this beautiful creature, who

e live?" she a

n silence f

e would not be received with a welcome accorded to princes. It is rather strange that she should be down here just now; the season has commenced, most

vague irritation took possessio

o come to Wyndward Hall at any time-even Lady

nod

o-well, to palaces. There is not a ball-room in London where her absence will not

a, turning her eyes toward hi

cester," he s

cest

efore she was aware of it, and

ycester,

es, that must be it, of course. Well, he could not do better, and as for her, though she has refused greater chances, there is a charm in bei

rt which was scarcely distinct enough for pain, but which annoyed and shamed her. What could it matter to her-to her, Stella Etheridge, the niece of a poor painter-whom Lord Leycester,

ld, and yet the gods were not satisfied, but they must give her Leycester Wyndward! For of course it was impossible that he should resist her if she chose to put forth her char

and to the dull aching, then with a gesture of impat

matter, Stell

have lights? The room is so dark and sti

and as she did so she looked up and saw her f

he put the dark hair from her brow, and gliding to the organ began to play; feverishly, re

w it, she felt it! This woma

of light broke in from the

re! I thought it was Mr. Etheridge playing; you d

med Stella, turning on h

ld smiled

d there's an a

te; the envelope was addressed in a thin, beautiful hand to Miss Stella Etheridge. Stella turned the

offering to open it, then with an effort she t

6

ring you to dine with them to-morrow at eight o'clock? I say 'them' because I dine always alone; but perhaps you will not mind coming

urs ver

lian Wy

y Lilian's invitation had sounded so vague that she had scarcely remember

s?" said M

a sta

the answer dire

the letter in her hand. He was lost in thought, and qu

ave just go

re from,

Lady L

ed up q

d me to dinne

etter in his hand. "Read it,

conscious that he

?" he

repeated,

s hand to

ell! You would like to go?" and he looked

face was delicately f

You see, Stella, your wish is gratified almost as soon

and her fac

ice. "I find I don't want to see her so badly a

. She was still

yndward Hall! Nonsense! Besides, it

d with the let

le-I have not

" And he looked a

Hall," she said. "Uncle, I

ghed g

past[64] seven to-morrow," he said, "or my faith in Mr

e table and wrote two

e very glad indeed to come and se

ella Et

ell and gave the no

e said, with a smile, "and I have got nothi

p her hands after th

, what shall we do?" Then she glanced at the a

at we can manage. To the Hall! Think of

g on with a smile, while the

ly require, but a dinner at the Hall was quite out of the ordinary. At last, after holding up d

y pretty,"

sateen!" exclai

little," said Stella "b

and silks, and velvets," de

" said Stella, consolin

nced at her with

ut it must be this dress or nothing; you can't go in a cotton,

ke this sateen do, Mrs. Penfold. I think it

ed from the room, returning in a few moments with a small box. "Speaking of lace just reminded me, Miss Stella, that I had some by me

it's

ss? I didn't know

beautiful, delicious, heavenl

6

ill take it, Miss Stella," said t

ook a long strip and put it round her throat. "Oh, it is beautiful, beautiful! It wou

beautiful face admiringly. "And you'll want gloves-let me see-yes, you have got some cream gloves; they'll go with the dress, won

as she went down-stairs, "I don'

ype="