Only a Girl's Love

med the half-hour-half-past seven, and

m look more distinguished than ever. The fly was waiting at the door, and he glanced at his watch and took a step toward the stairs, when a light

eye-it was the lovely girlish face. The excitement had brought a dash of warm color in the clear olive cheeks and a bright light into the dark eyes; the lips were half-apart with a smile, and the whole face was eloquent of

she said, with

self, my child?" he said, w

een all the same." And she proceeded to wrap a woolen shawl round her so carefully as if she was something that might be destroye

athe on me, or I shall mel

half disposed to th

6

disposing the short train of the despis

old man, quite bewildered. "I feel quite

f my life," said Stella, wit

ur alarm with infini

hammer, but, like an Indian at the stake, I am determined to smi

" he

amp. I shall have to be careful, or I shall be calling

are a clever and a bold girl, Stella, but even you could not take

mouse," said Stella, with a piteous little p

lau

d yourself, my dear," he said. "Neve

long avenue, and Stella, looking out, saw the li

to enter another world; and I am, I think. I have never seen a countess in my life before; ha

feel for the sketch which

nd her so very t

nue at last, and wound round the

n grand, but not gorgeous, livery, came down the broad steps and opened the fly door. She would not let them see that she was-afraid

o Stella solemn and stately steps, and asked her, in almost a reverential whisper, whether she would come up-stairs; but Stella shook her head, and was abo

and watching, though their eyes had been fixed on the ground, two footmen drew aside the curtains shutti

ella was reminded of some gothic cathedral. The white gleaming statues seemed to look down at her, as she passed between them, with a frown of astonis

irth, that she was an Etheridge, and that the man whose arm she was leaning upon was a

drawn aside, and the next instant she stood on the threshold o

Miss Et

g mirrors, saw several tall, black-coated, white-chested forms of gentlemen, and richly-dressed ladies; then she was c

h the Countess of Longford to welcome the guests. The painter was a favorite of hers,

xpecting to see some well-subdued middle-aged woman. Why she should have thus pictured her she could not have told; perhaps becaus

gone through a couple of London seasons, when the vision of Stella, in all her fresh young loveliness, broke upon her suddenly and unexpectedly, an infinite surpr

so kind of you to come. I know how gre

6

see a tall stately woman dressed in satin and diamonds, and with a courtly severe manner, and instead here was a lady with a small gentle voice and a face all softness and kindness. In an instant she h

nd this is your niece? How do you do, Mi

eyes to the beautiful, serene face, little guessing that as she did so, th

all our friends have left us. We should have been in town

saw a tall, thin, noble-looking man bending befo

e you from your hermitage at last, eh? How do you do, M

new why every approach w

tess, just laying her fingers on Stella's arm

she said; then, to Stella

f a pair of keen gray

Come and sit beside me, and tell me about your un

!" said

nate people are wicked; and he is obstinate because he persists in hiding himself a

eart warme

have come, you will persua

anything would persuade him to leave t

ess looke

w what to answer. But I owe him a[69] grudge. Do you know that he has persiste

la s

" she said. "If he went anywhere,

ss glanced at

aid," she murmured

" said Ste

he old lady replied, curtly. "It is not given to

, and looked r

but Lord Leycester was not amongst the latter. She was conscious of that, although she scarcely knew that she was looking for him. She wond

the earl take out his watch and glance at it mech

s served,

by sign or look that she heard. Suddenly the curtains at the o

o it was, and for a moment she would not look that way, then she di

s Ley

e. She thought she knew him well, but in that instant

e change from the velvet coat and knickerbockers to

shall be the evening costume of gentlemen. She had thought him handsome, noble, in the easy, ca

d, his head erect, his eyes not eagerl

ow she knew, but she knew t

smile so much as a look of satisfaction, and she knew again that a frown w

7

me across the room and stood be

hought you would not come. It

eyes of the old lady beside her were fixed on her face. He seemed

is an habitual

aid the ol

his smil

going to

ime," she said. "Come and sit

ed at th

ing you all wa

ford shoo

e waiting

not here!" th

th a smile. "Well, no one

urtain parted, an

stood a girl-not yet a woman, for all her twenty-three years

her and made her start; it was something more than that. It was the nameless, indescribable c

und; then she glided with a peculiar movement, that struck Stella as

for her tardiness by the way the earl, who was standing by, smiled at her.

iveted to her in fact, and suddenly she was

the earl make answer, and then watche

r surprise they came toward he

his low, subdued voice, "let me intr

and met the violet

so closely and clearly that her own eyes dropped; then with an effort she held out her hand, and as the great beauty's closed softly over it she raise