Two Strangers

up from the village with her little girl she had flattered herself that, arriving late under shelter of various other parties who made much more commotion, she mig

n's eye and gives additional color to her face, or at least it did so to Nelly. The gentle carelessness of the ordinary was not in her aspect at all. She was more erect, carrying her animated head high. Nobody could call her ordinary at any time. She was so full of life and action. But on that day every line of her soft, light dress seemed to have expression

ll you afterwards," Mrs. Nugent said. Lucy too hung upon her, eager to know what was the m

th any one's happiness. Besides, her mind was in a turmoil for the moment with that strange story of Mrs. Bertram which her mother had just told her by way of precaution, filtered from Ralph. "Mr. Bertram is married, it appears; but he and his

supposed (though his watchful gaze in reality followed{118} her everywhere), from her host amid the crowd of other people assembled, there came the inevitable

Mr. Wradisley," she said; "you wer

The new orchid-the new-Let me take you into the conservatory. I must," h

ost under her breath, "do not,

d in his usual tone, "Stevenson is very proud of it. It is a ve

n orchid? May I come too?" said ano

er that it should be done at once. He led her through the lines of gleaming glass, the fruit, and the flowers, for Wradisbury was famous for its vineries and its conservatories-meeting a few wanderers by the way, whom it was difficult to prevent from following-till at last they got to the inner sanctuary of all, where a great fantastic blossom, a flower, but counterfeiting something that was not a flower, blazed aloft in the ru

al," he said; "so I am. You are shocked and startled by what I have said to you. It is because I understand that that I am so pressing, so arbitrary now. Mrs. Nugent, you can't bear that a man should speak to you of love. You t

{121} "It is more than that. Take my wor

ed. You are never to love, never to think of any one again. But all that is f

o force my secret from me. Mr. Wradisley, every word you say to me is an offense. It is my own fault;

ught to be told that these are all fictions-sentimentalisms-never to be weighed against

22} said. "I am quite able to protect myself and my child. Let me go-I will go,

se of that superior position and judgment which everybody allowed him, to bring her to reason. Was it possible that she was not to be brought

at you know-another person's position and

ey, with an air almost of meekness, "and whe

her. "Don't bear me any malice," she said. "I respect you very much; any woman might be proud-of your love"-her face gave a little twitch, wheth

rything but false senti

n that such a thing was possible. When they came, thus walking solemnly one behind the other, to the outer house where some of the other guests were lingering, Mrs. Nugent stopped to speak to some of them, to describe the new orchid. "It is the most uncanny thing I ever saw," she said. And then{124} Lady

ved her for herself, never doubting. And now it seemed that she had only appeared among them to do harm. She was a pretty and attractive young woman, and not altogether unaware that people liked her on that account; but yet she never had been one of those women with whom everybody is acquainted, in novels, at least, before whom every man falls down. She had had her share, but she had not been persecuted by inopportune lovers. And she had not entertained any alarm in respect to Mr. Wradisley. She hoped now that his pride would help him through it, and that nobody would be the wiser; but still she could not continue here under the very wing of the family after so humiliating its head, either meeting him, or compelling him to avoid her. She went on turning over this question in her mind, pausing to talk to

pleased her, though it was not every one who had this advantage and pleased Tiny. The mother saw at once that Tiny{127}'s best frock had suffered, and a momentary alarm about the pond, which was one of her favorite panics, seized her. But the child was evidently quite right, which settled that question. She

tle girl? Have zoo

sk questions. Mrs. Nugent could not help smiling a little at the sound of her small daughter's voice, especially as there was no reply made to it. The man had a

ayed backward from his hold to call to them, and then detaching herself from his hand altogether, ran back a few paces to show them her treasures. His face half averted for a moment looking after her thus, gave Mrs. Nugent one breath of preparati

!" he cried.<