Lady Rose's Daughter

ies and women friends which crowded her mantel-piece, stood the Duke, much out of temper. He was a powerfully built man, some twenty years older than his w

yachting, hunting, and shooting in which his own existence was largely spent, slow in perception, and of a sulky temper--so one mig

this particular morning--though, indeed, his ill-

perfectly justified. You have been behaving in a quite unwarrantable way. And now you tell me that this woman, who is the cause of it all, of whose conduct I thoroughly and entirely disapprove, is coming to stay here, in my house, whe

rit. "Nobody meant any harm. Why shouldn't the old friends go in to ask after her? Hutto

it by that most audacious young woman--that the servants were ordered about--that it lasted till nearly midnight, and that the noise you all made positively woke Lady Henry out of he

the Duchess, defiantly. "And I declare, Freddie, I won't

ecret that, once out, would perhaps silence him at once--would, at any rate, as children d

nly kne

hair of the little spitz o

w?" insisted the Duke. "Something that

ly. A gleam of mischief had slipped into her face,

looked at

d, impatiently. "I have an appointment in the City at twelve, and I wa

e up my mind yet whether I mean to write at all. And a

ery pretentious person,"

n. But, Freddie, didn't s

up; the little spitz rolled off her lap; she ran to

ng him, she began to search among the photographs on the mantel

h has that got to do with the s

eorge Chantrey, isn't it, Lord Lackington's second son, who married mamma's sister? Wel

tune do you mean?" said

, she poured out her story very fast, very incoherently, and w

. He tried to cross-examine her en route, but he gained little by that; she only shook him a little, insisting the more vehemently on telling the story her ow

up and down--"upon my word!" Then, as he stood still be

panting a little from her exertions. "And, oh, what a bli

y done you harm. All that you have told me, supposing it to be true--oh, of course, I know you believe it to be true--only makes me"--he stiffened his back--"the more determined to break off the

p her antecedents?

and retired way, instead of, as I understand, making herself the rival of Lady Henry. I never heard anything so preposterous--so--so indece

nt into a helpless, half-

r!" Her strictly Evangelical mother-in-law, with whom the Duke had made his bachelor home for many years, had been the scourge of her early married life; and though for Fre

ut it, the Duke was painfully

the sins of the fathers are visited upon the children. At any rate, we who occupy a prominent social place have no right to do anything which may lead others to think l

d a person of irreproachable morals--earnest and religious according to his ligh

le foot on the carpet before her, "that, by all accounts, the

hrugged hi

degree. She has had her education; Lord Lackington gives her one hundred pounds a year; if she is a self-respecting woman she will look afte

o her. There'll be plenty of people glad--enchanted--to have her! I don't care about that, but w

s walk and surveyed h

are you q

t deal more money than anybody in the world ought to have. If they ever do set up

n?" said the Duke, once more consulting his watch. "Le

ce at the back of Cureton Street where Cousin Mary Leicester lived so long--which is in your hands still, I know, for you told me so last week--which is vacant and furn

sping the chair behind her, her small form alive with eagerness and

his tether. "And how do you propose that this young

he Duchess, shortly. "Dr. Me

hs time you'd have to step

ooms, I know--three bedrooms up-stairs, and two sitting-rooms and a kitchen below. With one good maid and a boy Julie could be perfectly comfortable. She would earn four hundred pounds--Dr. Meredith has promised her--she has one hundred pounds a year of

friends, indeed! Lady Henry's friends, you mean. Poor Lady Henry tells me in this letter that her circle will be completely scattered. This mischievous woman in three years has destroyed what it has taken Lady Henry nearly thirty to build up. Now look here, Evelyn"--the Duke sat up an

at there are fifty people with money and influence ready to help her if you won't, because she is one of the most charming and distinguished women in London--that you ought to be proud to do her a service-

her fair hair ruffling about her ears, her cheeks

and sought for some letters which

d as quickly as possible," he said, as he put them into his po

r silence served her better than her speech, for suddenly the Duke looked round, h

d her by main force and kissed away her tears. "You ma

n't, or you won't, understand! I was--I was very fond of Uncle George Chantrey. He would have helped Julie if he were alive. And as for

, abruptly, marvelling at the

-Aunt Flora, Sir Wilfrid Bury"--the Duke made an

Duke. "What's he g

saw her opportunity

he has refused him both last year and this. Of course, naturally, if you wo

the extraord

ement. He was about to speak, when there was a sound in the anteroom. They moved h

d, more elegant. Her closely fitting black cloth dress; her strangely expressive face, framed by a large hat, very simple, but worn as only the woman of fashion knows how; her miraculous yet most graceful slenderness; the delicacy of her hands; the natural dignity of her movem

quite heedless of her husband, thr

for thinking of you. What did that old--oh, I forgot--do you kn

n, still holding the Duchess by the hand, she approached him

note I had from her this morning she told me she had written to you. I could not help com

mind the memory of a visit paid long ago to his early home by Lord Lackington and two daughters, Rose and Blanche. He, the Duke, had then been a boy ho

ind had somehow to be mast

he said, coldly; "but it would not be honest if I were to conceal my opinion--so far

ight," said Julie, almost wit

good many of those petty prides which the spoiled children of the worl

e drew Julie impulsi

n. You look

trained her friend's eager hand, and the Duke collecte

I don't defend last night. Only--my position has been very difficult lately. I wanted very much to see the Duchess--and--it was natural--wasn't it?--that the ol

But how could she? She did her best, and her account certainly was no more untrue than scores of narratives of social incident which issue every day from lips the most respected and the most veracious. As for the Duchess, she thought it the hei

sin by marriage; the granddaughter of an old and intimate friend of his own family; the daughter of a man known at one time throughout Europe, and himself amply well born--all these facts, warm, living, and still efficacious, s

after a moment's silence, when Julie had brought her story to an end; and t

said Julie Le Breton. "As for me"--her voice sank--

ble pause; then Julie r

er pain or annoyance? She once said to me in a fit of anger that if I left her in consequen

rply. "Her salon will break

nfortunately I must live in London. I have the offer of work here--journalist's work which

Montresor had been the well-known Chateaubriand to La

d to him wi

Mrs. Montresor's name and his own, he asked me to stay with them till my plans devel

ed?" The Duke

hed and l

me in the matter, but to write at onc

use these questions--Mrs

mind was revealed in his

dy Henry would never have forgiven that. It could not be

hrowing herself on a stool at Julie

me. He wants to help me

s. It was very quietly done, and very touching. The Duchess threw a lightning glance at her hus

. "And she has already, if Evelyn is to be believed, refused the

eavily. His moral sense exacted such things rather of other

d down the room, he wal

esidence with Lady Henry. But I understand that your post was not an easy one, and I recognize the forbearance of your present attitude. Evelyn is much distressed about it

ebrows lifting. The Duke found

s to be vacant. If you will accept a loan of it, say for six months"--the Duchess frowned--"you w

e was grateful, touched with em

ave no claim upon you at al

e gently rose to her feet. "Thank God, I did not off

o go and live there--wouldn't it, Freddie? And there's all the furniture just as it was, down to the bellows and the snuffers. If you'd only use it and take care of it; Freddie hasn't liked to sell it, because it's all o

hook he

was still unsteady, "to ask for advice,

fingers she began t

going?" cried the Duche

round upon her. "Do you think I shou

ou told Jacob

wished also to confess myself to the Duke, and to point ou

manner and voice completed the discomfitur

uptly, coming to stand beside

hand still held her veil,

kind to me, and I thought her a kind of goddess. When I first heard her story, years afterwards, it shocked me awfully. For her sake, accept my of

d not himself understand the feelings which animated him, nor the stren

nd hid her face. She had turned her back to

p to her and wound

you out-of-doors at a moment's notice. And it was

engaging herself, and without looking at

th a cordiality

eys shall be here this afternoon. Miss Le Breton, of course, stays here till things a

es

y, "you ought to reveal yo

sh

own time for that?" w

well. We'll spe

own stairs astonishment at what he had

ver to explain the t

ve made him behave in this extraordinary, this preposterous way? A touch of foolish romance--immoral rom