CHAPTER VII.

Te Aroha News, Volume IV, Issue 183, 18 December 1886, Page 11

CHAPTER VII.

"too late for rfmi;dy." 3?or the first time in her lifo Violet was in Paris.' The Hotel Splendidv, whero Lord had choson a magnificent suite of apartments, was to tho now Lady Laigb, as an Aladdin'a palace, all glittering with glass, gold, silver, bron/o, marble, full of flowers, music, servants obsequious to every look, gay guests, and gorgeous costumes ; while through the live ik In Pcu'x and the I'iacr dc rOprra, on either hand, flowed all tho busy, gorgeous life of the royal cityi To the child-wife, reared in almost absolute seclusion in the grey grange, among the Lincolnshire fens, and entering for bo brief »3seaaon in London, this was a new world. Itn enchantments won her from herself and hor sorrows. She was eajjer to see all that was to be seen. To Lord Leigh Paris wax an old ptory ; he had been there time and again. The only parts of Paris for which he now had toleration \\ here the Bourse, •where anancial speculations wero rife, the facing stablea, whero the wonderful horses "were to ba aeon, and a club or two, wheie ho met his countrymen. For a few days he tried to do his duty, taking Violet about ; but he wearied of the groat niuseunia of the Louvre, of his £Lr do's ecstasy over pictures, and statuary, and jewellers' establishments. Ho felt that he might a3 well stop playing the attentive husband " What do you care, Violet, for seeing all those dowera ?" he demanded. " When you get to Leigh Towers you will find the conservatories crowded, and if you want moie you have only to say so. If you want marbles, or pictures, why don't you buy the ■whole lot, and take them home toadmiie at your leisure ?' " You know I cannot buy these Murillos, and Vandykes, orthe v Feast of Cane,' which are the pride of France, nor the Venus of the Louvre — kings could not buy those treasurer. But if it is a trouble to you to go out with me, pray do not go. I can sta\ at home." "It is all nonsense to talk of staying at home,'' said Lord Leigh. " Remember you are not a little girl, but a married woman, *md do not need a chaperon. You have your carriage and your servants ; you can go as you like. Take your maid and groom along. I admit I have no taste in either iiigh art or horticulture. Why should a j man always be following hi? wife, as if he feared to lose her ? Your Montressor delations will be here soon, and you can tro ' o it with them." Violet availed herself of her new liberty. Timidly at first, the youne creature who had hitherto gone out accompanied by a body guard of aunt, governess, grooms, went out now with servants only. She had no vanity ; sho did not see tho long glances of adtnira- j tion from men and envy from women a3 her elegant equipage relied along tho boulevards and avenues, and she, in her exquisite toilet, looked hither and thither with all the oager curiosity of a child, In a few days the strangeness were off. Violet no longer feared to enter a shoo alono and make a purchase ; she no longer started at the sound of her own voice asking questions, or giving orders. Tho novelty of h3r surroundings brightened her, for a large part of each day she forgot Lord Leigh and her unhappy marriage. In their i>rief courtship Lord .Leigh had not grown into her life, nor taken hold of her affdetions. Her heart had seemed so quiet that «he believed it was empty. She did not know that love lay in it, fillen asleep in a long silence, but ready to awake. Ker heart wa3 like a fair and quiet room, v'hero one enters and says it ie tenantle=s, but where, instead, an occupant, hidden under draperies, lies in slumber, ready at a foutfall or a word to rouse and come forth. Violet had Known Lord Leigh but little before her aunt and uncle urged her to accept hia hand. He had danced with her and compli■mented her, as others had. After their engagement he had called daily, bringing tributes of books, which she was too busy to read ; flowers, such as filled hor aunt's conservatory ; bon-bo*ia, which she ne-'^r ate; and perhaps, preceded by a jeweller's man, carrying bo:.ea of jewels or trinkets | in siLver and gold, such as already filled her caskets. What food for love had this been ! She had left love to grow after marriage, fcut marriage had opened her eyee to the fact that Lord Leigh neither gave nor askod love ; and so Violet's inmopf heart Tvas ailent still. j Leigh was polite, largely indulgent ; all he asked was that his young counters should enjoy herself in her own way, and let him go his, understanding meanwhile that neither of them should go particularly astray. Violet, before her Montressor relatives came, had but few casual acquaintance? in Paria. and sometime.*, when in her drive 3 and visits she had seen things that stirred her heart, her young, enthusiastic natute would gush over into descriptions of these things, even to her unresponsive husband, aa they were alone at table, or waiting in the gloaming to go to the opera. " (low can you be so excited over such things ?" said Lor.i Leigh. "It takes much more to stir my blood. And I don't know as it is good form for you to go wandering about tha Louvre, talking to artist?, and then going to visit studios. I have try <3oubts about the tone of these fellows in velvet coats. It is a pity your Aunt Montressor would not come over here soon, to go cut with you. And Lady Clare : you should model yourself on Lady Clare, Violet. She is very good style." Violet'a pride took fire. She had been the potted darling of her kindred, and sever told to model herself on any one. And Lady Clare, too ! She had heard Lord Leigh's name connected with that of Lady Claro. Her jealousy awoke. "I don't like Lady Clare's style," she ■Baid; " nor do I like Lady Clare. We have never been intimate. She ia five years older than I am. I am aware yov like her style. I have beard you spoken of as her admirer." "So I was -at one time," said Leigh, coolly. "Why did you not marry hor, then? Would sho not haveyou?' demanded Violet, in her wrath. " Oh, she would have had me, faat enough," said Leigh in hi* confident tone. ** Laly Clare is looking for a parti, and she knows she has neither fortune nor beauty. But she has high birth, and a stately, haughty style that I like. " *' Well, then, why give her up ?" insisted foolish Violet. *' Oh, I'd heard what a golden appie hung In that garden of Heaperides— the Ainslie nursery— and I waited." Violet "was deeply stung. She was rmrauing a conversation which it would 4a v© been wißdom never to have begun.

But Bho was young and inexperienced, nnd her heart had been cruelly wounded in her tuarriago. She longod to roturn blow for blow. But what could she say ? Unhappily, sho had a taunt roady. "And while you waited for tho Ainslio Hosporides to open its gntrs, you wont up into tbo country and made love to tho viciu'd daughter." Lord Leigh eprang to his feet. Ilia face grow white. " Lady Leigh, how came you to such intimate knowledge of my past ?" ♦• It /s- knowledge, thon ?" said Violet, quietly. "lain wiaor in your post than you supposed." " Well, thon, having this wisdom, why marry me, and at once regret it ?" " I did not kaow it until two hours after I had been so unhappy as to go with you to tho altar." Leigh controlled himself with an effort. "At least," ho teaid, "the very wor9t there is to know of mo is nothing so very bad. My record, whatever you may think, is not so bad ac that of many other mon, You have nothing much to complain of." "Did you not marry mo for my fortuno?" " Yes, I did. And I claim that it is just i as lawful a ground for marriage as boauty or blood." " Marriage should bo mado soloiy for love," said Violet. "I am not romantic. lJid you lovG IHO, pray V " I expected to, somo time." " And I expected, and do expect, to make you an amiable husband, and qi v o you no cause for complaint. I wish no quarrels, and no recriminations. I phall not find fault readily, and you need not. My conduct id good enough !" " But did you not have a groat debt? And my uncle saya men only get into debt by being knaves or tools " " Your uncle is an oracle. Onco f;r all, let me tell you that my debt camo chielly by speculating. I speculated \\ith Tom Churchill's property, expecting to make a great thing of it. I lost his funds, and as I am no rascal, I replaced them by a hugo mortgage on my estates. That mortgage falling duo next month, I needed au hotress to rehabilitate the lands of Lsigh, which, more than else, I love. My ancestors built up our home by marrying birth and titlo. 1 have saved it by marrying millions. Am I worse than they ? The Ainslio fortune will build up an ancient estate, which your children will inherit, Why complain of that?" Vioiet hung her head. She felt a a haraed at having opened this mercenary subjoct. In matrimonial battles with this hard and seltieh heart she must bo worsted. Oh, to have grace always to enduro in silence, to live only for duty. " I was wrong to bring this up, since it i 3 too late for remedy,'' said Violet with a sigh. "So I think," said Lord Leigh, calmly.