CHAPTER XXXV.

Te Aroha News, Volume IV, Issue 189, 29 January 1887, Page 6

CHAPTER XXXV.

"lIF LOVFS, AND HA^ LOST!" ViOLr.T fixed her ?ad, reproached eyes on the hard scowling face of Leigh. But she would not bo rebuked ; she might win him to better things. Sbe said softly : '* Why should' we spend our lives estranged and lonely, when wo might be good, and happy, and helpful to each other? I see you are not happy; neither am I. Let us try and do better. Perhap3 it was partly my fault ; perhaps I did not try hard enough to please you when we weve first married, when we were at Paris. ' " I remember you did me the honour to aay I rnanied for your fortune,* said Leigh, sarcastically. " Whatever I ?aid that wa9 wrong, forgive me. It irt the misfortune of my life that I have lv" 1 a fortune ; it has made me suspicious, Let us forget all unkind wordtb." But sinco Leigh had fallen back infcoeuch furious lovo for Edna, he was as hard as adamant to poor Violet. "When wo were married," he said, "I thought there were eoine appearances to keep up. But some women are always bound to find out; all that the,y had better not know, i'ou listened to some gabbler on your marriage day— to old Adam, when he came from Homburg, and to that demon of a girl you took for embroidery teacher. As far as wo two are concerned, the mask has fallen ; why put it on again?" "It is true,' said Violet, deeply stung, "that I am wi?er than I was when I promised to marry you " " So? It i=; a, new comment on the bliss of ignorance." " And that wo are wretched, and likely to remain wretched." " Like Eve, you have eaten of the Tree of Knowledge, and your eyes have been opened more to evil than good. It remains for you to bear the consbquoncoa,' said Leigh sharply. Violet drew herself urj, and a crimson flush covered her iovelv, sorrowful face. She would not humble herself by further pleading with thh hard man. Hid mocking laugh followed her as she moved away. Leigh %vaa half-mad with shamo, chagrin, love for Edna, and was de?perato at her disappearance. The pentup bitterness 01 his soul he chose to break on the fust cve.ture that came in hie way. Unluckily, Hie one destined to serve as conductor to the lightning of his rage was his hapless -viiie. Had it been a groom or gardener, he would have eur°ed, kicked, and disunited him, and gono to dinner relieved iv spiuL. Aa it was, the one who came to greet hrn, unconscious a? Jephtha's daughter of tho dangers of precedence, was poor 5 Violet, and the miaerablo breach was widened between them. As Violet went her to room, cruelly stabbed by her hu&band, in a fashion of which the law takes no cognisance, the laughter of Grace and Sir Tom, of Anna and.CaptainOore, playing lawn tonnis, came to her. How bright life was to them 1 and for her, scarcely older than either of these giils, the sweetness aud light were gone out of life. Kate looked at the haggard face and heavy eyes of her little mistress and shook her head. "My own darling little lady, whatever , is troubling you, you must not take it to heart bo. Remember that all things good ! and evil go by, like sails upon the sea. Now I shall bring your dressing-gown and slippers, and bathe your head, and brush your hair, and you must take heart of grace, my own little mistress. Nothing is so dark that light doesn't come after it; and think how much you have that is good — thia charming weather, this grand castle, all the beautiful things you like ; and whatever you wish for you have only to speak. Now, yesterday I went for the housekeeper to " And then, Kate, as Bhe Bkiliully brushed the silken hair, with equal .skill of heart began to describe scenes of pathos and poverty, of content and joy, among the tenants of the estate ; and the heart of Violet was beguiled from itself to interest

in others, and to little planß for others' good. 11 You can eet this oufc of your life, my sweet Miss Violet," said Katie, " : nat you can help other people and make many happy with your money. It will cheer you up, my dear lady. We often find a deal of trouble looking close at qurselvee, and get oat of the worst of it when we reach out to other people. T mind my grandmother had a dort of parable, that if you wanted a horse to thrive in pasture you did not tie him up with too ehort a tether ; and that centering ouv joy or sorrow in ourselves did not give us room to thrive ; we must get out into other folks' lives. I express it badly, my dear Miep Violet, and please do not be anpry with me for seeming to try to teach you." '• You are a true friend, Kate," said Violet, reaching up to pat the hand that tirelessly brushed her hair ; " you do me good ; 1 must try to stop thinking at all of myself." 41 You are the sweetest lady—" began Kate ; but a knock at the door silenced her, and Mrs Ainslie entered. The good lady was flushed and worried,and so evidently wished tor conversation with her niece that Kate discreetly went away to her sewing. " I think I must take the dear girls away, Violet," said Mrs Ainelie. "I couldn't think of having Anna get engaged to Captain Gore, before she comes out even. With Keith it would have been different ; that would have been a triumph. But Gore is getting too devoted. I consider it cruel of you to let Keith go as you did. Do hear those young folks on the lawn ! Anna laughs and talks a? if there was no other man than Captain Goto in the world." "Aunt," said Violet, earnestly, "put Lord Keith out of our mind. I tell you assuredly, that Anna has no prospect there at all, and Gore is a fine fellow, with enough to live ou. Don't bring out a store of worldly maxims to preach down your daughter's heart. You may make her .miserable, and misery is often wicked and reckless." 11 Miserable !" cried Mrs Ainslie, holding up both her plump, ringed hands—" miserable ! with title, money, and the first society in the land ? Nonaenße !" Violet was silent. What use to proclaim what her aunt was too blind to see, when it was co plain? Should she shout her misery from the house-top ? 11 Is Keith engage J ?" her aunt demanded. " You would know from his mother." "Wo, not engaged ; but, for some time at least, he will not think of loving anyone ; he loves, and has lost." u Some foreign person ?" said Mrs Ainslie, eagerly/ "Dead?" •' Dead— to him" added Violet, with a sob under her breath. "I only tell you, aunt, that you will drop him out of all your thoughts for Anna, and not stand in the way of an honest love. I see that Captain Gore likes her, and he is able to support her comfortably." ••Ob, Violet, how coolly you can talk. It is not your girl, your oldest daughter, wuo is giving up all hope of a really splendid match, before her firat season, even." " These society speculations are as bad as a Circassian slave* market," cried Violet. l * You marry two who do not love, the man becomes a tyrant, the woman a trembling victim, their children, if there are any, are loveless and suspicious, and despise their parents who have been so evidently bought and sold, and yet, from the force of example, they also go on, to be sold and bought, as much as rMp% or stocks, or houses or horses ! Ob, it is wicked < wicked !" " Bettor poverty," cried Violet, passionately, " better exile, bett9r a convent cell, better a dungeon, better death, than marriage without love. Then, truly, women are slaves." " What has come over you in three or four months?" said her wondering aunt. " You used to be so childlike, and you seem no w — well, at times harder, excitable, old as you say, such queer things. I don't understand you '" Poor Violet understood herself. She only knew that inwardly she rebelled against her bitter fata, and outwardly she meant to submit to it, and like Dives, in the torments of hades, she lifted up her eyes and wished to save her brethren from her own fate. Mrs Ainalio looked down and pondered, then said : 11 Well, Anna shall have her choice in society before dhe is entangled with Captain Gore, or any other unritled man. I shall "end her homo to Lindenwood tomorrow or £at"rday. The Towers seems a great place for m-itch-making, Violet ; Grace and Sir Tom have settled their affair, and w'li be married at Christmas ; and your cousin, Clare Montressor, after her six useless season p, is evidently going to take ] Colonel ETartington. I have eeen Claro^and the colonel watching Lord Leigh. Clare aays he looks poorly. They count on the succession, Violet. I hope you'll have two or three boys, and disappoint them ; for of all women I dislike your Coueiu Clare, she ia so supercilious to me. It is not natural for a mother to wish to set her "hild where no one will dare look down on her, or vex | her by such haughty manners? 1 think j Anna is very attractive. Don't you ? Such a colour ! Such health ! Such a laugh ! She is as I waa whon I wae young. Well, I shall not pine over Keith, for there is the ! Marquis ot All wold; he is said to be the handsomest young man in England, and he will be a duke. Who kn<nvs? Anna may secure him." In spite of her sorrow, hor disgust, at such bold scheming, Violet could not forbeai turning her head away to laugh. All wold ! Destined to become one of the firßt peevp of England ! Allwold, in whose veine flows the most ancient blood in the three kingdom*. AUwold'a marriage plotted for in her dressing-room ! It seema fcimply auiueing. Little" did Violet think ot what her thaie should be iv Allwold's marriage. "Anna Bhall go home to-morrow," said Mrs AinfHe, firmly. Then Violet could not help laughing aloud.