CHAPTER VI.

Waikato Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2039, 1 August 1885, Page 5 (Supplement)

CHAPTER VI.

A bbide's leitebs. The next scene vu in a pretty, cozy sittingroom in the London Bridge Hotel, one window of which looked over the busiest trafficthat the world knows. The young husband and wife sat together. They had finished breakfast, and, in honor ol hia wedding day, the handsome young lordling bad ordered a bottle of champagne. '■ That will make it a proper champagne breakfast, Alioe," be said. "No one oan be properly married without a ohampagne breakfast. She looked up at him. " [ bave beard cf ohampagne,' she said, simply, " bat I have never either seen or tasted it." Her expression of intense wonder amused him— that anyone should have lived to her age without tasting the king of wines. Perhaps it was the wine that made him bo brave. He drew his ebair to the table. " Now, Alice," he said, " we will defy the whole world. I want you to write some letters; you must write, word for word, just what I dictate. Before you begin, I have something to say to you." She looked up at him reverently, as though she were listening to an angel or an Oracle. " You know, Alioe," he began, " that I am father's only son and heir. I am now Lord Vivi.in Caradale; eventually I shall be— though Heaven grant the time be distant— l shall b9 Earl of Waldrove. You understand, of course, that my father and mother bave grand views for mo- -they expeot me to marry well ; by that, I mean some one in their own rank of life." "I am so sorry," she .began, with & face full of contrition. He laughed. " There is nothing to belsorry for, my dear Alice ; I have vindicated : myself and saved you ; there is no cause for regret. I want to explain to you. My parent! expeot great things from me. If I did as I liked, I should go at onoe and say to my father : ' See, father, through my carelessness I placed this young lady in a false position, and to save her from the oonsequenoes of it, I hare married her ; try to love her, for she is my wife.' That is what I should like to do, yon understand ; but lam afraid, and I will tell you why. You need not tremble ; it is nothing, as you will find if you listen. Mj father's hopes are fixed on me, and I hesitate about letting him know that those hopes are all in vain." "But why?" she said, gently; why, if you knew this, have you married me?" It was touching and amusing to see the young lordling's chivalry. " Why ? Beoause your fair name is more to me tban all the world besides ; nothing can be of any value compared to this. Listen, Alice, Always remember that it is ii of no use to argue about the inevitable; it is too late to consider now whether we have done a wise thing or not ; we are married, therefore all question! as to the prudence of our marriage are useless." The handsome face, with its youthful fervor, wore an expression of importance that wai amusing. " I have thought this well over, Alioe ; we must koep our marriage quite secret from my father, for somo time at least. He is not very strong, maDy of the Carsdalee die young, and not for all the world oould I bear to think that any action of mine made my father suffer — injured hia health, or anything of the kind — that would never do." She agreed that it would never do. "We oan keep our secret very well; it must be kept. Then my mother, she is strong and healthy enough ; but she is very proud, and she might just at first feel vexed. So /or many reaiona, it will be better kept from them. Do you agree with me ?" " Yes," she replied, faintly, with a quiver of pain on- her face* She quite agreed with him. He looked very much relieved. " I should do just as you liked over it," be said. "If you bad wished it, I would bave taken you home to-morrow ; but lam glad you agree with me. I want you now to give □« your promise, Alice — your solemn promise ; think the words over— that you will never tell to any creature living that you are the wife of Lord Garsdale. Will you promise ? ' She was so pleased to be able to do anything for him that Bhe forgot all the consequences that might ensue. " I promise you," ihe said, " most solemnly that I will neve* reveal our marriage to any one. I will keep my promise truly, as I love you. He bent down and kissed her face lightly, wandering why, as he did so, a great wave of color rose even to her forehead. That first light kiss of hit to her was the sign and seal of their marriage ; it was as saored as a religious ceremony. " This is what I have been thinking, Alice ; I dislike all false names— there is something mean, dishonorable about them. My name is Vitian Nelson Carsdale. I propose that you oall yourself Mrs. Nelson ; the name it is not an uncommon one, and it will be true — you are Mrs. Nelson. Are you willing, Alice ?" She looked into his face with entire devotion, so earnest, bo sincere, that it touched him. " I would do anything you wished, anything that you asked me. I should be willing to give my life f«r joa."

N /inn,' flitters and pleases & young man I o the piofession of great devotion to him-t-vlf. An older man suspects its sincerity. To tho young one it is the sweetest inoense that oan be offered. " Thank you, Alice,' ' he said. " I know it is a sacrifice, but you make it so cheerfully that I am pleased I asked it." Ho took her by tho hand and led her up to the tall mirror. " Now, Alice," he said, laughingly, " let mo introduoe you to a very important person — ■ one who will in time be even more important Lady Alice Carsdale ; and a very lovely lady «he H. is she not ? " The beautiful face was radiant in its orimoon flush. " A lovely lady, and a good one," he continued, " for she is willing to sacrifioe her grandeur to her husband's wish. "Itia ao eaorifice," said Alioe ; "itis a gseat pleasure to please and obey you." " There speaks the model wife," said the young husband, proudly. " Then, Alice, we understand each other; you are are quite willing to forego all the— what shall I sa-y ?—? — privileges of having married an earl's son, and are willing to be known asMrs.Nelcon— to live as my most honored wife ? " " Yes," replied Alice. And indeed it would have been diflicult for him to have suggested anything that she would have been unwilling for. " Now, little wife, we have these letters to write. Sit down and I will dictate them. The first is to the famous Dootor Wallis of Ladywell." And, following his dictation, Alioe wrote 53 follow! : "My Dhar Uncle : — lam afraid you will bo rory angry with me for baring left your home as I did. I may as well tell you briefly that I wm married this morning ; and my husband desires me to say that he takes tho whefa blame — if there be any — of my inarnago on himself. I tim going abroad ; we thall be in Paris to-morrow. Tf you answer my letter, please address ' Mis. Nelson, Pout Restante, Paris.' "Alioe Nelson." She looked up from the paper with sudden delight flashing in her face. Paris I " she repeated. " Oh, Lord Vivian, ore we really going to Paris V " " I hope so," he replied. " Now for your second letter ; it will be longer than the first. Write : " ' My. Dbar Pahents :— You will be surprised to hear that lam married. I have to ask your forgiveness for having married without your permission. I am sure that you will like my husband, and he promises to assist you. We are going to Paris for a short time, then we shall come home and pay you a visit. Please do not be angry with m*e, for I am very happy. I must not forget to say that I am afraid my undo will he very orosn, as I left Lady well without telling him. My husband wishes me to say that he takes til the blame — if there be any— of this hasty marriage on himself, and that when be sees you he will explain. I will send you a pareelfrom Paris. "' I am your obedient daughter, "• Alia* NitiiSON. 1 " 11 1 do not think," said Alioe, doubtfully, " that I ought to sign myself ' obedient daughter.' I have not been very obedient, I fear." " You did not disobey in getting married," said her husband, " for they had never forbidden it." " My uncle would call that ' begging the question,' " said Alice. Then Lord Caradale dashed oS a hasty note to his parents, tolling them that he should in all probability be absent for some weeks, he was going with R friend through Fiance to Switzerland. He knew that they would think littlt of that ; it was no unusual thing for him to absent himself (or ft few weeks— they thought nothing of it. " Now," he eaid, with a sigh of unutterable relicf — " now we ara free, and all is safe. I am quite certain that no one will ever suspect our secret. Your uncle never knew that we saw eaoh other; he will never dream that Mr. Nelson and Lord OUrsdale are the same people. All will go well, Alice, I prophesy, and in a year's time, when I have broken it to them quite gradually, I shall be able to take you home. They will be quite surprised to see suoh a lovely Lady Carsdale. We may forget our difficulties now, and think of Paris. I'oa shall go through France to Switzerland ; you will enjoy that, Alioe." They were like children, with a vast, untried world before them. She thought him the greatest hero that the world had ever seen, the grandest of men — she could imagine no one more noble ; and he had something of the same idea himself— he really did think that he had aoquitted himself like a king. So they went off into a fairyland of their own. Lord Oarsdale had spoken the truth when he said that he had no greater rapture of love for his wife. He did not profess to have fallen passionately in lore with her, although he had liked and admixed her very much ; but Alice worshipped him. It was all wonderful to her, as though she had lived in the olden day*, when people worihipped gods and goddesses, and a young god had stepped from his high estate to marry her. The letters oreated great excitement— not in the oourtly halls of Roseneath ; there it was looked upon rather as a matter of course, if the young heir ohose to go abroad for a fow weeki. It was quite right, no one objeoted to it— although the earl, nil father, who loved htm exceedingly,' wondered that he had not oared to run down home first ; and his lady mother hoped that Vivian was oareful in his choice of friends— nothing stamped a man so soon as that. At Rudeswell, wfaere John Derwenfi and his wife lived, the sensation was great. " Married 1" cried the dancing-master, looking at his wife— " married I Our little Alioe 1 Why, it is impossible, Fanny 1" Mrs. Derwent sought refuge in tears. " I tell you how it is, John," she replied ; " the girl is very pretty — I never saw a lovelier face. Rely upon it, she hai met with some great gentleman, who has married her for the sake of her face." " You are always so romantio, Fanny." 11 Nay, John, I was romantio onoe, and I have paid dearly enough for my romance," she replied. " I only hope to Heaven she is married," said John Derwent, anxiously. " John 1" cried his wife, " remember you are speaking of my daughter I" " You are all daughters of Eve," said the angry father. While Dootor Wallis wrote a letter, saying merely these few words : "I am not surprised — I need not have expected anything better from a danoingm aster's daughter. I never wish to see you again."