CHAPTER XXII.

Waikato Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2057, 12 September 1885, Page 5 (Supplement)

CHAPTER XXII.

ME MEETING. Alioo had grown tired of longing ; she had waited, watched, hoped, and prayed ; then a sudden sense of despair came over her. Of what use was it all ? He had been gone all these weeks, and she could count on her fingers the number of letters he had written. None of them had be6n particularly affectionate, but the two last had been worse than any other— they had been written in such haste, and they said so littlo. On this morning three lines, written in pencil, came by post, merely asking her to think over what arrangements she would like to make during his absence, as he was going abroad. It would have seemed more natural that she should have preferred to remain at home, but home was not the happiest plaoe possible for her. Her father was always ocoupied, and when be had a littlo leisure he preferred his pipe and glass to any other kind of enjoyment ; then her mother made every one miserable by her complaining ; then Hettie and Frank carried on such a perpetual warfare that it ocoupied half her time in trying to make peace between them ; and Alice had plans of her own. She had deoided what it was wisest and boat to do. She must, while her husband was away, make herself a lady in every sense of the word— she must do her

best to acquire all the habits, the refinements, the graces of the sooiety to which he belonged. She had had education enough of one kind, now she wanted that which only comes from mixing in good society, for it was only in meeting him as his equal that she could ever hope to win his love. She understood it all so perfectly, his kindly toloration, his kindly indifference, his kindly intentions — how he meant always to ba good and kind to her, but how far he was from loving her. "And I am ambitious, my darling husband," she said ; " I Bball not rest satisfied with your liking, I must have your love. Even should it take years to win it, I will win it at last, because I love you so dearly and so well." She has decided that jwhile he was away she would devote the whole of her time to studying how to make the best of herself ; bur, first and foremost, she must decidedly get into good sooiety, where she could learn those things in which she was most deficient. " I see it plainly now," she said. •' It is of no use to bo able to quote Dante and Goethe in the original unless I have a pleasant manner, an easy, graceful address, and something like self-possession. I must acquire those first." She had thought it well over, and she had come to this conclusion, that the wisest thing she could do was to go to some first-class sohool. She would ask her young husband's advice, and if he consented, the matter was settled. Not for worlds would she have allowed nettie to suspect this intention. Hetties sarcasms would have been terrible — she would have made many bitter gibes and jests. To be married, to go to school ! How absurd ' But then fortunately Hettio was no mistress of her destiny — there was no need for her to know anything about it. Poor Alice I She dressed herself on the day that he was coming in her best dreas, a new blue eilk, very tastefully trimmed with white lace, and she wore red roses in her golden hair and on her whito breast. She had given up hope, she had long felt nothing but despair, yet because he was coming all the sweetness of life returned to her — her eyes ehone like two lustrous stars, her sweet face had a dainty flush on it. Any man, save one blinded by another's love, must havo read love on that most fair face and in those beautiful eyes. "Dear me," sail Hettie, when Alice wont down into the little parlor, flushed with the knowledge of her own happiness and her own beauty — "dear me, this is a certain sign that Mr. Nelson is expected home. Frank, see your sister dressed to receive her husband — wonder and admire." " Do not be inclined to rile to-day, Hettie," said a aweet, soft voice. "I am very happy because my husband is coming home." nettie gave her a kiss, the very sound of which made Alice shudder. "No one shall tease you, Alice. Let Frank look to himself if he speaks. But, oh, Alice, how foolish you are, my dear, to take all that trouble for a man." With which expression of her feelings, Miss Hettie was kind enough to go away and take Frank with her. " They will have plenty to talk about, Frank," she said ; " they will not want us." So the young wife sat alone, watching and waiting for the carriage that was to bring her hußband. The Bweet face was flushed with agitation, the eyes bright with tha fever of impatienoe. When he did come she grew pale as death, and from the white lip 3 opsned to greet him there came no sound. She might have turned blue or any other color, for all the notice that Lord Carsdale took ; his eyes rested once for half a moment on the white, sweet face, then he said, carelessly : " How are you, Ailie ? How an they all at home ?" „ The thought that passed through his mind was: "This is the girl who will part me forever from my love." He was not unkind to her, but he was so indifferent, so careless, the girl's heart turned in that moment to stone. He looked up when 'she did not answer. " Are they all well, Ailie ?" " Ye 3," she replied ; and the sound of her voice was unlike anything human. He did not notice it ; he took out his watoh and looked at it. " I have but little time to stay, Ailio," he said. "We had better bagin to think of business at once." " I am ready," she replied. He did not notice the pietty silk dress that had been made expressly to receive him, nor the red roses in the golden hair. 11 1 may be some years abroad," he said, in a most melancholy voice ; " I have nothing to return home for ; but, Ailie, I desire that you shall every comfort and all that ia needful while I am away." " You are very good," she replied, in a voioe as dreary as his own. " Have you thought of any arrangement," he asked, " which will add to your comfort while I am gone ?" The tone was so indifferently kind, ao business-like, ho much like that which one stranger would use in speaking to another, that for a moment Ailie felt inclined to cry out against it — to cry out that she could not bear it ; then her own common sense came to her aid. " I have said to myself that I will be patient ; only patience can win," Bhe thought, and patient she was. " I have thought of a plan," she said, " if you approve it. I have been thinking what I could do to remedy my deficiencies, and the best plan will be to go to school." He looked up with a sudden gleam of amusement. " Go where ?" he asked. " To sohool," she repeated. He looked more attentively at her. "To sohool 1 " he said. " Why, what has made you think of such a thing ? Why to sohool, Ailie?" " Because I have so much yet to learn, and it would teach me that which I cannot learn at home, for instance— all those little niceties of manner that every lady should learn. I thought if I could acquire this it would make me a better companion for you— l Bhould not shock you as Ido now. I— oh, Vivian, you are not listening to me 1" For in hia eyes had come a dreamy expression, as though his thoughts were far away. 11 Yes, indeed, Ailie, lam listening ; you thought of gping to sohool. Why? I did not quite understand." 11 So that I might be more like you and less distasteful to you," she replied, still with the same feeling of quiet despair. Then he roused himself. She was thinking that in the years to oome they would be oompanions; he was thinking that, as in all human probability they would never live together, it would be useless for her to make herself more unfit than she was already for home. " I have a dream," she said, in alow, sweet voioe, "of making myself a lady— a lady like those who live in your grand world ; then— but I mußt not tell you what comes after then." " If that gives you pleaauro, Ailio, you must do it," he Baid. " But," cried the girl, with a quiok, petulant movement, " what do you say about it ? Are you pleased ? Do you mistrust ? Havo you no interest in it ? If jou arc not in torested, I do not care." The tone of her voioe roused him. {To be continued.)