CHAPTER XLVII.-(Continued.) A WIFE'S HOPE.

Waikato Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2081, 7 November 1885, Page 1 (Supplement)

CHAPTER XLVII.-(Continued.) A WIFE'S HOPE.

If a bcautifnt woman sets to work to win a man's heart it is not often that she fails. Lady Ethel bad made several mistakes that evening ; for one thing, she bad mistaken his impatience at seeing Ailie watching for her for a desire on his part to be with her, and perhaps with some little encouragement, some few kind words from her, he would tell her so. If be had not liked her he would have ma rried before thii, she thought. His mother wanted him to marry ; the earl openly declared that the one great wish of his life was to see hu non married ; to that there was no reason, no obstacle, nothing to prevent it. Lady Ethel mad* herself very charming to him, and she was always itresistible ; the fact that she ir.ade herself more attractive, made it almost impossible for Lord Carsdale to escape his fate. He waltzed with her for tho third time, owning to himself that after all it was a Hpeeies of delirium which would coon bo over. " I am tired," she said, looking up at him with a half -wiatful glance. " I have hardly stopped dancing since the bull began ; lam tired. Lord Carsdale." Without a word be took her through the hriiliantly-lighted rooms, through tho Jqng, bright corridors, until they reached the pic-ture-gallery ; it wa« well lighted and fragrant with the breath of choice flowers. ( "It is cool and pleasant here," he said ; '• rest awhile." He placed her on one of the most comfortable lounging chairs near the large* wostcrn windows, from whence she could see the lovely silver moonlight jib it lay on the flowers.

flhp hold a fan in hr-r hn.n>], vnh n j^wellc'l hancM<\ one made of the whito plumi»;,'o of !' btautiful and rare tropical bird. Ho took it ftoin her hand and examined it, he asked her wme trifling que<>tions about it, and it seemed to bcr that he was ill at ease. There was no ono etee in the RS^kry, tilI hough it was often used on ball nights as a promenade. From the distance came the poft, rve-ft music, that, even when mont gay, has in it a current of sadness. The marble statues fieanied from the background of crimson, the porpeoua pictures on the wall, the jardinieres, with their costly flowers, all made up a beautiful Hcpne. The magio of the hour emboldened hrr. She raised her head, and, looking with Bweet shyness at him, she paid : " Do you remember the last time we danced toßpther before you left England, Lord Carsdale ? " She had asked the question suddenly. She saw his face flush hotly, and a quiver of pain rwa over it. Her heart beat as eha saw it. "Hp loves me," nhe said. "He is not indifferent to me, or he would not look so." " Yes, I remember it, Lady Ethel," he replied, in a low voice. 11 Do you remember that we walked down to the sea ? We had a strango desire to cay pood byo there. Do you remember how the stars Rhone and the waves murmured on the shore ? " " It ifl not likely that I should forget, Lady Eth n J," he replied. " Nor havo I forgotten," she continued ; " you said you should think of me every time ycu saw the sea. Have you done so ?" " Yes, I ha\e," he replied, in a low, pairie'fi voic". " You called me your dream by the sea. I should so much like to ask you a question, Lord Carsdcle." "Ask me anything you will, Lady Ethel," he replied. She wag silent for a moment ; her beautiful face drooped ; all the sweet, noble impulse of her womanhood rose in rebellion against tbe question she was going to ask— but she must know. She had waited for five long years in suspense — loving him, and him alone — living for him, and him alone. Her fiee flushed, and he saw, her lips trembled. "What is the question, Lady Ethel?" he asked. " Surely you can have no fe?,r over anything that you wish to say to me. We are old friends, tried friends, true friends." " I have no fear," she said, proudly. " I want to ask you this question. You remember all that you said to me on that evening ? I— l should like to ask you if you oare less for me now than you did then ?" She gained courage as she went on. "Do you like me more or less than you did then ?" There was a moment of terrible silence, during which it seemed to her she could hear the beating of her own heart. Then in a low voice, he answered : " For Heaven's sake do not ask me such a quction 1 I cannot answer it." " Why ? ' she asked, looking at him with clear, proud eyes. " I cannot, and it tortures me. Perhaps, at some time later on ; but not now — rot now." There was silence Again for some minutes, during which she beat back her emotion with a f-trong hand. She said to herself that everything in life was at stake for her now. " I have rested," she said, in a caltn voice, in which ho detected no trace of agitation. " Shall we go back again ? . They are playing the "Blue Danube." and it is my favorite waltz ; we shall be in time for it." He tried to imitate her eelf command, her flelf-pojseaflion, but it was impossible ; his face in tLose few minutes seemed to have grown whito aud hazard. " Lvly Ethel," he said " will you tell me why, during these five years, you have not married ? Will you tell me ?"' "No," she replied, " that ia my peoret ; it concerns no one. Let us go ; the ' Blue Danube" is calling us." Bat it is none the less true that though she looked the same as usual, though she talked to him and walked with an air of unconcern by his side, yet she never saw where she was going, or heard one of his replies— there was a miit before her eyes, a rush aa of many waters in her ears, but 'she never betrayed herself by even one word or look. "You will not tell me, Lady Ethel?" he said, as they entered Iho ball-room. " I make the same answer to you that you made to me, Lord Carsdalc— l cannot." Then, looking at her, he underetood it all better than if phe had spoken. He read the eecret of her love, of her waiting, of her silence ; he knew that he was the chosen love of her life ; and, strong man, brave soldier as he was, hia lips turned white with pain. He understood, and he felt himself now face to face with the great difficulty of his life. Yet, strange to say, it was the Crst timo that he thought of Ailie without impotipuce. Something, that was neither irritation nor anger, stirred in his he.irt when he thought of her— when he remembered the fair face and the golden head bowed in nuch sweet humility. " I have made a strange, *ad mistake in my life," he said to himself ; " the time has coino when I must settle something or other." It was almost a relief to him when Captain Moore claimed Lady Ethel and led her away ; ho longed to bo alone, but there wag no such luxury as solitude for the heir of Roseneath, No sooner did L<vdy Waldrove fes that her son was disengaged thin she led him to young ladies who had begun to consiJer themsc-lves a<>grioved because he had not danced with them. It wai not until tbe greater part of the questa had disappeared that he found ten minutes for himself; then he went away to the little quadrangle, where orangetreea grow in great green vases. He sat down there with hia favorite friend and confidante — a oigar. What wa3 he to do ? Ha had bound himself for life, he had put love out of hia power, and now he saw with the clearest certainty that Lady Ethel loved him— that she had wasted all these years in the hope, or rather expectation, that he would make her his wife. What must he do ! It seemed to him that two oourseslay open to him — either he must tell Lady Ethel the truth and avow his love for his wife, or he must seek a legal separation from the girl who bore hia name. Juat as he reached this point in hia thoughts, he heard a light footstep, and a gentle voice said: •' Lord Carsdale 1" Tbe next moment two soft hands had ctaspad his, and, looking down, he saw the fair young face of his wife. She knelt on the green sward by his side, " Do not be angry with me," riie said, in a sweet, low voice. " I will not stay ono moment, but I could not rest until I had been to thank you for your kindness." Then with her warm, sweet lips she kissed the hand that sho held in her own. " Wiiat kindness," ho oaid, too startled to remember to what ehe alluded — " what kindness have I shown you, poor child ?" " A great deal," sho answered, raising her lace, so beautiful in its passionate love, to hiti. " A great deal, Lord Carsdale. You interfered when you thought I was tired, and you brought me an ice-cream. Do you know that ice-cream seemed to me far too precious to cat. I could not make up my mind to touch it. I could not rest either without coming to thank you. When you ppeak kindly to me, or look kindly at me, I feel an a flower must fer 1 when the sun shines full on it. I have not tl re 3 minutes to spare — Lady Waldrove will bo waning for me." "Lord Carsdalo," Bhe continued, " you will not be angry if I tell you eomo thing— it is

but a foolish trifle. I havo hoard the story of I'titicnt Griselda, an-l I could almost believe ♦■'Nt it was written purposely for me— and I --} on will Dot think me vain or presumptuous?" . " I could never think you either, Ailie," he replied. " A hope c^iine to me ; I think that I love ray huhband just as much as Griselda loved hers, and I am quite sure that I could do as muoh for him." He started ; it seemed so strange to him oven now, that he should be her husband, while Lady Ethel loved him, and he loved her. "I have been wondering and hopidg whether, if I am patient and loving in she wan, you will ever learn to care for me. I must not wait to hear your answer ; I only came to thank you. You are not angry with me?" "No, lam not angry; how could I be?" Again the warm, sweet lips touched his hand, and the next moment she had kft him as quietly as she came. He Btood up in despair. " Where, from earth to heaven, am I to look for help ?" ho said. "I cannot break that loving, gentls heart. I cannot alwajs act a lie. I pee no way out of tho difiiculty into which my own folly has plunged me."