AGAINST HER WILL; OR FORGIVEN.

Bush Advocate, Volume I, Issue 11, 31 May 1888, Page 4

AGAINST HER WILL; OR FORGIVEN.

''"".' fi' ■ — "♦" — ~* * : - lliU CHAPTER IV.— (Continued) "He said it would be like losing his wife again, but he promised rae . solemnly. if ever his home grew too V painful for you he would send you ' to me. So you see, Nell, we both looked forward to a time when your stopinother would make your life too wretched for endurance. I am certain your father would like to see you my adopted daughter." "But you don't know me, said Nell, shyly; "I may. be a very horrid sort of girl." „ Helaughed. "■"' ""* " You .sure just the same, as you were at ten years old, only you look ■■■■ sadder; but we will soon mend that. " Nell, once for all, you need have yno scruples. lam a rich man, land • .youare a sort of relative of mine on your mother's side. She was my cousin." " Your cousin ?" "Aye! and I once hoped she ; would be ray wife. Nell, I loved -.. your mother with the one passion of my life. You won't refuso rae the right to try and make her daughter-happy f • '■• ■-y -- — For* all answer Nell stooped and: O kissed his hand. - Sir Edmund smiled and rang the bell. r i'- T - ? - -fi- ' ..-'- * « Settd : Mrs Ward here ." The butler disappeared, and very soon the housekeeper entered— no '-'".- starched^ formal daiue ih black silk but a pleasant, kindly old woman „ had been in the Digby family ev.er since she entered it as under nurse in Sir Edmund's childish days. ; . V .;?'. Ward, I want you to make this young lady's comfort your special caro. She has come to make .her home with me for some time." Ward curtseyed. She was too /; -much amazed for words. ; . w"You will be good to her for her mother's sake, the baronet said, . : gravely! Sbe is Lady Mary Lislo's. ' only child." - The servant's eyes filled. " Aud she is the very * moral of ,-/:.; her. mamma, Sir Edmund. I see now Avho she reminds me of. I'd been wondering ever since I come into the room." ifi 'tf-Ydu'wili take her upstairs at once. You had better tell Jodson .-'•■'• tb lay dinner for two." Upstairs into a hansomely-fur-nishe.l bedroom where kindly hands "busied ihemselvcs with her toilet so f**" that Nelihardly khewhei self. '* " ; 5 -Ward had not heen own maid to ,■*•-< the --lateliady Digby without learning a ; few things. She coiled Nell's -**'■? bright* hair deftly round her head, hi "fastened a bunch of forget-me-nots in % 'and 'then; despite the girl's protestations, wrapped one of the late - mistress's lace shawls over the shabby i -'black' dress. The transformation was complete.*' The : meanly-clad little fugitive lopked a demoiselle of high degree. ■•■ -\- : .t ■ : *-' Dinner seemed -interminable. Judson and two of bis satellites were in attendance ; but at last Nell found , herself alono. in the drawing-room s 'and* Had. time to realise the change two hours had made' in her fate. , Mis it ..possible, she thought, r 'iadly—-* is It possible I can be in ' ' " ! such a beautiful . home . Basil will . never come back to me, but he died Believing iti me. He did not guess the. cruel wrong worked iis. It is just as though it had not been done save for the misery it wrought mo, and the scorn Lord Vernon must f feel for me." Enter Sir Edmund and coffee. "I have often dreamed of this, ho • Baiji, fondly, when Nell's white fingers were busy with the silver urri. "My dear child, my home has .....been a lonely place. I seem to have ibeeri missing something ever since I lost, my little goddaughter. Promise lite, Nell, you will give up your dreams of independence, and stay with me." ,f« t should like to." " Then it is settled. I must find .. someone -to take care of you while I am away. A chaperone for my niece. I think we had better drop the cousinship,; Nell, and call ourselves uncle and neico. Your father and I were like brothers f n* years, Yes ; that is best. I shall introduce you to the world as my neice and adopted child, Helena Mary Lisle." " But my name is Fortescue." He shook his head. " Your name is Lisle ; it was only after your mother's death that your father called himself Fortescue. He. got into some money difficulties which necessitated the change of - „. name. I doubt if his second wife ever knew the truth." " It seems^as if it was a fairy tale said Nell, gleefully. * .1 got up, Nell Fortescue, lonely, miserable, and neglected ; I go to ted Helena; Mary. ..Lisle, with an uncle and a. home," " A happy home if I can make it „80. We can settle other things in the morning, Nell ; you must be tired out and had better go to rest." Nell cried . herself to sleep-- hen tears were for the lover who lay sleeping his quiet sleep in Vernon ■'■■■ fehurchyard. There was a strange touch of remorse mingling with her sorrow ; it must always be so with generous nature. Nell could not forget that Basil had loved her more than she had loved him, that his yrliole heart had been hers. ' •' " I don't think it is my nature to love . anyone as Basil loved me, thought the froor child, as at last she clbsed lier weary eyes. " I must be ■fi, &ss*][ C °W . disposition, I suppose, r ,_l l-±. •'. -•■-■'

for I never could feel just as he did and now it is more as though I had lost a dear friend or brother than the man who was to have been my husband. Well my darling was content; my love was enough to make him happy." CHAPTER V. Lord Vernon had not the slightest feeling of compunction when he hurried his. brother abroad. He regarded himself as Basils rescuer. He had saved him, in spite of himself, from a mercenary adventuress, and he rather gloried in the fact. He did not mean to open Basil's eyes to the true character of his fair enslaver just jet. There would be time enough before thera in the many months they had to spend together. He bore his brother's despression kindly. He spared no effort to rouse and animate him. For Basil's sake heMesertedhis own favourite haunts ano! accepted the many invitations which came from fashionable quarters.. Surely, he thought, in all the salons of the Faubourg St. Germain his brother would find a face sufficiently fair to banish that of his landlady' 3 daughter. " It's no use, old fellow, Basil said to '.him with a sweet smile, one night when they left the ballroom of a beautiful duchess, whose daughter had smiled most amiably on the English brothers — "it's no use plotting and planning for ,me. My heart is safe in Nell's keeping" Ira would not agree with him. Perhaps lam plotting and planning for myself !" (To be Continued. J j