PUT ASUNDER.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXII, Issue 7383, 18 July 1885, Page 3 (Supplement)

PUT ASUNDER.

BY BERTHA M. CLAY,

ftnthot Of "Thrown on the World," "Beyond Par- * don," " The Earl's Atonement, Ac. CHAPTER XXXVL— (Conlhiwd.) THE DOWNWARD SLOPE TO DEATH. Arrived at Lady Cresson's, her eloquenco carried the day. &he smoothed away all difficulties, explained how very anxious Lady Castlemaine was for the entertainment, and how Lady Morgan would aid them with her taste and skill, ami so, bearing down all oppoiition, she boou had carle blanche to prepare for the entertainment, and had the satisfaction of seeing her aunt and sister busy at the escritoire, making a list of the dear five hundred, to the highest numbers that the elegant reception-room would contain. Isabel had undoubted genius for social life; her taste was exquisite, her quickness was invaluable. The ball-room at Lady Cresson's was so arranged that from it opened the conservatory, and all the glass doors dividing the two could be rolled back. Isabel proposed to have all the pictures out-of-door scenee, and by removing some of the larger plants, build the stags in the conservatory. leaving the entire ball-room to be occupied by the audience. Lady Cressou finally became much interested in the whole aflair, especially when Isabel explained a new way for lighting the stage, and reducing instantaneously the light of the audience to a pale twilight. "Isabel!" cried her aunt, "you have a genius for these things. If you had only, with your beauty, made a social success two years ago, you would be the acknowledged leader of London society." "I followed your directions implicitly, aunt," eaid Isabel, dryly. "I know you did: and my directions were never before at fault." " I am so soiry you are to be away, Lord Castlemaine," said Isabel, at dinner. " Lady Creeeon is to close her entertainments for the season with a tableaux party, that promiies to be brilliant. We shall put Gertrude down for all the most charming parts." " Not for too many. She fatigues herself by her enthusiasm,"' said Lord Castleinaiuc. " We will not give her such tragic parts as she had last winter." " And who else will take parts?" " Oh, all the handsomest people wo can fiud —Lucy, and AllertoD, aud others." "1 am glad you have this in prospect. Gertrude has threatened to be lonely while I am gone." " We will keep her so busy that she will forget that," said Isabel. In fact, Gertrude was not given time to coneider that her husband was absent. Isabel harried her away into a whirl of excitement over the tableaux ; all the time not already engaged by the crowding festivities of the closing season was absorbed in discussing tcenes, dress, expressions. Isabel asked Gertrude to invite the committee who were arranging the scenes to a midday luucheon, to be set forth under a marquee in her garden. Gertrude gave ber liberty to send the invitations in her name, and three ladies and live gentlemen, among whom w»s Colonel Leunox, can;e. The memory of Rudolph's decided words about Lennox, weighed on Gertrude, who felt in her secret soul that she was very wrong to have permitted his being allowed to come to her home. The scene from the "Dream of Fair Women," suggested by Isabel, was one of the chief features of the tableaux. leabel was Cleopatra, and Gertrude represented Trojan Helen, while Colonel Lennox was the Intruder. The last scene was the drifting of the Lady of Shalott down to Camelot. As one picture after another was presented to the audience admiration rose higher and ' higher. Finally, after choice music by a celebrated pianist and harput, the curtain rose over the Lady of Shalott. At that initant Lord Castlemaine entered, and in the dim light took his seat at the back of the room. He had arrived home sooner than he expected, and being told that his wife was at the entertaiument at Lady Cre»uon's, he had hastily dressed and gone thither. Among the trees, shrubs, and vine 3 in the conservatory rose the wall of Arthur's palace, and on the balcony stood Arthur, Launcelot, Guiniver, and two or three others of the famed British court. Over the balcony, "crossing themselves for fear," they leaned, looking at the boat that had drifted down the " river's dim expanse." The boat was piled with flowers ; a pall of blue velvet fringed with gold Moated back upon the well-simuiated water. On that flowery bier, "a gleaming shape," lay Gertrude Castlemaine, her snowy robes skilfully draped about a form that seemed sunk between death and sleep, her unbound golden hair swept about her, her hands folded like enowy lilies over her heart, her matchiess face perfect in statue-like repose. ; Above, the dark, brilliant Gninever, in crimson velvet furred with minever and golden coronet, her eyes rather scanning Launcelot than the dead lady. But Launcelot, leaning on his spear, was wholly lost in contemplating the Lady of Shalott, and that Launcelot, with his shining armour, his feathered helmet with visor raised, his "coal-black curlu," his blazoned baldric, all the splendid panoply of the old-time knight, was - Colonel Lennox. The effective voice of a famous actor, persuaded to read for each scene, was reading as Rudolph entered : " Under tower and balcony, By garden wall and gallery, A gleaming shape she fioUed by, Silent icto Cameiot. But Lannceloi mused a little space ; He said.' She has a lovely face; God in His mercy lend her grace, The Lady of Snalott.'" 11 Beautiful! perfect! highest art! She aeems suspended between sleep and death ! All the figures are perfection; the Queen looks transported between wonder and jealousy ; and see the intense, sad admiration of Launcelot! Perfect!" "A little too perfect!" said a low voice. " So he looked at her as Helen of Troy. It eeema aa much reality as acting on his part." Every word burned its way into Lord Castlemaine'a soul. It was only by the most violent effort that he could control himself, as the scenes were eDded, to greet his friends, pay hie respecta to Lady Cresson, meet his wife, and finally go home with her and Isabel in the carriage. His fury was too great for deity. They had scarcely reached the drawing-room when he broke out: "Gertrude, have you no respect for my wishes, my commands ? I told you to have nothing to do with Colonel Lennox, and here I find you acting in a tableaux with him." "What do you mean?" cried Gertrude. " I told you all about the tableaux, and you Hked the idea. I had nothing to do with the cast. Are you so hostile to Colonel Lennox that you do not expect me to take part in any entertainment where he is ?" "That is exactly what I wish!" cried Lord Castlemaine, angrily. " As society will not agree with yon in turning him out, I suppose I must ostracise myself," said Gertrude, scornfully. \*J'lf it in so sinful to be in a tableaux with him,' >vhy not reprove Isabel ?" "Tableaux are nothing—they mean nothing, you know,' : said Isabel, looking sweetly. at Lord Castlemaine. " Each thinks of his own part and not of other actors. Now, 1 was all absorbed in whether my crown waw becoming and my best curlshowed; Gertrtfde.l no doubt, was engrossed with whethev hhq looked dead and not ghostly, while Lennox, you may be sure, hoped his armour shone, and in his boul trembled lest he had put on «ome piece wrong. We none of us thought of the others ; humanity is selfish." " However that is," said Lord Castlemaine, "Gertrude must understand that ahe mast have no association of any kind with Colonel Lennox." "I did not dream," said Gertrude, coldly end scornfully, "that pride and jealousy could be carried to such a disgraceful height;" and holding her head high, she turned her back oa Lord Castlemaine and marched out of the room. She was very angry with him for his autocratic expressions; very angry with leabel, because she had witnessed the altercation ; very angry with herself, because she knew that she was not blameless in this miserable ruin of the sweetness and harmony of her married life. CHAPTER XXXVII. " IT IS TOO LATE FOK THAT." On this night there was no half-repentings for this estranged pair. Lord Castlemaine felt that he had been shamefully treated by the wife whom he had honoured and trusted. If she really loved him she would not so play with his misery; and what strange new hahion of wife was this for a Caetlemaine, ** woraan who paid no manner of attentics fa

the requests or commands of her lord ? This was monstrous! In his rage, he forget entirely that it was within the possibilities that his wife was ignorant of the Colonel's moral obliquities, and that she might have some secret evil counsellor. He even forgot that he had never given her a word of explanation or warning as to the Colonel's wicked life. He remembered, on the other hand, that she had tauntingly told him that society did not share his views, and would not ostracise the Colonel. Gertrude, accustomed all her life to deference and goutiness, whom her mother had coaxed but never commanded, was most indignant at her husband's dictatorial tone. She felt as if she hated him ; she wished she had never met him ; she said eho was cruelly disappointed in hie character, to avoid seeing him she did not rise for breakfast, and warned Fanny that she was ill, aiul asleep, aud that her door must be opi>n to no oue. Isabel appeared at breakfast, so did Lord Castlemaine. They spoke little. Rudolph shrugged his shoulders when he found his wife would not be at breakfast. Lord Caatleinaine did finally say to Isabel : "You say you dislike Leunox. Why do you tolerate him, as you did last night, by treating him as you do other men ?" "You forget," said Isabol, gently, "that I am not a leader in society. I have no oue to support any stand I may make. My aunt thinks I owe her a heavy debt of gratitude for maintaining me here for two yeasons, aud the only way 1 can pay that debt is by aidine her in every way which she requires to make her home agreeable and her entertainments a Bucce3s. I cannot take an independent course. I wish 1 could. Aud then, too, I may not know about Colonel Lennox all the evil that you know of him, for there may be many things that would not bo mentioned, before me." "That is very true," eaid Castlemaine, thinking suddenly that possibly hie wife might be as innocent of these scandals as Miss Hyde was. "At the same timo," added Isabel, hastily, "you have been my kind, faithful frieud. I respect your opinion above all things ; and if you tell me that you thiuk 1 should ignore Colonel Lennox, I s'.iould cercaiuly endeavour to do so in every way in my power." The letters were brought in. Lord Castlemaine took up his, and as he asked leave to open it he wished that Gertrudo was of ae reasonable aud amiable a temper as Miss Hyde. " Miss Hyde," he said, presently, "lam called to Neath oa business of much importauco ; I must catch the next train. Explain my absence to Gertrude ; say 1 will return to-morrow." He hastened from the breakfast-room, and soon left the house. Isabel wrote a little card to Lidy Castlemaine, laid it with her letters, aud gave them to Fanny to take to her mistress, lu a short time Fanny came to say that Lady Castlemaine desired to see Mis 3 Hyde. Isabel found her still in bed, her letters scattered about the counterpane. " So Kudolph has rushed off to Neath !" " Yes. Are you goiog to wear the willow in that behalf?' , "No! but, truly, Isabel, he is so dictatorial, so unreasonable, that I do not know what to say or do. I feel as if I lived on the side of a volcano, or in wretched earthquake lands. .Now, here my mother has written. She is not so well. She cannot leave Bath, aud she bae her business to do, and has sent for Mr. Griinheld, our solicitor; bat then the business eauuot be done unless she sees me, and she desires me to come down, this afternoon, for three days. Now, if I go right off, who knows but Kudolph will go into another fury over that?" "Of course he could not. He would not be jealous of your mother. Nothing can be more proper than to go to her ; you can take Fanny. There is no question about it. Your mother needs you. She may be more ill than she says. I should be auxious were I in your place." "And you think that 1 should go?" " Certainly. There will be a, train at four o'clock from Common-street. I spent several months at Bath with Aunt Cres3ou." " Will you come with me, Isabel ? You would not wish to stay here without me, and you might as well go to Bath as io your aunt." " Certainly I will go, if you desire it." " Well, then, ting for Fanny. I will have her pack my things, and I will write a note to Kudolph, enclosing my mother's letter. Wβ will go at four. I almost think I will enjoy it; it will be a change, and Rudolph will have time to come to his senses." The letter to her husband was of the curtest. Gertrude was yet deeply angered at what she coneidered the inexcusable attack of the previous evening. To cut short ! her pleasure, her pretty, social triumph with such furious, cruel words ! While Gertrude wrote her letters, breakfasted, and had some talk with ber housekeeper, Isabel went quietly to the nearest telegraph ottice, and sent this despatch to Colonel Lennox : "G. and 1 go to Bitb, to laJy Craven, for three days. We Use the four p.in train." An hour aftor Colonel Lennox received this he took the train at Charing Cross Station for Ipswich—a journey of which he took especial pains to inform his friends. At four the next morning lie reached Bath, by a train from Ipswich, Cambridge, and Oxford, a roundabout tour which the Colonel took with va3t delight, v An evening with her mother, recounting \ all social newa and all the events of the season, 'restored Gertrude's spirits. Lady Craven's illnesses were evidently, most of them, fancied, and she was looking fresher than ever. By autumn the little fiction of ill-health would all be done away with. In the morni'jg she insisted that Gertrude and Isabel nrnit go out for a walk, and to drink the waten. Mr. Grimheld was not to come for businise talk till one o'clock lunch. Lady Craven was on terms of great friendliness with her lawyer, whom she had known since her second marriage, and who had been her husbahd's warmest friend. Gertrude had been f.ccuetomed to regard the lawyer almost as odl of her family, and it had been pleasing to msr that he was also in charge of the affairs of the Castlemaine estates, and highly regarded by her husband. Scarcely had the two ladies entered Sydney Ga/lens when they were joined by Colonel Le/uiox, who met them, crying joyously : ''This is an unexpected pleasure." ♦ 'It certainly is unexpected," eaid Gertrude, as she gave him her hand. "lam on a s/udden summons from my mother. As I said before, you meet us as if you were inspired by a tell-tale bird, or a familiar spirit. Which is it?" i '' If it were either, the genius should have ily deepest gratitude," said Lennox, with a jMance at Isabel, unseen by Gertrude. 1 "And, pray, when did you come?" asked 'uabel, calmly. " Day before yesterday. I heard that an old friend, a major ot my regiment, was here flick. There is a strong fraternal feeling among officers, you know ; and I came here directly I left Lady Craven's tableaux. Very charming, were they not ? I recall them with joy. I never saw anything ho beautiful. We had poetry, painting, sculpture all together—a true soul-feast. I shail recall it in distant wilds and jungles or deserts, many a time, doubtless. The flowershow here is just opening, and is said to have some very remarkable orchids. Will you visit it?" They lingered among the flowers until twelve, and Colonel Lennox escorted them to Lady Craven's door. Both Ivabel and Gertrude refrained from mentioning whom they had met. Meanwhile Colonel Lennox returned to his hotel and his friend. He had, in fact, known for some time that a disreputable old Major "of his acquaintance, was trying, with Bath water, to restore a system destroyed by brandy, but he had no idea of visiting him until he found that he could make him a good excuse for his appearance in Bath. " And how have you spent the morning ?" asked the Major.

" Most charming. I met Mies Isabel Hyde, a brunette, who drove London society quite wild two seasons since, and yet reigns 'in maiden meditation, fancy free. . And, also, Lady Gertrude, who crowned her first season by marrying the Earl of Oaetlemaine." "I know,"said the Major, eagerly; "a great beauty, and a tremendous fortune. Her mother enjoys the income from the estate, but the entire property of her late father will revert to the daughter. Ah ! Castlemaine was in the rare luck always. He had all that fortune could give him in his own behalf, and gets what the French call an enormous dot with hie wife. Ho'll have it all."

"Not if he happens to die before his mother-in-law," said Lennox. "Not much likelihood; a young fellow made of iron, and moral as a prior." " Urif he should happen to—get divorced, , 3»id Lennox, "before his mother-in-law died. In that caee the lady would inherit in her own behalf."

" Divorced !" cried the Major, with a roar of laughter. " You don't s zem to know that that was* love-match, and Lady Castlemaine, as Miss Craven and as Lady Castlemaiue, is a truo model of propriety. The Snow Queen —the White Rose, they say." " No doubt, no doubt; but modern society is so queerly constituted, aad social life has now so many fantastic ways, one never knows what may happen," "Espocially when each men as you are let loose on society, Lennox," said the Major, sneeringly. "lain not numbered among the Castlemaine set,"said the Colonol, coldly, changing I the conversation. Lord Castlemaine returned home to find i wife aud Isabel absent; and the cold note of Gertrude, containing the letter of her mother, explained the absence, but did not comfort hie heart. Going to dine at his club, he casually heard Lennox mentioned, with the news that he had gone to Ipswich, and also that his regiment might at auy instant be ordered to Egypt. Lord Castlemaine felt tempted to fomeut wars and discords abroad, so that by tho withdrawal of a dangerous element he he might have peace at home. Gertrude returned at the time appointed, aud there seemed a truce to domestic strife. The breach was sadly wide ; tha coldness between the married pair was evident enough to put Isabel, who pretended to ignore it, in the highest spirits. There was no more look of tender love, eager confidences, true, heartfelt compliments; each heart was wounded, oach one felt tho other the most to blame, and neither proud heart would bend to blame itself. In another mouth they would go to Neath for a rest, after tho excitomeut of tho aeasou. To that Lord Castlemaine secretly looked forward. Ho would have his wife to himself, and mutual explanations aud mutual forgiveness might follow. Ho did not wish even Isabel invited to accompany them. Lady Gordon gave a garden-party. Her garden-parties were considered the very crowning festivities of the season ; the lovely grounds became a true Arcadia. Isabel was charming in pink puffed tulle ; but what was Isabel in comparison with the i beautiful La iy Castlomaiue, in a dress of the faintest shade of blue, trimmed with white water-lilies, water-lily buds in her golden hair, water-lilies half open ab.mt her snowy shoulders that outgleained the flowers, waterlilies that showed toeir fragrant hearts of gold, droopiug from her dainty waist, along the shimmering folde to her feet. Lord Castlemaiue's heart very grew tender to so much beauty. They had been together ; then friends had called each one away. Suddenly Lord Castloraaine met the two friends whom he had overhead talking in the club-house, and tho sight of them always reminded him of the culpable carelessness of husbands. He turned to find his wife. He went here and there. Fnally ho saw her. Evergreens formed a circle around a fountain. Iu that soclueion and coolness he heard hie wife's sweet tones mingling with the splash of waters. She sat on the marble basin of the fountain, aud was idly floating in the water a lily she held in her own white hand. She was looking up and chatting with someone, who bent over her with evident admiration in every line of hie face. The man was Colonel Lennox. CHAPTER XXXVIII. A CRISIS OF FATE, When Lord Castlemaine saw the pair by the fountain, he was wild with jealous rage. That any man should look on his wife with such adoring admiration ! Tho fact waa that Gertrude had become accustomed to Colonel Lennox's adoring, passionate gaze, and merely considered it "his way of looking," without considering what it meant. His first impulse was to spring forward, seize his wife's hand, and lead her away—away from the garden party, away from London, away from England 1 But Lord Castlfiinaine belonged to a class which, however hot may be ita passion, is schooled in self-control ; repression, decorum, these were his earliest lessons. He checked himself a moment to take his breath, to become master of himself. In that moment the Duke of Portsea, with Lady Gordon on his arm, stepped from the circle of evergreens and stood before tho Countess and the Colonel. Lord Castlemaine was not near enough to hear what was said ; but there are actions that have a clear voice. After the interchange of a few sentences, Lady Gordon laid her hand on the Colonel's arm, and they moved out of sight, while the Duke of Portsea gave his arm to Gertrude, and they directed their steps toward the conservatory. Lcrd Castlemaiue understood it all. The conduct of his wife waa giving rise to comment and suspicion ; Lady Gordon had intervened to save the imprudent Gertrude from her own folly ; and the fatherly old Duke was quietly defending Lady Castlemaine from a dangerous man. Rudolph's heart burned hotly. His wife in this terrible position ! But he must control himself; they were near him. The eyes of husband and wife met. His flamed indignation : hers shot defiance. Possibly the good Duke saw these signals of warfare, and so threw himself into the breach. "Ah, Castleinaine !" he cried, " your wife has honoured me by going with me to see Lady Gordon's famous rhododendron ; it took the prize at the show in Russell Square last week ; therefore, it is the finest rhododendron in London, in England, in all the world ; and we go to pay our homage to it. I do not wish to resign my fair partner ; age is now graced by beauty. Will you conio with us, or are you satisfied with the company she is in?" Lord Castletnaine bowed low. " My wife could not be in better company than she is in now." Gertrude understood him. He had seen her with Lennox. The hand on the Duke's arm trembled a little, aud her bosom heaved quickly. She wished that ahe were alone, that she might burst into angry tears. She was, then, watohed, spied, condemned! There would follow further scenes of angry crimination and recrimination. Gertrude did not love quarrelling. She preferred peace, but a peace in which she might have her own way. Rather than yield to injustice, to indignities, to arbitrary rule, she would quarrel to the bitter end. Probably a beautiful rhododendron wa never looked on with more wandering aud lee admiring eyes. Lord Castlemainc withdrew from the frequented walks : ho could not bear to meet anyoue. He took a secluded seat, and gave himself up to bitter thought. E7ery wind-stirred leaf, every chirping bird, every humming insect seemed echoing condemnations of the folly of Gertrude. What hope was there for one headstrong against counsel, lenient to vice, careless of her own dignity ? He did not know that only the first of these charges held good against Gertrude. Lady Gordon came and placed herrelt at his side ; she laid her hand on his arm. " You look aad, my friend?" Lord Castlemaine knew that she had something to say, and if this subject must be opened, better with an old friend like Lady Gordon, a woman of good judgment, than with any other. " I am aad," he said. " I am bitterly disappointed, much perplexed." " The task of guiding a beautiful wife, so young as yours, through the quickeande of modern society is not an easy one," said Lady Gordon. " You must remember that what makes it so bard is the very thing we most admire. Innocence, incapable of wrong-doing, ignorant even of what wrong is; simplicity and frankness that conceal nothing ; these make Gertrude's danger." "To think that my wife could be in danger !" "Wot in danger of any wrong - doing, believe me, but of criticism and slanderous tongues. You should warn her against Lennox. He is paying her very pointed attention, and ahe does not know it." "I have warned her in the strictest manner, over and over." "It is a great pity," eaid Lady Gordon, "that modern society admits freely men whose slightest attentions are dangerous to our innocent young matrons and maidens. All such evil-doers should be banished ; but they are not, and no one of us is brave enough to begin a just system of black-balling." " Then, as such men cannot be banished, the only thine; that remains is to take the unfortunate women that they venture to admire out of their way." "I think that is the best plan. By the next season he will no doubt be gone, and she will have gained experience." "I havo thought of going at once to Neath." " I should do so. I had passed these idle hints unheeded, as nothings, though I did think it a little reckless in Gertrude to ask a man like Lennox to a garden luncheon. I have heard, too, that he has said he should give a dinner at Greenwich, and hoped that Lady Castlemaine would honour him by presiding. But when I heard that he fol.

lowed ber to Bath, it really seemed to me to bo going too far." "To Bath!" faltered Lord Castlemaine, his heart growing cold. "A frieud of mine wrote that she saw Gertrude and Isabol in the Sydney Gardens with Colonel Lennox. I thought as the news had so come to me it might equally have reached others, and lest idle tongues should to talk, when I found he had wandered off alone with her, I went and took him away." "I thank you." But the tone of these few words made Lady Gordon tremble. "I beg you, my friend," ahe said, "remember that in such a caeo great gentleness is as needed as great firmness. I assure you your wife is as pure an.i simple as a child. You must bo tender. I should have had my son ruined if to great firmness I had not known how to add infinite patience and tenderness." "All do not possess those gracious qaalities," said Lord Castlemaine. "They must cultivate them: they are indispensable. You must seek them, my friend. You will repent all harshness. Be gentle. Remember also ' that every pood and perfect gift in from above, and cometh down from the Father of light.' " Pressing Lord Castlomaine's hand, Lady Gordon moved off among her guests. Lnrd aud Lady Castlemaine were the first to take leave. " I do not wish to go," aaul Gertrudo, pettishly. "I am onjoying myself. Isabel is not ready. Send tho carriage back for us." " Isabel can be left under the chaperonage of her aunt. I desire that you will accompany me at onco." jNot a word was spoken on the way home. Arrived at home Lord Castlomaine said : "Gertrude, will you kindly come to tho library ? I wish to speak with you." "I cannot. 1 am tired. I must go and change my dress.' , "That can wait. I insist upon your coming to hear what I have to say." With a haughty step Gartrude entered the library, and threw hersolf into a chair. " Well ?" she said, sharply. "Gertrude, you have not regarded my wishes about Colonel Leunox." "I treat Colouel Lennox just as I treat others, lie is nothing to me." "I do not wish him treated as others. He is unworthy of it." "I cannot make myself absurd by variations of conduct, as if I thought any acquaintance was of any consequence " " You could regard my wishes if you would. By neglecting them you are making yourself the subject of suspicion and of the most unpleasant remarks. The Duke of Portsea and Lady Gordon weroto-day obliged to make evident effort to savo my wife from scandals aucl me from disgrace ?" Gertrude flushed orimsou. " What do you mean?"'ahe cried. lean take care of myself ! Who dares speak harshly of me ?" " Very many envious tongues, and you are affording them cause. You are no more capable of taking care of yourself than a child just out of the nursery. I thought you were: you are not. You have deceived me. You met Colonel Lennox at R»th." "I know I did !" cried Gertrude, "just as I might meet others. I did not know he was there ;he went before 1 did. Isabel and I met him by chance at the gardens, and he walked to my mother's door with us." (She refrained from mentioning other meetings at Bath ; why add fuel to flame ?) " How dare you say I deceived you ? Do you not kuow that I scorn a lie and all deceit? I tell you it was mere accident, that meeting." "Since you say so I believe it, on your part, but not on his. It was no accident his being invited here to lunch." "I did not mean to do that," eaid Gertrude. "It was an accident in a way. But why should I not invite him ? He is a man that I like. Other people like him, and invite him : why should your jealous illtemper put a constraint on my moet innocent acts ?" " I am appalled at you ; I blush for you !" cried Lord Castlemaice. "Colouel Lennox is a man of bad character and bad life ; will you not believe what 1 say to you, again aud again ?" "I believe that you believe it, but I do not believe it is so. Prejudice has blinded you. 1 see other people receiving and approving him; I see the Queen honouring him; 1 hear him express tho noblest sentiments ; 1 know that he is a hero ; I—" "Enough!" cried Lord Cantlemaiue, infuriated. "I would not have believed that you could think or say such things. We go to Neath to-morrow morning. I will save you from him and from yourself. I will eave my honour. Will you give orders to fanny to pack your wardrobe at onco '!" "No, I will not!" cried Gertrude. "I will not be dragged off like a criminal; I will uot be shut up like a maniac. I have engagements to the close of the seaeon. liiibel has been invited to remain with us, and we cannot close our doors to her. You will nr»ko me the talk of society." " You are fast making yourself that," said Castleinaine, angrily. "If you will not give the order to your maid, I must; for we shall leave iu the ten o'clock train to-morrow. As for Miss Hyde, she can go to her aunt, or ask an invitation from Lady Gordon. Lady Gordon, at least, will understand why we go." "If my mother were here I would go to her aud free you of responsibility lor me," cried Gertrude. " Husbands cannot be freed from responsibility in such a way," said Lord Castlemaine. " I should not allow you to stay in London. It is my duty to remove you from scenes of temptation and danger, in which you evidently do not know how to guide yourself. Will you give your order to Fanny ?" " Decidedly I will not." Lord Castlemaine rang the bell for tho butler. "Robert, you will send a page with a telegram to Neath, saying that we leave for there in the ten train to-morrow, aud will remain there for the rest of the summer. You will arrange with the housekeeper for closing this house for the season at once. Order my man to pack all my things immediately for leaving; and take for Lady Caatlemaine an order to Fanny to pack her lady's wardrobe for immediate departure, and havo all ready for the morning train, if she has to work all night. Wβ will have no delays." The butler bowed. He was too discreet to look at his lady ; but she was standing in apparent indifference, looking out into the garden. When the butler had gone she turned to leave the room. "Iβ there aoything else you wish, Ger trude ?" said Lord Castlemaine, in an unfortunate attempt to carry out Lady Gordon's programme of gentleness. "I wish nothing," said Gertrudo, with paasion, "except that I had never seen yon. You have disappointed me, You are not as I thought you. You are my enemy. Y r ou aro cruel, and delight iu making me wretched. I wish I had retained my freedom. You take pleasure in showing me that lam no better than your slave. At least a slave can exercise the right of hating the chain !" She left the room with these words. She was swept away in a frenzy of passion. In all her life she had been petted and indulged, and if her mothor had desired her to pursue any especial course, it had been craftily arranged eo as to seem dictated by herself. Here was the firflfc instance of reproach, of coercion, of condemnation, that she had ever known. And she had been attacked in a point where she felt herself so innocent, so above all challenge. Had she not always rebuffed the compliments of the Colonel ? Had he ever been asked to her home except to that one tea, and to that fatal lunch, when Isabel really had invited him ? Had she not always loved and admired her husband, and had she ever in the slightest thought of her heart given him cause for jealousy ? And now she wae to be made the puppet of his jealousy, the toy of the Castlemaine temper. She hurried to her boudoir, and locked herself in, without stopping to take off her festal splendours, where the water-lilies were already drooping and fading over the sheen of the silk. i [To be continued.]