CHAPTER XXII.

Tuapeka Times, Volume XVIII, Issue 1165, 25 July 1885, Page 1 (Supplement)

CHAPTER XXII.

THE MEETING.

Alioe 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 bad written. None of them had been particularly affeotionate, but the two last had been worse than any other— they had been written in such haste, and they said so little. On this morning three lines, written in pencil, came by post, merely asking her to think over what arrangements ske 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 waa not the happiest plaoe possible for her. Her father was always oeeupied, and when he had a little leisure he preferred his pipe and glass to any other kind of enjoyment;, then her, mother made every one miserablp by her complaining; then Hettie and Frank carried on suoh a perpetual wariare that it ooeupiad half her time in trying to make peace between them ; and Alice had plans of her own. She had decided what it was. wisest and .best to do. She, mast, while her husband was away, make herself a lady

best to acquire all the habits, the refinements, the 1 g*aoes of the society to which he belonged. She had had education enough of one kind, now Bhe wanted that which only j 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 bo perfectly, his kindly toleration, hia kindly indifference, his kindly intentions —how he meant always to b 8 good and kind to her, but how far he was from loving her. "And I am ambitious, my darling husband," she said ; " I shall 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 bo dearly and so well." She has decided that [while he was away she would devote the whole of her time to studying how to make the best of herself ; but, first and foremost, she must decidedly get into good society, where she could learn those things in whioh she was most defioient. 11 1 see it plainly now," she said. "Itis of no use to be able to quote Dante and Goethe in the original unless I have a pleasant manner, an easy, graoeful 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 1 to go to some first-class school. She would' ask her young husband's advice, and if he consented, the matter \ras 'settled. Not for worlds would Bhe have allowed Hettie to suspeot this intention. Hetties sarcasms would have been terrible — she would have made many bitter gibes and jests. To be married, to go to school 1 How absurd I But then fortunately Hettie was no mistress of her destiny — there was no need for her to know anything about it. ' . Poor Alice 1 She dressed herself on the dqy that he was coming in her best dregs, a new blue silk, very tastefully trimmed with white lace, and she wore red roses in her goldek hair And on her white breast. She had givet up hope, Bhe had long felt nothing bui despair, yet because he was coming all tha sweetness of life returned to her— her eyejs shone like two lustrous stars, her sweet faffl had a dainty flush on it. Any man, save ore blinded by another's love, must have real love on that most fair faoe and in those beautiful eyes. , i "Dear me," said Hettie, when Alice weit" down into the little parlor, flashed with tie knowledge of her own happiness and her own beauty — " dear me, this is a certain sign that Mr. Nelson is expected home. Frank, ace your sister dressed to receive her hu3band— wonder and admire." " Do not be inclined to rile to-day, Hettfe," said a sweet, soft voice. "I am very happy beoause my husband is coming home." Hettie gave her a kiss, the very sound of whioh made Alice shudder. "No one shall tease you, Alice. Let Frank look to himself if he speaks. But, oh, Alioe, 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 husband. The sweet faoe was flushed with agitation, the eyes bright with tha fever of impatience. When he did come she grew pale as death, and from the white lips opened to greet him there came no sound. She might have turned bias 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 ara they all at home ?'* The thought that passed through hia mind was: •' Thi3 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'shedid not answer. " Are they all well, Ailie ?" " Yes," 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, Ailie," he said. "We had better begin to think of business at once." 41 I am ready," she replied. He did not notice the pretty silk dress that had been made expressly to receive him, nor the red roses in the golden hair. " I may ba some years abroad," he said, in a most melancholy voioe ; " I have nothing to return home for ; but, Ailie, I desire that you shall every comfort and all that is needful while I am away." "You are very* good," she replied, in a voice as dreary as his own. " Have you thought of any arrangement," he asked, " which will add to your comfort while I am gone ?'' I The tone was so indifferently kind, so business-like, so 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," she thought, • and patient she was. j " I have thought of a plan," she said, "if you approve it. I have been thinking what 111 1 could do to remedy my deficiencies, and the best plan will be to go to school." He looked ap with a sudden gleam of amusement. " Go where ?" he asked. " To school," she repeated. He looked more attentively at her. "To school I " he said. « Why, what has made you think of suoh a thing ? Why to school, Ailie?" " Beoause I have so much yet to learn, and it would teaoh me that whioh 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 — I should not shook you as Ido now. I — oh, Vivian, you are not listening to me 1" For in his eyes had come a dreamy expression, as though his thoughts were far away. 11 Yes, indeed, Ailie, lam listeniag ; you thought of going to school. Why? I did not quite understand." "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 companions ; 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 a low, sweet voioe, " of making myßelf a lady— a lady like those who live in your grand world ; then — but I must not tell yon what comes after then." " If that gives you pleasure, Ailie, you must do it," he said. " Bat," cried the girl, with a quiok, petulant movement, " what do yon say about it ? Are you pleased ? Do you mistrust ? Have you no interest in it ? If you are not interested, I do not care." The tone of her voioe roused him.