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American Sunday Monthly Magazine Section
1, with just the morning-room for our drawing-room,
and the breakfast-room for our dining-room—close
together next Hugh’s wing.
Just now, as I sat here in front of the fire—an
owl flew round the turret and made its peculiar
weird cry. And a sudden, horrible, unaccountable
fear came over me—fear of I could not say what,
nor why I should feel it. And, agitated, my thoughts
would rush forward to the recollection of the return
of Humphrey about the fifth of June. Mercifully,
he will not be here for my birthday, which is on the
fourth, and Hugh is coming with me to Eton to see
Algernon. Lady Morvaine will be there also, seeing
her son. And next day will be the end of joy.
I used the whole of my will to banish this remem
brance. I resolutely made myself think of only
pleasant things, but it would return—and every time
the owl’s melancholy hoot was heard fresh disquietude
came to me.
Suddenly voices seemed to whisper — “ Live
while you can, poor fool—the prison walls will
close again”—and it seemed that just from
under the west window there came a pitiful
groan, and then a fiendish laugh. I was so
horribly startled I bounded to my feet—and
there saw Petrov, whom I had brought over
from Minton Dremont to-day, with his eyes
one black pupil, and his short velvet fur
bristled on his back, standing before the bed
room door in an attitude of terrified defence.
What could it mean—I was sick with a
nameless dread. What did Petrov see ? Then
I got out Hugh’s photographs—one of our
snapshots done of us together looking so
happy and gay—and another cabinet - sized
one of just his head, with his dear eyes gazing
out straight into mine—and their mes
sage of love comforted me—and brought
back my nerve and calm—and I turned
and said aloud: “Whatever and who
ever you are, begone! I
am protected by God and
true love,”—and after that
the owl’s worst cries had no
more effect upon me—and
Petrov came back and pur
red on my knee. But it is
hateful to think that this
must be my home for the f
rest of my life. I must be j
strong, and rise superior to 1
environment. Hugh’s love
must surround me always.
The swift days pass, one
settles down to changes if
they are not altogether dis
tasteful, and we are now
accustomed to the extra
strain of necessary manoeu-
verings to be alone that
the absence of Letitia and
the presence of others en
forces, and we contrive not to be
separated for long at a time. It is
even an excitement, I think, and causes
an extra fillip to joy when we do know
we have a clear hour in front of us.
Hugh, however, is not of this opinion, and I often
see impatience on his face. He has ordered and
ruled everything to his will always, and cannot stand
the slightest check. To-morrow—Tuesday—Alger
non and I go back to Redwood Moat again, alas!
and Hugh’s party come. He is fuming at this more
as each day goes by. But, in spite of these things,
we have been divinely happy.
night. It is a good thing the
moat has been cleared out, he
said in his last epistle, and it
was “deuced kind” of Hugh
Dremont to put up Letitia and
me. He supposed he had had
a party for us. Letitia had
written to him, telling him her
view of the whole thing, and
with her inimitable tact and
knowledge of manipulating af
fairs, she had made him accept
everything with
out being irrita
ted, as I feared he
would be. I had
not said one word
to deceive him,
and yet, as I read
Hugh's affection for
each other. Now it all
seems frightfully funny,
wonder if they will ap-
»ear different to Hugh
also. It will be so am
using to watch. His
temperament is too im
patient of control to
stand anything
he does not
like.”
“Yes,” 1 re
sponded .
I do not
feel very
distur
bed a-
liout
them.”
and it seemed that just from under the west window there came a pitiful groan and then a fiendish laugh.
Lady Morvaine also left Minton Dremont to-day
—at the same time that we did—and she has asked
Algernon to go and spend the rest of his holidays with
them up in Cheshire when our races here will be
over, at the end of the week. I am so glad of this,
as it will be such a great pleasure to him. I had been
wondering what I ought to do with him. Letitia
had asked us to go and stay with her for a week, but
Algernon did not look forward to that. Now I can
go alone, knowing he will be only about twenty miles
off, in safe and agreeable company. I have had two
brief letters from Humphrey, filled with himself and
his doings. I have written to him dutifully every fort-
his letter just now, a sense of discomfort came upon
me. I absolutely loathe having to dissimulate in
any way. This is something else I must banish
from my thoughts, though. Ah, me!
My party arrived this afternoon, and I have told
dear old Sir John Kaird he must take Humphrey’s
place and act host for me with Algernon.
Letitia is in high spirits. She did not motor, for
a wonder, but came down in the train with a number
of the guests going on to Minton Dremont, and she
is full of their ways and doings.
“Winnie,” is still determined to secure Hugh, and
one or two of the others have also put forward
claims for the post of favorite! A shuffling season
has taken place, it would seem, since last year, and
several of them are on the look-out for new partners
to flirt with! Letitia caught sight of my face as she
recounted to me all this in her room before dressing
for dinner, and she went into a fit of laughter.
“Yes, it is comic, isn’t it, Guinevere?” she said.
“I never had really looked at us from a detached
point of view until I was awakened by your and
Letitia
laugh e d
again softly.
“ No, you
need not be.
believe, in
reality, you
are cleverer
than any of
them,in spite
of your sim
plicity—and
you have got
quite good-
looking, you
know, lately;
full of life,
and so much
less pale.
Langthorpe
was only say
ing so just
nowjandifhe
notices the
change, it
mustbestrik-
ing! ” Then—
s it not
a joy,” she
called, as I
was leaving
the room, “to
feel we need
not mind a
lit, even if
we are five
minutes late
for dinner!”
everyone was
because Hum-
How I should hate to know that
rejoicing at my absence, as they are
phrey is away—even Hartington is vastly relieved,
and has conducted the arrangements for this little
party in the most admirable manner.
I felt quite gay at dinner. I had some kind of
satisfaction in my new-found sense of dignity and
importance—with the knowledge that no one would
snub me, or frown at me. I only wished Hugh
were here to see me in my new guise of a free woman.
The four guests beside Letitia, Langthorpe and
Sir John are quite nice, harmless people: one couple
Bohun cousins, and the other, old friends; and no
one would have recognized Redwood Moat to-night,
with its light-hearted atmosphere. Algernon has
enjoyed himself immensely, he told me—as he kissed
me good-night.
The week has gone by, and it has developed a
fresh stage between Hugh and me. When we met
at the races, I could see he was ruffled about some-
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