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“ Vou are a brave woman, Isllinor.” She kissed the girl’s cheek. It occurred to her that there were things even more potent than wealth to wipe out inherited stain.
Sir Arthur had purposcly detained his son that morning, talking over matters totally unconnccted with the topic uppermost Loth minds. Guy had just escaped and was mounting o ride over to Iirholt when Ellinor's letter was put into his hand. He was thunderstruck and furtously angry. Although perfectly aware that something had gone seriously wrong, he had waited, ducnmncd that his father should ke the nitintive, and equally determined that nothing should induce him to give up Ellinor. What he was not prepared for was that his mother should wet the start of himg and deal the blow thl()u 0 the hand of is love. The went straight to Siv Arthur, the Tetter inhis hand.
“You ]\nu‘. of sir? - My mother has scen Inllinor this morning.” "The clder man felt uncomfortable. There was an unpleasant look of conspiracy about the affair: but, Lllinor having proved reasonable, scerecy was no longer an object, and he told his son simply thu whole story. Carclully as he detailed his own action in the matter, 1t was not difficult to read between the Tines. The anzer of the younger man deepenced.
“Very well, sin” he said, when s father pausced. I morce than half cuessed the truth last night. In the face of it 1 re- newed my w to Miss Rawdon. You have thought it to hound away her father, to treat me like a child, and cocree Bllinor mto breaking with me, working on her sense of honour. T can only say il she will not marry me, I will marry no woman alive.”
Then he took his hat and went out, over to Iirholt. IKllinor came down to him, a
haggard, white-faced woman.
“ what do you mean-
“You know what T mean.”
“ Don’t you know it is simply impossible to separate yoursell from me 27
“You must not marry me.”
“Nonsense, T mean to marry you.”
She clasped her hands and rested the open palms upon his shoulder, looking mto his face, her strained, tired cyes mecting his. ““(ruy, I must find him —f{ind my father.”
“Do you love him best ?”
“Nao, but if T marricd you, cven b your futher and mother consented, if 1 could cscape from doing you shameful injury, he would keep away, hmkmg that so we might be happy. I should have his long pain, pe haps his death upon my heart.”
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VWAGAZINE.
“ Dear love, Twill find hin 5 then we wall SO away uwuhc he and you and 1.7
“No, no, it Your mother would bhe heartbroken ; and she trusts mc.”
“sShe did wrong to appeal to you. 1E had heen mmlul they must have auq)tul cverything ;o there would have been no alter- native, and it is the same thing.”
“ Gy, whit has he done??”
- Nothing, fove, that has
been wiped out.”
But Ellinor kept her word. and she would wait for her | COMIY,
Guy also kept his werd.
net long ago
(}U\ must go, Cather's lmmu—
e told her that
he held himself bound, that he would seek Matthew Rawdon through the world and brine him back. In the meantime Ellinor
refused to reccive his letters or write to hin.
The months went by, and Matthew Raw- don did not come, nor Guy. Lady Peyton and Sir Arthur began to console themsclves with the thought that the little man must be dead, and to weary for themr son. Ellinor advertsed, sought the aid of a private inquiry otlice, all to no avail. She Tived on quicetly at Firholt with Mrs. Montresor, scldom going imto socicty. She had grown mto a grave, clightly reserved woman.
b very evening she went down to a path
she loved, shadowed 1 spmw by hlacs, Liburnums, and guclder-roses 5 behind Lhuc a1 plantation of laurcls. On the other side it
wis open to the park. She used to fancy that some cevening in the dusk her waiting would be ended, and she should faither comimg.
After two years someonce came ;) not her father, but Guy.
e had heen to the house first; and took her unawares. Until she saw him, she did not know the exceeding bitterness ol her loncliness and longing ; she stretched out her arms with a cry.
“Sweetheart,” he said presently, ** there must he no more parting between you and me. Ay people can't stand out any longer
the Toneliness of the old place has proved too much for them. T will not stay here without you, and they are ready to welcome you.’
“ But my father. I he came back would they welcome him? - And, until he does, how can I break my word?”
“ 1 isten, love- they think, we all think— Nell, T have tried cevery means to find him, and failed.” There was a rustling among the laurcl leaves. “ It is only a bird,” said Guy, fecling that she started.
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