United States or Trinidad and Tobago ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
"Read this letter carefully, digest it, and then briefly explain to me what the dickens it is all about." The secretary took the letter and read it carefully. "This letter is from Lady Linden, of Cornbridge Manor House, Cornbridge. She is deeply interested in a young lady, Miss Joan Meredyth. At least " Hudson paused. "Joan, pretty little Joan Meredyth old Tom Meredyth's girl. Yes, go on!"
And there had he been, cooling his heels at Cornbridge and interfering with other folks' love affairs, and all the time Joan Joan was perhaps wondering, watching, waiting for the answer that never came. He wanted to send a frantic telegram; but he did nothing of the kind. He wrote instead. "I have been away. Only a few minutes ago did your letter reach me. I am at your service in all things.
Lady Linden came over; she invited me to stay at Cornbridge," he explained. "So I went, and no letters were forwarded. Yours came within a few hours of my leaving. I hope you understand that if I had had it " "You would have answered it before, Mr. Alston? Yes, I am glad to feel the neglect was not intentional." "Intentional!"
Make allowances for him. He'll need 'em, he's no angel; but he means well, and he's a good clean, honest man, is Tom Arundel, and you'll be a happy girl when you are his wife; please God!" he added, and put his hand on her shoulder, and did not notice that she was weeping silently. He drove her back to Cornbridge in the moonlight, and left her at the gates of the Manor House.
"Don't talk to me, miss," said her ladyship. "I don't want to hear any nonsense from you!" The pretty, frightened girl who shared the drawing-room at this moment with Lady Linden of Cornbridge Manor House had not dared to open her lips. But that was her ladyship's way, and "Don't talk to me!" was a stock expression of hers. Few people were permitted to talk in her ladyship's presence.
They respected her in Cornbridge as the reigning sovereign of her small estate, and none did she rule more autocratically and completely than her little nineteen-year-old niece Marjorie. A pretty, timid, little maid was Marjorie, with soft yellow hair, a sweet oval face, with large pathetic blue eyes and a timid, uncertain little rosebud of a mouth.
Two minutes later the carter trudging on his way passed a solitary man smoking by a gate, and far down the road a woman walked quickly towards Starden. Into Hugh Alston's life had come two women, women he had loved, both now engaged to be married to other men, and Hugh Alston was a sorely worried and perplexed man about both of them. "I'll go to Cornbridge to-morrow," said Hugh, and he went.
Slotman retired, but it was not till some hours had passed that he finally left the neighbourhood of Cornbridge. He had been making discreet enquiries, and he found on every side that her ladyship's story was corroborated. For Lady Linden talked, and it was asking too much of any lady who was fond of a chat to expect her to keep silent on a matter of such interest.
Lady Linden had discussed Hugh Alston's marriage with Mrs. Pontifex, the Rector's wife, who in turn had discussed it with others. So, little by little, the story had leaked out, and all Cornbridge knew it, and Mr. Slotman found ample corroboration of Lady Linden's story. Not till he was in the train did Mr. Slotman begin to gather together all the threads of evidence.
"I had to tell you in spite of yourself, and it is true. It is true. Ask Lady Linden of Cornbridge; she knows. She believes to this day that Joan Meredyth and Alston were married, and they never were. I have searched the registers at Marlbury and " "Will you go? You seem to have been hurt. You have probably carried this lying story elsewhere and have received what you merited.
Word Of The Day