Vietnam or Thailand ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
Reaching it, he stopped, his innate delicacy forbidding him to enter without permission, and waited until Mrs. Mencke joined him. They went in together, and he observed with a terrible heart-sinking the perfect order in which everything had been left in both rooms. Mrs. Mencke explained that she had questioned the chambermaid, but that she knew nothing about Violet's movements.
Pray, Miss Violet, allow me to inquire how long you have been posing for this interesting tableau?" This question, in the gruff, sarcastic tones of Wilhelm Mencke, burst upon the lovers like an unexpected thunderclap, and, starting to her feet, Violet turned to find her sister's husband standing not six feet from her. Mrs.
Mencke boiling with rage over their distant reception, and bitterly disappointed at not having secured an invitation even to call upon them. She felt humiliated as well as angry, and too wrought up to longer enjoy the gayeties of the evening, she retired at an early hour from the reception.
"Yes, if I have promised, I suppose I must," gasped unhappy Violet, and then fainted away again. Mrs. Mencke privately informed Lord Cameron that Violet had acknowledged the engagement, and would see him again when she was a little stronger.
"It is not worth while to discuss such an impossible proposition, and you will best suit us, young man, by making yourself scarce without more ado," supplemented Mr. Mencke, with a menacing air. "Belle! Wilhelm! do you call yourself a lady, a gentleman, and dare to insult a friend of mine in your own house?" cried Violet, quivering with indignation, her eyes glittering like coals of fire. Mrs.
Mencke appeared to be greatly affected by the thrilling account; but her phlegmatic husband listened to the recital with a stolidity which betrayed either a strange indifference or a wonderful control over his nerves and sympathies. "Oh! it is the most wonderful thing in the world that she was not killed outright," Mrs. Mencke remarked, with a shiver of horror, "and we have been very anxious.
Lord Cameron alone betrayed no surprise, made no comment, though he still remained as colorless as when Wallace had first revealed his identity; while he stood regarding the young man with a sad, pitying look, for he saw that Wallace did not suspect what they yet had to tell him had not even noticed that they spoke of her in the past tense or that Mrs. Mencke was clad in deep mourning.
The ensuing three weeks passed rapidly, and without any further trouble between the sisters to mar their intercourse. Mrs. Mencke endeavored, by every means in her power, to keep Violet under her own eye during this time, but once or twice the young girl managed to evade her vigilance.
"Belle Mencke," she said, in a husky tone, "do you mean to say that you intend to offer Mr. Richardson money in return for my life?" "Of course. What else can I do? We must make him some acknowledgment, and people in his station think more of money that of anything else," was the coarse response. "That is false!" cried Violet, with blazing eyes.
Mencke, ignoring entirely the barriers that had arisen between them at Mentone, appeared delighted to meet her "dear friends," but the greetings upon their part were decidedly cool, while Lady Cameron looked the reproaches she could not utter at Mrs.
Word Of The Day