Show I A OI d T y nr THE NORTH AMERICAN Co W j Success That Brings a aGra Grave ve f r n t Jj n standing Patience P S possesses great natural tatty t f as as a lJ painter is is invited by Sir Hilary Marlow a distinguished d portrait painter to fay pay him kiln a visit in iu London Vernon rr Ramsey a rising yeung young barrister who loves and is loved by Patience tries to 10 dissuade her froze from undertaking art as JJ career but b t is is unsuccessful unsuccessful unsuccessful Sir Hilary tries to IQ force forc leer her it into to an artis artistic artistic artistic tic compact that is to lat last two years and then throws her in contact with his nephew a flip flippant flippant pant young Frail Frenchman Fr Her H fir impulse i pulse is to 10 leave his hone home zoc butt but she sh remains f largely out aliI of sympathy for Dr his wife whose hose personality he has completely overridden Her artistic work Mork under Sir H fat 1 ys direction is extremely s and as she is coming into s she size receives a J call from her former suitor who has been beell through a severe illness of o i which en she sh knows knouts nothing CONTINUED FROM LAST LAG SUNDAY CHAPTER XI t Continued LA 6 OU a d have bare written She SIt She leaped forward in b hr r h her r face tee had bad badeLt hadi grown deathly eLt pale her ber heri i i ha hands aa were In tn 9 ether other It was entel of you youIt It was un UD unkind kind not net to l let t your friends know was w happening she lIbe eon oon 1 I should like Ilka II to have ban called at the tho home to have visited you during your sop toR 1 and aad above aMye all things to have been beu i aware when tM opera i was taking so 80 that I 1 ISo Iso So that you e d dhave have worried about ut m me iAd I Iwas waa was going to II SeM SeMe and e worked yourself up Into hato i a nervous state Oh fish nO net Patience I think its Irs a moat moot cruel thing f for tor r a aman man who has a bald operation in front of et him to talk to hie ho friends about It and alarm them Its not as If It they tho can do d him any good But there we wont R the tb or whether I acted rightly or wrongly In not Dot letting a single soul know except my ray lawyer ud the doctors that I was waB going to undergo aa an operation For I left my father tather In total Ignorance too In IJa fact he do At even even know now EOW and perhaps I shall never nevor tell toll him hi It would only oaly give the poor old eld man maR a shock abeck T I dont think It was kind of you Patience re repeated repeated the words slowly Her eyes ee were wore wet and ud misty mist with tears t ars but she be told herself what an alt Ish sh and extraordinary nature Vernon Vornon pUle ud Why l did he always think of ot every one oae before himself U Dont let us u talk of my illness IlIn any aay longer he h said sald Tell TeU me what you have ha boon been doing lately Patience Pa Patience tience though Indeed the young oung man smiled a strange rather wistful smile the fashionable Intelli Intelligence Intelligence gence genee as conveyed convey in the dally daily papers has baa 3 kept me going about you I Z have baye read your name Dame as s a guest gout at every big assembly lately and the ladles ladies fashion gapes which I have lately taken to studying on oa your our account have given glYen great oat descriptions of your Tour sour hats bats your looks It appears that you yeu have made madea a distinct Impression upon society Oh be quiet ulet Vernon she ahe interrupted Impatiently The papers have MV made a stupid fuss funs about me e lately but tilt that is merely because Lady Marlow has baa taken me up and of ot course I go everywhere with her ber But Im net nc t asked out on my own account If Its a just Jut because becu e I Iam Iam Iam am a guest guNt staying at the Gray Ony House Hou and d dAnd F And the most moot mo t beautiful girl In Jn England vernon added gravely Ah Patience how little we all thought In ta the old days what a brilliant future would be yours JOun must be yours Why you u have suddenly BUd Bl developed into a personality you are spoken of everywhere as 8 The Miss Mies Amherst Prom From little uWe Miss KIa Nobody you have developed ate lato 1 No lo youre wrong Im Just what I was wa she he Inter Interrupted interrupted interrupted Im Pm not the least bit changed banged She be hesitated a ae second e She was wee longing for tor Vernon Vemon to question her with regard to Pierre so 80 that she could speak a word in her own defense Instead cf of which he only tried to make out that she had become bacome b a fashionable ta beauty a brilliant starIn star starin starin in the social firmament a star to which a poor man would hardly dare re to raise ralee his hiB eyes Vernon she tie said after a moments hesitation look looking ing down as aB she spoke and feeling intensely embarrassed embarras ed why dont you OU ask uk me to tn explain the the scene cene you In Interrupted Interrupted interrupted I expect It rather took your breath away a y He looked at her the lines linea round re and his firm Arm mouth tightening tight tightening ening mug a little his eyes hardening What business is Ia L it of mine Patience he asked ask to comment upon what I saw as 8 I entered the draw drawing draw j ing mg room A mana a distinctly man a for foreigner foreigner I eigner I should imagine to judge from his dress and ap appearance was on em tin his knees at your feet pouring out as La any anyone one could see a very fervent declaration of love And you you were wen listening to him He HEO said the last words somewhat reproachfully but buthe buthe he Ile kept such careful guard over his hb voice and manner that PatI could not guess he the intense Jealousy that consumed him the agony be he suffered For he told him this proud pigheaded young man that must certainly have baY encouraged the wooer who was wu pour ng out his vows with such well vehemence as Vernon entered tho the drawing room Surely no DO gentleman would have bay dared to woo a girl with such 81 vehemence had he h imagined that his hie suit auk was wu distasteful to her that she abe had no DO wish h to listen Usten to his Ills vows Vernon I want to explain things please I want to tomake tomake tomake make you understand everything Patience rove rose o sly from her chair and ad stood up tall and slim gasing Dg at Itt Vernon as a prisoner at the bar br pleading in IB her own defense might have SUed eased at some stern stem young 70 Judge The rhe Frenchman who was making such absurd uld love loveto loveto loveto to me when you entered the room was Wa Pierre a nephew of ot Sk Sir HUar ate only nephew I believe and anda a sort of ot adopted son SOL He had Just asked me to marry trim him but I I refused him for I hate bun I loathe him Vernon looked at her strangely Are you so sure sur Pa Patience tience he ha asked Would any man have dared ed to t fling tUng himself at your feet In do such SUM a way to grasp grup your yur knees unless you had bad given him a good deal of at encouragement Besides I have noticed while white reading the papers papin that Wherever you go M goes too Indeed one or two gossipy newspapers newspaper have bave already alre dy Muted hinted J I cant help what the stupid papers have hinted Patience interrupted passionate You are very foolish T to believe a word w rd they eay say Why Wk it If it ft comes to that she he continued there Is another man whom I like much better Lord Ralph Lenten Lenton She Bho bit lit her lips as u she spoke realising that she had bad badr r f V t c 1 J a 3 c Ji Jih k i L i J j aZ y 1 l 1 i it t r Y r t l J r r k t r Li 1 d te 4 Ps ke Sacra Sacre Dieul Dieu he h muttered 1 fJ I should not want to kill her h er I Im not as bad b a d as that made a foolish mistake and Vernon V on might absolutely misunderstand her p ch Only OIlY she 15 had bran so ISO eager 1 er err poor r girl hi 80 so very veri ender eager 4 r to t him that t t she did not ear eare for tor Pierre But now oW she felt as ae If it she had b d lR inadvertently made mad matters m s worse by this tills reference r f f ce to toRalph Lard Ralph u lad Had 4 we not b better He leave your 1 JJr loye loy affairs aI elope alone Pa 1 t l Vernon Vm fite in n quiet grata graye gr ye tepee It I is I only to 10 be expected that you will wUl soon have half h lt London Lon Lg at t tt fist t And A what shat can oan n It H matter matte to me whom wham you vou marry whether Ule your future to r re husband appears to t be Mon Monsieur M n nr r or Lord Ralph Rah Lenton as lose long as you make JUke a wise wile choice and aD are happy h Rl Ho n Ii clenched hi bl bis hands as JJ be he said d the last words won and andis l his is pale e fae f grow grew w paler p J r rI I felt t sate sure S e that you would dould ld mike make e a greet groat reet of at things hg ho added lI ded directly Q b you yeti y q e to London Louden Lo Yu are the sort of girl who w Is s bound b to make a a great mar marriage mar mr and ail to t be stall and ad powerful You look too like l 1 a queen qU Patience to tEt be a t poor poor mans nans wife wi There was intense Iten pain In her vole voice and her ber eyes brimmed bri br rimed m ever aver with tears Why did he h k Itoe kit ft on q misunderstanding lIng her hgr Why was waB he be so 10 blind to the love she eke gave him hl t tIt It was wu cruel ef et hen to t think that t t she 8 was jeas s O t on mak making lug ing a great marriage when n all aU her heart kart all in h her set soul ml would be his n rt for r the asking Had ke he no eyes eyes es In his head Ob db wl wile Wi y h lie he 8 e 1 Why c ul nt he bt understand How are you ou f getting etting on with your sour painting pal t I sup suppose s spose suppose pose Sir Bi Hilary gives gi you and ana that you u are ar are c tag lag hard bard under his tuition t Vernon Vernen tried to tJ bring the th conversation back hack to ordinary topics endeavored to tc his voice and repress s the wild longing be he felt to throw his hie arms round Patience and lid toll tail l hr lour he be loved kind her better tetter than all these theae rich men better by 1 far tor But qt he ho controlled himself elt arguing that It would bo be o unfair tf to this beautiful girl to expect exp t h her r to m marry tn a as poor glint barrister like himself when whan It U lay in her bet power to become a great creat lady ladya a very er great lady Indeed ed or a tl to marry the nephew nep ew of a millionaire o adopted son of or Sir Hilary w Patience hesitated how bow to answer Vernos question She remembered the promise prom that she had llad made to Sir Hilary that she would tell no one except Major and Sirs Mr Amherst that she ahe had become because his hili pupil But It was hard very hard not to take Vernon into her confidence Be Besides Besides sides aide he be might wonder he would be sure aure to wonder why she had bad left her own people and gone to stay at the Gray House Houe unless to study stud art under the greatest portrait painter of or his age She bit her lip and glanced down at the floor and Ver Vernon Vernon Vernon non thinking she did not want him to sm rose to his feet Dont trouble to answer my questions if It you would rather not Patience ho he said aid coldly I eon oan see that you dont wish to take me Into your Our confidence that I doubt dou if we are any longer the friends we were I dont knoW knot w what has happened but I feel fHI that we have stilted drifted r or rAnd apart And ADd whose fault is bI that thaU Patience pas passionately II passionately What interest or trouble have haY ye YiN taken tak on my account since I came to London O Granted that tha you lo have been ill III and have only Just r v ed from a dangerous dan dangerous operation still you might MJ written to la 0 me during dur during during ing the days day of ot your convalescent CO You bey u might have done something What could I dor do H He J O at it her sadly yearn yearningly yearningly yearnIngly this beautiful girl wHom b he must l no longer dream of making makin his hla wife for a coronet should grace grac that imperial brow or else Patience ought to marry the tha heir of ot untold wealth t She fidgeted ner with a long loag chain of ot beads that she he was wan wearing delicate dente agreen Jade stones stoles Oh Ob I dont know now she answered But anyway we wont Quarrel though I think its Ita horrid of you JOU Ver Vernon non hateful to have got It Into your head that I have turned Into a society girl that I want to make Blake a 0 bril brilliant brilliant brilliant marriage for fer instance for I dont I dont She was w half Inclined to put her ber pride on one side Bide to forget torpt womanly reserve and maidenly discretion and toll tell t H Vernon to his big face that she loved him But Bu ha summon up her courage to do this thiB for fog to 8 P suppose P that she e bad had made a fatal mistake all eU I the time tiros and he ho rejected her love or worse still BUlJ accepted It thinking that he ought to save her peat though tM b his feel feelIngs t jags Ings might be merely fraternal She paused d and began to fidget t with her jade jad j chain again Then as ax they stood facing f each ether t Two wol pas donate unhappy young creatures the he t e drawing dr room oom door d p opened for the second COnd time and the tha 1 but an announced t flounced in a his deep sonorous sonoro voice voice stra rA Ralph R I Lenton LentonI 0 Patience I uttered a faint little cry lq a cry ry which failed to reach Lord Ralphs Ralp ta f then then she turned to greet the new arrival aL aLI I have come como to toak ask Sir Hid HB It If f h he will u to paint my portrait Lord Ral an lt nl n sinking n in I the seal way wily he ho affects Info qt 00 eau of t the big bli rg French chairs that helped to make the tho no drawing room so beautiful Hue Hare yeti 79 tola t t Sir Si Hilary that I was coming to make suck such a bold boW request Miss Amherst Amberst he continued Have you yeu persuaded the great man to undertake the commission 7 f S J i Patience blushed faintly Never could there have bave been a more mere r unfortunate interruption U she deo l d d th taa an anthis this this sudden a advent of f Lord Ralph upon lIOn Ute the sane Bat nut true to the world worN she ala lived la In I she trade made dEl seme so e suitable reply to Lord Ralphs questions que and Ud then Introduced Vernon Vornon on to the le wealthy young dilettante who had never done a stroke of honest bot work in his life lit but bad merely m lounged and yawned yarned through existence Th They y took tick silent t stock of f each other these th two men who both loth loved Patience Amherst and Lord lArd Ralph was we wethe the first to speak uk r I think UlIn I have haTe met you before Mr Mi r Ramsey R m ey he lie said with taa the polished smiling ease arse Ire of ot the Ute man man lit of the tho world though t uch ho h was waa greeting a rival Let me me MO see t it n at Lady dance duct danceY Yog Y t returned Vernon Yern it was wu He moved DrY toward Patience as he spoke and 4 heN held out his head hand o oA Are Arc A you yeu site eke naked asked Why we have liA had no not talk t tk at all sip lifted a pair of big WJ pleading eyes Y Wont you stay taT she whispered wont yoji stay Ita He was vas as fly tempted to take her ber at h word ward but buthe he hg told himself that it fair that be he should Id try sal and FaU Patiences noe chances o He r that that the q glop who wh had bad Just o come me into the tho room roo was waB the heir bill to t Of I big bl old Jd unc uncle the duke of Yeovil and tt would w u malt make s a splendid duchess dueh 80 So it better batter to clear attar out to set get For what had Vernon to offer the girl girt be he beloved loved Oh ao so little compared to the other man mu so o little fl ri e smiled as aa ho he wn led out of the drawing room after tt r ha M had hP given gin a decided refusal r to P request f Ut 11 ed 4 a aa fl the Spartan b r ht t hyi sV 1 smiled Itt d when w tile the fox he |