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Show WOMAN'S 162 ed this young man might be more satisfactorily explained, yet dreading to inquire into anything sp enveloped in mystery. Finding herself de trop, she bade her visitors good night and hurried to her cousin's room, who eagerly asked concerning the new arrival. "What is he like, Jane, and how does he and she paused a carry himself?" "Is ' moment, "is he anything like your uncle?" and who have homes, friends, money, and the comforts of life. What is there for .the "woman 'who. has none of these? Work: that must be all of life to her," and lhat is not enough. She can only earn enough to clothe and house herself. must Clearly, then, some one do for the working woman what she can not do for herself. If in every city theje were working women's "Homes" and elub3 life would be who-hai-jno- mucbjbrjghteran women. ney he" a great . IN RURAL ENGLAND. XIII. Tho interview between the doctor and Lady' Walton was not decisive, and rather unsatisfactory than otherwise- yet . Doctor Bland felt hopeful of good results. He had given Lady Walton some telling points and Bad succeeded .in making her feel she had a. positive duty in the matter, the responsibility of which she could not evade. The doctor made a report of his visit to Miss Conway and, at the same time, urged his own cause so demonstratively that Jane felt she 'could not much longer delay her betrothal. ' She was free to accept an offer now that her uncle was dead, who was really, the only person likely to have interfered, and she knew he would approve of the doctor tor he had the utmost confidence in him. That he was so much older, did not seem so objectionable to Miss i Conway as it would to most young women, and she jwas in ; mind and character companionable to both old and young. While she was revolving in her mind, what she ought to do, and internally resolved not to equrvocate4n the least, but give assurance' to her lover, or make a refusal of all which he would be compelled to take as final, another event occurea mat caused aeiav. - - The long expeetedtranger arrived;" his coming had been postponed until the gossip con cerning bini had almost ceased; but' w crane itivas renewed with'aiRortsof yxtfava gant exaggerations, and was more than a "nine days wonder" in all the country side. He came, at night fall on horseback like a very troubadour, only that he wTas accompanied by good Mr. Burke who camejvith due ceremony to install him at the "old ruin" as it wa3 now almost invariably- - styled. The family were prepared that is his apartments Bad been made ready weeks before, and as for the larder it was well supplied. "There will be queer goings on when this, young interloper comes," the old housekeeper had been saying to one and another'he'll have a lot(of those foreigners comin, to hunt no doubt, no better'n gypsies that's the race he comes of T warrant, I've seen :Gje- d ark-eyebrowed women, now and agin at night time when there's been huntin going on, and roliek-in- g - -- - ; -- til - d at nights, and we all kept up late with midnight suppers and carousal." : The doctor and lawyer were both his escorts at the mansion, and Mis3 Conway acted , as hostess, and did her part grandly, as she always did everything. Lady Anna absented Jierself aslusualj" sli could.. o.ot.ft..puaded-la- herihroat; but she choked it down bravely., No, not at N. V. D. J EXPONENT. all, there is not the least resemblance; he is. very handsome, and a thorough gentienian pale and dutingue; looks like a scholar might be a painter or musician. :. "Cousin Jane, will he assert himaelf as here, do you think, or make his presence a dread to us?" "Mv dear, I cannot tell: he spoke little, and seemed somewhat embarrassed; his accent is peculiar, a sort .of cross between French and Italian. him; we ..... "Jane, why don't you ask about nimht - o - to know,' now he -has reallv come. 1 never believed he would: I thought it would turn out a farco o some sort, but alasl it is serious enough; and, Jane, you look so sad too, and I am not equal to all these changes. Here the poor girl broke down utterly and the maid was summoned to assist in putting her to bed, while a sedative was administered to keep her quiet. It was hours before she slept, and then Jane stole away to her own room where she lay dozing and half unconcious, not know ing what the morning woulcrreveal, but determined, let what would come,, she would protect and stand by her fragile, romantic cousin, left orphaned and alone in the world. Earlv on the following morning she was called down stairs to meet Mr. Burke, ere he set out for London. He looked cross and wor ried a3 she entered the room, and his "Good morning, Miss Conway," wa3 decidedly im V patient in tone. "1 am compelled to return to town today; Doctor Bland will make the needful expla nations. I only want to say, Monsieur ville will remain here permanently how: I shall be down again in a week's time and will look after the settlements. You understand, I presume, he is Sir Edward's son by an sorted marriage a foreign actress, singer or something ot the sort. .. I m not clear myself a to his pedigree, but he's here to stay." This was spoken with some irritability of manner as he looked up and saw that Miss Conway had turned very red in the face, and he brought down his fist on the table at which he was seated and nearly shivered the china, for his breakfast had been brought in there that he might ff hurriedly. It was scarcely light. Miss Conway made no reply, which angered -- . - . " ill-a- s be-o- him exceedingly. "Zounds!" he exclaimed --"has'nt a man a right to his own inheritance, let his' mother be w hat she may? She's dead, and can't trouble you any way!" By this time Jane recovered her composure sufficiently to say, "When Doctor Bland condescends to tell us how matters stand, we shall 2know-whatJs-I?esOb-bedon- ",, e.".' .V self-contro- . come dowr was indisposed, her cousin had said in apologizing for herf Burke insisted on seeing her as he must leave early, but it was of no avail; she had really been very ill, and even th doctor himself dare noXurge served as it had been her too far. Dinner-wain Sir Edward's time, and though there was some restraint in the manner of welcome, it without unpleasantness, and, after passed-of- T some explanation concerning liis journey, Mr. Clairville retired to the apartments .assigned him. lib benefactor's valet attended him, and Miss Conway was left with the two gentlemen aloiie,4iopiug that the mystery whieh envelop e 3 " r This enraged the lawyer beyond and he declared women were always interfering, where they had no business, and stalked out of the room slamming the great, heavy door be-- : hind hira, and Jane sat stupefied, though she e distinctly heard him say to himself as he l, bang-edth- door "these pestiferous women folks?" Monsieur .Clairville was a gentleman in all ; his tastes and inclinations; even the servants soon recognized his superiority, though they were slow to acknowledge, or even to be civil to the new comer, whom they looked upon as no better than he should be, hot having-bee- n informed of his actual position. One need hot think it strarige that Sir Edward had nnt j shown any affection for him, when he had not eveir ackn owl edged" h , In fact, he had never seen him. The mother. young man was as much mystified as the younoMUU w w ivuuj uc was a boy, though tall and older looking thanonly his His had mother been dead years. many years and. he had never known aught of his father save from his grandmother, who knew very lit-ti- e herself, but insisted he was, "a t wicked English nobleman." She petted and indulged i t- n r n iv. hi i wiihii ( h- wflq snnr o ti7.j t uuui iicr j "j to school she mourned for him as though he were dead, for ehe realized he could never ht the same to her again any more than Marie his mother had oeen after she went away amon" great people. Money had been furnished rw. ulary for the child s maintenance, through other parties, and the name, he bore was that of the mother, assumed when she left the shelter of home to go out as a singer into the great world. The morning after Clair's arrival at the old castle, he too arose early aud went forth to look at the. place of which, daring the last few weeks, he had heard so much. He roved about aimlessly, not knowing where to. find the most beauty (for he wasan ardent admirer of the beautiful,) and the morning was a glorious one; the green fields and magnificent old trees were charmingly luxuriant in flowers and foliage. He could scarcely believe he had any part or portion in thi3 fine estate, so entirely different from anything he had ever seen before. He missed something though, for the country there was somewhat level; though, the fine old woods not far away made the landscape less tiresome to one accustomed: to the mountainous dit.rinft where his life had been passed. How lonely he felt withal, and he sighed as bethought of the new scenes into which he must enter, and tried to imagine how he ought to meet the young lady (his sister) Mr. Burke had said, he could scarcely believe, it wa3 true, though he had been duly informed of the details; yet Burke had represented her ar such an aristocratic creature, and, "mind you, young nian,. she mav not sneak to vou for months." These were the exac words, so he did not anticipate a very warm . welcome from the ladies of the household. It was late when he found his way back to the house, for he had enjoyed the fresh morning breeze and the songs of the birds, and the freedom, of the out door scenes, and he dreaded the drawing room and table etiquette, and most of all the ladies of whom he knew so little, especially ladies of rank. Again and again he tried to decide what he should say and how comport himself, but on this score his mind was a blank. "If only Burke had re mained a day or two, or if the; doetorwould come to my aid, but it wa3 a hopeless case, he must face it alone. He had already been . presented to Miss Conway, and he was inward - . t-- w 7 -v ly thankful for that. He was so bewildered he could scarcely find the way to his own room where his ' valet was waiting, and vexed too and he had to submit to such brushing and polishing all of which seemed superfluous, and at last he was told the family had been waiting breakfast for hbuWVbWfielB'hTered the morninsr room where his cousin was he was informed that Lady Anna was indisposed and in the morn- that she seldom came down stairs U n II . &ua "wnen to at ast las ventured lie mg. I see my sister, Lady Ann a I mean; will you have the kindness to introduce me, cousin Jane, Miss Conway I should say?" ''''. ' 1 "Certainly Monsieur Clairville, Hiliiard, ana pardon me Sir, we are such strangers as scarce accustomed to each other's names - yet."- - After the first few words exchanged between and them, these two conversed easily of this that; the young man wasTntHulIaiiiaiffrgard to the grounds he had seen, and Miss'Conway was not found him entertaining,. The day and to- jery so tedious to Clair as he had expected, |