Show E F 1 I 1 L STORY THE LO VES q of f the L AID y ARABELLA by MOLLY ELLIOT SEAWELL coper 1906 bobbs merrill Merri lICo co SYNOPSIS at AA 14 years of age admiral S r peter hawkshaw s nephew R chard glyn fell deeply in love at first s w th lady arabella stormont who spurned his at tent ons the lad an orp an wa was given OL berth as rn ash aman on the alax ajax by his hl s uncle G les vernon nepi ew of S r ra 1 omas vernon became the boy s pal rhey attended a theater where hawk thaw a nephew saw lady arabella ver non met philp 0 erton next in line for son sir ir thomas vernon vernon s estate tl TI ey start ed d a duel wl ich was interrupted vernon averton and ha s nephew w found themselves attracted by pretty la lady d y ara bella the ajax in battle defeated fr french ench warships in the mediterranean ricca richard rd blyn glyn got xa f prize money he ile w was ae called home by lady hawkshaw as 1 e ivas about to blow in his earn with vernon at a hawkshaw party glyn dis covered that lady arabe la was a poor but pers stent gambler he talked much with ler 1 er cousin daphne lady arabella again again showed love for gaming later she held eld glyn and overton prisoners thus aeral el aing ing the d el in the overton ver non duel neither waa was hurt lady ara bella belia humiliated huell abed richard by her pranks richard and giles sh aped on a frigate riles giles nas mas captured by the french sir peter arranged for his exchange pe re showed a liking for glyn who was hen 21 years of age G les was released J alles and achard R chard planned elopements bir sir peter objected to the plan to wed daphne CHAPTER VI VIII I 1 I 1 cont aued this made me hope that sir peter would not be present for I 1 thought our chances of getting off would ma serially ter teri lally ally improve it if he were not on the spot the play was to be over at halt half past ten and it may be imagined that we bad plenty to do until then we en ell tow four of the best pairs ot of nags in the town we arranged to pay the post boys accord ng to the time they took us over the border and we felt in n ourselves the strength of titans to overcome whatever resistance might L be offered of 0 course we counted on the surprise and we determined that the best disposition to make of lady hawkshaw was tor for giles vernon to appear suddenly when the people were coming out place lady hawk shaw in her coach and then make that bold dash for love and beauty which we had determined upon our post boys who mele not new to the perils of elopements grinned at the prospect and were ins ducted to re main near lady Hawk hawkshaw shaws s coach and impede it as much as possible so that it might be the last to reach the door of the theater our arrangements were complete by eight 0 clod and from that hour until ten we employed ourselves in despos ing of a good supper at the tavern we were in a gale of rapture then it seemed to us both as it we were in that happy and exultant mood when the enemy is within gun shot and the ship is cleared for action and we only awaited the signal for victory we had some punch but both giles and myself knew enough to be ex cee careful in attacking it dicky my lad cried G les bang ing me in the back this day is the anniversary of the day we whipped the indomitable and the xantippe and so it was so we shall capture the indomitable in the lady arabella and we will disable the xantippe ha ha in my lady hawkshaw this I 1 thought a very fine joke in deed and m we e drank to it dicky began giles again wiping his mouth after the punch I 1 never thought I 1 could be constant to any woman as I 1 have been to arabella bv heaven the whole sex is so se be that it was the last one I 1 saw I 1 loved ithe the best but since I 1 knew that alte witch of a girl st anthony him self could not be more impervious to female chaims than your humble ant which was true enough and as tor for overton that psalm singing devil I 1 defy him give me but a week and he shall see arabella hanging upon me so fondly let him have her so much dirt and dross to me and she may be lady vernon yet do you know that old rapscallion sir thomas vernon s estate is in this part of the country 7 though nearer york than scarborough on our re turn from our honeymoon I 1 have a great mind to take my arabella to vernon court and show her what may one day be hers so he raved and roared out snatches like in n bacchus joys III I 1 II 11 treely freely roll no pleasure to my soul ceny et bacchus health round freely move for por bacchus Is the friend of love ove and n d he that will this toast deny dow w among tl ti e dead men let him lie ile and I 1 took up the chorus and bawled it out for I 1 too looked tor for no more crosses in this life having ne tor for my wife so the time passed until ten 0 clock and at ten 0 clock we sallied forth it was a starlit night in early de cember the cold high blue heavens above us seemed to radiate happiness the myriad stars twinkled with joy me scarce felt the ground under our feet the two post chaises awaited us on the highway the postboy post boys s full of con f dence the horses the best in the town were eager to be off we jumped together in one and were whirled into the town and wele at the door of the playhouse almost before we knew it one of our postil ions speedily found the e which 1 ad brought lady hawkshaw there and in pursuance of his instructions got the coachman off his box to drink in a neighboring tavern while one of our post boys stood watch over the horses giles and I 1 remained in the chaise until it was Ws time tor for us to mal e our descent at halt half past ten the play was over and then began that hurry and corn coin motion of the diapers on of a crowd in the darkness we heard loud shouts tor for lady hawkshaw s coach but the coar coachman hman d d not make his appear ance there were many officers and ladles ladies from the garrison and a num her of equipages but soon they were driving off while halt half a dozen men at once were shouting for lady hawl shaw s coach at last my lady herself came out of the entrance followed by arabella and daphne and at that mo me ment merit G les slipped out of the chaise and appeared before lady hawkshaw as it if he had risen from the earth I 1 too was on the ground but out of sight pray my lady said he in his most gallant manner and hat in hand allow me to show you to your coach mr vernon cried lady hawk shaw in surprise I 1 thought you were in london how came you to scarborough 7 by chaise madam he replied vo po bitely and I 1 hope to see the young ladies before I 1 leave the hypocrite Is sir peter with you madam no he is not replied lady hawk shaw sham her wrath rising at the idea had he been with me my coach would have been awaiting me and then turning to arabella and daphne who w were ere behind her she said sternly arabella arabelia and daphne this does not happen again sir peter comes with us to the play after this I 1 caught sight from a corner be hind the chaise of my dear daphne at that moment she stopped sudden al aft rather would I 1 D e than marry H m ly and turned pale and then rosy and glanced wildly about her she knew I 1 was not tar far oft off how arabella arabelia received giles sud bud den appearance I 1 never knew as I 1 could not see her but in another moment he had placed lady hawkshaw NN ith the utmost obsequiousness in the coach then folding up the steps like magic he slammed the door and shouting to the coachman drive on the coach rattled off and the next mo me ment his arm was around arabella and mine was around daphne and they were swept off their feet and in less time than it takes to tell it each of us was with the idol of his heart whirling off toward gretna green as fast as tour four horses to a light chaise could take us now what think you were daphne s first words to me mea unhand me mr glyn i or scream tor for assistance my dearest one I 1 exclaimed you are now mine by to morrow morning we shall be over the border and you will be my wife an elopement gracious heaven I 1 never thought of such a thing she replied I 1 might have answered that she had not only thought of such a thing but talked of it I 1 retrained refrained however knowing a woman s tongue to be ca pricious in its utterances and in stead assured her that my passion m aas as such I 1 could no longer bear the thought of existing without her and do you mean to marry me sir without my guardians guardian a consent 7 she asked with much violence I 1 do indeed my angel and I 1 thought it was agreed between us this was an unfortunate speech and she again threatened to scream tor for as bi stance but presently remarked that as there was none to come to her as si stance she would refrain and then having done what propriety required she began to relent a little and at last lay in my arms asking me with tears it if I 1 would promise her never to love another and I 1 told her with great sincerity that I 1 never would provided I 1 got out of that alive deep in our own happiness for at last the dear girl admitted that she was happy to be mine we yet thought of giles and arabella and I 1 would have got out of the chaise at each of the three stages where we made a rapid change of horses except that daphne would not let me afraid she said lest I 1 should be recognized and get into trouble she afterward told me it was because she feared we might be stopped we did not forget the precaution in our brief halts to pay the hostlers well to do some harm to any pursuing vehicles which might be after us and our plan seemed to be prospering famously so all night we rattled rattle furiously ur ous y along and at daybreak we crossed the border notified by the aing of the post boys it was mas a dank dismal morn ing the weather having changed dur ing the night and we saw I 1 that we had passed the other chaise in the darkness it was some distance be hind and the horses seemed much spent we continued on our way to the house of a blacksmith at gretna green who so our post boys told us usually united runaway couples we dashed up to his cottage a humble place surrounded by a willow hedge and he warned by approaching wheels came out halt half dressed in the murky morning come to be marrit he cried step out then I 1 assisted daphne out of the chaise and then as we stood on the I 1 dam damp ap ground IB in those squalid surroundings u n in gs looking at each other the P possible 0 sib ae wrong I 1 had done this inn innocent oce girl r suddenly swept over me A and nd in h her er eyes too I 1 read the first conscious nesa ness of ot having committed an ampro briety this dirty unkempt black smith the coarse laughing post boys this a way may to make the most solemn and spiritual of all enga engagements cements I 1 felt an uncomfortable sense of guilt and shame it was only momentary the more depressed she the more should I 1 sup port and therefore I 1 called out cheer fully I 1 take this woman to be my wedded wife and such other words as I 1 recalled of the marriage service and I 1 said it so heartily and prom ased so devoutly removing my hat when I 1 made my vows that it heart ened up daphne and her response so full of faith and love gave a kind hind of holiness to it all we were two i ash iash and foolish young people but we loved each other truly and we made our vows solemnly determined to keep them perhaps that counts for more in the eyes of god than all else at least we realized the sacredness of our out vows scarcely was the brief ceremony over for ceremony we made it when the chaise containing arabella and giles drew up and the sight I 1 saw I 1 can never forget arabella s face was quite pale but her eyes were blazing there were some drops of blood upon her cheek they came from her wrists which giles held firmly the door of the chaise being opened she stepped out wil angly disdaining the assistance giles offered her his face too wa waa very pale and he looked and moved like a man in a nightmare the black smith grinned broadly he thought his gains were to be increased for I 1 had not forgotten to pay him hand bomely giles seized her hand band arabella he cried desperately surely you dc not now mean to throw w me over overa for answer she gave him a glance of ineffable hatred chisman this man she said turning tome to me you friend your intimate I 1 blush tor for you has dragged me here rather would I 1 die than marry him look she held up her wrists and they showed marl s of violence to keep her from jumping out of the chaise said giles she would have had me leave her a midnight on the highway alone and unprotected dearest arabella he cried turning to her and trying to clasp her will you not listen to my prayer prayers how can you scorn such love as minea and he was near going down on his knees to her in the mud but I 1 held him up I 1 confess that the most painful thing of all this paint il business was giles vernon s complete surrender of his manhood under the influence of his wild pas slon sion he ile an officer in his majesty 8 sea service a man who had smelt powder and knew what it was to look death in the eye and advance upon him who would have answered with his life for his courage was ready to grovel in the earth like a madman for the favor of a woman nothing was it to him that lowborn creatures like the post boys and the blacksmith beheld him with contempt and dis gust nothing to him that a woman like daphne and that I 1 a brother of fleer witnessed his degradation he seemed to have parted with the last semblance of 0 self respect TO BE CONTINUED |