Bianca

" Well, Bianca, darling, I'rn glad this cousin oí yours is coming to Oakwold." "Why, Anthony?" ' ' Because you need Society, and that of Eastbury is rather too orthodox ;md Di-imitive for your tastes. As for my )wn, my medical labors have become no onger a sinecure since old Doctor Par;on's death, and you see very little of ne during the daytimo, just at present." "Indeed, tliat is trae, Anthony;" and jeautiful Bianca Stanley clasped those graceful arms of liers vei-y lovingly ibout her young husband's neck. "I miss yon more than words can teil, times. You remember what pleasant mornings we used to spend during May - the first montli after our arrival at Oakwold ? You read me those charming ' Idyls of the King, and it was all so delicious ; and now " - " Now I am a man of leisure no longer," Anthony Stanley interrupted, " but one of the busiest doctors in all the county, perhaps. But, Biauca, I want to ask you a few questions about this cousin. Do you exactly relish the idea of her coming here to pay for her board ? I confess, candidly, that I do not." Bianca laughed merrily. " Perhaps I ought to feel very much ashamed of our limited circumstances, Anthony ; that's the way to express yourself elegantly, I believe, when you want to say that you are not well off; but, somehow, I would just as lief the "whole world fcnew exactly how we are situated. 01' course, Elb'nor understands all about it. Not having seen me since her return from Franee, she is anxious to spend a few weeks here at Oakwold Cottage, and I am immensely anxious tcHiave her. Accordingly, she proposes doing so, instead of accompauying her mothcr and sisters to Scarborough. She is not willing to make a third member of our family, you know, without" - "Yes, yes, I understand. Well, Bianca, you may take her payments for pin-money, if you choose. And now teil me something about your cousin. What is sho like ?" "Like a very lovely woman, Anthony." " Handsome?" "Very." "Ole ver?" "As a schpolpaistress. You will bc delighted with her conversation, I know. She has a faculty, pebple say, of making all other women appear stupid and trivial by contrast." "Nonsense, Bianca. That simile of the schoolrnistress was very poorly chosen, if you want to prepossess me with your cousin. I abhor schoolmistresses. Just hand me that bottle lirectly behind your elbow, that's a dear. ' Mrs. Stanley turued toward row of bottles placed upon a shelf in her husband's surgery, in front of the desk at wliich he was then seated. "Whieh, Anthony? This one, concaiuing white liqTiid ?" " Gracious, no ! That's a horribly poisonous compound. Imagine poor Mrs. Marlowe's feelings if I took over to her sick baby a vial of that deadly stuff. The one to the right of it, if you please. Thanks, my dear. And now, one more question. When is Miss Ellinor Ejcakinö going to make her appearance at the cottage ?" " To-morrow sho writes me. And we may expect her, for Ellinor is infallible about kee-ping promises. " The next moruing Miss Evskino justified her cousin's remark by arriving ut Oakwold. The greeting which site received from Bianca Stanley was warm and affectionate. The two ladies had been intímate friends for almost as long as each could remember, and the lave which exieted between them -was, on Biauca's side, at least, of tho ioeerest nature. Physically, they í'ormpd a striking contrast, Mrs. Stanley 's delicate pink-and-white complexión, pale-gold hair, and petite figure being widely different from her cousin's statuesque, stately beauty. ,& W A - It was beauty of a superb type, most people were fain enthusiastioally to admit on seeing Ellinor Erskine for the first time. Unusunlly tall, bjit of sucli perfect gracr in her evary posture and gesture that tallnCKS was a charm, not a ' defect; possessing a skin of the pureai j wliiteness, hair of that, glossy bluc-bhwjk hne which is so rarely Róen, and o ■ a deep, lustrous hazel; showing, in her marnier and conversation, all that the most cultivated and fastidious -ïnflte could desire, Miss Erskine was what we may term a fasoiuating woroa.n in every respeert. The first rvi-ning tolldwing lier arrival at Oakwold, she accompanied her Bm and hostess on a twilight walk along the exquisite wooded shore near wliicli the cottage was situated - a line of raggod, pictuvesque land-, where rooks, and bowlderts, and i'ringy cedars made quite a battle for predomiuauce, yet miugled their wild elements in one wilder sort of harniony beaxitiíul beyoud expression. "We must show Ellinor the nrmehnir, Anthony," Mrs. Stanley remarked, as the party stood on a low cliff overhanging the waters bencatl!, bathed just then in the soft purple of Munset. "It's onlyabouta yard from where wo now :iro' " yuv " The arm-chüir !" Miss Erskinc said, in Btlrprised tones. ' ' What can you possibly mean, Biauca?" " A perfect urm-chaij', " was the i'ei)ly, "erfrved ont of roiik by that slow old aoulptor y kuit; sea. Anthony nul I (liacoveieii il i i i i :i luoutli iigo." Tliry r. -ii'.IjimÍ üif i;l ju-cst-iitly, and ['ovatfl ti!c cmiosity Juanea had niin tioued-a mass of rock, no worn by tlie imuieniorial actioji of tlw waven below it as to bear an exact resemblance, legs omitted, to an oxccedingly comfortable, commodious arni-chair. "How delightful !" exclaimed Miss Erskine, seating herself in this piece of natural íurniturc. "I suppose you coiné, licre often, Bianca - yon and that loving husband oL yours?" with a glance of the young lady's hazel eyes in Doctor Stanley'fi direction. "There's ampie room i'or two, by the way, isn't there ?" " Oh, vos," Bianca answered. "Wo do sit there now and then. Anthony read me Tennyson's ' Idyls' in this spot about a month ago." Mr. Stanley's rernark served to turn the conversation, during their honieward walk, upon literary subjects ; and, ii' her husband had not concluded that Miss Erskine's intellect was fully equal to her beauty, eertain clever -words which now feil trom the lips of Bianca's cousin must have assured him that such was the fact. " I lik e her irnmensely," he saidto his wife later that evening, when their guest hen retired. " She is certainly a very brilliant woman." "I'mioglad you think so," was the pleased response. ' ' Eilinor ia going to tuitte your summer, as well as mine, Anthony, very delightful, I ani sure." Bei'ore many days had passed, Bianca Stanley had cause to recollect her prophecy wjth regard to Eilinor Erskine. There seemed decided probability of her making Anthony's summer far more pleasant than his wife had Snticipated. Liking her cousin, Bianca began to teil herself, with an occasional pang of somothing very similar to jealousy, was á different matter from appearing almost fasciriated by that cousin's society. " Ot course, the young wife meutally confessed, "lam just the lenst bit jealous. Why should I not feel so ? It's perfectly natural. Anthony and I have boen leading such a mutúally devoted sort of existencc ever since our marriage tliat it annoys me to see him treat another woman poliiely. Beyond a doubt, he only means to be polite, nothing more. I am very foolish, but I suppose the folly is common to most newly-married wives." At the end of another fortnight, however, Bianca's slight annoyance had assumed a f ar different form. Ithadgrown to be a terror. She believed that he was in love with Eilinor Erskine. Kesolutely proud, she suffered her agony - i'or agony it was, of the keenest sort - to betray itself by no word or sign. If her treatment of Eilinor Erskine showed f aint traces of coldness she could not refrain from exhibiting now and then, it was of so slight a nature as not to be observed by her husband. Several weeks wore away. Bianca's life had become a torture now. She seldom joiníd in the conversation between Anthony and her cousin; she seldorn intruded upon their frequent tetc-a-fr.tcs. Some women would have shown their anguish in bitter upbraidings and passionate accusations; Bianca held her peace, and was wofully miserable. She loved her husband witii an intense depth of love, and was called upon daily to observe his reckless admiration of another woman. It was torment, and yet she spokc no word. "Yes, I am forced to go," Dr. Stanley said. "I had hoped to spend this lovely aftèrnoon in your society, but - a doctor proposes, a patiënt disposes, if you'll pardon my mutilation of an old proverb. " "I am very solïy," Eilinor Erskine murmured; and those bewitching hazel eyes - how utterly had they bewitched the man who now stood besMe her - looked even more taan the sorrow she professed to feel. " Wo were going to take a long walk together this aftèrnoon, were we not 1" "Yes. Don't speak aboiit it in that tone, please, or you'll make me do very desperate things in the way of professional neglect." "Ah, I have no such power over you, I fear," accompanying the words with a long, soft sigh. Dr. Stanley laughed an odd, harsh sort of laugh. "I have told you what power you possess, Eilinor; I havo told you of the absorbing love that " "Hush, Anthony, you are speaking too loudly. We miglit be overhoard !" And Eilinor Erskine glanced toward one of the windows opening out from the veranda in whicli they stood. There was a faint rustle of one of the curtains at thatwiiidow.just then, which Miss Erskine, il she noticed it, mistook for a niotion caused by the light, September breeze. Dr. Stanley's tones had changed decidedly when he again spoke: " Thomas is "at the gato yondcr willi my caariago. Perhaps Ishall be able to return sooner than i expeet to do; but now I have no choioe in the matter of remaining. We can take our walk at twilight, if I should return in time. That rocky arm-chair will be a very ploasant spot for such a lovely evening as we are promised. Good-by !" "Good-by !" she answered, smiling; and then their hands met. Just at this moment, in the little surgery at the rear of the cottage, there stood a white-faced, wild-eyed woman, searching for Bomething among the array of bottles on a eertain shelf. That which she oajne to seek was found presently, and sle clutehed it with a fierce, eager grasp, hurrying, a moment later, from " What i lovely evening ! Your prophecy was a correct one, Doctor." " Tes," Anthony Slanley responded, as he and Miss Erskine strolled shorewaïd with slow, lingering steps. " Just watoh tlie waters. Tliey are a perfect blaze of silver and crimson from here. I J ave you thought over all that I said, Eilinor, last evening? Are you.preparod to give me an answer - about our flUjht, I mean" He was looking flxedly at her face; but she avoided the glance. There are some women who love to stand upon the verge of moral preeipices, enjoying the danger, but feeling secure enough, during its contiimanco, in their own powers of e(juipoise. Eilinor Erskino was such a woman. She had gone to the utmost liinits of a precipice now, and had looked down upon the perilous depths beneath her, and had eBJoyed the excitement of her ilizzy position, and had maintained her coollieadedness thronghout. Tt was time to draw back. To have taken the leap, as this man at her sido had been urging her to take, would have been an act of folly altogether ridiculous. " I must disenchant the infatuated preiiture' sfte murmured to hersol f, "l)oiore wo return ' Oakwold." Then aloud, "1 will give you my answer vvhcji we reiioli (he arm-chair, DoIih títanlfáf.fi . 3HI' They reached it soon aftèrward. lts high back, oarveel from tlie living rtoae, roso up clear and distinct against thc cvening sky. "Heaven help me, Ellinor, ii' that answer is not what I hopo i'or!" be whispered. "Bc the passion sinful or righteous, I have lenrncd to love you. My God ! Bianca !" He stood f rozen with horror now, gazing within the recesa of the rocky chair. Her face wearing the tininistakable stamp of death, her golden tresses floating upon the soft breeze, one livid hand elenohing a small vial-shapod bottle, the other pressed convulsively against her bosom, Bianca Stanley sat within thc granite arm-chair, upright, ghastly, immovable. She had told the secret of her agony at last, and had told it in a voice of such terrible power and meaning that they who lookod upon the tvwful rebuke of her lifeless beauty must expíate their sin with lifelong repentance !