1896. 



THE AMERICAN BEE-KEEPER. 



199 



rate it seemed to him that her welcome 

 was a warmer oue thau she had ever 

 giveu liim before, and his heart beat 

 faster as he bent over lier. 



"Will yoii not come into the conserva- 

 tory?" he said pleadingly. "It is so hot 

 here." She rose without a word, and 

 they walked away together. 



"Do you know that it is only six 

 weeks since I first saw you?" he said. 

 "I can hardly believe it myself, for it 

 seems as if I had known you all my 

 life." 



He had an idea even as he spoke that 

 he had seen the remark in almost every 

 love story that he had ever read, but he 

 could not refrain from uttering it, for it 

 seemed so exact an expression of his 

 feelings. Violet, too, had probably 

 heard it before, but from Ronald's lips 

 it sounded ab!?olutely new, and her long 

 eyelashes drooped lower upon her cheek 

 as she listened. 



They were walking between banks of 

 flower and fern and the silence bet^vcen 

 them v.ais too sweet to be broken at 

 once, but Ronald knew that their s* li- 

 tude might be disturbed at any moment, 

 and rousing himself from his dream he 

 had just opened his lips to speak when 

 a voice from some hidden speaker came 

 plainly to their ears. 



"It is almost certain to come off to- 

 night, I think. I got him an invitation 

 on purpose. ' ' 



Ronald started. It was Lady Maria's 

 voice, but he had not the remotest idea 

 to what she was alluding. In another 

 moment, however, she received her an- 

 swer and it was Violet's turn to start, 

 for it came in her mother's accents: 



"We shall be only too grateful to 

 you if it doFs come oti', for her papa ana 

 I have always set our hearts on her 

 marrying a lord. The very minute tliut 

 Violet tells me he has proposed the 

 check shall be sent to you. " 



Ronald drew back a step, his check 

 growing white beneath its bronze. His 

 hands clenched involuntarily, and for a 

 moment V'iclet expected to see him dash 

 out upon the conspirators; but their 

 voices were already receding in the dis- 

 tance, and as he looked round he saw 

 the anguisli in her face. 



"Violet! Violet!" he cried, seizing 

 her hands in his. "You knew nothing 

 of this! I swear it with my dyiu;; 

 breath!" 



She drew her hands away and turned 

 to escape, but he followed her. 



"I have not much to otf er, " he said, 

 "but all 1 have is at your feet. " 



She quicklj- looked up, and a light of 

 gratitude came into her eyes. 



"How good you are," she said. 



Ronald looKed at her in bewilderment. 

 The words were not what he had ex- 

 pected. 



"You do not understand," he said. 

 "I want you to be my wife. " 



"I do understand," she answered 

 gently, "and I honor you for asking me 

 after what lias happened, but I will not 

 take advantage of your generosity. " 



"It is not genero.sity, " cried Ronald. 

 "It is sheer selfishness I" 



But Violet showed no signs of yield- 

 ing. 



"I will not leave you unless you tell 

 me one thing," said Ronald. "If your 

 heart is. free, I claim it; but if not, I 

 will never trouble you again. Violet, 

 tell me, do you love any one?" 



She looked at him with a face that 

 grew pale under his gaze. 



"Yes," she said, "I da" 



"That is enough," said Ronald 

 hoarsely, and dropping her hand he 

 turned and went. 



' 'It is strange how ungrateful young 

 people are!" remarked Lady Maria, a 

 few days later, to the friends gathered 

 around her tea table. "I had arranged 

 a most suitable match for my nephew, 

 really done everything in my power to 

 promote it; and yet he actually came 

 here the otlier day and used the most 

 terrible language — said that I had spoil- 

 ed his lit( , and aJl kinds of dreadful 

 things; and now he has gone off abroad, 

 nobody knows where. I am sure I only 

 hope that I shall never see him again. " 



Lady Maria's wish seemed likely to 

 be fulfilled, for five long years came and 

 went, bringing no news of Ronald; and 

 though five years could not take the 

 bloom from her cheek, nor the gold from 

 her hair, t'-.ev could, and did add very 

 materially to the infirmities of her 

 frame. But when at last he did reap- 

 pear she was willing to overlook the 

 past in spite of her resentment, for Ron- 

 ald had found his way into a profitable 

 foreign partnership, and instead of fame 

 he brought buck money. 



"One of the best things I ever did for 



