ing-time of life, when first he had
heard those tones, and vowed to follow their sweet sound the wide world
over, little dreaming they would lure him through a labyrinth of such
varied agonies; his whole countenance was softened by the gleaming of
that pure affection from his eyes, for it was the memory of the young
fresh love that still held unalterable dominion over him. This was his
misery, that it was as young as ever in his aged heart, strong and lusty
beyond what the withered frame could bear; but no longer fresh and true,
no longer guiltless, for it will be seen how this deep love had
engendered a deeper hate.

With the beauty of that tenderness still lingering on his face, he drew
back the curtain and passed into the room; and straight-way was he met
by the glance of stinging, cold disdain that all these many years had,
hour by hour, and day by day, tortured his love to madness, and lashed
his very soul to fiercest irritability. A most beautiful woman was Lady
Randolph, though now in the ripe autumn of her days; stately and
magnificent in dress and appearance, with pride in every gesture and
movement, and a haughty self-love filling that swelling breast, and
curling the finely chiselled lips. She was surrounded by the utmost
refinement of luxury, and lay extended on a chaise lounge, with a
delicate little Italian greyhound nestling beside her, to whom she
continued to talk in fondling accents, even when her husband stood
before her. Yet there was no symptom of an indolent disposition in her
appearance; there was, on the contrary, a flashing gleam in the proud
eyes, which seemed to tell of fiery energy.

These met him, as we have said, with a glance of withering contempt,
which caused the shrivelled frame to shake and quiver. Yet memory had
been busy at his heart, when he heard her voice come softly through the
curtain, as once through the green shade of the whispering woods, in his
summer time of love and hope. There was a tremulous softness in his
tone, a sad deprecating of her disdain, when he spoke to her. "You
wished to see me, Catherine."

"Only that I might give you a piece of intelligence, no doubt most
gratifying to you; another of your heirs has obeyed your summons; I am
told that Lilias Randolph is arrived."

She spoke as if she could have wished that every word should cut to his
very heart; it was plain that the fact thus announced had somehow
touched a wound of rankling bitterness in her own. She