Page:Between Two Loves.djvu/29

24 Somers have been wasters, and drinkers, and dicers, and I won't call my home after their name. Why should I?"

He drove rapidly until he entered the park; then he walked the horse under the great elms, and let his thoughts wander back to the village, back to the beautiful woman who had become so dear to his heart. The brooding darkness on his brow cleared as he remembered the light and peace of Sarah's face, and when he lifted his eyes to his many-windowed, stately home, he thought of her as its mistress, and felt that his life without the hope would be a very sombre one indeed.

As he entered the door his daughter came slowly forward to meet him. She was an exceedingly lovely woman, tall, radiantly fair, exquisitely formed, and with a swaying, easy grace in all her movements that was very attractive. She had on a long, flowing dress of violet satin, and many ornaments of gleaming gold. As she walked slowly down the dim hall, the amber light of its stained windows filing all over her, she made a picture so fair that Jonathan paused to look at her. His heart was swelling with affection and pride as he took her