Poor Will!
Returning to his seat, he replied to his sister’s remark, “That was undoubtedly Marian Lindsey. Did you speak of it to Frederic?”
“No,” said Mrs. Sheldon, “I have always thought he disliked talking of her to me, and that makes me think there is something wrong—that he did her an injury.”
“Every man who marries without love injures the woman he makes his wife,” said Will, “and Frederic does not profess to have loved her then. His father drew him into this match, and for some inexplicable reason Fred consented, when all the time he loved that Isabel Huntington. But he has recovered from that infatuation, and I am glad of it, for I never liked her, and had the thing been possible, I should say she poisoned him against this Marian. Why, Miss Grey, you are actually shivering,” he added, as he saw the violent trembling of Marian’s body, and this time he opened the register and shut the door, offering to go for a shawl, and asking where she had taken such a cold.
“It’s only a slight chill—it will soon pass off,” she said, and as Mrs. Sheldon was just then called from the room, Will drew his chair a little nearer to Marian and continued:
“This Raymond affair must be irksome to you, who know nothing about it.”
“Oh, no,” said Marian faintly. “I am greatly interested, particularly in the girl-wife. Can’t he find her? Seems as though he might. Perhaps though, he don’t really care.”
“Yes, he does,” interrupted Will. “He disliked her once, but I believe he feels differently toward her now. His hobby in college was a handsome wife, but he has learned that beauty alone is worthless, and he would gladly take Marian back.”
“Red hair and all?” asked Marian, mischievously, and Will replied, “Yes, I believe he’s even made up his mind to the red hair. I didn’t object to it myself, and I once saw this girl.”
“Redstone Hall is a beautiful spot, I believe,” said Marian, briefly stating that Ben had once been there in his travels, and had since met Mr. Raymond in New York.