Under A Mask.

At rather a late hour , Lady Hester entered the drawing-room , leaning on the arm of her uncle . Dressed in a robe of violet velvet , with point lace over-skirt , her pale golden hair braided in a coronet over the white forehead ; on her perfect neck and arms shone glittering chains of sapphires ; while her countenance was hid by a mask of thick black lace . The well-bred crowd stared in

astonishment as this lady in the mask was introduced as Lady Stanhope , for they had not heard about the accident that had caused the unfortunate woman to shroud her face from the gaze of the world , and all marvelled at the strange sight . Long before the evening was over

Hester had been mortified and annoyed by the curious looks , low whispers , and by the remarks of the crowd in which she mingled ; but resolving to bear all with patience , she walked proudly amid the throng of strangers , although her bosom

throbbed with indignation at many stray words she caught as she juassed groups of ladies and gentlemen . Robert and Sallie were questioned b y their friends in regard to the masked widowbut all they could answer was

, , their cousin had met with an accident which had deformed her countenance so much she had hidden it by a mask . One eentleman who was a guest at the

evening fete , and who , although a great artist , was poor , in spite of Lady Hester ' s covered face , was greatly fascinated by the stranger . Her perfect form , wealth of golden tresses , graceful carriage , soft musical voice ,

and brilliant conversational powers , attracted and pleased him . Sallie Lewis , although bidden by her aristocratic parents to think only of choosing a husband from among the wealthy and high-bornhad fallen secretl

, y in love with Sidney Atherton , the handsome and talented artist , and her black eyes were green with jealousy as she noted the attention paid her cousin by the artist , while she and her worthy brother could not attribute a pure motive to the attention

paid by Sidney to Lady Hester . They thought he sought the widow ' s side because she was noble and wealthy . But , after the party , the young artist became a daily visitor at the house of Mrs . Lewis , iiot that his presence was welcome

by the parents of Sallie , but their guest , the widow , invited the intruder , and they dared not show displeasure . One evening Lady Hester , pleading illness , did not appear at dinner , and Sallie , pretending sympathy for the indisposition of her cousin—while she would gladly have

welcomed the news of her death— -for had she not stolen the heart of the man she loved ?—went to the suite of rooms appropriated to the use of Lady Stanhope . Knocking softly several times , and receiving no answer , she opened the door and went in .

Lady Hester was fast asleep on a couch near the open grate ; and although the gas was not lighted , yet the ruddy glow from the fire lighted up the room sufficiently for every object to be discernible . Gliding cautiously towards the sleepingladyshe lifted the loose covering from

, H ester ' s countenance , and , starting back as she caught a glimpse of the face beneath , turned pale as marble , while her cat-like eyes glared with looks of hate upon her relative , and murmuring , as she left the room :

" I would kill her if I dared , for she will win Sidney from me in spite of her covered face ; and if she had not intruded upon me , he would have loved me . " When she met the artist she told him

about her cousin being asleep , and that she had stolen a glimpse at her countenance ; and with a shudder , she declared Lady Hester to be one of the most frightful objects she ever beheld . But Sidney only felt contempt for the mean , under-handed way in which she had acted toward a guest

whose secret should have been held sarced . Sallie and her brother , finding they were about to lose the prizes they both coveted , were filled with despair , so they concocted a plan whereby Hester should be entrapped into a house of ill-repute

, while the artist , seeing her enter , would think her imworthy of his love , and turn to Sallie , and Robert could then have a field without a rival ; but the woman they confided in , who was to decoy Lady Hester to the mansionpretending it was for

, charitable motives , proved to be one who had been befriended b y Sidney , and she told him the vile plot . Spring arrived , and Hester had long seen that she was hated by her cousin Sallie , while Robert persecuted her with