When a Woman Dreams

Sun (Christchurch), Volume I, Issue 227, 29 October 1914, Page 2

When a Woman Dreams

A KEW KOVEL

BY MME. ALBANESI Author of "Envious Gliza," "The blunder of an Innocent," &c, &a, [COPYRIGHT.]

Ksa—, ... • . CHAPTER Xlll.—(Continued.) As she stood smiling graciously to all in-*turn, joining in the ceaseless flow of chattering voices and gay laughter, her heart felt like lead and her mind was occupied with harassing thoughts. She had grown to care for Mary Trentham .for herself, although in the beginning when she had changed in her attitude to the girl she had only been following Rivers's advice. Nigel had advised her to be nice to Miss Trent--harn so that in the end she might reap some material benefit from such a friendship. Many and many a time Lady Newtrie had hated herself for playing the hypocrite, but circumstances were too strongly against her. She needed money so desperately and would have been "grateful, «=a#s not for the whole of her share of the Darrell bequest, at least a part of it. v ' Nevertheless, though months , had passed, and since the days when she and' Mary Trentham had drifted into elosef friendship, Lady Newtrie could never bring herself to make any mention of money to- the girl, although she had been well>nigh distracted to know how to deal with-her debts. The interest she had to pay~».pn the loan was extremely heavy, and, what was more, seemed to be growing higher -.as the She was no business woman, and did not realise into what unscrupulous hands she had fallen. The payments she had to make had to be met out of her allowance, and her ordinary resources. Her hopes of everpaying up the loan and being clear of. the whole hateful business/grew less and less as time passed. Help; from Sir• Francis was utterly out of the question; Bhe felt that.. she had drifted away from her husband ina way. she dared hardly acknowledge to herself in the last few months. \ To save the truth coming to him she allowed him to believe she had never quite got over her resentment to his determination to have Mary Trentham in the house, and though she and Mary had developed a sort-of friendship she always tried to let Sir Praueis believe she could not forget he had so utterly disregarded her wishes. Lady Newtrie felt as time passed that she would be obliged to speak to Mary in the end and ask help of the girl, bitter though this would be. But this night she saw her last chance being taken from her, and the mere thought "drove the colour from her cheeks and accentuated the shadows about her beautiful eyes. She felt Nigel Rivers was treating her unfairly; many months ago he had

been only too ready to suggest that she should get from Mary Trentham what in reality—so he had tried to persuade her!-—was almost her own! He ha'd, indeed, seemed to think it quite a sound plan, the one natural action to be taken. Would he think the same, Irene Newtrie was wondering, even whilst she smiled to her guests, if she asked his wife to come to her rescue? She grew very wary as night wore on. The splendid rooms, with their rich hangings, their polished floors, - and beautiful pictures seemed to Irene stifling-; the scene of the many flowers oppressed her. The conversation of the men' and women around her had never before seemed so vapid, so empty; she longed for all to go away, longed that at least they would not stand found her hedging her in with their senseless chatter. She wanted %o have an opportunity of speaking to Nigel; it was vital that she" should know what was passing with him and if he intended to marry Mary Trentham. Some of her> friends gossiped about Lady Newtrie this night., "Don't you think Irene looks awfully ill? Just as if something were wrong," one woman whispered t'o another. The other agreed. Yes, Something undoubtedly wrong. What could be the matter? *' She has everything in the world she wants," the first speaker-said, "so it can't be anything serious. Perhaps dear Mr Rivers could throw some light on the problem. You know they do say years ago he and Lady Newtrie were engaged." •■■Ml .never heard that. How interesting! v No wonder she looks miserable, for Mr Rivers is evidently running for; the>-'Trentham girl." •',!.-"Little dreaming that.' her acquain.t.ances had begun to discuss her altered, appearance, acting her part as hostess a% best she could with all the grace that was natural to her, Lady Newtrie longed to be alone. At last the moment came when she felt that she was at last free to move from her station at the entrance to the biggest of "the reception rooms. She stepped out into the corridor, and stood with her eyes shut for a few seconds, and as she leaned against the top of the wide staircase someone came walking up it. Nigel Rivers at supper, but he had slipped away on the first opportunity, too concerned with his own affairs to be bothered with listening to those Of other people. . He was thinking, of the immediate future as h.e slowly ; asjgemled, staircase, and there -%£s: a scious triumph on hhf^|aee..> He jthat evening haji ;iha#e I up his mind to doA^Mary■ was not rich, perhaps; acfeordf&g^Q l Ms

notion of wealth; on the other hand he was by no means a catch! Larger fortunes expected greater returns for the money. Miss Trentham had a distinctly agreeable income. As her husband he would have a pleasant and secure billet not at all to be sneered at, and she was good to look at. Yes! distinctly she was good-looking. He was thinking of her charming face, the half-haunting look of sadness in her dark eyes, the little scornful twist to the mouth that he had quite frankly admired from the first day of their i meeting as he came slowly and thoughtfully upstairs. He smiled complacently as he thought of her. She was a wife to be quite proud of. He was, he considered, very lucky, and was for the time being at least, more than a little in love with the girl whose money had been her chief attraction. Then he looked up and say Lady Newtrie standing at the top of the stairs, and he frowned. The next instant he was whispering to her lightly: "Congratulations! Your party has been delightful and your chef has excelled himself, Irene! " Lady Newtrie tried to speak'easily, but her voice shook slightly, "I have not had a word with you all the evening, Nigel; I could not even see what had become of you." "Each time I tried to find you," he explained, blandly, "you were surrounded by crowds. I could never get near you.'' "Well, that is the worst of being hostess. Oh, how sick I am of everything! Nigel, I must have a talk with you." "You don't seem the filing at all. Can't we postpone our talk till to-mor-row?" he said, looking at her sharply and scenting trouble in the air. "I am not ill, it is jiist that I—l am tired." She pressed her hand over her eyes for a moment. "And I have a 'headache, too. No, I can't wait; 1 want to speak to you. Come." She turned) and, entering the big drawing-room again, -walked ahead towards the' en> trance to the conservatory." Frowning sharply, Rivers was forced "to follow her. ■.•'. ' ,•'.;,. ' '•'■'■ ' .'.':'.'; * ■ '' By the way' M-Lady New'trie turned and looked'."athim—-'/can you tell ; me what has become of Mary Trentham?" She! spoke quite casually, but her voice flu-ttSred in.her throat, so much depended on his answer. "I have .not seen her for ages; the last time I had a glimpse of her you were together." "I havea message for you from her. She and Mrs Seymour left some little while ago. They tried to find you, but at the moment you were so hedged in that they could not get. near enough to say •' good-bye.' But Mary says she is seeing you to-morrow, in v any case, and will make her own excuses then," he ended. They had reached the doorway into the conservatory, deserted again, save for one couple at the far end sitting very complacently together beneath a big palm; tree. , Lady Newtrie glanced' back, to the young man just behind : '!< illyeryone seems all right," she .'sajdv>;M:Era,'ncis■; is over there if anyone to say, 'good-bye.' " She iodded- to where her husband stood, looking, a smile 0n Ms >ihd)y face, his grey head slightly

bent as lie listened, an amused look in his eyes, to the chatter of a pretty, vivacious-looking woman with white hair waved back from her forehead and a young face out of which sparkled two bright brown eyes. "He is talking to Mrs van Wart; she always interests him," Lady Newtrie said in her tired voice. "He says that he finds Americans the most amusing women in the world."-She turned again to the archway that divided the conservatory from the drawing-room. "Let us go in here, Nigel. I must rest for a few minutes, and I must talk to you.'' "And I must talk to you, too, Irene," Rivers said. He felt a little nervous as he sat down beside the chair wjiich Lady Newtrie had selected for herself. For the first time he was beginning to wonder what she would, say of his engagement. She interrupted him quickly, holding up her hand imperiously. "First you must let me talk! Nigel, I am so worried! I am nearly out of my mind. It is that wretched loan. You can't think how enormous the interest is! And what is worse, it seems to increase so fast. I don't understand how they can want so much money. The other day I had a dreadful letter asking for a further payment, and. when I wrote and expostulated;l got a letter threatening to lay the matter before Francis. Isn't'it too appalling?" Nigel Rivers tightened his lips and beat the floor impatiently with one foot. "Of course, it's always a nuisance. to owe money, and you must remember you borrowed a very big amount." "I left myself in your hands, Nigel." "I am very sorry, but really, I can do nothing, Irene. It seems to me as if you want to blame me for everything. You know I really only did my best to help you out of a horrible hole. If I suggested borrowing, it seemed the best course then. And, anyhow, it has kept the matter from reaching Sir Francis's ears. You see, Dalton had to be paid. We could not have put him off for long; he would certainly have gone to.'your nusbahd, and that was the: one thing you .particularly did not wish." -" .' "Of Course notK? : she exelaimed sharply. Her face, he saw* was haggard in tlte shaded glow, of the lanterns overhead. "Oh, Nigel, if only I could havehad even half of what Francis said ihe would give me as my share of the Darrell money, what a difference it would have made. I haven't touched a card for nearly a year, not since that last ghastly afternoon; but it is this awful feeling of insecurity, this hateful interest to be paid. . "Francis is so generous and unsuspecting, but any day he may begin to wonder what I do with all the money I get, now that I seem to have nothing to show ior it. Then, too, I hate the-feeling of not having my jewels back! Nigel v why should they keep my jewels'as well as take all this interest? Can't you do something % I can't go to see this man by myself. Won't you go for me? Surely when he has had so much money he ought to give me back my jewellery." Nigel Eivers was silent an instant, and then he said hardly: — "I am afraid you must let things go along as they are, and trust to luck. I can't possibly mix up in this any more, and I can't suggest anything else."

| "There's of course always your other suggestion," Lady Newtrie said quietly, watching him as she spoke. '' You remember the other way you proposed by wjiich I could clear myself of my difficulties? I have so far not carried'out all your instructions, though I have certainly acted upon them to some extent.' ' ' • 1 'in afraid I don 't quite follow you.'' His voice was dangerously cold. But Lady Newtrie was reckless, and she was resolved to know just how she stood once and for all. "Don't you? Well, I am referring to your advice to ask Mary Trentham for' the money I need. You told me I ought to make a friend-of her, Nigel. That really she had taken my share of old TDarrell's legacy, and that as she hated the money she might be persuaded into giving me at least some of what I was to have had if she' had not turned up. I. have not asked her all this time. I 've, tried to, but somehow it has been impossible! But now things are so desperate with me and you are powerless to help s me, so" —she spoke quite clearly and looked him straight in the f ace —'' I mean to brace myself lip and speak plainly to Mary to-morrow. It is my only chance." "It is one that is quite .out of the question now!'' "Why should it be out of the question now ! i " '' Because . I should very strongly object to Mary giving away large sums of her money," he answered, softly. "You would object?" *- '' Yes, as her future husband!'' '' You are going to marry Mary Trentham?" "Yes; and you must see, my dear girl, that this makes a vast difference. What might have been possible before is quite altered now; I can't allow her to, be too generous with her money." Irene's face was-pitifully white. "But, Nigel, it was your own plan, your own suggestion —— " •'•■■"• '' Ah, yes! But. then, you see, I wasn't engaged to Mary Trentham then," he laughed lightly. /'As a matter of fact., we 've only been "engaged about an hour. Anyway/' he -added,--- briskly, you can easily understand that I naturally mean to look alter "But ii'she choosesi to give me some before you are her husband?" Irene Newtrie cried, hotly; "after all, what has that to'do with you? Can she not help a friend?"' .. "A friend —yes! " -,... "You may taunt me as much as you like, but in many ways, however Jt may have started, I have been a good frien* to Mary. I believe if I had screwed-up my courage to tell her the whole story she would have ended all my worry long ago! " ■ "Perhaps; but, my dear Irene, you won't try that on now!" "You take a very strange tone, Nigel. If I chose to, speak to Miss Trentham no one can prevent, me. I shall do so '' "Oh, no,;you won't, my dear<girl,'-' Eivers said, 1 calmly, though he was furiously angry}; "and I'.ll tell you why. Because if |ou try in any way to approach my future wife on this matter I shall go straight to Sir Francis and tell him the whole story from beginning to end!]" / be continued.)