THE SHADOW OF THE PAST

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 56, Issue 207, 15 June 1936, Page 7

THE SHADOW OF THE PAST

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VII. When the. Hon. Richard Conyngham set out from his chambers to fulfil the engagement to dine, which he had made with the Duchess of Ingleby, he was conscious of a little nervousness. He had not seen Nora O’Hagan since the night when he had carried her to her room, and he could not banish from his mind the fear that she might remember. If she did—-—-. However, the fear was set at rest the moment they met. The girl greeted him shyly, but, as he was glad to note, there was nothing of embarrassment 1n the greeting, her eyes met his frankly, and her demeanour was that of one unconscious of any troubling knowledge. “I hope you are quite recovered, Miss O’Hlagan?” he said. . “Quite, thank you, Mr Conyngham, and I do not know Why I should have fallen ill at all.” “For goodness sake, don’t go worrying about that, Nora,” interrupted the Duchess laughingly, “or we shall have you down again. And lam sure we none of us want that. Think what it would be if I had to spend the next two months at Ingleby.” “The Government would fall,” laughed Conyngham. “Almost certainly,” agreed the Duchess merrily. Her husband nodded his head, and gave his support. “By the ladies we stand or fall. I’ve‘ known a Cabinet that had lost its legs as well as its head kept going for seven months by the entertainments giv_en by a Minister’s wife. Pleasure, and not politics, is the aim of most of our legislators.” “What do you think of a heresy of that kind from the lips of a Secretary of State, ’Miss O’Hagan? Isn’t it rather terrible B” Nora O’Hagan smiled, as she said quickly. “It_ is really very terrible, if if is true. But I don’t think it is. I went with the Duchess to the House of Lords the other day, and they did not seem to be enjoying themselves at all. They were terribly serious, all except one old gentleman who was sleeping in a most uncomfortable attitude.”

“Worn out .by the stress of the fray!” laughed the Duchess. “They were discussing the question of universal military training, and they seemed very much in earnest about it. If pleasure was their aim, they were certainly very serious about it. But I don’t think it was 5 and I don’t think that as a whole Englishmen of any class live for pleasure. of.cou-rse, they have their moments of relaxation—w” “When we can steal them,” broke in the. Duke lightly. “And then we are grumbled at. People grumble when we work, they grumble when we play——” “And when we have slaved ourselves to death they run us down in our obituary notices!” laughed Conyngha-m. “There you have the whole life of a politician in these strenuous days, Miss O’Hagan.” “I shall write Harry’s myself,’ ’ cried the Duchess decidedly. The {Duke of Ingle'by’s countenance uvas filled with mock consternation. “If §no man is a hero to his valet, what lmust he be to his wife? My dear, you ihad better leave it to the legitimate journalists. They will not know as much as you, and so—r—J’ “\Vill (lo the. thing better! Thank you, Harry. But I shall exercise discretion and—-——”

Conyngham was watching Nora O’Hagan’s smiling face, and thinking of the last occasion on which he had seen it. Looking at her now it was difficult to believe that that occasion had ever been, trebly difficult to think that she could have had anything Whatever to do with W‘anklyn’s tragic death. Her youth, her innocent beauty, her eyes unshadowed by guilty knowledge, all gave the notion the lie. He was conscious again of the emotion which had surged Within him with such tremendous force on the occasion of their first meeting, and again he told himseli‘ that he loved her, loved with all the depth of passion which his nature was capable. He was recalled to the discussion by the Duchess’s voice, saying, “\Vhat do you think of it, Dick?” “01“ what, Duchess?” he asked brazenlyh “I was engrossed in my dinner.

“Glutton! laughed her Grace. “But as I want your opinion against Harry’ s I will repeat myself. I say that no man ought to be afraid of what his widow may say about him.”

“And I,” cried the Duke, “say that no man would dare to die if he thought the wife of his bosom would give her opinion of him to the world. What do you think, Conyngham ?” Conyngham looked up and caught the eyes of Nora O’H‘ngan. There was laughter shining in, them, and he himself laughed rresponsively as he answered: “As a bachelor, I lack the neces—sary qualifications to judge so delicate a matter. But I can imagine that most husbands and wives will regard the thing from different points of View.” “There is the whole of married life in epitome,” was the Duchess’s merry retort. “For a bachelor, Dick, you display considerable knowledge of the inner side of" thingsf’ _ _ _ ‘_ ‘

“I have the privilege of friendship with Ingleby and yourself, Duchess,” he replied 'lilandly. The Duchess laughed, and Miss O’Hagan laughed with her, whilst the Duke shook his head in mock reprool’. “Beware of cynicism, Conyngham. If it creeps into your speeches you are a, broken man. The public will not have it. It prefers earnestness and—” “It is time Nora and I withdrew,” interrupted the Duchess ruthlessly. “\Vhen Harry begins on the great B.P. it is a. beginning without an ending, and my maid is waiting to give me my ballroom complexion. Come, Nora!”

She rose, and Nora. rose with her. As they departed the Duke nodded to the waiter, who also withdrew; then as he

lit a. cigarette he said: “It is a fortunate thing that you know my wife, Dick. She will talk in that way. I believe she would discharge a maid who so much as suggested the use of a powder—puff, and no man ever had a better wife. I wonder why she does lit ?” i “She is not alone in it,” answered Conyngham lightly. “Most of the ladies of my acquaintance do the same thing. Persiflage is the vice of the age. We are all afraid of seem—ing in earnest even about the things which we feel most deeply.” However, it was not so with himself later that same evening, when, stand—ing with the Duchess, he watched Nora O’Hagau waltzing with a junior Lord of the Treasury. “Nora,” said the Duchess meditatively, “in her own way is the most beautiful girl in the room.” “It is not a matter of type,” he re—plied fervently. “She is simply the most beautiful woman present.” The Duchess smiled. “Present company always excepted, I suppose, Dick.” But Conyngham Was brazen. “This, Duchess,” he answered quickly, “is one of the cases where that rule breaks down.”

‘lt is very ungallant of you to say so, then,” she retorted. “And lam surprised that you should do so, after all my training.” She laughed, and then a serious look came on her own charming face. “I suppose you have quite made up your mind, Dick?” “Quite,” he answered. “I niean to make Nora my wife. Nothing can turn me from that decision.” . . . . For a moment he paused, and in that moment the dark knowledge of recent events surged up within him, and he had a. vision of terrible possibilities; then he repeated, “Nothing!” The Duchess looked at him curiously. The pause had been very marked, and she had noticed it, and wondered what thought lay behind it, but being wise in her day, and generation she refrained from any comment upon it. Instead, she said quietly, “In that case if I were you, Dick, I do not think I should waste too much time. Nora is young and impressionable, and her dance card (which I have seen) is evidence that she will be much sought after. Young Matthewson there is credited with being on the; lookout for a wife whose riches and beauty will help forward a rising statesman. He has two more dances down for Nora, and I should not wonder if he. were a candidate.” “Is that so, Duchess?” he asked, smilingly. “Then I shall for once go in a different lobby from the Government whips, as I hope Miss O’Hagan will also . . . Ah!” “\Vhat is the matter, Dick?” asked the Duchess quickly, while she followed the direction of his eyes. “There is a good deal the matter,” he said quietly, “unless I am greatly mistaken. If you will watch Miss O’Hagan for a moment you will per—haps agree with me.” A little mystified, the Duchess seated herself, and kept her eyes in the direction of her protege. The dance having ended, she. was being led by her partner to a seat, when a second man pushed his way towards them. In, the first glance the Duchess did not rc‘ cognisc him, his back being towards her, but from al'ar Conyngham had no difficulty in identifying the graceful figure and blue-back poll as belonging: to the young Prince Murad. But as he turned sideways, and his profile came into View, the Duchess. recognising him, became still more mystified.

“\Yhat on earth do you mean, Dick?” “lVatch for a moment, and possibly things will make themselves clear,” was the reply. The Duchess watched, woucleringly, and Conyngham watched also. The young Prince bowed to Nora, and even at that distance they saw the colour flush her cheeks. Then,- apparently disregarding her partner altogether, the Prince began to talk animatedly the girl herself listening with a constrained air. After a minute or so her partner intervened, apparently to excuse him Self, and a.moment later he left her, and began to make his way up the room. The prince remained, and from his gestures the two watrhc-rs were both convinced that he was urging something upon the girl to which she was reluctant to give consent, for twice she shook her head. Presently, however, she rose, tool; the l'rmee’s offered arm, and together they passed towards the conservatory.

The Duchess looked at Conynghain. “\Vell ?” “Is not the situation pretty ('JPDJ‘ without explanation ?” he replied. I don’t know what you mean, Dick. If you think that Nora. is capable of an affair in that direction, I assure you that you are utterly mistaken." “It is not Miss O’Hagan I am. thinla ing of,” answered Couyngham. “It is the Turk.” The Duchess smiled. "He is a young man, and it is natural _to young men to imagine themselves in love and pay tribute to beauty. Of course, the affair is not serious.” “But it is serious,” ‘vas the quick reply. , The Duchess looked at him with raised eyebrows, and Conyngliam asked suddenly. “Duchess, have you missed a photograph of Miss O’Hagan, one with. her Christian name written at the foot.” The Duchess of Inglehy made; no attempt to hide her surprise. “Why, Dick, how on earth did you know?” “I (lid not know,” he answered quickly. “I only guessed; but it will interest you to know that that photograph with the inscription ‘From Nora,’ is openly displayed on the mantlepiecc of the Prince’s room at Ox—ford; and remembering; his position it is not difficult to understand that it may do Miss O’Hagan considerable harm.” ' Hier Grace’s face flushed with indignation. “It is too bad,” she said. “and the: inference that people will draw from it is intolerable. I will speak to him; I will make him return it to me. He must have stolen it from my houdoir.”

“Exactly! That is what I thought likely. And it will help you to see that the Prince’s manifest infatuation for Nora, is to be regarded seriously. “But. it is preposterous,” cried the Duchess. “The man is a—a—”

“Say ’.l“m‘k,” broke in (L‘onynglla‘m, unable to refrain from smiling. “It implies that all you. would say, and a good deal more that is very important.”

l “Well, you know what I mean, Dick,” replied the Duchess. “He may he a Prince, and a very important personage in his own country; but he is a Turk and a polygamist and all that, and . . . well, decent white women don’t do that kind of thing.” “No. And it is precisely there that the matter becomes serious in directions that you will scarcely have thought of, Duchess. Captain W'arborough, who I believe is here to-night, and who, as you will know, is an attache at Constaninople, is seriously concerned about the matter. He thinks that the eifect on the Prince will not be a good one.” “I will speak: to the Prince,” said the Duchess, with decision. “I will tell him that I cannot have Nora’s name ————” “It will not be necessary, after all, I think, Duchess,” interrupted Conyng—ham. “Look there!” He nodded his head towards the entrance to the conservatory, whence Nora O’Hagan had just emerged, alone. Her face was flushed, there was a flash of indignation in her eyes, and her whole bearing was eloquent of disquiet. “I think you are right,” answered the Duchess quickly. “Something has happened. I must go to her, but I promise that that young man shall not altogether escape. He must be taught his place once for all, and learn not to presume on the hospitality extended to him."

She hurried away towards Miss O’Hagan, and Conyngham, smiling to himself at the thought of the Duchess putting a Turkish prince in his place, still watched the door of the conservatory. Presently Prince Murad appeared. There was a frown on his face, and his eyes simply blazed. He looked neither to right nor left, but made straight for the main entrance to the ballroom, where he disappeared. “He’s got his conge,” thought Conyngham to himself, “and one. way 01' theother, Warhorough’s fears will be settled.” He looked round for the Captain, and, not finding him, made a shrewd guess as to his whereabouts. Five minutes later he found him in the supper—room, and after they had exchanged greetings the Captain asked abruptly . “Seen anything, 0f the Prince?” Conyngham nodded. “I fancy he has left.” “Left?” '

“Yes,” answered Conyngham, “in a hurry,” and forthwith proceeded to give a brief account of his conversation with the Duchess, and of what he had observed.

Warborough whistled softly to himself. “Then the fat’s in the fire” he said. “And that reminds me, have you seen the evening papers P” ' ((N'0.,1

’l‘he Captain felt in his watch pocket, and produced a. small piece of tinted newspaper cut from one of the evening editions. This he handed to his friend without a Word, and Conyng—ham read:—

SUICIDE OF AN OXFORD UNDERGRADUATE.

“At an inquest at Oxford, this afternoon, on the body of Ahmed Assam, a young Egyptian, it was stated that de—ceased, who was an undergraduate of the University had been disappointed by the non—receipt of remittances from Egypt, and that after the delivery of the Egyptian Mail had retired to his room, where he was found dead half-an-hour later by a fellow undergraduate and companion, Mr Abdul Rasna, of Salonica.

“A doctor who had examined the drer of some liquid which was found in a glass close by the dead man’s hand, and who made a post-mortem of the body, testified that the glass had unquestionably contained cyanide of potassium, which poison was the cause of death; and the jury, after a very short deliberation, returned a, verdict of ‘Suicide whilst temporarily insane.’ ” \Vhen he had finished he looked at the Captain questioningly. “Rasna,” said the Captain slowly, “is one of the most active Pan—lslam< ites at present in England. Ahmed Assam was one of Herrick’s agents, and in no Wise dependent upon remittances from Egypt. Now can you see a. hole through the ladder?” Conyngham nodded, and whistled softly to himself, whilst the Captain continued: “The game is beginning to quicken. Those fellows, suspecting Assam, deliberately murdered him by getting at his food or drink some way. I must he going, for the thing must be getting very ripe, and if they can rope in young Murad, the Lord only knows how soon they’ll start the. Pan-Islam game. I must go and make myself anuisanee to that young man without delay. If what you suspect has happened he will be in the mood for mischief.”

Captain \Varborough departed, and, after glancing at his list of dances, Conynghain returned to the ballroom. (To be continued).