The Old Love and the New.

Alexandra Herald and Central Otago Gazette, Issue 504, 17 January 1906, Page 7

The Old Love and the New.

SHORT STORY

BLEARS ago, when I was a girl, scarcely T in my tsens, I read these lines f com some book, where they had been chosen as a motto for a chapter—--1 It ia good to be merry and wiae: It is good to be honest and trne; It is good to be off with the old lore Before yob are on with the new.' I remember that the book itself was one of the intense, hot-pressed specimens of the day, and that I thought the lines were f«too homely to find a place among the refined and heart-stirring words of romantic lore in its pages. Bnt they have lost their homeliness nowMore than orce have they occurred to me with all the force of truth ; and never more forcibly than when reminded of them by the strange condaot of a very dear friend of my own. People called Delia Carisbrooke a coquette. I was unwilling to think her so, although I knew she played with hearts as my kitten, Fanohette, played with my ball of silk. When I first knew her. the reigning king was Albert Biake—a fine young man of far more than average talents, a lawyer and a scholar. He idolized tha wayward girl—yielded to her in everything, She loved such servile devotion —it was as incense to her. She could not give up the delightful idea of being firs' in every heart. Yet, lor all this pure, genuine gold, she was willing to give only base coin. Her love would not bear testing. There was no ring cf the true metal in it But B?ake did not suspscr this, and he staked all his happiness upon D.Ka C«:'sbrocke's love, and—lost t It w?s near the close of the Blake reign, that Sidney Mo.v&ray, a ?cusin of Albert's, came borne from sea. Delia had never seen him until now that be had returned, and his handsome face and frank, rasy manners were irresistible. She flirted terribly with bim, and he, not dreaming that his cousin Albert was entangled, carried on the game with an earnestness that charmed Delia Meanwhile, Albert Biake waa far too mortified at the result cf his love-p°s;age, to enlighten Sidney upon the lady's course; and, at the end of a few weeks, she wa3 spreading her wiles around Albert once more. I remonstrated with her, and she replied playfully that if moths would burn their wings, it was no affair of hers. I was provoked at her coolness, and retorted stingingly, for which I only received a laughing rebuke. Many smaller lights appeared on Delia's field at this time, but none that bore comparison to the two cousins. To the former she'held out just encouragement enough to have them swallow the bait; to the latter she gave larger hopes. Never was she unattended by one or the other of her satellites, She would have been excessively mortified ever to have appeared in publio without that full measure of attention and admiraJjou which seemed so necessary to her Whence. Albert Blake was clinging to the last hope that she threw to him, and Sidney Mowbray waa in a state of wild excitement at her manifest 1 preference of himself. I was with her at an early hour one evening at this stage of events, when we . were both preparing to go to an ai&emhly. I had never seen Delia eo radiant. She was hi the very highest spirits, and she had been dressed two hours, and ready to go downstairs, bnt would not go, becausa it would tease Sidney, who was waiting for her. She went at length, because I would go down; Delia waa the last person in the world who relished being entirely alone, so ■he followed me. Sidney fairly started with surprise when she entered the room. She was dressed in pale blue silk, in which she looked absolutely splendid. It well became her fair complexion, just then heightened to faint rose-tint. Her beautiful hair hung in the loveliest waves, long and golden, needing no ornament.

A fall of rich lace, and a single superb oamelia, finished the decoration at the nsck; and a pearl bracelet upon the right arm was in good keeping with the simplicity with which she was attired. An ordinary girl would have been barely passable in such a dress, but Delia was the queen of beauty for that night. She was perfectly at her ease under the admiring gaze that Sidney cast upon her. I began to think she was fooling him instead of his cousin; for she had just told me that she should go with Albert that night She teased Sidney after we went down on the same account, at whioh he seemed troubled and uneasy. Yet, when Albert came, she told him that she was engaged to his cousin for the evening, and immediately threw on her cloak and hood to depart. She would accept of no assistance in putting them en, and her graceful attitudes and careless, saucy self-reliance, almost maddened them. She seemed that evening to be possessed With an evil spirit. Regardless of her promises made to both the cousins, she flirted violently with some strange gentlemen from a neighbouring town, who seemed to admire her exceedingly. I came back to Mr CarisDrooke'a quite early. I did not greatly eojoy the party, and Delia's conduct provoked me. I resolved to tell her parents, and beg them to talk with her. Their love had blinded them, and they Were simply wondering whioh of her lovers ■he would eventually choose. They were vexed with me for representing her as not wholly free from blame; and had I promised Delia. I should not have remained that night. She came home at a late hour, triumphant with the success of the evening. The strangers had been captivated—that was evident from her light, joyous manner. She jwtad with Sidney, and laughed at Albert's grave face. 3flk: latter had a look which I certainly like ; it was as if despair had concscsSSCed itself there. I heard hiTi* ask her if she would see him next day, and heard her excuse herself on the plea that she had engaged to ride. 1 With whom?' he asked. 1 With Sidney.' He was going to the town whence the strangers had com.. 1 When can I see yon alone V • In the evening, after we return.' And Albert departed, satisfied that she was willing to come to the decision whioh she had long promised. Curious to see the end of this, I suffered myself to be persuaded into remaining. Delia had made my peace with her parents, owning, with a gracious candour that charmed us all, that she had done wrong, but was going to reform. They had thanked me for my friendly purpose, and urged me to stay a week, and give their daughter an example of steadiness. Of course, this was said and taken in jest. The next evening, I remained in Delia's amber after tea,

Bhe wished me to go down, bat I pleaded her engagement to Albert, Baying that I preferred remaining there to read. Bhe was argent, and I, thinking that I could escape when he appeared, went down to please her. When I entered the drawing room, he was there already. I turned away after our exohange of greetings, bat Albert seized my arm, imploring me to stay. He wished me to hear what passed between Delia and himself, I declined, bat Delia herself wished it; so I stayed unwillingly. He upbraided her for her falsehood towards him, and reminded her that she had drawn him on, time after time, with words which no woman should speak to a man unless she intended to be his wife. He said that, even on his way thither, he had seen his cousin, and that he boasted he had an appointment there that evening at eight, when he was sure of being accepted. Albert seemed quite ezoited. Delia heard him with a serene smile, and even tried to answer him playfully, and with her old winning, coaxing way. It would not do. He subsided from his excitement, bat it was into a moody, sullen manner, that was reach harder to work upon, and whioh made her look embarrassed. In the midst of this the clock straok eight, and, punotual to the moment, Bidney Mowbray appeared, looking like a confident, happy lover, whose success was certain. Albert looked at Delia. Her fair faoe wa3 white and crimson by turns, yet she turned a witohing glanoe upon the new oomer that maddened Albert. He rose, went to the door and stood surveying the group with a etrange, peculiar gazr. Hia right hand was pressed tightly to his breast, and he seemed absolutely gasping for breath. I think no one but myself noticed his appearance. Delia was leaning her head upon her hand, and Sidney was murmuring sweet, soothing words, such as one speaks to a child. They did not lift their heads until Albert had stolen softly baok to the couoh, where they were sitting together, and where Sidney's arm was now around her. A moment's pause, then a loud report, and Albert fell heavily, with his head in Delia's lip, and his blood flowing over her skirts. Horror kept us all speeohless, but Delia was the first to recover ber faculties, She thrust away the arm that supported her, and leaned down to kiss the white cheek that rested on her knees, tore open his vest, and sought to stanoh the blood flowing from his wound.

Sidney and I, seeing what she was about, roused ourselves, and began to assist her. 1 think Albert saw and felt what she was doing, and I believed that it soothed the pangs of dying; but in a moment more he was beyond all human aid.

I flsw to Carisbrook's room, and besought him to go down, and as we went, I told him briefly what had taken place. He was overcome, and only whispered—- ' Oh, Kate, your fears were not in vain! This is Delia's work, is it not V I pass over the week that followed. Every one seemed paralysed with horror. I had pitied Albert Blake for having no near relatives. How thankful I wa3 now, that no mother nor sister had known this terrible stroke. Delia kept her room constantly, and wooid see no one but myself. She lay on the oo'uoh all day, passively alloving me to dress and undress her, when she changed to the bed and baok again to the couoh. Her beautiful hair was neglected, and her eyes had dark, heavy ssmi-oiroles under them, althongh she shed bo tears. Sidney Mowbray came every day, begging, hour after hour, to be admitted to her presence; but she turned her head wearily away from every message, and would not read the letters which he sent. I watched her and waited upon her day by day for the rest of the winter: but it was now spring, and I determined to indulge her no longer. I had acquired a oertain power over her, from her dependence up on me to shield har from others. It was a fair day of sunshine, and already the scent of the spring blossoms was abroad. I had opened the windows contrary to her wishes, and had put out the dose suffocating fire, near which she was shivering on her couoh.

' Come to the window,' I said. •It will do you good to look out upon the birds and the apple bloom.' She shook her head mournfully. ' I shall never go out again, Kate., 'Nonsense 1' I exclaimed, 'And, pray, why not?' She murmured that it was not for her, who had done sooiety so muoh evil, to mingle with it again. 1 So much more reason you should go out and try to repair the wrongs you have committed against it. You owe it a large debt, Delia, and surely your parents require something at your bands, after all the pain and heartache you have given them.' She did not reply, but I was thankful to see her weep; they were the first tears that I had seen her shed.'

At length she spoke again—- ' Kate, I wish I could go into a nunnery, I should be bo glad to retire to one. If I were only a nun |' • A nun!' I exclaimed, ' Delia, you aie not half as good as a nun. She performs her duty—you do nothing. Nuns are industrious, religious, charitable, and kind to the sick; you are neither of these. The world goes on in its sorrow and misery, death or siskness, and you lie there unmoved, making no effort to render a Bingle person happy. I cannot help feeling ashamed for one so thoroughly selfish as you are.' ' You are nnkind, Kate,' she said, with a great sob, that seemed to oome from the heart. ' I did not think yen oould blame me so much, ' Oh, 1 wish I were dead I If I bad only died when I was an innocent ohUdl 1

' But you did not; you live to be a growy woman, and you played with hearts as if then were dice. What wonder, that at last you ruined the hopes and blasted the life of one of ysur viotims 1' «Hush, I implore you!' she said. ' I will do all you wish, but do not talk so harshly.' I put my arm around her. * It is not to hurt your feelings, Delia.. but to show you your duty, that I speak tbus. Heaven knows I would save you every pang, save those wbioh will work out good for you at last I' She rose, and came to the window, shrinking a little at first; but soon yielding to the influence of the perfume and the sunshine, she leaned her arms upon the sill, and looked abroad.

A bird flew upon a branch near the window, and poured forth a whole volume of song. I knew she would noi go bank to her couch in the darkened oorner.

I threw her shawl over her head, and drew her out into the garden, Eer father was looking out in blank amazement, and behind him I saw a face which I knew would not remain there much longer, I wa3 right.

Da'la had scaroely Bit down in the little arbour and pulled a spray of blossoms from the tree above, when Sidney Mowbray oame and knelt before her.

How white she was I not a traoa of orimson to be Been, Bat Bhe was firm and very quiet. 'I have ODme for my answer, Delia. Will yon speak it now ?' •Try me for one year, Bidney; then, if I bear the test, I will be yonr wife.' My heart leaped at these words.

I felt that Delia Cariabrooke was to be ours onoe more, and perhaps freed from her besetting sin. And so she became. She has been the oonßtant and loving wife of Sidney Mowbray for many years now, She had a terrible lesson, bat it has worked for her good. She gives me far more oredit than I deserve, for my share in arousing her to a sense of her duty. Alas I that she did not heed me when I warned her at first.

And, after hoars of musing, I fall baok upon the words of the old song—|Tis good to be merry and wise; 'Tis good to be honest and true ; 'lis good to be ofi with the old love Before you are on with the new.