"PHROSO."

Auckland Star, Volume XXVII, Issue 108, 9 May 1896, Page 1 (Supplement)

"PHROSO."

BY ANTHONY HOPE.

Author of • The Prisoner of Zeada.1

CHAPTER I,

A tONG THING ENDING IN POULOS,

QuQt homines tot senltntia—ao many men go many fancies. My fancy was for an Jjland. Perhaps boyhood's glamour hung ,till rouad aea-girb rocks, and fairy lands forlorn still beckoned ; perhaps I felt that London was too full, bfae Highlands rather fuller, the Swiss mountains most insufferably crowded of them all. Moaey can buy company, and ib can buy rebiretaeat. The latter oervice I askod now of the moderate wealth which my poor cousin Tom'a death had endowed fcne. Everybody was good enough to suppose that I rejoiced ab Tom'a death whereas I wai particularly sorry for it aad was not consoled even by the pro.necta of the ttlaDd. My trionds underT od this wish for an ialaud as little aa thov appreciated my feelings about poor Trim Beatrice waa mosb emphatic in dating that ' ft horrid little island ' had no charms for her and that she would never «86 foot ia it. This declaration was rather .-noving, because I had imagined myself sending my honeymoon with Beatrice on the island; but life is not all honeymoon, and I decided *o fcave the island none the k»g In'the first) placa, I was nob to be married for a year. Mrs Bennetb Hipgrave had insisted ou this delay in order that we mi-rht be sure we knew our own hearts. And as I may say without uatairnosß that Mrs flipgrave waa to a considerable degree responsible for the engagement—she asge'ted the facb hersalt with prade — I thought that aho had a right to some voice in the dote of the marriage. Moreover, the posbpenemenb gavo me exactly time to c o over and settle affaira in the wlancj. For I bad bought ib. It cost m© £7,550, rather •» fancy pric* ; bub r could not haggle with the old lord—ka.it to bo paid to the lord's bankers in London, and the second half to him in Nsopatia, when ho delivered poaasseioß to me. The Turkish Government fead sanctioned the sale, and i had agreed to pay £100 yearly *a tribute. This sum I was entitled, in my turn, to levy on the inhabitants. ...... »In fact, ray denr lord,' fiaid old Mason to me when I called on him m Lincoln's Inn Field?, • tha wholo affair is settled. I coneratulate veu on. having gob jutb what was y«ur whim. You aro over 100 miles from the naaresb land—Rhedes, you see.' {He laid a map before me.) 'You are off the steamship tracks ; tho Austrian Lloyd a to Aleiandria leavos you far to the north-east. You ore equally remote fn»ra any submarine cable ; here on tha south-wont, from Alexaadria to Candia, is tbe ncareet. You will havo to fetch your lobters.' 11 shouldn't think ef doisg such a thing, said I, indignantly. 'Then you'll only gebthem omco in three morttiu. Neopabia is extremely rugged and picturexquo. It w nine miles loisg and five broad ; ib grows cofcton, wino, oil and a little corn. The people aro quit© unsophisticated, but very gaod-hearted—' 1 And,' said I # * there aro only 370 of tkemall (sold. 1 really think 1 shall do very x.well there.' _ ' I have no dowbt you will. By the way, treat the old gentleman kindly. Hp ii terribly cv* up ab having to sell. "My dear island," ho writes, "is second to my dead ion's honour and to nothing else." Hia son, you know, Lord Wfeeatley, was a bad lot—& very bad lob; indeed. 1 'Ha lefb a lot of unpaid debts, didn't he?' *Yes, gambling debts! He spenb hia time knocking about l'aris and London with hi* cousin Constantino —by no means an improving companion if report speaks truly. And your money is to pay the debts, yeu know.'

•Poor old chap,' said I. 1 sympathised With him in the loss of hia island. •Here'» tfce house, you see,' said Mason, turning to the map and dismissing tfae lorrows of tfce old Lord of Neopatia. 'About tbe middle of the island nearly a thousand feeb above the soa. I'm afraid it's a bqmbledowa old place and will swallow a lob of money without looking much better for the doße. To pub it into repair for tha reception of the future Lady Wbeatley would cost—'

•The future Lady Wheatloy nays sbo won't go there on any account,' I interrupted.

•Bub m 7 very dear lord,' cried heaghaeb, •if eha won't '

'She won't, and there's an' ond of ir, Maaon. Well, good day. I'm to have possession in a month.'

'In a month to the very day—on the 7th of May.1

1 'All right, I shall be there to take it,' find escaping from the legal quarter, I ißssda my way to my sister's house in Cavendish Square. She had a party, and I vai bound to go by brotherly duty. As lock would have ib, however, I was rewarded for my virtue (and if bhab'a nob luck Id this hudtrle-muddle world, I don'b know what i»), bbc Turkish ambassador dropped in, and presently James came and took me ap to him. My brother-in-law, James Gardewr, ia always anxious thai. I should know the right people. Tha Pacha received me with great kindness.

'You are tha purchaser of Keopafcia, aren't you?' he asked, after a little conversation. •The matter came before me Officially.' 'I'm much obliged,' said I, 'for your ready asßant to the transfer.'- ;

'Oh,-it's nothing to us. In fact our tribute, such aa ib is, will be safer. Well, Invßijre I hope you'll settle in comfortably.'

"Ob, I Bhall be all right. I know the Greeks very well, you know—been there a job—and. of course, I talk the tongue, Became I gpent two years hunting antiquities inthe More* and some of the islands.' Tbe I'aaha stroked hia beard, as ha Observed in a calm tone.

'Thelast time a Steffanopoulos tried to »e!l Neopatia, the paoplo killed him, and turned the purchaser—he was a Frenchman j-ißaron d'Eyonville—adrift in an opon WaS-with nothing on but; his shirt.' ' Good heavens ! waa that recently.' *No; two hundred years ago. Bub it's * conservative part of the world, you snow.' And His Eiccoilancy smiled. 'They were described to me as goodhearted folk — unsophisticated of course, but) uoodlioarted.'

'They think thab the island is theirs, you iee »' ha explained, ' and that the lord has no .basinet to soil. They may be good noarted, Lird Wheatley, bub they aro tenacious of t!>eir rights. ' But tuey can't ha\'o any righte,' I expostulated.

'None (it all,' he assented; ' Bab a maa ~ Be»er so tenacious of his righta as when "8 hasn't) any. However, axitres temps ymtn(Eurs; I don'b suppose you'll hare »oy trouble of that kind. Certainly, I hope »ot, my dear lord.' n?? r, ely yoor Government) will see to »•' I™*Ke(ltedHis Excellency looked at me ; althoueh .' tlftt«rs a grave man, ho crave a low ™-ou» chuckle, and regarded me with TOiblo, amusement. f*,!i «riof cou"«. you can rely on that, •I *abley«'Baid he■•■hat) j g a diplomatic assurance, your

<j ('Copyrighb 1896 In the United Shakes of t teenca by A. H. Hawkins.)

Ercellency 2' I ventured to suggest with a smile. ."' . • It is unofficial,' said be, • but as binding as if it) wera official. Oar Governor in that partr of the world ia a very active man—yea, a decidedly active man. 1 The only result of this conversation was that when I waß buying my sporting guns in St. Jomea-etreet the next day I purchased a couple of pair* of revolvers ot the same time. It ia well to bo on bha safe side, and although I attached lifcfcle importance to the bygone outrage of which the Ambassador spoke, I did nob suppose that the police eervioa would be very efficient), and I thought ib prudent to be ready for any trouble that the old world notions of the Neopatiana might occasion. But in uay heart I iisiended to be very popular with them. For I cherished the generous desijrn of paying the whole tribute out of my own pocket, and disestablishing in Neopatia what seemed to bo the only institution in no danger of such treatment here—tha tax gatherer. If they understood that they would hardly bo so sfeert-BJgkbed as so set me adrift in my shirt like a second Baron d'Eyonville, or so unjusb as to kill poor old StolTanopouloa aa they had killed hia ancestor. Besides, aa I comforted myself in repeating, thoy were a good-hearted race—unsop'hiscafced, of courao, bub thor* ouehly good-hearted. My cousin, young Denny Swinbon, was to diao with us thab evening at the Optimium. Danny (which ia short for Dennis) was the oaly membor of the. family who thoroughly sympathised with me aboub Neopatia. Ho was wild with interest in the island, and I looked forward to telling him all I had hoard about it. I knew he would listen, for he was to go with me and help m<s to fcake possession. The boy had almost wept on my neck when 1 asked him to coma ; ha had just lefb Woolwich, and waa nob to join his regiment for six months; ha was thus, as ho pub ifc, 'at a loose end,' and «ucceeded in persuading hie parents that he ouglab to learn modern Greek. General Swinton was r&ther cold about the project; he said that Benny had spent ten yoara on ancient Greek, and knew nothing aboub it, and would nob probably learn much of the newer sorb in three months ; bub his wife thought it .you'd be a nice trip fcr Denny. Well, it turned out to bo a very nice trip for Denny—but it Mrs Swinton had known —however, if it comes to that, I might just as well exclaiin s 'If I had known myaelf !'

Donny had taken a tablo next bub one to the west enid of the room, a»d was drumming hia fingers impatioofcly on the cloth when I entered. He wanted both his dinner aud the latest news about Neopatia; co I sat down and made haste to eatiufy him in both respecta. Travelling with equal sbapa through the two matters, we had reached tho firab entree and tho fate of the murdered Steffanopoulos (which Denny, for Borne rea.-on, declared was a ' lark ') when two people came in and sab down &b the table bayor.d ours and next to the wall, whoro two chairs had been tilted up in token of pre-engajoment. Tho maa—for the pair were man and woman — was tall and powerfully built; hie complexion was dark, and ha had good regular featurea ; ho looked also as if ha had a bib of a temper somewhere about him. 1 was conscious of baying seen him before, and suddenly recollected thab by a curious chanca I had run- up asrainst him twice in St. James'-eferoet that; very day. The lady was handsome ; she had an Italian casD of face, and moved wibh much grace ; her manner was rabher elaborate, and wben sho epoke to the waiter I detected a pronounced foreign accent. Taken together tkey were a retaarkable couple, and proseated a distinguUhod appearance. I believe I atn not a conceited man, bub I could not help wondering whether their thoughts paid me a similar compliment. For I certainly detscted both oj them casting more than one curious glance towards our table, apd when the man whispered once to a waiter,' I was sure that I formed tbe subject of his question. Perhaps he also remembered our two encounters.

• I wonder if there is any chance of a row ?' said Denny, in a bone that sounded wistful. ' Going to bake anybody with you, Charley ?' •Only Watkins—l musb have him, he always knows whora everything is, and I've told Hogvardt, my old dragoman, to meet us in Rhodes. He'll talk tbeir own language to the begears, you know.' ' Bub he's a Gorman, isn't he V

'He thinks co,' I answered! ' He's not certain, you know. Anyhow, ho chatters Greek like a parrot. He's a pretty good man in a row, too. But there won't be a row, you know.' * I suppose there won'b,' admitted Denny, ruefully. •For my own part,' said I, meekly, ' as I am going there to be quiet, I hope there won't.'

In the interest of conversation I had forgotten our neighbours; but now, a lull occurring in Denny's questions and surmises, I heard the lady's voice. She began a sentence—and began it in Greek ! That was little unexpected : bub it was mote strange that her companion cub her short, saying very peremptorily, ' Don't talk Greek; talk Italian.' This he said in Italian, and I, though no great hand at that language, understood 60 much. Now, why shouldn't the lady talk Greek, if Greek were the language thab came naturally to lior tongue? Ifc would be as good a ehiold apainst idle listeners as most languages— unless, indeed, I, who was known to be an amafceur of Greece and Greek things, were looked upon asa possible listener. Recollecting the glances which I had detected—recollecting again those chance meetings, I ventured on a covert gaze at the lady. Her handaemo face expressed a mixture of anger, alarm and entreaty. The man was spaaking to her now in low, urgent.topes ; he rained his hand once and brought it down on the table, as rhoueh to emphasise some declaration—perhaps some promise— which he was making. She regarded him with half angry distrustful eyes. He seemed to repeat his words ; and the flung at him in a. tone thab suddenly grew louder, as:d in words thab 1 could translate :

1 Enough ! I'll see to that; I shall come, too!' .

Her heat stirred no answering fire in him. Ha dropped his emphatic manner, shrugged a tolerant 'As you will ' with, eloquent shoulders, smiled at her, and reaching across the table patted her hand. She held it up before his eyes, »nd with the other hand pointed at a ring on bor finger. 4 Yes, yes, my dearest,' said he, and he was aboub to lay more when, glancing round, ha caught my gaze retreating in baaty confusion to my plate, I dared not look up again, but I felb his scowl on me. I suppose that I deserved punishment for my eavesdropping. * And when can we get off, Charley ?' asked Danny in his clear young.voice. My thoughts had wandered from him, and I ponged for a motnenb as a man doos when a q'a .-Hon takes him unawares. There was siluiieo at fcbe next) table also. The fancy Beamed absurd, bob it occurred to roe that thcifa also my answer was being waited for. Well, they could know if they liked; it was no secret.

•In a fortnight},' said I. ' We'll travel easily and pot there on the 7bh of nexO month, that's the day on which I'm entitled to take over my kingdom. We shall go to Rhodes. Hosrvardb will have bought me a little yacht), and then good-bye to all thie V And a great longing for solitude and a natural lire came over me ai« I looked round on the gilded cornices, the gilded mirrors, the gilded flower, vapes, and the highly, gilded company of the Optimium. I was roused from aiy pleasanb dreams by a high vivacious voice whiob I knew very well. . Looking up I saw Miss Hipgrave, her mother and young B«Dtietb Hamlyn standing before me., I disliked

young Hamlyn, but he was always very cfoil &o mo. • Why, how early you two have dined 1 cried Beatrice. ' Yoa'ro ab bhe arei/fc you ? We ye only just come.' • A.re you going to dine ?' I asked, rising. 'Take this table ; we're just off.' • Wei'U-we may aB well, mayn'fc we V said my fiancee. ' Serry you're troing, though. Ob, yea, we're going to dine with Mr Bennetb Hiunlyn. That's whab you're for,, isn't it, Mr Haailyn ? Why, he's not listen-, ing.' He was not, strange to say, lrsbanittg, although as a rule he listened to Beatrice with infinite attention and the moßb deferential of aicilea. Bub jusb wow he was engagod is .returning a bow which our aeijjhbour afc the next) table had Ibestowed on him. The tevAy there had rißen already and was maktmg for fcho door. The man lingered and looked at Hamlyn, seeming inclined to bac»k up bin bow wifch a few words of greeting1- Hamlyn'a air was not, however, encouraging, and the sbramger; contented himself with & nod and a careless 1 How are you ?' and with that followed hie companion. Harniya turned round, conscious that ho had neglected Beatrice a remark, and full of penitence for his momeatary neglect. 'I beg your pardion,' said he, with an, apologetic smile. , , Oh,' answered she. ' I was only aayinar that men like you were invented to give dinners ; you're a sorb of automatic feeding machine. You oughb to stand open all day. Really I often misa you ab lunch time.'

•My dear Beatrice,' said Mre Kennetb Hipgrave. with bbafi peculiar lift of her brbwb thab meant, ' How naughty the dour child is—oh, bus how clever !' 1 It's all right,' said Hamlya, meekly, 'I'm awfully happy to give you a dinner, anyhow, Miss Beatrice.' Now I had nothing: to say on this ©abject, but I thought 1 would just make this remark : • Miss Htpgrave,' said I, * is* very foad of a dinner. 1

Beatrice laughed. Sho understood my little correction.

•He doesn'b know any bebSer, do- you ?' said Bhe pleasantly to Hamlyn. *We shall civilise him in time, thongh. Thon I believe he'll be nicer thaua you, Charley. I really do. You'ro—' • I, shall be uncivilised by theY said I. 1 Ob, thab wretched Haland V cried Beatrice, 4 You're really gome.' 'Most undoubtedly. By the -way, Hamlyn, who's your frieod ?' Surely this wae nn innocenb enough question ; bub little Hamlyn went red from the edgo of his clipped \vhisker on bhe right to tho edgo of his mathematically equal whisker on the left.

'Friend!' said he in an angry tone. 4 Hob not a friend of mine. I only mob him on the Riviera.'

1 That,' I admitted, ' docs nob happily constitute in itself a friendship.'

* And ha won a hundred louis of me in the train between Cannes and Monto Carlo.'

"ftob'bad going: that,' observed Danny, in an approving tene. 'fa ha then un Greet' naked Mrs Hipgrare, who loves a scrap of French. 'In both sense?, I beliere,' answered. Hamlyn, viciously. • And whab'a his name ?' said I.

•Really, I don't recollect,' said Hamlyn, rather petulantly•lb doesn't matter,' observed Beatrice, attacking her oysters, which had now marie their appsarance. • My dear Beatrice,' I remonstrated, • you are tho raosb charming creaeure in bho world, bub nob tiie only one. You mean that ib doesn't matter to you V

• Oh, don't be taraaome. Ib doesn'b matter bo you either, you know. Do go away and leave mo to dino in poaco.' 'Half n minute,' said Homiyn. 'I thought I'd gob it jusb now, bub it's gone again.. .-Look here, though, I believa it'u ona of thoso long things fchab end in poulos.' ._ • 4 Oh, it ends in poulos, does ib? caid I, in a meditative tone.

' My dear Charley,' eaid Beatrice, ' I Bhall end in Bedlam ii yaw're so very tedicms. What in the world 1 shall do when I'm married I don't know.'

'My dearest,'said Mrs Hipgrave, an d a sfcagodirecbion might add business with brows as before. 1 Poulos,' I repeated.

* Could its bo Cooßtan'.aoopoulus ? asked Hamlyn, with a nervous deference to my Hellenic learning. 'It might inconceivably,' I hazardod, 'be Constantino Steffanopowlos.'

' Thon.'eaid Hamlyn,' I shouldn'b wonder if ib was. Anyhow, the less you see of him. Wheatloy, the hotter. Take my word for bhub.' ,

4 Bubi' I objected—and I musb admit thab I have a habib ot thinking thab everybody follows my train of fchoughb—• it's auch a small place thab, if ho goes, I shall be almost bound to meet him.' • What's such a small place ?' cried Beatrice, with emphasised despair. • Why, Neopatiit, of course,' said I. 4 Why should anybody, except you, be so insane as to go there ?' aho asked.

•If he'a the man I think, he cornna rrom there,' I expbinod, as I rose for the laab time—for 1 hfid been gobtin^ up to go and sitting down again several tiroes. • Then he'll think twice befotve he goo* back,' pronounced Beatrice, decisively. She was irrcconctlabla about my poor

island. Donny and I w&lkod off together. Aa we went he observed — ' I suppoee that chap's gob bo ond of money ?' • Steffan V I began.

•Mo, no. Hang Sib, you're as bad as Miss Hipgrava saye S—l mean Bennett Eamlyn.' • Oh, yea, absolutely no end to ib, I bolieve.'

Denny looked sagacious. •He's very free with his dinners,' he observed. •Don't let's worry about it, 51 Bugirested, taking hia arm, I wa» nob worripd about ib myself. Indeed, for the moment my island monopolised my mind, and my attachment to Beatrice wrb nob of such a romantic character as to make me ready to be jealoue on alight grounds. Mrs Hiperave said the engagement was based on •general suitability.' Now, ib U difficult to be very passionate over thab. •If you don'b mind, I don't,' eaid Denny, reasonably. •That's right. lea only a little way, Beatrice—'

I stopped abruptly. We were now on the steps outside the restaurant, and I had just perceived a scrap of pap«r lying on the mosaic pavement. I stooped down and picked it up. Its proved to be a fragment torn from the menu card. I turned it over. • Hullo! whub's this !' said I, searching for roy eyeglas?, which was (as .usual) somewhere in the email of my back, Denny gave mo the glass, and I read whafc was written on the back. Ib was written in Greek, and ik ran thus :— • By way of Rhodes—Bmall yacbfe there— arrive 7&h.' I burned the piece of papor over in my hand. I drew a conclusion or two ; one was tbab my tall neighbour waa named Steffanopoulos ; another, that he bad made 2ood uee of bis ears—better than I bad made of mina ; for a third I guessad that he would go to Neopatia ; for a fourth, I fancied that Neopatia was the place to which the lady had declared ehe would accompany him. Then I fell to wondering why all the3e things should be so—why he wished to remember the route of my iourney, the date of my arrival, and the fact thai I meanb to hire a yachb. Finally those two chance encounters, taken with the roeb, nßßamed a more interesting comP«VThen yon're dnno witb. thab bifc of

pfipar,1 observed Denny in a toae expressive of. exaggerated patience, ' wa might as well g,o on, old fellow.' ,; ' •All right. I've done with ib—for tha jjreaenfc,' said I. And I took the liberty of flipping Mr Constantino ; Stefianopoulos'a memorandum into my pocket.

The general result of bhe evening was to increase mosta distinctly my interest in Neopatia. I went to bed still thinking of my purchase, and I recollect that the last thing which came into my head before I wenb to sleep was—' What did Bhe mean by pointing to the ring?' ! Well, I found, an auawor to that later on.

(To be Continued.)