ROSLYN'S TRUST.

Auckland Star, Volume XXVIII, Issue 113, 17 May 1897, Page 3

ROSLYN'S TRUST.

BY LUCY G. LILLIE.

CHAPTER 11.

I BEGIN UFK FOB MYSELF,

January 16—a date lofig to be remembered as an epoch in life. To how many women has ib happened, 1 wonder, to find themselves suddenly—and at the mature ago of twenty-six—placed in an altogether unoxpacted position as regards life, the world, themselves, their precedents, traditions and natural bent—and this jusb by the coming of one visitor, and the only one of which in this life wo can bo sure?— that grim guosb whose footsteps ought to bo an echo from our very cradles? Bub mobher and I had lived so quiet, bo uneventful, so serene a life that I never dreaded anything—even her death ; and whon, aftor a brief illness, she lefh me, utter bewilderment, for a time, even absorbed my grief. Then cnmo this swift facing of life's realities. Her little income, on which she and I had lived modestly bub in sufficient comfort, had died with her, and tho shock which had killed hor had boon learning of her lawyer's crime toward her and other clients. All her savings— those carefully • hoarded sums laid by against the evil hour when I should be- left alone—had been swept away by Mr Roche

—' invested,' be called ie; stolon and lost we knew—and my poor litble mother, never very strong, sunk under the blow, and afber a three days' illness died in my arms—bogging me ' to forgive her'—poor darling I—and leaving me one sacred injunction, which was to seek out an ©Id friend of hera in New York, aak her advice, and claim her friendship and protection.

Alas, alas 1 Hoaven knows on this drear January morning I felt that I needed both sadly enough, although the lawyer whom my mother had employed to try and recover something from Mr Roche's executors— tho wretched man had diod by hie own hand whou his dalalcations were discovered —had taken a deep interest in me and promised to ' look up' something for me to do; but since coming to New York from our libtle country home, two weeks before. I had learned how full the great city was of women placed in one way like sayself; and, as I have said, it was not alone my orphaned condition that I deplored, but the fact of my total inexperience of life and the world —of tho elements of success or those creating failure-

Hallidon, whero mother and I bad passed twonty years, might hare been.Sidney's Arcadia for all the knowledge of ' this wicked world' which it bestowed. We never thought of tumult, or evil, or worldly strifes mid motives. We were all in all feo each other. We had our gardon, our books, and, above all, our music. My mother loved music and study passionately, and the amusement an well aa feho duty of her life had been to instruct me ; so that, friendless though I might me, my education was not only solid, but my accomplishments woro equal to those of many girls who havo seemingly had wider advantages. I could play woll, and I had a fairly good and a thoroughly well-trained voiuo. I could road and write and ppoak French and German as well as my mother tongua. With those advantage*, Mr Farquhar, the lawyer i have referred to, had ensured mo i ought to bo able to oarn my livelihood, and accordingly promised, as I have said, to npsi*fc mo in procuring employment.

Tho friend to wlioin my mother had bo sacredly commanded mo was not. in Naw York. I found. I hnd called at her house to learn this fnct; bub a* any hour, the very obliging mun Fervanb informed me, sho might be expected ho return ; therefore, would 1 call agnin 1 But; somehow, the air of quiet but) perfecb luxury—the elegance— of bliiri Mrs Elder's house on Washington Square had deproened me. I felt it unnatural to suppose that the mistress of such a dwelling could have tiNy.hing in common with myself, and with the iirsb touch of ful»o pride or cynicism I had ever experienced I turned away, after a second fruitless call, determined nob to venture again, hut to write her a note, which I had done on reaching my losing—a brief little letter, etating, an my mother had bidden m*, that 1 was ' Sylvia BartlettV daughter, und was alone in the world, No answer had yofc readied mo, but from the lawyer Mr Furquhar, had como a note, a brief summons to hie house, whore he was laid up with a sprained ankle, nnd where he would like to see me 'on busiuosa' this morning.

I hud a room in a nice, quiet house over a ahop, which ho had recommended. My landlady was ono ot his clients — a thoroughly respectable woman, who, with hor son and daughter, curried on a stationery and book business, thriving in its small way, and giving them so cosy a home that I quite enviod them, and felt as though I would exchange some of what Mr Farquhar called my ' advantages ' for their simple content and sufficient pr«Bperity. As 1 passed oud on thiß morning I Btoppod at the sittingroom back of the store to leave my room-key with Mrs Atley, but finding her engaged with a customer, was aboub to lay iti on the table and go on, wheu the sound of my name struck upon my ear and I etond afeill.

' Yoa, sir,' Mrs Afcley was saying, ' the young lady's name is Roberts—ib might be the very same.' A glance through the half-open door into the store revealed to me Mrs Atley's customer. A slim young man, smoothehaven, and quite good looking; dressed rather sprucely and with an air of fashion, although even to uny country eyes no elegance about him. A perfect stranger to me ;of this I was quite sure. The next moment) Mrs Atl9y, hearing me, I suppose, caught my eye. 'Oh, Miss Roberta !' she exclaimed; and then, turning back to the young gentleman continued : ' There's the young lady herself, sir.' Upon this I came in, more surprised than embarrassed, and yet, somehow, feeling nob quite ab my ease. Never did a pair of eyes scrutinise me more critically than bhe bright black orbs of this young man. I felt morally certain ho coald hare told any one tea minute's later every yard of material in my plain black gown, every inch of crape on my small bonnet, upon which 1 wora no veil. 'Iwas looking for Miss Jane Roberts.' ho said politely. •My namo is Sylvia,' was my rather curt) answer. I felt myself blushing like a fool in spite of lay efforts ab nelf-poaaeßsioM. So critical was hifi gazo f.hat I wondered if he wora itemising me a la Olivia—haight, eomowha1- above medium; hair, light brown ; eyes, dark grey ; nose, straight ; mouth, rather largo ; tenth, good ; chin, dimpled ; complexion, pale. Such were the items which made up my rachor commonplace appearance ; and if to these he chose <o add a tuiioua bluuh mounting high in both chooks and the simplest of mourning garbs, thix stranger could sum up easily 'he ressulh ot hie investigations. 1 Then I fear,' said he, withdrawing his gazo wills a somewhat reiuciaiit manner aud smiling upon Mrs Alley, 'it can't be the same poi-aon — ahem—young lady. Very sorry. I am sure, to have given you so much trouble <?oorf-morning !' And with a polite bow, which carelessly included us both, he took his departure. 'He came in here looking for a Mies Roberts—said the postman told him you were here,' eald Mrs Alley as soon as we

were alone. 'He .had a package from her aunt in Boston.'

' Well, I haven't any aunb in Boston or anywhere,' I said, laughing a little, and with a certain tingling skill in my cheeks. 'And his Miss Roberts' first name was Jane.'

I explained my errand to Mrs Atley, told her where bo find the key, and smiling:, asshe wished me ' success,' passed out on to Fourth Avenue, thence acrosß Madison Square, aud to the quiet street on which Mr Farquhar lived. It was strange, absorbed though I might be in the thought ot my interview with Mr Farquhar, I could nob shake off the curious impression produced by that singular young man's gaze. There had been nothing rude in it—of that I was absolutely, instinctively sure ; but the facb bhab some special interest—nob a merely personal one— lurked in it was the point which perplexed me and kept it in my mind. He had nob a particularly open face. Frank as was his manner, there was something very reticent;, to say the least, in bis expression. I continued to wonder about this trifling occurrence while I rang Mr Farquhar's bell, and before it was answered 1 chanced to look down at the corner of the street, whon behold ! there stood my young man again—not, however, looking ab me, this time, bub making with all the enorgy of which bis slim young frame was capable in the direction of a street-ear, which I presume he reached ; . bub before such a result of his frantic endeavours, Mr Farquhar'o door had opened, and I was being ushered upstairs into the lawyer'sßanctum— a large, richly, heavily-furnished library, in which, near to a glowing coal-fire, sab Mr Farquhar, a man young in years for the fame ho had attained in his profession, and with one of those clear, clean-cub faces which people tell us are Saxon. When ushered into the greab man's presence, I felb very shy indeed, and thought only of him as some personage far above and beyond me, bub kindly and good. Who, indeed, could look into the keen face, the deep-set grey eyea—could feel the firm, quick grasp of his hand—and nob be sure of this much 1 ' I am eorry to have had to trouble you to come here, Miss Roberts,' Mr Farquhar said in his pleasant, well-modulated voice ; ' bur, a8 you see, I am laid up with this ankle. 1 tripped on the stairs down ab the Mill Buildings, and with this result.' I glanced at the foob resting swathed upon a footstool, murmured something intended bo be sympathetic, and waited for Mr Farquhar bo continue. He-looked at mo with very direct kindliness as he resumed : 'Something which I am quite certain will suit you has jusb come to my. notice.' Ha took up some papers on a table near him. ' The only child of an old client of mine—an old friend, in fact—wishes a companion who can be cheerful young company tor her, and ab the same time instruct her \in certain branches — music and the languages. The young lady is somewhat peculiarly situated. Her father's will, in' i facb, much to my surprise, made ib bo. But he has only one year aad ft halt lefb of the minority he imposed, and ehe has everything money can procure. Indeed, Misa Cleve will be one of the richest women in America.' He paused a moment, while I listened with a quickening of all my pulses. My face muff, have betrayed my pleasure, for he smile:! and said, in the kindest) voice : 1 Don't expect too much, my dear child, I am afraid only thab if you accept this position I shall bo condemning you to a very lonely life, for Miss Cleve, by her father's and her guardian's wish, lives on her country estate, six miles from any railway station, and sab she is in deep mourning goes nowhere and sees no company. Ij> is indeed for this reason thab some weeks since, whon she was bore on a brief visit, I suggested her engaging a young companion; and now that she writes me consenting to the plan, I immediately thought of you as most fitted to till her requirements.' ' You are very kind !' I exclaimed. • Am I V M r Farquhar Emiled, It wan remarkable, I thought, how young, ulrnost boyish, his faco looked whon ho smiled in this way. His mouth and chin were olean-shaven. I suppose he objected to concealing their strong hundeome linos, and bo all the sweetness of the smile was revealed, while an odd twinkle lighted his eyes. ' Porn ftps you will not think so if you go to Brockton. I have nob been there for years, but I remember in as a fine bub very lonely place. My client, was a most peculiar man—a recluse, in a sorb of a way. Spent all his time for the last fourteen years in travelling, and came home to die—here, in this very house, poor fellow, the last day of October. On opening his will— which, although I wan generally his lawyer, had boon drawn up by some one else, bub duly attested, of course—we found he had left the care of his daughter until her twenty-second birthday bo a certain Mr Ros'.yn, of whom he spoke as the dearest friend of his youth, hinting ab deep obligations, etc., etc. However, that is neither here nor there. Mr Roslyn was sent for and duly installed as Valerie's guardian, and I must «ny he has done woll enough, His sister, a widow lady, is a sort of housekeeper and chaperon for fehe girl—and there it if. Now, will yau try the position, say for a month 1 The one very important point is thab Mies Clove if? co impatient she desires you to start) to morrow.'

Our discussion of details was brief. When there was neither question nor objection to raise on my parb it could scarcely have been otherwise ; and half an hour later, when I lefb the house, I had pledged myself bo start at two o'clock tbo next day tor Varnbamon-the-Hudson, six miles from which lay 'The Fire,' as Mies Clove's estate was called.

With the prospect of a younp companion, a comfortable home, congenial work, and six hundred dollars a year, I was as content as 1 could be, oppressed as I 'was by my mother's loas ; but 1 waa always singularly elated by a talk with MrFarquhar. There v» as mental fconic in bis very tone ; encour■igetnenh, a grateful sense of well-being or of hunpinesH such as I had never known— • uch u« I could nob analyse then—stirring hrough my whole being in respon«e to the ■.mere clasp of his hand. I caught myself, an I walked along the pavement in the crisp, cold air, recalling each trick of his expression; some special words he had used ; bis gestures—quiet, these, but characteristic ; bbc surroundings which had seemed to me peculiarly personal; such books or trifles I concluded to bo his very own ; and I smiled to myself from sheer satisfaction in my reveries. Six weeks ago the mere name of Richard Farquhar was unknown to me, and now—ib had a sort of music for my ears. Ah, well ! How can T regret the rays of sunshine that came into the darkness of that time? How not? linger for an instant over whab made life suddenly seem beautiful with a hint of something whose charm I dared not court, yah was ao reluctant to leb slip from my inner fancies ?

The mood of satisfaction in which I found myself led to my making one more effort to see Mrs Elder. I could tell her now of my prosperity. I walked rapidly toward Washington Square, rang the bell with a loss timid hand, and thi* time met with a very satisfactory welcome. Mrs Elder was nob only at home, but very anxious to see me, the servant hastened to cay, Wnuld Igo to hor own gifcting-room, if I pleased, at once ? Arid so, down a fine, square hall, rather dim but very spaeiouß, I follswed him t<? a doorway which, when eponed, revealed a charming eorc of boudoir full of pretty furniture and elegant triflos, and where an elderly lady in a handsome morning dress and a ball, fine-looking young man were laughing and talking together.

( To be Continued, i