A QUESTION OF QUALITY.

Auckland Star, Volume XXX, Issue 88, 15 April 1899, Page 6

A QUESTION OF QUALITY.

(By Mrs Effie A- Rowlands.)

CHAPTER XX

The day following Nancy rose with the brave intention of facing things a-s though nothing new or difficult stretched in her path, but facts - are stubborn matters, and, she could not shake aside so easily the weight of oppressive thought that remembrance of her mother's words the night before brought her. This thought alone was enough to burden the girl's mind, and in addition she had the recollection of poor James Sylvester to harass her. She sighed heavily, and many times the tears came to her eyes as she dressed, but though her heart was oppressed, and she hardly knew what other disagreeables might not await her, she did not swerve in her determination to do her duty to others and to herself, wo matter how hard and painful this duty might be. She ate breakfast alone, for Hubert was not an early riser, and Lady Alicia, as we know, never left her room till noon. Then she went about her household duties, and these despatched, she went to her room, having first ordered the carriage to be ready for her immediately. While she was putting on her hat and veil one of the maids came to tell her thaiMr Callard was in the drawing-room.

'I have told her ladyship,' the servant added, 'and my ladyship desires that, you will see the gentleman instead of her, Miss Anne.' Nancy coloured hotly and her fingers trembled as she threw aside the veil she had chosen and picked out another and a thicker one. 'Please tell Mr Callard that I am obliged to be in Northc'heste'r early this morning, but that ,1 will see him for one moment; and, Elizabeth, youhad better go to Mr Hubert's room and tell him that Mr Callard is here.' Peter was walking restlessly to and fro in the long, low roofed drawingroom when Nancy appeared. _ Lady Alicia's easy acceptance of his proposal the day before would have flattered him immensely had he not known, what motive it was that prompted this cold, proud woman to such apparent gradousness. As it was, he had an uneasy sense of victory, and he felt by no means sure that the girl would ratify what her mother had almost promised. For all her pride and aristocratic bearing Peter was quickly and keenly conscious that Lady Alicia lacked, that one quality which in itself made Nancy so desirable to him.- The refinement that belonged to the ; mother was the refinement of cultivation, not of the spirit. Nancy's quiet, pleasant greeting deepened the uneasy feeling that had come, over the man, more particularly so since he had arrived in her home and felt himself surrounded by her sweet, girlish influences. 'I am sorry my mother cannot see you just now, Mr Callard,' Nancy said in her pretty, quiet, way. 'She Is never visible before lunch. But Hubert will be here directly.' • • Callard took her outstretched hand, and would have held it in his, but Nancy withdrew, it quietly. Her whole bearing notified to the man that she knew his mission, and resented it. He found himself saying a few conventional words, and these not without considerable hesitation. The opportunity was his to speak openly, but he shrank from it. It was not merely Nancy's manner that prevented him, it was the recollection of that unconscious confession her face had made him yesterday, when they had spoken of. Nigel. Here was £ woman whose love once given would be given always. Of what purpose then to broach a subject that would end in pain for her and humiliation for himself? For the second time in his life he felt he had made a big mistake. 'You are going into Northchester?' he asked, as Nancy drew on her gloves. He was in a most uncomfortable mood, and her quietness accentuated his discomfort. She answered, 'Yes,' and then she paused, and the need to speak to some one of poor James Sylvester's condition forced her to say more. 'I !am going to see my uncle, Mr Sylvester; he is in Northchester, and I fear very ill.' * 'You have met .Tames Sylvester! Callard said, in'Wich■■surprise. 'I-did not know that you knew him.' Nancy explained hurriedly the situation of the day before. She drew breath a little as she divined that the words she had dreaded to hear would not be spoken. 'And as my father is not here to do anything I feel I must act,' she finished when all was told. It was now her turn to question. 'You told me I remember that you once were a great friend of Bettine's father. Have you seen him lately? Do you not think him. very ill?'

'1 have not seen him for many a month, but this is something lean remedy now since you tell me he is so near. lam sorry to have such- a bad account of- him, poor fellow. Does Lady Kingsberry, I wonder, know of this?' ",'.

Nancy shook he/ head faintly. 'I gather that my uncle hears nothing of Bettine.' She. gave him her hand, a second time, this time with a smile. 'I am sorry to be obliged to run away, Mr Callard, but I promised niy uncle to be with' him quite early. Will you wait here for Hubert? I * will send you up the papers.' Callard stood and watched her go, still chained to silence lay her manner; but once she had gone his mood changed. He called himself a fool, and was sharply. angry with himself. His temper was not pleasant when Hubert Baillie came to join him about half an hour later. There had been no outward mention of the girl between her brother and Callard, but Hubert had been made quickly aware of the fact that this man whose friendship was so desirable regarded Nancy in a manner which while* wholly incomprehhsible to Hubert was pre-eminently satisfactory to his

hopes and plans for the future, immediate and otherwise. There was as. much class prejudice in Hubert Baillie, ordinarily speaking, as in his mother, but though he held Peter Cal- ! lard to be his social inferior, he was , eager enough to sink his superiority, ■. if by so doinay he could bring himself in touch with that wealth which was slowly pushing- Callard to the front. And things were very bad with Nancy's brother just at this mo- ; .me.nt. Urged by Bettine, though, in- , deed, he had not required much urging, Hubert hud accompanied the Kingsberrys to Monte Carlo in the , early part of the year, and his stay, there, though brief, had been disas- j trous in the highest degree. It was ; poor consolation to know that Nigel j had lost more heavily than he had, . for Kingsberry had always certain re-■ sources' to fall back upon.

'Grannie would pawn all she posses-sed-to get Nigger out of a hole,' was what Hubert said gmmblingly to himself; 'and her diamonds ' are always good for a big sum. I wish 1 had his luck; at all events he has not a screw of a father to fight with.' Callard had been one of the Kingsberry party in Monte Carlo for a day or two, but though he. tried'his luck at the tables, and came off a winner, he refused to extend his stay. He had spoken with so much common sense and interest to Hubert over, his gambling propensities that Hubert had construed this into a possible source of material aid, and this possibility had grown into a certainty when Bettine had enlightened him on the matter of Callard's feelings towards Nancy. It must be confessed that Nancy had never until this moment possessed any great value in her brother's estimation, but the moment that Hubert really grasped the situation he let his spirit repose in peace and confidence. Now there would not be any doubt of Callard's helping him since he had developer this rather extraordinary admiration for Nancy. 'It's altogether a splendid match for her,' he had told his mother in their long, confidential chat after- his unexpected arrival the day before. 'Callard is simply rolling in money; I don't know how he gets it all so easily, but it's there right enough, and I can assure you there will be. no end of people jealous and envious of Nance. It's simply a wonderful piece of luck for her, i'or you know, mother, she is not a beauty.' The thought that Nancy might have her own dreams about her future did not enter into the matter with Hubert. He had had so much experience of his sister's sweet, generous disposition that he had not even troubled himself to question whether the girl would fail or support him in the fulfilment of this desired alliance with Callard. . In truth, Hubert only spoke the truth when he told h?s mother that he considered N,aney a lucky girl. Though she was his sister, Hubert regarded Nancy in much the same spirit as he regarded Callard. Nancy was so markedly" her father's child that her brother regarded her as scarcely the equal of his mother and himself. A marriage with Peter Callard was, therefore, in his eyes quite a chance for the girl, especially as he considered Nancy as being ordinary looking, if not actually plain. He had deputed his mother to broach" the matter to Nancy, and had gone to bed perfectly satisfied that all would go well, even though Nancy had exhibited so much unusual temper earlier in the day over the. question of meeting Callavd. It was, therefore, with a high degree of complacency that .Hubert had recived Nancy's message to join Peter Callard in the drawing-room, and he had dressed hurriedly and hastened downstairs to offer his congratulations. The first glance at Callard's moody face swept away all complacency, however.

*I thought Nancy was with you, Cal* lard,' he said, as Peter looked up from a newspaper, and gave him a curt nod by way of greeting. 'Surely she has not left you alone all this time?' 'Miss Baillie has been and gone. She has important business in Northchester to attend to this morning. Your uncle, James Sylvester, has fallen at last into the hands of a sweet Samaritan.' ,

It gave Callard a certain malicious satisfaction to sting Hubert.. He had suffered. many stings himself from this class of young man, and he was not disposed, in such a - moment as this, to forget his own annoyance. .The very name of James Sylvester would be sufficient to irritate Hubert Baillie, to whom he had some time ago revealed the status and condition of Bettine's father. . ;.

'My sister does not know Sylvester,' Hubert said, stiffly. 'I think you must be mistaken.'

Callard smiled. 'I have your sister as my authority for what I am stating. She came across your uncle yesterday in Northchester; he is here with his wretched company, and she has gone to his rescue. She will have her work cut out to take care of. Sylvester. Poor chap! he is utterly hopeless. A couple of years ago he. had all but drunk himself into his grave.'

Hubert's face flushed hotly. .'I sincerely trust that Nancy has done nothing so abominable. It is bad enough that the fellow.should have the impertinence to come here at all; but to have Nancy running after him is altogether out of the question. I shall speak to her pretty plainly, I can tell you.'

Callard folded the newspaper in a deliberate sort of way. 'I should not imagine that you could have much influence with your sister; Baillie. She is a girl of much sweetness, but if lam any judge of character, she is also one who can, and will on certain occasions; exercise her own will and her judgment, and herein I for one consider her perfectly right.'-

Hubert glanced quickly at the speaker, and at the expression on Callard's face his own face changed: The peevish look of annoyance called up by the thought of .Nancy's charity to their uncle faued into a look of sharp anxiety, almost of fear. He realised ill an instant that his hopes were lost, unless, indeed, Callard would come to his rescue without any consideration of Nancy fit all. . His first feeling was dismay for himself; then came the anger. . .

. 'My father has completely ruined Anne,' he said, furiously. 'She used to be a fairly nice girl; now she arrogates to herself, all sorts of airs and graces. She poses as a saint, and all the time she is as hard and selfish as any woman one would care to meet. I shall have to be 1 at home a little more often, and1 see if I can't undo some of what my father .has done.' :

Callard lifted himself out of his chair with a lazy smile. 'My dear Baillie, why so much violence? '. One would . imagine your sister had done you a great wrong, whereas her only crime, as far as I can see, is her1 determination to frame her life on the

best and highest lines. It is all a questiqn of quality after all.. You see things in one way and she ill another. For instance, Miss Badllie finds a duty and a pleasure in ministering to your, uncle, a matter which rouses your wrath, and you consider she should adapt herself to your views, even to the extent of sacrificing her whole future, if needed, which is something absolutely antagonistic to her womanliness and her pride. ' I am sorry for you, my dear fellow, but I know your sister. Believe me, her views are more worthy than yours.' Hubert stood by the window and played with a tassel of the blind. His whole bearing denoted impatience, a fretful, .anxious inipartience that gave his smooth young face a worn look. Suddenly he-turned to the other man. 'You don't mean to tell me, Callard,' he said in" a low>voice, 'that Xancy has been such a fool as to refuse you?'

Callard laughed, though his .brows met. 'Since I have- made Miss Baillie no offer she cannot very well refuse me.'

Hubert looked incredulous, then sullen. M don't think I understand you,'

he said. ~ .■, . Peter agreed. 'I don't think you do,' he returned; 'and you understand your sister,less than you do me.' : There was a moment's silence in the room, broken at last by Callard's laug-h. 'Look here, Hubert, suppose we are plain with one another. You want my help, don't you? And you thought to work me through your sister. Well, you see, my boy, that it is a path closed to yon, but I am still not adverse to helping' you. Your sistermay as well drop out of the question once and for all.' Callard paused here and his brows were knit again. 'What is the extent of your responsibility?' he asked then.

Hubert mentioned a sum that was big enough to make Callard utter a ■whistle of surprise. 'Why,- this is madness!' he exclaimed; 'your father

'Oh, don't bring' in my father's name; he is no good,' Hubert said, recklessly; and once again there was silence, which the younger man employed by looking furtively at the other. Callard remained so long without speaking, that Hubert's anxiety fcx'ced him into speech.

'Naturally, I can't expect you to help me to any appraciable extent without substantial security, Callard, I know that.' ';'"

'Oh!' Peter Callard answered, in an off-hand manner, so' off-hand that Hubert could never have imagined that the man was speaking with deliberation. 'Your cousin Kingsberry will be good enough for me. Get his name to back you, and I will see you through.'

Hubert's face lit up, and yet he was conscious of great surprise. 'Nigger is not worth much as security, though I know he will do anything I ask, but surely you must know that he is muoh in the same boat as myself. How the deuce he has managed to open Kingsberry Court, and keeps thjngs going in the way they are going now, beats me. The title is about as miserably poor a one as is to be found in the United Kingdom.' ,■..'„■ ,

'Kingsberry's name is good enough for me all the same,' Callard said. 'Of course your-father would be better, but if you won't approach him, well, {hen we must try your cousin.'

'My father must not know anything of this. He would kick up no.end of a row. But you are most awfully good, Callard, 1 really don't know how to thank you! There aren't many like you kicking about this hard world.'

Callard smiled, and then suggested they should go down.to have a look at the horses. .....;

'Loftus has some good cattle at Clinton Cote, but they are eating their heads off. By the way, he is on his road home, I hear.'

Hubert took very little interest in Edward Loftus and his doings. He was wrapped up entirely in his own affairs, and all the while that Callard was chatting as they sauntered through the stables, he was pondering on the events of the morning, and trying to realise that he was at the commencement of the end of his present difficulties. ■

An hour or so later Callard took his leave and was dri% ren into Northchester. His object in doing this was to see Nancy again, but he was disappointed. She had just left the hotel when he called there. He turned away without asking for James Sylvester. He had no desire to see Bettine's father. He bought himself a quantity of ■newspapers', and then was driven back to Clinton Cote. On the morrow he was returning to town. His visit had been a failure. >There was a bitterness in his heart as he realised that the woman he had. determined to seek had proudly and resolutely .drawn back from him, and yet he did not find it easy to hate. Nancy for-this. She would not have been herself, had she acted- differently uhdei* 'existing circumstances. He. could even. Imagine matters very different once Nancy was away from the hurtful knowledge. of her brother's eagerness to help himself through her. Callard did not regard himself as being refused by Anne Baillie, though he knew she shrank from him...... . 'Time works many strange - things, and time will' work for me this thing when I shall desire it. Hubert has blundered,' but another and a dearer may, perhaps, set Hubert's- blunder straight;' he said to hiraself deliberately, an enigmatical thought that only he coiild have completely explained. (To be Continued.)