TRISTRAM OF BLENT

Auckland Star, Volume XXXII, Issue 206, 11 September 1901, Page 6

TRISTRAM OF BLENT

An Episode in the Story of an Ancient House,

(CHAPTER XXll.—Continued.)

Harry Tristram returned from Blinkhampton in a state of intellectual satisfaction marred by a sense of emotional emptiness. He had been very active, very energetic, very successful. He had new and cogent evidence of his power, not merely to start but to go ahead on his own account. This was the good side. But he discovered and tried to rebuke in himself a feeling that he had so far wasted the time in that he had seen nobody and nothing beautiful. Men of affairs had no concern with a feeling like that. Would Iver have it, or would Mr Disney? Surely not! It would be a positive inconvenience to them, or at best a worthless asset. He traced it back to Blent, to that influence which he had almost broug.it himself to call malign because it seemed in some subtle way enervating, a thing that sought to clog his steps and hung about those feet which had need to be so alert and nimble. Yet the old life at Blent would not have served by itself now. Was he to turn out so exacting that he must have both lives before he, or what was in him, could cry "Content"? A man will sometimes he alarmed when he realises what he wants—« woman often.

So he came, in obedience to Lady Evenswood's summons very confident but rather sombre. When he arrived a woman was there whom he did not know. She exhaled fashion and the air of being exactly the right thing. She was young—several years short of forty—and very handsome. Her manner was quiet and well-dowered with repressed humour. He was introduced to Lady Flora Disney, and found himself regarded with unmi .takeable interest and lurking amusement. It was no effort to remember that Mr Disney had married a daughter of Lord Bewdley's. That was enough; just as he knew all about her, she would know all about him; they were both of the pale in a sense that their hostess was, but Lord Southend—well, hardly was —and (absurdly enough) Mr Disney himself not at all. This again was in patent incongruity with Blinkhampton and smelt woefully strong of Blent. Lady Evenswood encouraged Barry to converse with the visitor. "We're a little quieter," she was „saying. "This crisis is dormant, and 'the Bishop's made, and Lord Hove has gone to consult the Duke of Dexmm-gter-^which means a fortnight's delay anyhow, and probably being told to do noijhing in the end. .So I sometimes see Robert at dinner." "And he tells you things, and you re indiscreet about them!" said Lady Evenswood rebukingly. "I laen-Ve Bobert considers me a sort of alitr-raom to "publicity. And it's so n-uch easier to disown a wife than ft journalist, isn't it, Mr Tristram?" , "Naturally. The Press have to pretend to believe ope another," he said, smiling. ~ _ ~ ■, "That's the corner-stone," Southend "Great is IftA* of the Bphesians!" pursued Ladj Flora. ''But Diana was never a wife, St I remember. __ "Though h*W they do it, my Aear, marvelled Lady Evenswood, "is what 1 don't understand," know nothing about them," Lady Mora declared. "And they know nothing about me. They stop at my gownsfyo^ know, and even then they Jlway? infuse me with Gertrude Mel*°"l hqpe that stops at the gowns too?" observed Southend "The hair does it, I think. She buys J-ers at&ame shop as I-Now what do I do, Mr Tristram?" "YOU, Vdy Flora? You know the tthon Is that enough? "Yes or-well, no. I supplement there I declare I won't wait any lo^ewonrcomrnow," said Lady Evenswood. "Is the bishop nice, my yes, quite plump and gaitery! Good b/e, delr Cousin Sylvia. I wash Wd come and see me, Mr Trjstram. 7 Harry* making his littebow, declared that he would be delighted "I like to see young men sometimes, ' observed the lady, retreating. *5gJ new style/ Lady fvewod gummed up as the: door closed. Apdwell I suppose Robert likes it. "DisJjniHa dissimilibus," shrugged Southend, fixing bis glasses. S°«_? 8 R&Tnl| concession to appearances he ever made," Bighed Lady Evenswood. • , „ "She's a lady, though. "Oh, yes. That's what makes it so funny.* If she weren't —" "Yes it would all be natural enough. "But we've been wasting your time, Mr Tristram." . „ '•Never less wasted since I was born, protested Harry, who had both enjoyed I think not," she agreed, smiling. "Flora has her power. The remark grated on him. He wanted nothing of Flora and hex power. 7t was indeed rather an unfortunate introduction to the business of .the afternoons It pointed Harry's quills a little Lady Evenswood, with a quick preoption, tried to retrieve the observation. "But* she likes people who are independent best," she went on "So does Robert, if i. comes tq that. he never does a job for anyone. "Carrie, that too far, in my opinion, commented Southend. The moment for diplomacy approached. > _ But when it came to the point Lady Evenswood suavely took the task out of his hands. Her instinct told ber that she could do it best. He soon came. to as.cc. She had that delicacy which he desired but lacked. She could claim silence when he must have suffered interruption. She could excuse her interference on the ground of old friendship. She could plead an interest-which might seem impertinent to him. Above all, she

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By ANTHONY HOPE.

could be elusively lucid and make herself understood without any bluntness ! of statement. "If it could be so managed that the whole miserable accident should be blotted out and forgotten"' she exclaimed, as though she implored a personal favour. "How can that he?", asked Harry. "I was in and I am out, Lady Evenswood." "You're out and your cousin's in, yes." Harry's eyes noted the words and dwelt on her face! "She can't be happy in that state of affairs either." -"Perhaps not," he admitted. "Facts are facts, though." "There are ways—ways of preventing that," Southend interposed, murmuring vaguely. "I don't know how you feel about it, but we all think you ought to consider other things besides your personal preferences. Might I tell Mr Disney— no, one moment, please! Our idea, I mean, was that there might be a family arrangement. A moment, please, Mr Tristram! I don't mean by which she would lose what she has—" "But that I should get it?" "Well, yes. Oh, I know your feelings. But they would cease to exist if you came to her on an equality, with what is really and truly your proper position recognised and —and —" "Regularised," Southend supplied with a sharp glance at Harry. "I don't understand," Harry declared. "You must tell me what you mean. Is it something that concerns Cecily as well as me?" "Oh, about that we haven't the right even to ask your feelings. That would be simply for you to consider. But if anything were to happen—" "Nothing could." Harry restrained himself no longer, *There could be no question of it." "I knew you'd feel like that. Just because you feel like that I want to make the other suggestion to you. I'm not speaking idly. I have my warrant, Mr Tristram. If " She was at a loss for a moment, "If you ever went back to Blent," she continued, not satisfied, but driven to some form of words, "it isn't inevitable that you should go as Mr Tristram. There are means of righting such injustices as yours. Wait, please. It would be felt —and felt in a quarter you can guess—that the roaster of Blent, which you'd be in fact, anyhow, should have that position recognised. Perhaps there would not be the same feeling unless you were still associated with Blent." "I don't understand at all." She exchanged a despairing glance with Southend; she could not tell whether or not he was sincere in saying that he did not understand. Southend grew weary of the diplomacy which he had advocated; after all it bad turned out to be Lady Evenswood's, not his, which may have had something to do with his change of mood towards it. He took up the task with a brisk directness. "It's like this, Harry. You remember that the unsuccessful claimant in the Bearsdale case got a barony? That's our precedent. But it's felt not to go quite all the way—because there was a doubt there. (Luckily for Mipa she was not by to hear). But it is fe-? that in the event of the two branches of your family being united it would be proper to—to obliterate past—er—incidents. And that could be done by raising you to the peerage, under a new and, we hope, a superior title. We believe Mr Disney would, under the circumstances I have suggested, he prepared to recommend a viscounty, and that there would prove to be no difficulties in the way." The last words had, presumably, reference to the same quarter that Lady Evenswood had once described by the words "Somebody Else " They watched him as he digested the .proposal, at last made to. him in a tolerably plain form. "You must give me a moment to follow that out," he said, with a smile. But he had it all clear enough before he would allow them to perceiva that he understood. For although his brain made easy work of it, his feelings demanded a pause. He was greatly surprised. He had thought of no such thing. What differences would it make? Southend was well satisfied with the way in which his overture was received. Lady Evenswood was watching intently. "The idea is " said Harry slowly —"I mean—l don't quite gather what it is. You talk of my cousin, and then of a viscounty. The two go together, do they?" It was rather an awkward question put as bluntly as that. "Well, that did seem to be Mr Disney's view," said Southend. "He was thinking of the family—of the family as a whole. I'm sure you think of that, too," urged Lady Evenswood. There would never be a Tristram who did not, she was thinking. Well, except Addie perhaps, who really thought of nothing. "Of course as a thing purely personal to you it might be just a little difficult." She meant, and intended Harry to understand, that without the mi.riage the thing could not be done at all. Mina had reported Mr Dis.vw faithfully, and Lady Evenswood's knowledge of her cousin Robert was not at fault. "Apart from anything else, there would be the sordid question," she ended, with a smile that became propitiatory against her will; she had meant it to be merely confidential.

There was ground for hope; Harry hesitated—truth will out, even where it impairs the grandeur of men. The suggestion had its attractions; it touched the spring of the picturesque in him which Blinkhampton had left rusting in idleness. It suggested something in regard to Cecily, too— what it was, he did not reason out very clearly at the moment. Anyhow what was proposed would create a new situation and put him in a different position towards her. In brief, he would have something more on his side. -'• ''■* " Once he was sure the proposal was agreeable t» you-: —" murmured Lady Evenswood, gently. She was

still very tentative about the matter, and still watchful of Harry. But Southend was not cautious or did not read his man so well. To him the battle seemed to be won. He was assurtid in his manner and decidedly triumphant as he said: •'lt's a great thing to have screwed Disney up __ the viscounty. It does away with all difficulty about the name, you see." Harry looked up sharply. Had Mr. Disney been " screwed up "? Who had screwed him up? —by what warrant? —on whose commission? That was enough to make him glower and to bring back something of the old-time look of suspicion to his face. But the greater part of his attention was engrossed by the second half of Southend's ill-advised bit of jubilation. " The name ? The difficulty about the name?" he asked. " If it had been a barony —well, hers would take precedence, of course. With the higher degree yours will come first, and her barony be merged —Viscount Blentmouth, eh, Harry?" He chuckled with glee. ." Viscount Blentmouth be hauged!" cried Harry. He mastered himself with an effort. " I beg your pardon, Lady Evenswood; and I'm much obliged to you, and to you too, Lord Southend, for—for screwing Mr. Disney up. It's not a thing I could or should have done or tried to do for myself." In spite of his attempted calmness ' his voice grew a litle louder. " I want nothing but what's my own. If nothing's my own, wejl and good—l can wait till I make it something." "But, my dear Harry !" began the discomfited Southend. Harry cut him short, breaking again into impetuous speech. " There's nothing between my cousin and me. There's no question of marriage and never can be. And if there were " He seemed to gather himself uo for a flight of scorn — "If there were, do 'you think I'm going to save my own pride by saddling the family with a beastly new viscounty ?" His tones rose in indignation lon the last sentence, as he looked from one to the other. " Viscount Blentmouth, indeed!" he growled. Southend's hands were out before him in a signal of bewildered distress. Lady Evenswood looked at Harry, then, with a quick forward inclination of her body, past him; and she began to laugh. " Thank you very much, but I've been Tristram of Blent," ended Harry, now in a very fine fume, and feeling he had been much insulted. Still looking past him, Lady Evenswood .sat laughing quietly. Even on Southend's face came an uneasy smile, as he, too, looked toward the door. After a moment's furious staring at the two Harry faced round. The door had been softly and noiselessly opened to the extent Of a couple of feet. A man stood in the doorway, tugging at a ragged beard and with eyes twinkling under rugged brows. Who was he, and how did he come there? Harry heard Lady Evenswood's laughter; he heard her murmur to herself with an accent of pleasure, " A beastly new viscounty! " Then the man in the doorway came a little further in, saying: " That's exactly what I think about it, Mr. Tristram. I've heard what you said and I agree with you. There's an end. then; of the beastly new viscounty! " He looked mockingly at Southend. "I've been screwed up all for nothing, it seems," said he.

" Why, you're ?" "Let me introducce myself, Mr Tristram. I came to look for my wife, and my name is Disney. I intend to keep mine, and I know' better than to try to alter yours." "I thought it would end like this!" cried Lady Evenswood. "Shan't we say that it begins like this?" asked Mr Disney. His look at Harry was a compliment.

(To be continued.)