Levallion's Heir.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 137, 10 June 1907, Page 6

Levallion's Heir.

CHAPTER XvTII.- (Continued.) Levallion never imagined how a. that moment Ravenel came of her own accord to believe in what was true, that he had known nothing of Slyvia's man?ore Vr , ng - ,** dvt * X before her. To take up the life she had deliberately made for herself and be a loyal wife to the man who had always been good" to her. Very barren, very ?rTT-'. ln , Spite o£ Lev-Hum's kindness that hf e Jay before her, but she would tread it faithfully to the very end. And unconsciously a great joy leaped to her eyes and ever since had burned there steadily. Adrian might be lost to her a thousand times more than ever, but in her soul she could worship him, for he had been true. But Levallion, poor f O0 i ; llad thanked God for that rapture in her eyes; a man, too, who was not in the habit of thanking God for anything. "There's peace in her face," said the duchess shortly, having followed his iv that long pause. "Well, well! You're a better man than I thought, Levallion. Send Tommy to mc with the tea cake. You make mc nervous when you watch mc eat." j Sir Thomas came without much alacrity. He had a better opinion of the duchess' shrewdness than Levallion; and he was not easy in mind. "He knew! quite well that Ravenel's renewed beauty and the quiet of her face dated from that interview with Adrian -Gordon, that he had not discovered in time to prevent. He was uncomfortably conscious that for all he knew the household might be sit- j ting on a volcano. "And how are you?" inquired his] friend with her mouth full. "I bear' Lady Annesley is cutting a dash at Harrogate. I don't suppose you miss I her?" * | "Not much!" stolidly, though he' would rather a hundred times have been back under her ladyship's rule and been sitting half-fod at Annesley Chase with the old Ravenel, than here in Levallion's house with a sister who would not meet his eye. "I'm not pining away for Lady Annesley." £> "She'd give her eyes to be here," the. duc-hess chuckled unkindly. "You seem to have an extremely cheerful collection. By the way, bow's young Gordon? I hear he's been very ill here?" j "He's better," shortly. "He had a J sort of relapse last week. But he's coming down to dinner to-night. Wo"| —hastily—"haven't seen anything of him. He's had a nurse."

But the duchess merely murmured that it was a. sad ease, a man with a shattered bridle arm being of no further "use in a hussar regiment; and passed serenely on. She had no intention of telling Tommy that she had found out all about that marriage that never came off. The curate at Effingham had talked, and the whole parish'knew about the couple who had never come to be married, but had wasted a special license and the curate's time. RaveneTs past was no business of any. one's but Levalliou, who would never hear it. j "If she has any sense she knows by this time that Levalliou's little finger ■is -a ort-h a whole string of lovesick sol- | cttes J," she thought. "I never saw a raaa sh softened and improved in all my . life. He looks twenty years younger. I But all the same, if he's wise he won't press Lis distinguished young relative .to an indefinite stay." But even the duchess felt a shocked pity that night at dinner as she looked j across the flowers and gold plate and 'saw how very ill and worn Captain Gordon looked. Why, the man was a | death's head. A romantic, undesirable death's head, with its arm in a sling. She glanced at Ravenel, and saw to her infinite relief that she was not so much as looking Gordon's way. Exquisitely fair in ivory satin and burned orango velvet, she was talking to the man on her right hand with her old childlike [ mirth. But the duchess was near- | sighted. Sir Thomas Annesley could I have told her that there was anything . but mirth in Havener's steady eyes. And I truly repentance, impotent pain, and | fear were doing their work. Under that smart bodice Lady Levallion's heart was aching dully while she made conversation, as many a better woman's has done and will do while the world goes round. She knew quite well that the width of i a white tablecloth separated her from | Adrian as utterly as a gulf of a thousand miles. Knew tbat after dinner he | would never speak to her, except in the j few sentences decently demanded from guests to hostess; that as soon as he ! could he would get away from the house. I "■'Oh, I've simply got to speak to him!" she thought. "If I have to make the j chance myself," for there were two' things she had forgotten to ask him, and. one of them rankled. Why had he saidl he was too poor to marry her openly, | and all the while was Levallion's sole heir? The probable successor to the richest earldom, in England is not usually considered a bad match, even by more greedy people than Ravenel. And j who was the woman who had come to ask after him; though she cared very little, or she determined to think so. She came out of her thoughts with a jerk, suddenly conscious that she had not the least idea what the man beside her was i saying. "I was' thinking how pretty all the women are," she observed quickly, to I avoid having to say, "I beg your pardon. " Lord Chaytor surveyed the table. It | was quite true, every woman there was a picture in her way: and nearly all he [ saw were dark; aud made a. foil to the | peachy loveliness, the curled bronze head of their hostess. | "My own wife's the only one of 'em I'd dare to kiss, though!" he remarked, rather after the manner of Levallion, , who was his dearest friend. "That's very charming—and proper— of you!" I "No! It's the 'hard kalsomine finish' 'that appals mc," coolly. "Come, now, Lady Levallion, you don't mean to say you can't see it:" For Ravenel, who owned no rouge-pot and eschewed powder, was looking at him bewilderedlj-. •T thought " she began, and then laughed, but not too gaily, "was every-' thing in the grand world a sham, even' down to the lovely colour on the women's cheeks?" \ "That all things were what they seemed? Well, they ain't unfortunately! You -really ought to be congratulated on your cook, Lady Levallion. I never ate better chicken done with almonds ! than this." • I "I hops you won't get tired of it," she i "LcTados is bo fond of al-

By ADELAIDE STIRLING, Author of « Abo-e All T_i_g_,» « When Love D_wa«," " A Sacrifice to tore, "etc.

Ijmonds. lie arranges the dinners, you ; ! know. I should have roast beef and , plum tart, he thinks—and so t would !"'i ; Lord Chayter thought she looked as . if slip lived on peaches and cream; but he did not say so, for something caught his attention. | "Do you never have the blinds down I ; in this room?" he inquired suddenly. - "Oh, I see, there are none. But don't you think it's rather uncann3 T to look over the table anu candles and things, and the ladies' pretty frocks, to those blank, dark windows ? It makes mc feel' creepy." frankly. "As if ghosts might ■ be peering in!" j "We never use this room when we're alone. The windows must be a fancy of Levallion's. I don't see very well how we could have blinds on fhein." I For the State dining-room was ou the ground floor in the oldest part of the castle, and the windows were sunk deep and narrow in the six-foot wall which slanted away from them till each footwide window-glass made the apex of a wide stone V. "I should!" said Lord Chayter, who was fat and fair and screwed-up eyed. | "Makes mc nervous. Now look, just opposite us! Couldn't you swear someone was looking in? though, of course, it's all fancy." • Lady Levallion's glance followed his, and grew suddenly startled. For, though it was gone in an instant, even as she looked at it, there had been something like a white face, like gleaming eyes, pressed to the window-pane of the j embrasured window. "There-, you see! Though it's either ] imagination or a gardener's boy," said ■ Lord Chayter. "Don't look so* .frightened." j "'l'm not frightened." quietly, "but I | think you're right. Those blank win- ' dows make the room uncanny. I'll have something done to them to-morrow," but like lightning her thoughts had flown at the sight of that face against the glass to the strange woman who had conic to inquire for Adrian; though there could be no earthly connection. "Let her look!" she thought, contemptuously. "'She won't see much to please her. And not a soul in the house knows I anything about Adrian and mc, and I that's all I care about." Quite unconscious that Tommy and the duchess susj pected what Sister Elizabeth knew; and] j that every wind that blew, every hour i that passed, was pushing her nearer to ' the greatest horror any woman can face. "Screens would do it," returned Lord Chayter serenely, turning some attention to his dinner, and determining to drop a bint to Levallion. For there were windows on both sides of the big room, and it seemed a coincidence that if anyone bad looked in they should have chosen the side behind Mind not facing Lord Levallion's sharp eyes. He gave tne subject what he considered a happyturn, j "Captain Gordin looks pretty shaky! He ought to be careful, if he prefers earth to Heaven," lip observed. "Better keep him hero and let some of these charming ladies take him in band. He wants a course of petting, the .platonic kind, you know!" Ravenel caught the! duchess' eye, and rose thankfully. j "Anyone on eartn t;> nurse mc rather j than you!" Adrian had said. But her' punishment vould be more than she could beer if she must stand by and sec any of these f?omcn do it. She utterly i forgot that „_ite phantom face at the dark window.. (To be continues daily.) Ladies should see the great display of tack combs, hatpins and hair daggers Ut Smith and Caughey's, Ltd.—(Ad.) Linen table damask in elo'ths, serviettes Ml piece goods, slightly imperfect, tnj rked 7/ in £ below ordinary prices. iSmith and Caughey. Ltd.—(Ad.)

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