A LUCKY YOUNG WOMAN.

Auckland Star, Volume XLII, Issue 191, 12 August 1911, Page 16

A LUCKY YOUNG WOMAN.

F. C. PHILIPS. ■ CITAPTER XXXIV. For two weary weeks Lord Norwich struggled between life and death. The delirium passed away, but left the patient so weak that it needed all Marcia's tender care, all the devotion of Markby and the Fraulein, and all the unremitting attention of the surgeon, to prevent bis life ebbing away.

Sir Samuel remained for three days. "I can do nothing further," said the eminent man in taking leave. "Lord Norwich is in excellent hands. I entirely agree with Mr Blakey's treatment, and have arranged in consultation with r' i what is to be done in certain contingencies. I think we may be hopeful. At all events no chance has been thrown away." Marcia was scarcely ever absent from his bedside. She never seemed to be tired, although the brief hours of sleep that she was able to snatch were few and far between. "If his life is spared," said Mr Blakey to Markby, "it is more due to that young lady's nursing than to my skill, or indeed to any other cause." "You will kill yourself, deaT child," remonstrated the Fraulein one day, "if you do not take more rest."

"What matter?" replied Marcia, "if I can only help to save him. My life is of little value. It has hitherto been more of a curse than a blessing both to me and to others, and I would willingly part with it, if by so doing I could restore him to health. He has risked his life for me—perhaps lost it. Surely I might do the same for' him."

"You would like to please him now," urged the Fraulein. "You would wish to do that, would you not?" "Of course, I should," answered Marcia.

"Well, then, take better care of yourself for his sake. It would make him wretched, perhaps retard his recovery, if he were to imagine what was going

"I shall be all right," said Marcia, "have no fear. I am Tery strong." But the anxiety and sleeplessness were telling on the young girl all the same, and the Fraulein's solicitude was not without reason.

One day when Marcia was alone with him, Norwich suddenly woke and called her by her name. He had scarcely spoken for days.

"What can I get you!" said Marcia.

"Nothing, thanks." he replied. "I have been wanting to tell you how grateful I am for all your kindness, but I have not hitherto had the strength to talk."

"Pray don't do so now. You must no/ exert yourself." "It will not exert me," he answered. "And I shall be happier when I have said what 1 want to say. I don't think I shall get over this, Miss Conyers. If I do, it will be through you. Now I wanted to tell you before it was too late, that from the moment I saw you I loved you. That love has been growing ever since, though I don't think 1 should have troubled you about it again but for this. You were quite right to refuse me. I don't in the least wonder at your not caring for me. I know I have always appeared at a disadvantage when I have been with you. I think it mast have been my affection for you that caused that. Anyhow, I know that I have been conscious of it. However, it is too late now. You will find that I have not forgotten you. I have left you nearly everything that is not entailed. Most of the property that is the landed property —goes to my uncle. That is right, and as it should be. But you will have some sixty or seventy thousand pounds. That will make you independent, and romovt any anxiety as to your future. I shall die happier to think that you are provided for. That is all I have to say. Now kiss me once, my dear one, and I will trouble you no more."

"My darting," cried Marcia, "I 'will not take a farthing of your money. But you shall get well, nothing shall stop you getting well, and then if you ask me again—and I don't deserve that you should—l will be your wife." "God bless you, dear," answered Norwich, and his head fell back on the pillow, and he was again unconscious. And Marcia, shedding tears of blood, vowed to herself that if Providence* would only give her a chance, she would atone in the future for any unhapplness she had caused this noble young fellow in the past. "His life shall be one dream of happiness," said tie girl to herself, "so far as lies in me." Then she swore in her own way. And if there was anything unbefitting a young lady in the words that crossed her mind, I doubt not but that the Recording Angel, to whom our greatest master of pathos has told us, treated them as be treated a like vow under very like circumstances. The recovery was very slow, and every now and again would for a day or two appear hopeless. But in all surgical cases good nursing, next to the operation itself, is everything, and without it the skill of the surgeon is entirely wasted. In actual warfare, if we leave out of account tie men that die under fire or within a few hours after action, it will be found (and any surgeon will frankly tell you as much) that the bulk of those who are lost die from want of proper nursing, rather than from their injuries.

Nursing of the most devoted and constant kind Norwich had. Of MaT- | cia, I need say nothing. The Fraulein was indefatigable, and, like Maxcia, apparently superior to every form of human weakness. These was an almost Dutch element in her determination that the whole thing should end well Men are of only occasional use in a sick-room, and when not actually employed are better out of the way. All, however, that was wanted of them, Markby and Harrison did. And, if there be any truth in the belief that occasionally anticipations in some mysterious manner communicate themselves from mind to mind, as the Greeks firmly believed, and on the strength of that belief won their greatest battle against the Barbarian, there was certainly some such "Divine whisper" about in the yacht; and instead of hoping for the best, the crew of the Cecilia, from the master down to the boy, were bright and almost confident. A morning came at last when the young doctor expressed his opinion that the vessel might leave, with due regard to her destination, and indeed, went away with the remark that he should look in next morning for a farewell visit, being convinced that change of air would now do more good than anything else. That evening he got a note > from Markby, asking him to look round? at an hotel on the quay. He did so, and Ifound Markby comfortable after his own fashion, with cigars and a flask of Chiantt The ©l4 campaigner began with

general conversation touching the weather, the wine, and more especially the cigars, which he had brought with him from the yacht, and which were the picked produce of the great Baron Rothschild's own home plantation. At last, however, the old veteran came to the point.

"Look here, doctor," he said, "you are wasting your talents in this beastly place. You owe it to yourself to find a better field, and I may say without a compliment that you owe it to the world. Man alive, I am nearly old enough to be your father, and I tell you it's a sin to hide your light under a bushel. Leave your practice here; sell A or hand it over till you can arrange for the transfer. We want you to come back with us to England, and to see you in London, where you ought to be. Norwich insists on it, and declares that if you won't come away v/ith him, he shall moor the yacht as a hulk and stop with you. Now, pray, feel no false pride in the matter. You have saved his life, and you know it. The obligation he is under to you is not a matter of figures. Come and start in London, and ilf at the end of your first year there, with his introductions and the story about all over London, you are fidgety about small matters, be as punctilious as you like, and we'll endow a ward in some hospital of your choice or otherwise satisfy your scruples. You will have made enough and more than enough to settle accounts with him that way." The doctor considered a little, but not for long. He had no ties that at all bound him to Athens. He could adopt Markby*s suggestion, and he would, after all, be only borrowing money from a man to whom the sum in question was a trifle, and who had indeed almost forced it upon him. Besides, in an offer of this kind everything depends upon the spirit in which it is made and the surrounding circumstances. The doctor took the sensible course, and accepted the proposal as frankly as it had been made.

Another couple of days sufficed for everything. Mr. Blakey soon arranged for the transfer of his practice, and his private matters were, as those of a bachelor ought to be, in a nutshell. The Consulate undertook to carry out all the details, and Blakey that evening remarked emphatically to Markby, with whom he was now upon more than cordial terms, "They say every man has his chance at least once in his life. Luckily for me my chance has sought me out while I am still young enough to put it to good purpose." "You'll do that," said Markby, "never fear. And if there is everything on board the yacht our man is likely to want, the sooner we are out of this place the better."

With sunrise next morning they were out of the place. The ensign was run up. The engines began to pulsate, and the Cecilia glided out of the harbour, and once again, like a thing of life, cut her way through the waves, and tossed the white foam from her clear-cut bows.

The saloon was specially reserved for Marcia and Miss Dietz, whom Markby had in his own way captured, and got on board with all their effects, and with a French maid who was anxious to get hack to Paris and had jumped at the idea of the trip. Markby when he set about a business carried it out in details, being of opinion that your pawns in chess are as valuable pieces as any other.

Markby, Norwich, and the doctor were of course together in the second cabin. Harrison (I am not speaking with reference to his sleeping-quartern) was everywhere, and rendering himself generally invaluable. It was a peculiarity about this man that he could not possibly 4>e idle. If there was nothing else to be done, he would take up a gon or & pistol on deck and give it a thorough cleaning and overhauling. How did they amuse themselves? I will tell one way out of many. The doctor rigged out a little net and towed it alongside. Then he sorted out the catch, and showed Marcia under his microscope marvels of beauty—strange things, neither flowers nor animals, of every tint. He made of them materials for a paper on "Certain forms of infusorial life in the Mediterranean," for which in process of time he received a golden medal or two. and a batch of initials to stick after his name if he so pleased. Marcia, with a microscopic camera, transferred the creatures to paper. You can see many of them in her picture of the Diver. Miss Dietz knitted, and allowed Markby to teach her piquet, at which she soon proved herself an adept. So the hour* flew bv. They dropped the French maid at Marseilles, where they stopped to coal. From Marseilles to Southampton Water is an easy run.

CHAPTER XXXV. Lord Norwich had been steadily improving. Before they had passed Gibhe was able to be propped up with pillows, to be talked to at length, and to talk with discretion on his own account. When a young and strong man fairly begins to mend he mends rapidly, and on the evening that they threw anchor in Southampton harbour the whole party of five sat together for the first time round the table of the saloon, and celebrated their arrival with an English dinner and a round game of cards. Literally a sling and a little care were all that was now necessary. There was a. discussion next morning as to plans, bat it was only a discussion, as no one of the party was in a hurry. Norwich and Markby were their own masters, Marcia and the Fraulein were equally independent of circumstances. The business matters of Mr Blakey were far from being urgent, and would indeed require some little negotiation in London itself. But at the same time it was clear that there must come an end to everything, even to a happy cruise, and the end of this, the most eventful cruise which the Cecilia had ever made, or was destined to make, came in this wise. Markby, .the doctor, and Miss Diet?. had gone on shore. Why they all have gone away together I cannot tell, 'but there must have been excellent reasons for it, or no doubt they would not have done so. And yet they were not apparently altogether at their ease. They had a half-guilty bearing about them as of smugglers or conspirators, and their purchases somehow seemed to be made with the object of killing time. The Fraulein -wanted gloves, and it was difficult to suit her requirements as to colour. While she was selecting her gloves, Markby and the doctor went to the shop of a jeweller, whose name I need not mention, but who is sufficiently well known in Southampton and London. Oddly enough, the jeweller must have been expecting them, for he at once pro-1 duced some articles of which they expressed their approval.

I/et me quote two sentences from Bret Harte's inimitable parody of "Lothair." of these pearls, ray lord, is worth fifty thousand fruineas," said Mr Amethytt, tie fashionable jeweller, u he

lightly lifted a large shovelful from a convenient bin behind his comXet %' "Indeed," said Lothair, Tshsiili ««t should prefer to see aomaxm.iT. ones." #■■■«». jeweller produced ant fcaded. ta Markby a ring, which waa distJnctlv *«■ expensive one." It was a how of dS monds and rubies, and it met with Mirk by's approbation after he had critical]* examined it stone by stone. The <3£ monds were unquestionably Brazilian ana cut as brilliants, while the ruuiea were most carefully matched. Prohnbly man* people a*e unaware that rubies wera they only fashionable, would be far mora costly than diamonds, as they are mock rarer, and are seldom found of so lam a size. . ■. . As Markby wholly eschewed jeweller? himself, even in the light of portable pro. j perty, and boasted no other ornament than a platinum watch-chain with a stout railway guard's watch at the end of it, we may safely presume that he wu riot in the present instance purchasing oa his own account. Meantime Norwich and Marcia had been left alone in the yacht Tie former was on a dock-chair; Marcia was seated by one of the saloon windows." They. had been talking about many things that had happened siirce their first acquaint, ance, and ultimately had ended in gfl« ' ence—not at all a silence of awkardnese or restraint, but a silence none the ten, Norwich was the first to break it "Marcia, I want you to listen to me fat a minute." Marcia turned her head and eyes towards him. Norwich met her look freely and happily, and then glanced up at thf intricately decorated ceiling of the cabin, "Marcia," he continued, "I have twice, asked you to marry me, and yon hare refused me twice. Let me hope there i» luck in odd numbers. Let us begin ovet again from the time when I came to myself and found you sitting by me. Let I us begin all over again from that minute, and tell me now, before we leave) this place or before I go ashore, that you will be my wife. I can't talk much, but you know how much I love yon.". 39 "I cannot answer you," she said, and her throat swelled and she hid her fa«a in her hands. "There is something ( ought to tell you, and I cannot tell it 1 you. I cannot tell it to any one." ' "I think," said Norwich, "that you will tell it me, my child, and that you will tell it me now, before Markby and .tiki,; others are 'back." And he got up, cross*ed the cabin, and sat down beside hex. 3 Then Marcia briefly but slowly sni distinctly told him the whole Paris story exactly as it had happened, from first tfl last. -':'!;

Norwich was not, nor have I ever de» < scribed Mm as being, a hero of. the Guy Livingstone type. He did not indulge iai • any violent or alarming symptoms of suppressed rage. He kneW the ' man, and was thus the less astonished; and is . the tale went on he made up his miai how to act. But he waited till dt h»4 come to its end, and then, like Ttnay. son's Lord Ronald, "he laughed a hug* of merry scorn," and "turned and kissel "■ her." "I knew nothing of this," he said, "andv'. I have heard nothing until now. Let us promise each other, Marcia,' nevsf through the whole of our lives to" speak of it again. I love you all the better for your troubles; and what happened'.'. to you might have happened to any girl who trusted a villain." And so it came to pass that whei Miss Dietz and Markby came down the companion they looked at Norwich an*, at Marcia; and then, somehow, all four were looking each at the other three, and the Old Campaigner shook hands with Norwich first and with Marcisi afterwards. And then the good Fran* lein, by way of doing something appro* priate, threw herself on Mareia's necU and began to weep demonstratively. Whereupon the two men left the cabin j and went up on to deck, where they - found tKI doctor waiting for them, who received the intelligence with professional absence of surprise, the full dig-" nity of which he immediately proceeded to mar by unprofessional if not exactly commonplace expressions of satisfaction. "It's an odd thing," said Mr. Blakey.. "Plato was a funny old fellow wholly - ignorant of anatomy, but there is in on of his dialogues, which I read when a> student in the Quartier Latin, a madkind of attempt to give a theory of love. They are all getting more or less drunk ' together, and each man propounds hit own theory. That of Aristophanes is the funniest. He says that originally man and woman were one, but that the gods for some reason or other got angry with them and cut them in sunder, and that now every man is going about tht world seeking for his lost half. _ II | he happens to find it, the marriags) I is a happy one. It i» a grotesque fable, as grotesque'as anMsj thing in Rabelais, but there is a vast - amount of downright sound common sense in it." < "So there is," said Markby. "Nor* wich, my boy, well hunt up the steward, and crack a bottle of champagne. It will do him no harm, will it, doctor*" "It will do none of us any harm,* answered the doctor cheerily, and they cracked accordingly a couple of bottle! as befitted a great occasion. That same evening Lord Norwich wrote to his solicitors, and briefly stating the position of affairs, desired * one of the junior partners to come dowß at once, explaining that he wished tht marriajye to take place immediately, and at Southampton. The man of law was down the next./ afternoon. Tt was seldom that Mr. ' Simple, of Fee, Tail, Simple and Pea thus troubled himself, but the firm had not many such clients as Lord Norwich Besides, a marriasre means not onlv * marriageable settlement, hut possibly"* resettlement of the estate, and a. wiß, and a number of other such legal formalities. So not onlv did Mr. Simple come down, but he brought with him * confidential clerk and a tin-box full of the familv papers, and he put up at thai best hotel in the town in a style befit" tin? the importance of his mission. The next two. davs were quiet, bof hanpv a7id bnsv. A special license had to be ffot in London, on the strength of which it was possible for the marriage ;to take placp on board the vneht. And | thpre werp some nt-hcr thiners to be looked to—not manv. but still important matters—which Markby took in hand hj imspTf. Thus pvcrvbodv was fullv employed, and hours went bv like minutes. The crow, of course, were perfectly well aware of all that was in prpparation, and had but one opinion on the matter, but their air of stolid ignorance did them infinite credit. Nor ono-ht I to forffpt that their joint present to th* bride and bridpsrroom 'was, at thp sailing master's happv instance, a gravelling watch and anproid barometer in a compact case, with an inscription neatly ensrraved on a small plate and affixed thereon. (To be contined next Saturday.)