The White Lie.

Auckland Star, Volume XLV, Issue 163, 10 July 1914, Page 10

The White Lie.

A Story of Love, Blackmail and Revfnje. T... WILLIAM LE QUEtTX. 'A . '•'.•,»■ n< "Ennlnrti's Peril." "R/rrehitVl ■■!' (.',.' Srrrrt S'-rrjrr ." ' ■//u* ft/"(i I p." <•!.-.. C'-. CHAPTKH XV[f. Tin: DAttKFAI.V;; ijhim/.on. , '-W.-ll „.,-... [ i.arcUy e-.-p«tod thai." h" -> ; I. n-prminsly. hi- s,. r i.M v> IL-./-.! hi,,,ii |~-r.». •l".i:. turned -, irli-l, anil tlien si.lmittfi. .1- -he stou.l with nit liar-k m ihe wrilins üblc: - - "7 saw the photojjraph in your deJ yw .hose paper*." --;•■! vim iiin-o—I'll':" l)jrnlioro!T?h re- "\ woman : ' always interested in » :i Ii .1 fniTTtl smile. ■A\-,-:i. f.Tvivr. it,,' fur ■=«>iriir so. lml I I'l'iriiliT it it'okk impertinence on your [«n to hav<. pri.-ri int.. my pi]..-!-, young uh." trie chief iii thi" Secret .-'Tvi n. -witli -.-mi- asperity. "I I nisi y.tii will forgive- mc Mr. Darn■■..r,.ii_l,. i.!lt. 11 lit -i to l-11. I i-oilM Tint i"=.i-i. the temptation." •-.I ust ;i- many other peapte i-ould not :,v-i-i -if th.-\ knew what sf-cre.ts tliH l.uiis." ho laii-.'lH>il. "Well. mir.->e. I for-μ-ivi- you.' , lie lidded. , hit-i iiilly. hi- man7:'r ,'>i.\iii:i!]-. •■<:<> b.i.-k 7,/lyni Uμ-.-■irulalr. iiml makr luiutH si ml |l'oi him ::■■", sixain. Kiil'l.ih'l i- wirely in rie.-l o f ..•in imlay—l '-aii assure ymi." •■Duns in- wi.~ii for iiif'' '•Yes. hf L'avf mi" -<i iiipswia* , asking \(vi to return tv him ar. onif." I'll -_'n. tlicn." rh,- ri'plieU. "I'm Lllmi you'xH mc. My mtinn »'a=, 1 kunu. horribly nn'.ui aii-i i|iiiti- unpardona'ali. , lu)ckl evpninp." ■( ,nn,l pvfninjr. niir-n." TospoiiUed. ;i- In- busiofl Tppui'k-in-j ho [i.ip-r.-. sin- Iffr thi- room. XV groat man of spcn-Us iif yet. in iffnoraii.i- Hiat ll»" protty. h.i!' l-'rpti.-h tull--1■ .mil l-'raulfin Monta- ? ii.-. Dick Hsirboriif"- friend, wrn- one ami the. same i>.m>o>i. At tint! moment hr , liail liepn t;<iVinL' m:-i the vprv woman whom hi? anfinte iKi.l bppn himtinjr Hip v.-holf uf Europe to lin;J. Vet In- bowed hpr oul of tlio room in i-ntin , ignorance of that fait. \nd .-iii- i»*i-pnilccl the srreat. hroaJ. tWckly-i-arpciWHl staircasi; to the sii-k man.-' room fihe was tilled with re;rret that Darnborough liaJ not entered fiv.ininntn? later, when, by that timo. blh , would liny learnt llie secret uf what tvaa t-oniaini'd in tho-e papers i-oncern-in.3 Dii-k Ilarborne's death. Her lieail swam .is she recalled that trug-u- afternoon and also the afternoon sucwedin-.' it-, when she hail witnessed tho terribli- ;vxj,lent n> Noel Ban-lay, tlie n.ival aviator. She rerolleeted how Ralph Im.l heen at her .side iv the rab when the> had both «irn«sed the i-ol-It-i-,- 0! t'nc aeroplane, -and how utterly ,a11..r,« and Uioaov-nl .lie had been. K,>r the thousandth time »he had asked herself whether Rj.lph Ansell. her dead husband. :iad ever diecovered her •■ .■μ-wi;. witj Rx-iuTri Efarborne. It w.is i nii-Hv p!a.tonir friendship. Their s::ition= in life had been totally different, »..'i In- had always treated her gallantly, arrl , h.ul. in ri-turn. i-onscnted to SBj.it; him in sevpral matter.-: —"mattere of husiiip*-" he- had termed them. And in i-onni.H-tioii with ore of them she had .-m,.. \,, (iprniiiny hs Kr.uilein Montnpic mc" liini < >v t,ra * mmnorabln day -nii.-i she ai-Usl as .t po-betwepn. )la ,[' KaJpli found this out: IE had Dirk di«l by her ian-1 >li,. Wits n' the door ot his lord'hip? Toom, a pretty !i£nire in lier bl"' 1 rot-ton .Town sinil white nursin;: apron and ,ap. For a mom.-nt she pau.se,!. to crush down ~H reiollections of the past. lhen '-!„. turned th<- h»dlr and pniered on 'ip-tnr, fearin;.' lest her patimt might be ".H*T,e *a. very wide awak.p.l.inni n« a. line of polky to tohxt the *ug-.i-.-si<>(l Au.stro-tlonuan alliance against ilraiw; Britain. "I'rompt measures were IlP rt*<a-y. Ar 8 o'cKx-k in the morning t*-o Kb!s Mes.<pn ? crs wouW be «t Branmduli- ready to lake Uus _ •■spiu-i d»patrbe»—aut»igmip]i jnsuiu-liou to the IJritUh AmbaseaJor.* tfl the Courts of bath. Empires. Though the Earl of Brnrandale was coined «,> his bed. tile foreign pulky of -,he nation h-.id still f> be conau.-i.-d. and lie liad ri'SUHied <-ontrul of atlairs a - snon-u-i .v.-r his lia.ntt i-ould use a ijieli. V MrtiolP *l ream of officials from Downiii.'r Strf-ci ond hi hers, called a>t Bracondoll , tlaity. and passed ihr..uirli iii;vKin. ATid to pafli anil sumlry he •luvß :'ud impliii; In«triK.tioii*. :he marveltously ingeniou* polioj evolved l»y -his rejiKirlcubl,- l.ruiji. "It is time for yoiir ruedii-ine." -Te.iii said, in a soil, voice, a> she eniifed. "l! «-a« due half-an-hour ago. bin. 1 he*i-t.-u.-.l :,« di*iurb y,.u with your \i*iiur." •■l.Miiie ripflrt. nur-.r. Never mc when Mr. Darn-bo roil jjli <-.Ul-. _\ly bii-m.-s with him is a way* of the very raphes; iinvun-diK-c and a'w.iy- .-'.ricily conlideuti tl." .lean rrn-a-ed t.> Tin- *m.i:l r mud table wlii-reon -.--Hi ihp 1...: ile and tiieduine gl.i— and. after iiieu-iirinu the mixiurr i-«rpMilly. handed if I ■ him. u-Uiiis:-- --- your .-tumlder quite ea-y now.-" •■tjuite. nurse." was his reply, as. rai?off the meiiichie, pii!lin.U •' wry f.ue afterwards. Then. wi;h a calm. .-•■; -x-]pr,---!O!i upon iii- •■•iiimenanee. he looked ■■1 should think inirsin? rim-: lie a terrlliiy dull, luonotojious life, i-u"; if: Suri-lv I'ne i-oiuinual alirro.sphere of flic nifk-roiim i- very depress-in-..'v" ■•[ do no! iind it po." <lie replied, brightly, with her pretty I'rendi aicent. "I iijn devoted to my Railing." ■ I .|iii:e re thai." -akl hi* lordship, lookinjr into her sweet, seriou.s (,(,..•. "Vel ir requires a gorrd iiea.l of ~,- i'-.i-ni.il. I should imagine." ••I'eniai-s." aud .--li.- sniUed. '"But «elfdenial i- nne of the lir-t lessons learnt in i.iir tieierhood." ■ You joined the Si*terliood in France, did you nut':" he a.-ke.J. Yes: at the chief convent at m-ir Paris. But. of course. I have not 'You iiKciid to do so. 1 suppose?" She \\n« silent for .i lew -seconds; tupn. with her eyes averted, ?ie an-s-.-.er.vi. frankly: — "Ii is rnor'. . Than possible." ■Would ir not be a great sar-rifice? 7>nie.m"i)eT. you are youn?. Why should you cut yourself ofT go entirely from th" -.vorldV' Ajrain eho tt.is silent. Then, peein,!; : lie .Twaited her reply, she an•U'ered:—

' -If I uke liie vow= I ?l ill -I" ?o bei cm-.' I have pertain rc-a-on- for 40 do- * "Strong rea*on.«:" Ik- a-ke.l. -rill lookin'.' intu her fan , . She raised hor line e\e> t.i his again. anil nodded in the atlirmative. Then >hti turned and ivalki-d toward* i!..- t;i!»|p io pui down the empty gla". I. ird lirat-unJaU' for the fir-; time r.\ili-od that, the nuiv by n'.iom luring the |M-l few day- lie. .■ •nrirnied ljui-Vliir that he v, a-.'iiad become su •traniji-iv iittnut.-il. a rlnpter ,f li. r ■'.'.- tthkh -he l|.i|i»d »a- c!ose I Tin- mriiMia 'itnaiiiin attracted him. rt'lia'r. In- wondered. <-o".i!'l I"- thi- nature if I in- w.-rrt iif mi-i a .l'u "I, pun- ,- ---nind-d. linwMt woman" Hi* i-y.-- folln.ve-l her a- she moved i iUr.it tin- room in nilenie. Mp was' Tin- autumn djy.s pawd slowly. ITU .vns ,i luiijr illm-sk Dill in thp jiroat park the "olden .Mvp-. iii fulling, wen- swept along thr .vidp ,iwiiue liv thp titronsr winds from .In- .->\i. and thp fa, , ol the country .dan. when she took Iht walk alone I •iiHi afternoon, wln-n off duty, wandered )vor tlip hare field- or beside the <rrey •Ml iva until. *o dispiriting did s-ho iu<l the scpiip. that >li ■• preferred to ipen-J ii.T hour* .if re.-d in i'.ip bi-. mil.varini'il house, or at tin. , '-onvent itself. Hi- |nrd«liip'H recovery wa* very slow. Sir Kvered Morrison had -n <iown throe times from 1.0n.10n and -pen thr lati.nt. an.l on tin- last m-i-axiun had .pen a'fonirKinii-1 \>? another r-nowned inrgruii. Though it wari kept a profound tPirrt the truth was that tile Karl was nut as well a- hud been exwcti'd, I'erhaps the strain nt State .Hairs .va* tuo Iwavy lipon him. lor thouyli far ir.mi rei-overed. In- worke. , . several lionw with Mr. Charltnn. hu -prrctary. who sal a.t a lalile at his bedM.lc writ.iiiL' dispati-hp-i a,s his li>rdship lu-tiitt-tl thi-iil. Tims tliree inontl* went by. November i-aine ami went, and -till the Karl Mil not left his room, although lif was lllowed to tit i>7 the lire in lii< drt-stsing--/own for two hours each day. The room had been transformed into i sina'l -library, and here hN lordship •("•eived ■■iillfrs w'.io f-aine from London i,.on official bvL?iues<. luJeed. lie on mire than one occasion received an Amlossador of one of the peat Puwer?. To -lean it wa* all it very nove-1 and j oxupripnee. At her patient": i !ic:!sidi' she some of the greates; in the land, men -.\ !io-i> namns were as, lioiibpbokl wor.ls. I'.veii a Koyal prinei. , :a!!ed onp day in his motorvar and sat before tiie lir>- with the invalid. And if) the triitli be told, peari-ely a person who: visited tho Karl did not remark upon 'lie niil'sp"s jrraie. and jrood i Inwardly, thr Karl flf Braeondale was inuf'i niystifipd. UncoiWMouFly. OM'iipied -.viih affairs, he found liinistlf thinking of her. and when she I ua« absent ior he looked forward eajrerly to her return. To Sister ticrtnidf he spoke but little, while to •le.an he wa- always frank, oppn. and rjXi-evdingly chatty. j Yet constantly did thp suspicion arise in mind that she was in possession of s.ome dron.l secret, that there was a chapter in her \rhii-h rhr iva,? undesirous of ri'vealinp. In the middle ol Der-emhpr lie srev \ c-onvalp=r-pnt. and "Sir Kvr-red one day aanomicpd that he would, with r-aro. 'omplptelv recover. The daily bulletins in t T io newspapers erased to apncHr. and the world then know that the renowned Foreipl was on his way bark to health. This he attributed fo Jeans careful nursing. To everyone Tip was loud in her praises. Indeed, he oi'ten spoke of hnr in eulopV-tie term; whir f.he was present. anH on stieh on-asions sKe -ivoul.d blush deeply and dprlare tli.u phe had only performed her duty. In th'vv ivwks they had been L'onstautly in eai-h oth«rV> society. T\\>: long days in which she s.u a;. hi~ bedside reading <>r doinpl needlework, and tlie night when ench quarter of an hour she stole in steahhih Lo -c,- that all,was well, -he had grown very partial to his society. He was m< bright and intellectual, and j)o.sse.s.-ed siu-li a kern sense of humour rwhen himind was m>l overshadowed by the weight \>f political went*. Ofit-n Inwould .-hat with her for hour-, jind somotmip.s. indeed, lie would put a iiilille r|tiestion upon th« matter in winch he now ij.ik >i> k.-cii an intereit— her i>a<:. Bu: to all bis c-leverly-eonwv.-d in-quirie-t -In- ifiuained diimh. Her nil wad H uk-k as hi-, au.l he < lU ;|, m: whatever iva, the iriuh, her intellijjfiueu ijjfak freely upmi every oilier tuhjetl. but. a- m wh.il si,,, bad done or where she had lieeii lietore enterini; ihe Si.«;erh mil she refused in i.itisfv him. The pii'r: Tii hor it was all a horrible nk'bun.in-. Uiten. when alone, tin- face of Ralph An-i'll. ihe man who had been shot like a .lo- by Mm polirc, arose heton- iu>v. iri.-d i.i |,|,u j: ~v;. bu; all wjs. ula»: ..f ii.. a\.iii. -oineriiiH's -Ih- conipared her paiieii! i witii her dead hiuband. And ; hen she u.m1.l -,>rli :•■ lii-rwlf --i-ii 1,.,.,,,,,. „!,,, held tlii- Karl in -u,-;i a-Imii-Rt-inn and ■In-; before ( riri-rni.i-! .-mother dinlonuti"- h.iiiili»li.-ll bur*; i,, K,,r,.i..-. D.iru-bni-f.uirii c.une to and frn i.i Br.ir.imlale half .i duA-ii time- in the i-.-nirse >>f four oi livi- day.-, lime he arrived by -|ie,i,il train from P.lddinjftoil in iiie middle of ihe niftht. Many -c-rious eonferenees did he have with hi« fhief, h-itc: con--ul;a.'ion- ~ • which Jp.ui, U\\e:l with thoush'she did no;, fail to note that Darnboioutfii u-n.il!y her with some suspicion, his exijiri^r:o piilit-np=s. More than om-e in those I.i-; <\.iy; of the year Jean -r^e-;ed ih.i; iir-r presence at Kr.tPondah , ita< u.i ioiifjer required. Bui lie]- patient seemed very loaili to parr «i; :i hor. "Another week, nurse." lie would <jv. •■Perhaps I will be able to do wirhnut you then. We shall «cc." And so i.-i.r-perwn.:.- di.i hi< lor.l-hi;. find her (ha: in; until the I.i -1 day of January did -!,.■ pack her small belongings ready lo lie carried back to the <-nnven;. It was a warm i>ii::n, Morning, one of aiiosp soft, sunny winter d.iys whii-h one *o or.en experience* in sliphcrel Torquay when -Iran, having sen: her Things down by Dn\is. tan uniler chauffeur. put on her tica; lirtle vein; hut and her black r.iilr>r-mail<" i-oat, an I went inro-iie hupo drawinp room, -.rhere she had learnt ironi -lennor imp K.rr. : ■\v!i.= rea-dinu , . The bi/j. InsiiriouM. h.-jviir-jrildfj aparrmrni 'v.is enipiy. hu; the lonz Krem:h windows -acre open upon the slone terrace, and upon one of the -.vhitc

iron ii.iir~ thn I-~.ir!. a =mar:. neatly-dre.*sert li;rure in blatk morning-i • ■■ont,'widely br.iiiied in the French man- | ncr— a fa«hi-on In- usually affected—sat I r-urlin-. ! J.-an ua]k-J t.> iUp window, bag in li.uil. anil paused for v few feconds. ! linking ot him in silem-e. I Ti-on. a< llieir r-ye- mot and lip roso ■ rjukkly to iii-i I'pft. .-lie advanced with outstretched hand t"> w i-'n him farevvplL {To be continurrl aa"y.)