THE PAINTED LILY.

Auckland Star, Volume LVII, Issue 96, 24 April 1926, Page 30

THE PAINTED LILY.

By OLIVE - WADSLEY.

Author of *The Flame," "Frailty," "Nevertheless," etc, etc, •''.; 'CHAPTER XW. ;'/;\ . "Well,: that's better," Bonnie said', folinto their stateroom and gazing about him. "I feel a bit done, but the mere fact that the boat's moving bucks mc up."7 ' '-' ' :

He crossed to the,, big sofa and sat down on it. •

""Five days and we'll be in—and we can drive straight to Shane; be there a couple of hours after we land.... By Jove7Jt all seems like a" fairy tale—or a dream."

"This last-week has been* more like a nightmare," Val remarked, pensively; "one endless rush from morning to night. Gee, Ronnie, getting ""made an earl seems a tough business!"

Ronald's- eyes narrowed! a vety little. During the last .week lie had, perhaps through fatigue, or because of the depression consequent upon illness* begun to notice more'and more each mistake Val made, and each time he noticed/a faint sense of resentment - had stirred in him. '"'.."

Val - said now, over. one shoulder, as she Went on pulling'silk*stockings out of a box, and throwing them into *a drawer:

"You. don't seem: very chatty;" : :•'.' "Don't I?" Ronald.answered; he got up and strolled to the door. "Think I'll go to the deck .chairs. You know whore" they are jdon ? t you?" The white door shut with a click,'and Val was alone.

At that moment the Olympic gave a sort of shuddering roll, and Val shuddered, too; not in sympathy, but in terror. . ,

She had never seen the sea. until she had come to New York, and she had therefore no knowledge of that horrible and humiliating illness, sea-sickness.

During the first half-hour she expected death, during - the next, half -hour she would have welcomed it.

She was frightened to death, and she felt honestly, ghastly ill; she did not know that, by pressing a button, >a stewardess, who was kindness itself, who understood all about sea-aickness, and who would be like every sort of. comfort rolled into one, would appear, get her to bed, fetch her champagne, a hot-water bottle, and sit beside her till she felt better.

All poor Val could do was gasp, for air, try to fight off the terrible dark mist which seemed to be pressing down into her very heart. Finally, and mercifully, she fell into a dead faint. Ronald did not give her two. thoughts after he (had left the cabin, for the very good reason that he ran straight into Iris, dressed in the, very smartest tweeds, and actually with a faint colour in her magnolia petal cheeks,, which made her look gay, and '.somehow. younger. -. y. ■■;'.. "You never told mc you were sailing," Kkmnie exclaimed, holding' both the small (hands held out to him so gladly. "Why ever didn't you 1" . "Because I didn't know,, my dear 1 But Cleveland cabled yesterday that I must really go back and settle up poor. Dickie's estate, and as I am nearly broke and any settlement which yields even/ only three half-pence will be welcome— here I am!" {'*_' •'•' '■

"This is splendid," Ronald said, f'too good to be\true. Come along and-have' a cocktail and tell mc all the-.news— it's a week since I've: seen you; or longer." "It's nine days, ten hours, and a few odd minutes!" Iris said, and did not look at him. fi .

And Ronnie, who, though he had never taken even a pass in maths, could nevertheless add two and' two satisfactorily, did a small sum in his well-brushed head, and felt touched,; and rather, excited. By Jove! she was right—fancy having counted the time—like that! 'iris, who had not counted any time, but made a long shot, saw his colour deepen a very little,,and felt a quick little atab of joy.

"I'll get him yet," she said.to herself. "After all, this marriage is ho marriage. —and every day in England.will make it more distasteful to Ronnie, and he no longer needs the money—it's a question of. playing' my cards cleverly,.'; anld slowly." - **■ She sank into the chair: labelled "Countess of Sands" with a little Kappy

Sigh.. . . .',:.■,-. .''■■-;. "And how's Val?" she asked brightly, "All right, thanks," Ronald said; he turned to Iris. "I can't believe I'm going home, Iris, A my own life, to a life easier than I have ever known it. It's all too 1 wonderful to be true, but it is true. I keep on thinking of getting back, what it'll be like back amongst all the old crowd) I keep seeing an autumn morningj-oiiie of j those days when the sun's over everything, very softly, you know> and there's dew on every bell of. heather, and a blue mist curling away off the moot —-and I can almost hear, the guns!. And then, in the falling night, going back, perhaps in a faint drizzle, to. a fire, and a bath and home! Do I sound as if I were a bit off to you?"

"Oh, my dear," Iris, said very,low, "I do so understand—l can see it all. too. Do you remember "the: days you and used to' -walk'back together, -and-you always came in, just for a bit ..." . . Ronald looked away over the. dazzling sea, not daring to look at Iris. "I remember," he said briefly. "Could we do all that again?" Iris asked. "Would Val mind?"? -;.

She watched his face cloud over, the joy, all the ..tenseness,;-the light -went out of it. 7■' : '777-.. ■''"-. .-. "77

He faced her again. -■ *•■ "I am awfully worried about -Val,"'he said frankly. "I mean how she'll settle dpwni and all that. If I were only going backfreetrr" he stopped dead, and then added in .a different- voice si "I am, a cad, to .have-said that; /but: ihe future" for the two of <vs A seems set with difficulties; I expect things .will straighten out when we do get back. Val may take to mother and theTothers, arid get .on with them.". It -would -simplify":matters -enormously. . Hullb-o-" he started slightly as Chick Buchanan passed him. "So he's aboard,?'-Ronald commented.

Ins was longing to say: "Can't you guess why 1" but she felt that it might he a false step, so refrained. Besides, the morning had -.yielded far more than she had hoped it would. Ronnie had almost opened up about Val. At any rate, he had made it pretty clear that the marriage was a tie -he -'would wish to break. He-had never gone so" far before. It was worth having thrown over Renalder, Iris decided (as she had done) and having made a last minute dash for the boat on the off-chance of something turning up. After all it would be very much worth while,: indeed,>if her ?\ friendship with Ronnie went. on pro-: greasing as it had progressed this morn-7 ing. '•'"'" The rotten irony of fate I : Ttf only Dicky had "or ahe had ; heara earlier of Ronald's whjrt*bout*i

•very single thing had- happened just wrongly. Oh, if flonnie had been tree now! But he was a curious being, he always had been, curious:about -honour. Obviously, there had been- some, sort of compact with Val'B father, and, Ronnie would stick to his side of It. - .Iris knew nothing would make him break his word —she cbuld still recall the terrible scene she.had had with him when he had discovered she had deceived him; that Dickie, her husband, was alive, very much alive indeed,, in India. He had been so* young then, that at last, she had- managed to influence him; it had .been what., she had called his "noble scruples;" which' had made her tire of Ronnie in "-the ettd.; She was dying to ask him: "Ronnie, if you'd been free, would you have loved mc!" but she dared 'not/, She gazed at Buchanan, as he passed again, with a keen curiosity; he was so: astonishingly good lookjng, oh! so young and fit; hismajjhificient grey eyes met hers, with a .hard stare of admiration, and Iris looked down; had she gone on looking at. him she; would have seen that look change tb, one of hatred, as Chick's gaze swerved to. Ronald; ' - Ronald did-not notice him.. -.He went "on smiling-imperturbably7 and gazingahead of him, out to sea;"but as Chick moved on, and Ronald glanced down the deck,;he noted the other's splendidbuild, and felt a.glow of satisfaction because her; bad fought, the owner of those shoulders and muscles to a standstill. "What are y.ou thinking of?" Iris asked him sweetly, and Ronald told her disappointingly, with a faint grin: •*& "Fighting!" - ;,It occurred to. him he ought to go back- to the cabin to look for. Val; and tell her Buchanan was on board*' He tbbk Iris her cabin and walked up to the state-rooms again. 7 •"

•A, pteWardess "opened the door in answer to .his knock, i v

. "I came in.quite by cchance," she said, "and found the lady very ill, .indeed; I've had to send for the doctor, he's in with her ladyship now." "Can I go', in ?" Ronald asked irresolutely. "HadT better?" , "I'd wait, "my- lord," the. stewardess said, "Dr. Baldwin'll be out in a minute, I expect."- '*

Ronald walked-up and down. 'Poor little kid! what rotten lusik, the very first day. out, .too-T—-7 7 c: The doctor, young many .with a very pleasant, freckled . face, came out. '

" 'Fraid Lady Sands is in .for - a bad spell," he -said .cheerily.''- "That>faint must have" lasted a.! good , while. . "Of course,'sonic people do /get like ithat with sea-sicknesfr—" ■ ' ■ '

"Oh, if it's only sea-sickness," Ronald broke in,- i( she'll.get over that after a day'at. sea;" ' • -..-.- •

Dr. Baldwin had felt very sorry for Val, amL'also, he-had. not often seen anyone so little, so helpless, and so: beautiful. ' There was! a. certain "stiffness in his.voice .as he.said:•>.-,.>.<-. ,'"^'6nly; sea-sickness may; be' a pretty serious matter, Lord Sands. Lady Sands will need absolute qttfet, and Mrs. Bright mustn't leave her. at all;' another -stewardess will be on duty at night."

'7 He 'rtarched 'off; with a brief "I'll be back in an hour, i^to',_-the.,.fetewardess.

"Well, that's that," Ronald remarked after a. moment, and went out,-too.

."Selfish: blighteri". the stewardess ejaculated.Tgoing back':to Val.. who was .lying, deadly white, and'--with-":.closed ■eyes, so still that,she might have' been unconscious/, =7 7 7: 7 - 70'rt thetvery last; Val was cirried I out on deck, and 'allowed; to lie on a [ long, chair.-. It. was a day./ with the wind, and r a. sea 7 glass. ' 7 . ' r '" '■""' ' "Oh, this, is lovely," Val breathed "just feeling- the. air on my face,, beinii out again." '•'■ ' She smiled and he smiled back., He was, and had been, genuinely sorry for. Val;! he could no more have helped feeling sorry for anyone or* any- • thing ill— a dog; a horse, a . he.! could' help breathing; but naturally he could not stay, with - Val, and. he had. passed the. days in enjoyment his sympathy hau not clouded. ', ■ ■ ''-"' 7 But how that Val was up he Was,'kindness'"itself, and sat beside'her and told her little.' tales of.. • well-known j -people on .board, and .read'- the latest >. newßito.: her. •;-;..' He thought* Val looked terribly,, thin, a mere golden and white ghost of the Val who had stepped-so lightly up the'] Olympic's'gangway!. . 7:! : "This ; is sVeet," Val said/ih at sleepy,'! happy: voice. 7"Just to', [be i.better, and..' nearly ran' all." Her, eyes - closed. * Ronald waited till he was sure she was asleep, and, then crept away' to fetch his pipe. -- .-•" 7 / . ,&& he went, Chick appeared, hesitated near Val, then we«nv on .He > knew wherdIris was sitting v*ry welt p and hehailed a steward, gave him a- note, "and 1 said :'j "Go tell Mrs. Warden. Lord Sands! would be glad if she'd' meet him by state-! room 'No. 10, right now.' 'Hurry,'' Torn.".' ■'■;'.: Tom "hurried" /to such-purpose that r Chick was tracking Iris in a minute. :-.

:He watched her come- in sight of Ronald, then he sprinted back to Val.

,'■•. He took her hand, and held, it lightly; 7 and she opined her eyes, and met' n* B -

,"It's,'. .Chick,?"-- he said :.'urgently : .. "Darlin*, don't, look : so skeered. I've beep " waitih' and "-'"watchin* for this chance—to ,ask you ; to forgive mc, and let's be friends. 'Will you,; Val? Will you,;, honey-sweet ?" 7. '.. . '7.7 He was smiling at :hijr, as he added, "Don't ge£ worryin'. :Yourhusband'*! be around-—he's with that Mrs. Warden in yon -staterrpom how. I've just left 'em, 7You don't need to.worry a mite. Vjd, I know-'we can fix '-it —he's never left her side while you've been ill; he's mad, on her—-a""fool could see it." -^*T'

Val pulledt her hands free; '7 7: "I- don't believe it)" she said with .trembling, lips. ' v. , y 7.77 ; "C'oh an? seejy-Chiek urged." -. : ; He almost'lifted her. out: of her chair. :'; ;'•'. "'

7"I can walk alone," Val said breathlessly. ' : .■>"": -'' ;'*7'"-77'' ■ ' '~"7V*' ,-.: It was .the luncheon hour; -the,-deck uTas clear.r > Chick went ahead, carrying Val'i heavy-cloak;,he> did not look round because-he ,'was'intehl solely oh catching Sight "of Ronald and Iris. Then he-meant to go back ip Val, and fiut his arm about" her. He turned'when, he heard a faint cry, and was'in. time .to see Val reel., catch" at the t'aff rail and slip over it with ghastly, ease. •-.-.. ~ ■•-/■-.. :.->.