HER LADYSHIP'S COMPANION

Auckland Star, Volume LXV, Issue 9, 11 January 1934, Page 18

HER LADYSHIP'S COMPANION

SYNOPSIS OF PREVIOUS CHAPTERS.

LADY JANE TEMPEST, an orphaned heiress, who is not considered even good looking, is expecting a visit from her cousin, RONALD STAPLETQN, who has arrived home after six years' big game shooting, expecting to marry Lady Jane, a plan made long ago by their parents because the estates of the two families joined.' But Konald first meets Lady Jane's beautiful companion, ESTHER COLLINSON, and falls in love with her at first sight. Esther and Lady Jane were at boarding school together in France. Ronald cannot refrain from comparing the two girls, and wishes he were free to woo Esther; Esther realises Ronald is not in love with Lady Jane, and makes up her mind to win him herself. There is something in Lady Jane's past that is worrying her A boy from the village brings Lady Jane a letter; she turns very pale when she recognises the hand-writing, and that evening she secretly meets VICTOR . DUMARSQUE, who was the drawing master at the boarding school in France. Dumarsque succeeds in obtaining money from Lady Jane. Esther plays eavesdropper and learns that Lady Jane is in the power of Dumarsque. Esther meets Dumarsque while out walking, and Is determined to find out more • about his power over Lady Jane. Lady ; Jane gives Dumarsque £500. She is ; warned through an anonymous letter not ; to hnre anything to do with Dumarsque, as trouble would come of It. Ronald decides he mufct keep to the understflnd- ; ing that he and Lady Jane should marry, ■ and asks her to become engaged and fix I the wedding day, but Lady Jans refuses to do so, and says she doesn't wish to get married. Esther tells Ronald about ' the secret meetings between Lady Jane and Dumarsque, but extorts from him a promise he will not tell Lady Jane the name of his informant. Ronald asks Lady Jane to tell him what is troubling her, and who it is that she has been secretly meeting. She demands to know who has been spying on her. but he will , not tell—having promised Esther he will not harm her in Lady Jane's eyes. Lady ; Jane is again warned to have nothing ; to do with Dumarsque. Esther's brother, JACK, comes to stay at the Hall, and he and Lady Jane become very friendly. , CHAPTER XII. What the Morning Brought. It .was half-past eleven, and Lady Jane sat near her bedroom window. She was fully dres6ed, and on a chair beside her lay a long cloak. In a few minutes she was going to keep her appointment with Dumarsque and meet him for the last time. She had no faith in his promise not to return to England. When the affair of the forgery had blown over it was, very probable he would, reappear and begin a system of blackmail, but she would be prepared for him. In a week, when ha was safely out of the way, she would tell the whole story to the lawyer, who would be sure to tell her guardian. Then if the marriage could not be dissolved they would protect her from him. Of course the whole affair would become public, but anything would be better than to be in Dumarsque's power. But he must get out of the country before she spoke. It would never do for Lady Jane Tempest's husband to be arrested on a charge of forgery. It wouldn't be 'long now before she would be free from him. At least, free in a fashion, but she could never marry any other man, and at this thought the honest, manly face of Jack Collinson rose vividly before her, but Ronald she never remembered. The clock on the mantelpiece struck a quarter to twelve, and elie put on her head a snug little motor hat, which she fastened with a jewelled hat-pin. Then wrapping the cloak round her she took the necklace of pearls, and opening the door sho went cautiously downstans and through the side door. Next, with quick steps, she. crossed the lawn and garden, and panting for breath she reached the place in the wood where she had previously met Dumarsque. "Have you brought the jewels?" he asked as he stepped from behind a tree where he had been hidden, and even, in the faint moonlight she saw that he looked ghastly white. " " „ "I've brought a necklace of pearls; it is worth a lot of money," she said as she placed it in his hand. He held it up and looked at it. "Yes, I should say it's worth a nice little sum." "Don't waste the money you get from it, as it is the last I shall give you," she said, "so it's no use coming back." "You'll not see me again for years. I •want to get away from here," and he glanced nervously round. "Do you think the police are after you?" she asked. "They may be. Anyway, this isn't a i safe place for me, and I'm off. Goodbye," and as he raised his hat in a half ; mocking fashion Lady Jane saw that he looked like a man who had received a j shock, and as sho returned to the house she asked herself what had. changed his i bravado of the morning into a shrinking fear? Did he know the police were on i his track? Whatever the reason for his fear, she believed it would make him avoid the neighbourhood for some time, and as she reached her chamber she i drew a sigh of relief. There would be no more need for her to steal out like a tliief at midnight, and if he had really ; gone for years —and she believed his story of the forgery —then she would ; bo free from him and there was no need to take the lawyer into her confidence. , Of course, sho would have to answer Ronald's letter and tell him that she had no intention of becoming his wife. That • would not trouble her, but as she re- ] fleeted that she could never marry she thought of Jack Collinson and sighed. For a long time she lay awake; then, falling into ,a heavy sleep .she dreamed that Dumarsque was fleeing from someone who pursued him - with relentless vigour, then the dream verged into ; another, in which she was conscious of . being in great trouble, and when she awoke in the morning she ; couldn't shake off tha 'impression 'that something unpleasant- was about to 1 -' happen. Was it that the police had arrested Dumarsque, and was the story of the-past going to be made public? Or what accounted for the feeling of depression ? , As she went downstairs tlie breakfast bell rang, and as they took their seats , at the table' Esther exclaimed: • "How white and tired you look, Jane!' , •"I haven't slept well; I'd all sorts of ( horrible dreams, and I don't feel up to the mark this morning," replied Lady , Jane. j "Are you going to drive into Hepscott , this morning? Because I thought I would like to go with you. I want to , match some silks," said Esther. "No, I'm going to stay in and write a letter. But why not take the little ; carriage? Or perhaps Captain Collinson , will go with you," said Lady Jane. "I shall be very glad to accompany Esther. My letters will keep till afterwards. By the way, did I tell you," and he looked at Lady Jane, "that I wrote about a place—Greetwell Manor —that is to be sold, and I've heard ; from - the • agent-this morning ? The price j

Or THE WEB OF FATE _ Author of By _ "A Day of Reckoning," eto. HEDLEY RICHARDS

is very reasonable, and it is only fifteen miles from here. What do you say, Esther?" • She looked startled; she didn't want to leave the Hall at present, even if Jane and Ronald Stapleton became engaged. She would not give up hope. "I don't want to leave Jane, unless she is tired of me," replied Esther. Lady Jane looked gratified. She was feeling depressed, and the knowledge that Esther preferred remaining with her to becoming mistress of her brother's house pleased her. There had been times lately when it had struck her that her companion was trying to attract Ronald,; and -it' had caused ;a passing feeling of annoyance.. Then Jane had told herself she was a dog in the manger. • It- was' out of the question her becoming her cousin's wife. Why should he not marry Esther?. Still, in spite of this reasoning, she had not been quite so cordial to her, but Esther's words gave- her. pleasure. "I should be awfully troubled, to lose you, but, of course, I shouldn't like you to refuse being mistress of Greetwell Manor, just out of consideration for me." ' "I shpuld be considering myself as well, and I don't think my reign would bo a long one. I'm sure if Jack settles down "he'll marry," and she glanced from him to Lady Jane in such a manner that the latter's face flushed. At that moment the butler entered, looking very much disturbed. "If you please, my lady, Mason, the keeper, has brought news that the dead body of a man has been found in the woods." ' ~ ■ "A dead man found in the woods!" she exclaimed, and her face became very pale. "Yes, my lady, but Mason says it's natural death; there's no blood nor anything of that sort. I should think it's been heart disease; what the jury will call the 'visitation of God.'" "What part of the woods was he in?" she asked, and Esther noticed that her lips trembled as she put the question. "In the wood just beyond the gardens, my lady. He's young and well dressed." In the wood just beyond the gardens! That was where she had parted from Dumarsque. Young and well dressed? Was the dead man he? And Lady Jane had to exert all her power of selfcontrol. "Shall I go and look at the man, and arrange for his removal ? And I suppose the police will have to be informed?" said Jack Collinson. She forced herself to speak calmly. "Please do. Perhaps he could be taken to the lodge, and you will come and tell us what you discover?" she said. "I will return as soon as possible," he said as he left the room. "Really, .Jpne, one would think it was murder. You look quite ghastly," said Esther. "It is dreadful finding anybne dead in the park," replied Lady Jane. "Sudden death is always awful, but don't think about it, my dear," said Aunt Sarah. "The puzzle is, who the man can be? Evidently he is a stranger, or the keeper would have recognised him. ' And why should a stranger, be. .wandering in the park ? If you remember, Jane, you wouldn't let Dumarsque, our old draw-ing-master, have the entree to sketch, so how has this stranger got in?" ; "My dear Esther, he could easily climb the wall when there was no one about, and it's quite likely the exertion has been too much for him, if he'd a weak heart," said Aunt Sarah, in a compassionate tone. f - l f ;i , * Time passed. Lady Jane could not iccount for the feeling of apprehension that filled her. She could not get rid >f the fear that the dead man was Dumarsque. In vain .she told herself ;hat it was ridiculous. He was a strong, iviry man, apparently in the best of lealth, with no knowledge of any lurkng disease, a man who was looking forward to a life abroad. Then a strange thought arose. • Had he taken poison, thinking the jolice were on his track?- But she soon ;Old herself that Dumarsque was too big i coward to do anything of the kind. Once or twice she caught Esther lookng at her with a curious, fixed gaze, jut the moment she saw that Jane >bservnd her she turned away. At last, when Lady Jano felt that ihe must go out and learn for herself who the dead man was, the door opened, md Jack Collinson entered the room, tie was looking very grave, and as he idvanced to Lady Jane he said: "The man is dead. The police and a loctor came before the body was removed. Now they have taken him to ihe hotel in the village." "Who is he? Was he staying there?" isked Esther eagerly. "No, but he stayed there some little time ago. .He is a Frenchman named Dumarsque." As Jack spoke, he placed himself so is to shield Lady Jane from observation. and only he heard her low, horrified jxclamatiori: "Oh, my God."_ "Dumarsque, our old drawing master, the man you refused admission to the iark. Oh, Jane, it is singular," exjlaimed Esther. "It's very awful," said Miss Tempest. "What could have brought him into the park so early in the morning? What does the doctor say killed him? : Was it a fit?" asked Esther. For a moment Jack did not answer. He had something to say that he was : if raid would upset Lady Jane, and he wanted to prepare her. She had known < this man, and the scene of the previous ; morning, when her cry of pain had : brought him to her help, rose vividly before him. ~ > ; "No, it was not a fit," he said slowly. ; "I expect it's .been a weak heart. there arie so many forms of heart dis- j sase, and he may have been a victim to ; srie and not known it," said Aunt Sarah. : "Was it heart disease? He certainly * lidn't look like a victim to anything," '■ said Esther. ■ Jack Collinson did not reply to his ; sister. It was to Lady Jane's whispered ; inquiry: "What killed him?" that he \ said: "It was neither a fit nor anything to i 3o with his heart that caused death. He * was murdered." ; "Murdered!" exclaimed Esther and ; Miss Tempest simultaneously, but Lady j Jane's lips uttered no sound, and her face became white and ghastly. (To be continued daily.)