A LEAP IN THE DARK.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 276, 14 August 1908, Page 2

A LEAP IN THE DARK.

" If only you wero nearer her ago," Mrs. Palairet said, "and a little more " In spito of tho intimate naturo of their discussion, she not unnaturally hesitated.

Lord Crayne eamo to the rescue. " ' Dashing'?" ho suggested. "I cordially agree, and then the fellow is so confoundedly picturesque, too!" " Yes, in the stylo of a third-rate actor!" " You'ro too severe. Now, I can bo impartial, because I'm alive, to my limitations. If I were built like an athlete, had fair hair, blue eyes, and all the rest of it, I might • stand a chance, but as it is, 1 feel 1 haven't a look in. Look at mo!" Lord Crayne concluded, somewhat tautologically. Mrs. Palairet looked, and saw a tnan the wrong side of forty, lean, with kindly eyes and . a humorous mouth, but wit-lial an undeniably plain man, whose head pleaded guilty to incipient baldness. She shook her head dubiously. f Don't depreciate yourself —Hhat is the most fatal mistake," she urged. " And if you could raanago to insinuate a sort of aevil-may-careness into your manner, if might work wonders. What' troubles me most aria your money and titlo." "They are not usually considered obstacles,'' Lord'Crayne observed ruefully. " No; but you don't understand what a'romantic littlo fool Marjorie is! Love in a oottage with Jimmy Fairless is her ideal at present; I can see it as clearly as if sho had told mo. Oh,' my dear friend, if' I "had been consultod in the organising of things I should havo vetoed tho adolescent period I Of all mistakes, it's the greatest. A girl falls in love with the most undesirable' man she can find, and a boy insists upon marrying some disreputable actress. ' In soijio ways! think it's one of the worst-managed worlds one could bo condemned to live in I" Lord Crayno nodded with entire acquiescence. "Have you said anything to her about Fairless?"

Certainly not. The slightest opposition would send her into his arms at once. ' To get 'a girl suitably engaged is like 'driving, a pig to, market—you must pretend you have no wishes of your own. No, I try to smile when she mentions him; it's taking years off my life, but I mahago'to do it. I think you may safely trust. my diplomacy, and, above all things, don't let yourself get discouraged." ■ Lord Crayne, anxiously hanging upon tho words of hia mother-in-law, felt himself fired to emulation of her dauntless spirit., "Discouraged? Not II". he ejaculated scornfully, although as he left the room his' countenance was not exactly eloquent of confidence.

Undoubtedly it was hard lines that he, who had nev«r been a marrying man, shoiild fall in love forjthe' first time at forty-three; but', having committed this indiscretioiij it was intolerable to find such formidable obstacles placed in the way. Unfortunately, his lordIP , I ™ ls ' 00 old-fashioned to act upon the principle of all being fair in love, otherwise ho might conveniently havo revived certain episodes in the past career of his rival 'which even a rpmantifc temperament would hardly find admirable.

It was natural enough that _ the; Leslies should, have included Jimmy Fairless aniong their guests; for they wero getting up an ambitious performance of "As You Like It," and Jimmy was that strange hybrid, tho professional amateur. Nevertheless, the aggrieved lover felt it was a piece of coufounded ill-luck whioh had brought Marjorie Palairet and Fairlcss under the same roof.

At present the majority of the house-party wero absorbed in rehearsals, Lord Crayne being one of the lookers-on — the proverbial looker-on, who notes so much more than the absorbed players "imagino. Marjorie Palairet had,been cast for Phoebe, and he hated to see her being coached in the stale, iheatrioal business, and being taught to make ,;.Ganymede .herself required:-, A - coaching,; in.-Stibh iAatters, being, impersonated, .by, Mjss, Gladys ..Kesterj a yoimg_la|y'of:-,^flssrj(4jn'stg^ ) '.who liadSbetin .acting in quasi-priyata theatricals for the past ten years. • Miss Kester was fully acquainted with the ropes of most things whioh are popularly considered means to an eud— the end in question being the annexing of a husband. Perhaps .her lack .of success hitherto was owing to her poverty, for Cupid nowadays displays meroenary tendencies disconcerting to 1 the' sentimentally. inclined; 'of, perhaps, she showed her hand too plainly,, which is an error common to the twentiethcentury womanLord Crayne did not trouble his .head about Miss Kester's affairs; but ho was conscious of an acute desire to keep her and Marjorie nbart.. In the present state of his affections, Marjorie Palairet, the rest of the party, appeared to him 1 like a lily growing between the weeds on a dust-heap. On her side, Miss Palairet'was experiehbing the unenviable feeling of a fish oiit of water, for her daisylike freshness was found boring bv the initiated. Only Fairless seemed to think it piquant, and went out of his way to pay her. attention. Since tho rehearsals baa begun Marjorie had seen very little of her older, friend, and, natiifally enough; Fairless. had become a sort of hero. Ho had whispered to her yesterday that she was the dearest'littlo girl in the world, and his eyes had said far morb.

MaTjorie's heart beat furiously at the recollection, while she mentally-compared-him-\Vith all her favourite characters in fiction, to the great disadvantage of 'the latter. ■ • Oil this particular evening Miss Palairet went to the library after tea, partly to study a certain work on Shakespearian characters, but chiefly with tho desire, of being alone, for the library was but slightly patronised by tho Leslies' guests. She settled herself in a corner and began to read, but Fairless's eyes and voice kept coming between her and the attention she should have givfcn to the printed page, and, moreover, the reading-lamp , showed unmistakable signs of going out. Finally, Marjorie closed her eyes and gave herseif up to dreams.

1 You know I love you, Gladys, but you must see how impossible it is for mo to ask you to marry mo yet. Tve-had the devil's own luck lately." , Miss Palairet woke with a start. The room was only dimly, lighted by tho largo liimp in tho centre, but from her own shadowy corner she could seo tho two figures standing by the' fireplace clearly. " It's not the waiting I' mind," Miss Kester said quickly, "but to seo you flirting with a chit like that!" '

Oh, hang it all, the girl's only a babyl She doesn't dream of-anything of that sort;" "Doesn't she?" replied Miss Kester signi-i ficantly. " Don't bo a fool, Jim; she may be a baby, but she also happens'to be a woman, and she was looking at jou yesterday with worship in her eyes. I could have died of laughing, but I'm nothing if not discreet." Fairless shrugged'his shoulders impatiently.- "Oh, well, if it will satisfy you, I won't say another word to her except on business."

Miss Kester took a step nearer to him: the firelight struck sparks from her nimbus of copper-coloured hair, her blue eyes were dilated. _ She bent forward a little, looking ilito his face. J

"But you needn't think I worship you, becaitso I don't," she said.

Fairless took her in his arms, and kissed her in a. way which caused tho eyes of the paralysed looker-on to open to 'their widest extent. . - - =

," lou're a little fool., yourself, Gladys," | .he asserted, lightly. "You know quite well that church mice can't- morrv—it 7 s deuced lutrd linen, but 'it won't make' things tyttar' your, turning jealous. . Suppose we go back to the hail —tliij room is *a t;*Bily gloomy!" ,Tltey had gone, but 1/ien Pshiret did not stir, and her eyes looked straight Wore her with an expreseidnlesa -staro.. He was in love with Gladys Kester I There was no room in her. dared brain, for another thought.She sat on, motionless, until tho sound' of the opening door made .her start from her chair.

Hullo I who's "there in tho dark?" demanded Lord Cravnc.

Marjorio cnine forward into tho circle : of light where those others had" recently stood. "Miss Pnlairet! I didn't know you wore a frequenter of tho library," Cravno said, in surprise.

"I've boon hero since tea; I camo to look at a book," Mavjorie faltered, and held out the volumo as though in vindication of her preseneo.

" I thought Miss Kester and Fairless wero hero. 1 had a message for her."

.Miss Palairet turned crimson/ "They wore — '''She began.', Crayne saw the blush, and waited ili fcilence. "They came in while . , Y as u aa lcep," Marjorie went on, doßpe'r- ■ i ?'ji a w hen I woka up and overhoard what they said I couldn't tell them I was there—l simply couldn't. I know they say gins, have-no sense of honour, but' I would have gone if I could." It was first, time for many a day that ■jJi co ! l Wta, 1 and Lord Crayne's fashion rt beat in absurdl yy° uthful

Of course J'ou would; I, know you'well enough to be sure of that," he replied, with conviction. " I don't suppose'they were discussing matters of international importance, but, anyhow,..don't make .a .tragedy of' it, for Heaven s sake," Unwittingly his voice had taken ,on a tender inflection, which' went straight to Marjorio's injured heart. She tried to laugh, but ; the ..sob in her'throat won the day, and an alarming found was the result. Crayne took the. Shakespeare out of her hands .and flung. it. on one side with a woeful disregard of-his : host'B. property. . . . •

Sit down, • he said, abruptly,'.pulling- <?*?' ono tho.softly-cushioned chairs, Now, look.here, there's nothing for you to fret; about; Things will happeij contrariwise in. this exasperating world, but:it does no fliauner of good to tear'one's hair over the facti Whatever they.-.said.you -woWt repeat, and they, will never know that r yofl were there." • . ;

Miss Palaitet nodded her acquiescence, and murmured something to the effect that ho" was very good. . What prompted. Craynoe-then- he never knew',, but. he floundered on: ."I wish you would give me the right to help you always when things go wrong. Do you think you could ever come to care for me—like that?"

"Like what?" she asked, reasonably enough, for his question was certainly " involved.

"I mean," said Lord Crayne, taking-tiie final plunge, " that I've loved you ever .since I met you." . " Oh!' said Miss Palairet, which wa6 riot encouraging. "Do you think you would come to like me in time?" he persisted, grimly. Matjorie looked at him as her mother had, looked that morning, but where JJrfe. Palairet had observed all the obvious' drawbacks, her daughter chanced to seb nothing but a pair qf kindly brown eyes fixed upon her in that' process commonly known; as- " looking you through and through." „ " I don't know, but I think I might," sho hositated. " You—you would never say-- a thing when you didn't mean it, I'm sure you wouldn'j;." , . Well, no,-1 hope not," Lord- Crayne r®-' plied, somewhat bewildered. He knelt down in old-fashioned style" by the side of the'slight figure in the"big 'fihair, and took her hanas.

; " If you'll trust yourself .to me, you shall , be the happiest girl in the' world, if it's in' my power to make you so," he said, with due solemnity. - , Miss Palairet consented to trust herself to ' him, but the world shook its wise head over, the engagement. ' . •"No fool like an old fool!'.' it said;,•i'i'Wait..; until shfe has found her feet as Lady.Craync, : and you'll see, Funny thing that'pebplq.miist. buy .their' experience first hand 1"

"Ronald, did-you know that I was not the lefist little bit in love with you" when \yo married?"

It was after dinner on the. first anniversary of'their wedding'day, anM Lady Crayne put the question deliberately, looking round the epergne and across the' dessert dishes at her husband.

." Yes, I knew it." "There "was someone'else," Lady Crayne went on. "Had you guessed?" ' ■'■- '* • "Yes, but 1 didn't ! think ho was worthy of you, aud, as you owned to liking-me, I made, up ihyimind to speculate in the matrimonial stakes.' I had plenty of warnings, 1 though.; everyone told me I .was making tne biggest mistake of my life.", . "Jlow .'.daredpjhj.fj jw£"i demanded Lady' Crayne, ' witha fleeper ■ rose, colour in . her cheeks.' Ey .oJ 'ii' 1 " wh't, „ Her husband held nis "wineglass between his eye and the' light, and answered carelessly: "Oh, yo.u. might/ easily... i; havo repented of.' 3'our ' bargain/ 'thai was ', " .what they meant."' You know-j-so far as you were concerned—it -was . certainly "a, dealp, in the dark." • . ■ • >"•

Lady Crayne rose, aiid walked round the table until she stood behind his ohair.

"Ronald," she said, Blowly, "TwaAted to'-? tell you to-night that if I could ( haye the' *'' time over'again " _ ■ Lord Crayne's hand shook Blightlr as he' put the wineglass down. "Yesr"no.said, .with admirable.indifference. ' lady Orayne put her arms round his shoulders and bent her pretty,head, with its •' crown'of curls, to his ear. ■ - "I should take the leap in the light," she whispered.: " Which shows that' even the - world-may-be mUtaken- "sometimes.—Touman CoUper in "M.A.P."'