THE RIVAL CLAIMANTS.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 5525, 14 May 1889, Page 4

THE RIVAL CLAIMANTS.

i [BY MRS. HARRIET LEWIS.] CHAPTER XIII. tiik cloven poot appkabs. It was at the close of a dreary October day that the party from Kildare castle arrived at Dublin. Sir Russel Ryan, the ! principal guardian of the young Lady I Nora, bade her adieu at the station, promis- ] ing to call upon her in her now homo on the followiug day, and entering a cab with Mr. Wedburn, his English lawyer, drove to his hotel. Tho parting botween the step-sisters was very painful, but it was mercifully brief. The Lady Kathleen and Bassantyno drove also to an hotel. They were to go on to Wicklow by a morniug train, and the two girls, both of whose lives had so strangely darkened, were not to meet again for the present—perhaps never. The two cabs containing her friends had driven away, when Mr. Michael Kildare ushered his young kinswoman into a j similar vehicle ; Alleen followed her mistress ; the trunks were mounted; and tho lawyer sprang in beside Lady Nora, giving loudly his order for home. Tho cab was presently hurrying through the streets toward Mr. Kildare's residence. A heavy fog, thick with damp, enshrouded the Irish city like a mourning veil. Through the mist the light of the gas lamps struggled with a faint and sickly yellow glare. A few peoplo were going swiftly along the wet streets under big umbrellas, and a few homeless or adventurous persons crowded close to shop windows or hung about theatre doors, but for ths most part the streets were deserted. Nora pressed hor pale, tear-wet face close to the wet cab window, and looked out into the dreariness outsido, a horrible setißO of desolation and heart-eickness assailing her. "We are almost there," said Michael Kildara, peering out. "We are almost home, Nora; and it won't be long, I hope, before you can call my lonely old house • home' with the same affection I feel for it." Nora could not answer, but ber little gloved hand fluttered from the window, seeking the hand of her kinsman and giving it a grateful pressure. In her present sense of homolessnesa and desolation a little kindness went a great way with the poor young Lady Nora. The cab turned into a quiet street near Mountjoy Square, and drew up before a tall red briok house, one of a long block of similar dwellings. The cabman sprang down from his box, ran up tho steps, and rang the boll. Then ho came back to the vehicle, and leisurely opened its door. Mr Kildare alighted as the house door opened, and assisted Nora to tho sidewalk. Then giving her his arm, he hurried her up the slippery steps into the dwelling. Alleen, the Lady Nora's maid, followed with bags and parcels. Mr. Kildare and the Lady Nora were met in the ball by a tall, heavy, masoulinelooking woman, whose deep-set eyes regarded the young girl with jealous intentness. Nora conceived an instant and instinctive aversion to ber, feeling intuitively that this person already felt suspicious of her and unfriendly toward her. " This is Mrs. Liffey, mv housekeeper," snid Mr. Kildare. " Mrs. Liffey. this young lady is my nicer, Lady Nora Kildare. I wish you to regard her as the mistress of the establishment, and to consult her wishes and tastes in every respect." Mrs. Liffey bowed ussent, but rather sullenly . Evidently she had ben used to rule supreme, and did not want a mistress. •' Show the Lady Nora to her room," commanded tho lawyer. "You got my telegram and expected us. I see. That is well. The cabman will fetch up the boxes." Mrs. Liffey turned to Nora, bidding-hcr follow her, and led her the way up a broad stair-caso to the drawing room floor. Another fight of stairs brought them to their destination. The housekeeper conducted the newcomer to the front chamber on this floor, Alleen closely following her young mistress. "This is your room, my btdy," said Mrs Liffey, still with that sullen expression of countenance. " Your maid ha« the small room, without windows, adjoining. .Mr Kildare has the rear room on this floor. I .iippose our accommodations look small and tneau to you, accustomed us yon have been to a whole castle, but this is the pleasantest room in the house, andoverlookathe.street." "lc seems very cosy and pleasant," said Lady Nora, gently. "Our household is very Htnali compared to that of Kildare Castle," continued Mrs Liffey, with the manner of an ill-used person. "We have but one servant, who is both cook and housemaid. I have been in charge of the establishment for many yetus. lam a lady by birth. My father wu» a physician near Dublin, and my departed husband was an architeot. But of course my antecedents cannot interest your ladyship. Although a lady by birth, I hope I know my place ; but I wish to say that Mr Kildare regards me as a gentlewoman, and treats mo as such. Dinner will be ready in half an hour." Wish this nbiupt announcement, after having let tho young stranger know that, although housekeeper, she, Mrs Liffey, was " no menial," the " reduced gentlewoman " withdrew, greatly to the Lady Nora's relief. Left alone with her maid, tho jourig girl took a survey of her now home. Tha chamber was wide, lung, and high, and had three windows, which, as the housekeeper had ..aid, overlooked ihe street. It was furnished us n parlor, with a new Brussels carpet, a set of chintz-covered furniture-, und a raniill cottage piano. In an alcove at one side of the room, shut in by long, white curtaiu., was a low Frenchbed, with lace-trimmed pillows and .atm coverlet. At one end of the room was v large, well-polished grat. >, in which n firo was flaming redly. Oh a low marble mantel-shelf above tho grate, two wax candles wero bu'-riingiu ln.rh, old-iti-huni-d silver oandlustioks Alleen rem-'ved the wrappings ci h<-r youug iiiistiess, and wbrelt. mi • asy-eh_ir to the corner of tin health, into the nundt-l glow of fire-light. The Lady Nora wearily too*, j-o-He. sion of this neat, caying : " It scorn* as if the room had h en prepared in expectation of my coming, Alleen ; ; or rather, in the absolute certainty of it. The piano yonder was surely bought for tie-. Mr Kildare is very >.';<<!. U-"oi ,' h.ve known 11-iut 1 e.uiii not iviiiuii. ul the <■•:<-t'.----with those people, mid f urui. .>i;>i thi-ro-in for me during the two weeks which pe,..;il between the _ir-:T mid second vints to Point KiMnre." This was indeed the case. Mr Kildare had cxpecfed his young kin_w<nn;iii to return to Dublin wih him, and had made due preparations for her residence with him. The trunks were brought up Alleen proceeded to lay out her young lady's toilet, and Lady Nora, dismissing ber care., hastened to dress for dinner. Before the half hour of grace had expired the young girl wa.s <ires«-:dri-.:h!v tint-imply in a wim-colored dress of poplin, which, with delicate luces and the broad bright sach fashionable at that time, set off her piquant beauty to advantage. She then mtido her way down to the drawing-room. It was untenanted when she entered it. It was a long, narrow upHrtment, adorned with prim, horse-hair furniture, and had the unused look to bo expected in a houso without a mistress. A bright firo in tho grate alono redeemed it from a prison -liko or conventual look. Wax lights burned. upon the mantel-piece before a mirror, making the grimnes.. and desolation of the room more apparent. The Lady r.ora wont to tho fire, and leaning with folded arms against tho shelf above it, looked drearily down into the dancing flames. Sho was standing thus, thus, the picture of desoluto sorrow, when Mr Kildare came in. Tho Dublin lawyer had changed his attire, in honor of his young guest. He was as _of t and gentle and tender as over, with beaming smiles and mild, deprecating manner; but the Lady Nora marked, with inward surprise, that ho seemed full of a secret and ill-repressed exultation. Ho noted like one to whom some great triumph had come, and yet who must bear his joy in secret, not daring to display it to 'ho world. j.O BE CONTrMUKD.]