Miss Harbeton's Jewels.

Hastings Standard, Issue 166, 7 November 1896, Page 4

Miss Harbeton's Jewels.

jiv A .Nil: . It had !■ -1 i- ■..[ : , ■■v-r-.l of th i ' •• < 1 Ho'-i.'iv t:i:: S. Sir Archibald at;.! Lady fn.wley would eat- r : 'i a hou.-» aa-ur h.v til" Kth till tln i rainv-iu'3 Thnr.alny at Crowley Ila!!, Berkshire. Amongst, the guests would be Lord anil Lady tie Uig,gcr.the Bishop of Barlcyshire. Miss Harhet.on. of the JVplars, ilampstead, and other distinguished people. Miss Harheton liked tlieso paragraphs. Shi.- l»;nl Ict-n unilistingiushert all !:er 1 ift; until si\ months i.go. wh<-n j lif had gained celebrity by inheriting i a large fortune a a-1 a ijanatiiy of famously valuable jewellery from an uncle. ]»iit she was of an aspiring turn of mind, and when she heard from her friend, Lady Crowley, thai the " charming bachelor, Bishop of I >;i riev 4.i iv. would bo har fellowgnest" she resolved to wear all her diamonds at him and beguile him into letting her rale his diocese as his lawfid spouse. She v. as rather a line-looking woman-—as she stood on the plat form looking for a nicely peopled carriage in which to travel down to (iunUr's Road ■[unction, where she would haveto change for the private Malum of Crowley i'ark about thirty, tall, with larse t-'eth. a large nose, a clear dark complexion and i>;u r brown eves that imoluniarily !ia-hed and rolled wh -n tliev lighted on an e'Lo'-'.e man. tier maid was already settled in a second cla-s carriage with her mistress's dressing ca~', hut t!ie j-w.-l bo:;, containing twenty thousand pounds' worth of diamonds and pink pearls, she took into an empty iir-t-ela-s wit h her win. a finally the mining of the lcll compelled her to make her choice. The door was slammed and locked, but just at tlie starting a Bishop with fauide-s legs ni-;h"d up, put a shilling in the guard's hand, and stepped hurriedly into the carriage where the single lady sat. He was a line-looking man, e'ean shaven, and with a. remarkably open and benevolent expression of face. Y'• i'i.' to.». than Miss 1 iarbetoh had i tl.rr -d to hope the B: -hop Would he. She had no doubt of it from the fir-t. lie muss: be. he eoeM be none other to ot the Bishop of i', o-i y-hii'e. Lady Crowlev wa - right. ' >i.-tinct.ly he was charming, verv charming.

Shi' came to tins il, iVeil before he a d h r. but. In was lint long iu -1 lim; (hi-. In courteous tout's lit' in>[tured if she eo'ild It 11 hiiu when thi-- tr.tin v.'. >;:!'! reach (iiiiitc)-'. it.',;,:} She blu-died with p!e,i-ure as s!i," told h::u tJs<- tim-. and add"d flint -■! i". too. was jii; -_t to < ! -tn at < i .ml' r's It: >.■(! to < h uu ■ for (Yo-.vlev.

ifi-i pleasure at })••:! ring thi'- v.'ii)!;ttft rinami mifeiu'in<l. If had been a. ran d in-piraiioit, Ij*» ♦ i:t. which led him to sel'-cl 1 In.: carriage shr was in to travel by. "That capital ft-! 'o\v. ('rowh y, a nil hi - elii!.n.iiii'_ r wife will !.»,■ astonished to I!l:-i we have l.: i a eh other's ae- • jiiiiiii!iir.«-r, for when lasi I - ;L w thi-m u't: Wen 1 oi" you, I ban to coufc- - tin.l.l. I hail not tin* pleasure of knowing you,"" In- said, gallantly, and Mi-* M.-rbeton's . \v- dane- .1 with pleasure . s s;jc:it illy <b eided on her wed liag-dr-- -s. and resolved tha.l -ii:* *' Would kip the v>i.e- of the cotiniry ;:;et ciiy <■ T rr;_-y i,i their proper j»!uc< s, atml only Kt:uw tin- Cathedral !" • ■: >1' - 11, wa - really a very fascinating companion. 'i'lu' time )!ew as lie fitri!><l ('r.r.vlt y Nail ( ' hi r. J ji:>i <{'iit-* at home in tin' house." fit,- said. "Crowley an<l I were at Eton a it<l Oxford together. We're like Li-others, lie has >hown me a thou-uilil kindnesses. and this, of asking ii: ' to ir.i-ei yon. is the crowning u ;!(*." iVar i! I .-houMn't wonder if In- proposes to me before 1 leave on Thursday," Miss Narheton thought, and as she thought it she took oil her ri^lit hand glow . on which Mazed two or three superb diamond rings. She was it it in the habit of displaying her jeweUt-ry to the common herd.as a rule, but on this occasion slit; wished lier fellow-traveller to become a.e(juainted without further dela.y with --■ 1,-- of Ikt splendor. She would like to have opened the jewel box and thi-he 1 her diamond spray, necklet, and pendant a.t him. ] Jut she reflected that to do -o might .-eem uncalled for, so sin- refraim d. ■■That's a nobby ling ! " he exclaimed, fixing his eye on the iinot > with unerring discrimination, and ' though Mi-s 1 larbeton was rather , -tar*!e 1 at hearing such an odd phrase • tV *iii Episcopal lip.s, she was gratified at his judgment. 1 •• They are rather line stones, she -aid, drawing a lingo Marquise ring off :u r ihiger. aud handing ii to him for hi-pi. ctio'.i. ■■ My poor uncle, from whom I inherited my diamonds, was a great con:,.ii - :ir. But I suppose you care little ,sisuch, baubles (In laughed, and if lie had not been a Bishop she could have sworn he winked. As it wa.s, she attributed the movement to a nervous affection. ' •• I admire jewellery, especially oldfashioned jewellery, immensely, he - lid. slipping the ring on to one of hi - own fingers, and examined it cirically. •' My cloth prevents my i wr wearing it." he went on. seriously, •• but J have acquired a good deal in i time, at;d parted with it to a relaiie!i." lb .• h.-art throbbed with exultation t 1 tw her ring on his finger. She 1 j 11 would forget to remove it ui i. ' tv reached Crowley. His ht ing seen with her ring on would -h iw the Crowley s at once what interms she and the I'>ishop were on already. Perhaps Lady C'rowlev wo:i!d make his Lordship take her ! )■ ii-s Ilarbeton) in to dinner that i; i l'L t. when she would give hi in an opportunity of studying more of her n i They had unbent toward.; each other ianuciKeiy by the lime tiiey had ■ reached Guattr's lluad. He had

suioked a cigarette, and f-i ee noe sly j offered her one. If she li-sil not feared that it would e-icrk she would have taken it. To have smoked with tin; Bishop would havn be;io <? ; ~meut this tfnL intimacy greatly. At (Winter's Road tiiev had to ehe'ege trains. The Bishop was delightfully attentive. Ho sprang out, assisted her to step oil to the platform with tender solicitude, pressing lier hand warmly the while. Really he was going very fast for a Bishop. Miss Harbeton positively trembled with pleasure. He relieved her of the weight of her jewel-box as they stood waiting for their train to run in. When it came lie started oil to look for a carriage, having tirst given lier the whispered as.-urance that he would bribe the guard to give them an empty one. " I hope Crowley will have sent the dog eiirt," be added : " then I shall have the pleasure of driving you myself. Will you trust yourself to my care " Gladly, gladly," she said with effusion, and a brief spasm of emotion convulsed his manly countenance for a moment. The little platform was very much crowded, and as he walked along in search of an empty first-class carriage Miss Harbeton soon lost sight of liim. But she felt a good deal of elation in the thought that he was putting himself verv much indeed nt tier disposal, carrving her jewel-box and trying to keep all to him -elf for the remaining short bit of the journey. i'n -( utlv bis man servant nm up lo her with a request that she would get in'o a carriage he pointed out to iier, end as she hesitated he explained res] eolfiilly. " His Lunhhip told me to say that he would be with you in a few moments," She held her bead higher than ever. Kveii his servant must notice how hard hit th" Bishop must he by her. She experienced a terrible whock when the train, after an abrupt snort and shriek, went ol'f without the Bishop having rejoined der. Poor dear man ! lie must have miscalculated the time, and be« n driven ill to another carriage at the last moment. How he would be at being deprived of her society. There was no Bishop at the Crowley station, but ih'Te was a good deal of coni'ie-ion. and Mi-'s Harbeion was hurried into a close carriage before she had time to make inquiries about her fellow passenger. She reached Crowley Hal! just in time to dress for dinner. A\ hen she was ready she sent a note to her ho-,h asking if the Bishop hail arrived, and if be bad, would Lady Crowley kindly rei|iiesf li'in to send Miss Harbelon's jewel-box. to her room. The answer that came back nearly made her faint. ■•The Bishop thinks you must be joking, as be never hoard of either you or vour jewel-box before.'' " The Bishop's behavior is unpardonable,-' she cried angrily, as soon sis she in.a L-idy Crowley. "He travelled down with me, was marked in ins attentions. >ind took away my jewel-box when he went away to look for an empty carriage at (lunter's Road that we might travel alone together." "The Bishop, dear old man, has never left the house to-day, - ' Lady Crowlev was explaining; "but here he is to answer for himself." she went oil, as an elderly wizencd-up little man came into the room. " I have been cheated and robbed," Miss Harbeton cried; and she was right, for she never saw either her fellow-traveller or her jewel-box again.