[Copyright.] MISSING WITNESS.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLVIII, Issue 8964, 2 August 1905, Page 2

[Copyright.] MISSING WITNESS.

By Mary H. Tennyson.

CHAPTER VIII.

Three months later, on the morning of Christmas Eve, Antoinette took up her duties as the Lady of Feldon Park.

Her engagement to Sir Malcolm had been, a short one, and two days after her betTOthai she had returned to her uncle at Stafford; and there the wedding had taken place very quietly in the third week in October.

Her uncle had given her away, and Ar- 1 /thur, too, had been present; but with the exception of two old family friends of Sir Malcolm's there had been no other guest. To both bride and bridegroom all ceremonious display would have been repugnant; but doubts as to Doris' behaviour on such an occasion had made them agree ] to keep the matter as private as possible. : Doris, after a very serious interview with her father, had appeared to recognise the aselessness of any opposition, and when he told her firmly that unless she submitted with a good grace he should be compelled to send Jier for another year to Mrs Marsh, ehe had given a sullen promise to control her temper and to treat Antoinette politely, at least; but they could not depend upon her, and when Sir Malcolm went to Stafford to be married he left his daughter at home.

He was more than satisfied, however, with the warni approval of his beautiful distinguished bride, expressed by his fastidious old friends, and in the first flush of his pride and , happiness suffered only a passing sensation of resentment when, after the signing «f the registers in the

vestry, Arthur Hepworlh came forward, and embraced his charming, blushing cousin with ' more than the customary, warmth on such occasions.

For a week the couple stayed at Dover, and then they were joined by Dr Hepworth, and with him journeyed by easy stages to Mentone. Here they left the happy, gratified old scientist, and crossing into Italy continued their travels alone; for at Antoinette's request Sir Malcolm had not taken his" valet with him.

Very calmly and happily the days passed, though Sir Malcolm was still grave and somewhat taciturn, as a rule; and often Antoinette would notice him regarding her with a melancholy, questioning expression in his eyes which she could not fathom. At these moments the old cloud rested upon him, and upon her, too ; but she struggled bravely against all sense of depression. Her husband had had such a wretched life, she thought, it would be unreasonable to expect that her society should banish the influence of those weary, loveless years so soon.

But every .day her respect and admiration for him increased; so really charitable he was — always eager to relieve want, with such a ready sympathy for all forms of suffering.

Indeed, one of her happiest experiences had been an occasion when she had slipped and sprained her ankle slightly. How anxious he had been. How tenderly he had carried her down the rocky path. How sweetly his murmurs of loving sympathy had sounded in her ears. The tears had actually come into his eyes when she had winced, even under his- gentle touch.

During that short illness, when she relied upon him for everything, "she realised that she was indeed 'loved, and gloried in it; but when she no longer needed his support he grew less, demonstrative, and more than once she had risked accident that she might see his coldness thaw in his solicitude for her.

As a in foreign lands, Sir Malcolm was absolutely perfect; \his' grave pleasure in showing, -her" the art. treasures by which: they were' surrounded was ap-i parently entirely sincere; to appreciation of the intelligence \ she showed flattered

and delighted her, ar.d during the first month of. their married life only one reai shadow fell .across their path. 'They were' staying 'at a villa near Naples, and one morning, coming into the sunny, siittegrrobm, she found on a small work*able£ flpewaily' devoted to her. a letter from Arthur."

She uttered an 'exclamation of pleasure, for sino^her marriage only one short missive from her old playfellow had reached her. Sir !Walcobn had been out for an hour or 'moxe/pand going to the window she could "see the .white, sails of his small yacht '~gJit*sring, ; w*_the."bcpfc dipped ana da-need ©ir the blue son^ilecked .waters oZ the glorious" Wy. j Sir'-Maloohn -was steering for/ the ' shore. /|)ut ij£ could not W with her for 'an "hour, antl there would be sufficient time to; get into her riding' habit after reading Arthur's letter. " -^

She pulled a comfortable chair to the wide open grate, where a wood fire sput- j tered and crackled merrily, . and stretching her feet towards the warmth, she 'drew her eilken wrap closely round her, and settled down to cosy enjoyment. , But when she had finished the letter she drew down the corners of her, lips, and ..shook her fair head with a gesture* of impatiience. • '"" Arthur -was affectionate, but very flip- . pant in tone; so flippant as to strike her as being slightly vulgar. She did not at { all apprdre of the way he alluded to th§' post her husbaind had obtained for him,^ having his "nose to the grindstone," etc./ etc. } and worse than all, he spoke of Sir Malcolm as "your kind old boy."'

impatiience.

Her cousin. meant no harmi^|*-cpurse;_ but Antoinette was perfectly^Sware \ha,t such a method of expressicfa^would bepar,'ticularly displeasing to he)^tasband; for . .rfte^oould not shut her eyes to" "the fact ' $Bfc\ ca&wiering the strength/ of bis charfcygtetfßit MsucoTm^wiß curiously sensitive ■H^^a^^^y^o^y^lhey/Kad chanced*

bride, and the confusion of the two when they had appeared, and also the quickened step ~ and the flush of annoyance on Sir 'Malcolm's face, proved to her conclusively that they themselves had been the couple under discussion. She had drawn herself up haughtily, angry on hjs account, and the young men had winced at the glance of contempt which the lSeaubiful Lady Stanton had bestowed upon them. Elderly! They had dared to call her husband elderly! And yet he was only forty-three! But his grey hair, and the gravity of his expression, undoubtedly did make him look older than he was His sorrows, his undeserved sorrows, had aged him, and at the thought her heart drew nearer to him. If she could bring back something of his lost youth ! If she j could only smooth some of those lines out of his forehead! He was so good to her ; so good to everyone. So considerate, so blind to her shortcomings. She hated the young fellows for emphasising to her his only weakness, and her great eyes, so soft and tender as a rule, flashed at the embarrassed culprits as she passed with her hand upon her husband's arm. I And now came Arthur's letter, and she could not doubt that it would offend as well as wound him. For some minutes she sat, her face full of perplexity; and then she arrived at a conclusion. The letter had evidently come during Sir Malcolm's absence, or ha would have brought it to her. Surely. for everyone's sake, it would be well to conceal it from him. As she rose she heard his voice outside in the courtyard, giving directions about ,the horses. She had been puzzling over the matter longer than she thought. Hastily she tore the letter into small fragments and threw them on the blazing logs, and then she ran into her bedroom, unfastening the girdle of her wrapper as she went. She little reckoned that her husband had himself placed her cousin's letter where she found it, nor that coming into the room almost immediately, he' had ses i I scraps of tmconcealed paper littering the tiled hearth. With a quick gleam in his eyes, and a suddenly paling cheek, Sir Malcolm stooped to pick up the scraps; but he drew back hastily, as if ashamed of the impulse, and when his wife came in, so busy was she arranging in. the front of her

nablt the small bouquet he had brought her, she did not observe that in his eyes the expression of questioning melancholy was intensified almost to the point of agonised wistfulness and dread. But she did notice, with deep concern, how ill he looked,- and how gloomy and silent he was was for the rest of the day. He would not admit that there was anything wrong, but her heart yearned, as she heard him in his sleep, groaning and sighing as though the burden of the universe were upon his shoulders. The next day her accident occurred. At once. Sir Malcolm shook off his depression, and she rejoiced to see that he appeared perfectly happy in ministering to her. When she had recovered fully, they turned their faces homewards, and loitering here and there for a day or two, reached their home on the night of the 23rd of December. And now, as she slowly descended the stairs, in her pretty, grey, fur-trimmed gown, and looked about her, her heart warmed towards her cousin. For some time after the receipt of Arthur's silly letter she had felt thoroughly out of humor with him ; but now he had reinstated himself in her good graces, and her heart was lighter. - Arthur had shown good taste in not obtruding himself on their home-coming, but she heard he had been there every evening for a week before, travelling from town through rain and snow that he might decorate the old house in honor of their return. . • Red : berried holly, evergreens and mistJefcuvxJecked the oaken walls of the hall,' and were wreathed' round the substantial supports- of the beautiful staircase. Cunningly arranged; the smooth green leaves, • with - their flecks of, vivid scarlet, served to enhance the glories of the polished armor and, the antlered heads of the deer, and' even Sir Malcolm's face had lighted up in gratified appreciation as he entered his home. Hearing who had planned it all, his countenance had grown graver, but when he asked for Arthur., Rudge had put into his hand a letter of tactful- welcome, and Antoinette had -rejoiced at her husband's generous comments on the young man's delicate consideration. Doris, too, had behaved tolerably well, and altogether their reception had been peaceful and pleasant. t But now the girl's face, though happy, was very serious. She had a task before her which she felt would tax her powers to the utmost; but her husband had

agreed with her that the course she proposed, though unusual, was quite the best, and,' strengthened by his approval, she had. resolved not to let her natural fears influence her. During breakfast she was very quiet, but when they had finished she rose, » and the baronet wondered at the beauty and firmness of her expression. The color of -her cheek was a trifle heightened, but her eyftu were clear and brave, and she held her head erect. "Will yoici come with me, Doris?" she said kindly. "I am going to speak to the servants. Your father thinks it right I should do so. Mrs Quin. and the cook and ' 'Janet, I hear, left" a week ago, and the new cook has come." * The girj's swarthy face was full of flowering gloom, and for a minute she hesiitated. v Almost immediately, however, her curiosity gained the upper , hand, and, with a muttered assent, she left the table and slowly followed^her stepmother. Greeting them with~tSonift§ous consideration, the girl, moved to the Hfead^of the long table at which they took their meeds, and then she raised her head and looked • -g^yel^;,butcoji«figeously around her; and

tion and respect. "My friends," Antoinette began, in a low, distinct tone, "I have only a few words to say, but Sir Malcolm wishes me to speak for myself, and, indeed, I wish that also, for unless there is I confidence between us I feel that things cannot go smoothly here. I am very young, but 1* wish /to try to manage my own. household; therefore, I have dismissed Mis Quin and the cook, because the cook seemed really unable to please Sir Malcolm, and I have dismissed Janet because I knew her to be deceitful and dishonest. I believe, however, that the rest of you can do everything that is required, if you will try. And I wish, if you wish it too, that you should remain here. For I should feel very strange surrounded by entirely new faces. "Things must be different, though, very difterent; but I have confidence that they will be — for now you will one and all feel that your good services are appreciated. Sir Malcolm wishes me to tell cook that the dinner she served last night pleased him especially. Think over what I have said, and let me know in a few days^ what you have determined on. Now I wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year." There was a murmur of strong approval, led by the gratified cook, a middle-aged, highly respectable woman, the widowed daughter of one of Sir Malcolm's oldest tenants; but it was the butler who replied, and the man's voice had a touch of real feeling in it, as he spoke with deep respect. "I think I can answer for everyone, my lady. We will all try to do our duty to you and Sir Malcolm; and we thank you for your kind words. I will admit that we had become a bit slack, but we . shall work now in a very different spirit, and I hope you and the master will see reason to be pleased with us. And now, my lady, let me wish you a Merry Christmast and many, many Happy New Years." Sweetly and frankly she smiled upon them, and noticing that* her eyes were humid with kindly feeling and happiness, William Blunt, one of the footmen, an impulsive lad, nephew to the new cook, carried away by excitement and admiration, cried out : "Three cheers — three ' Christmas cheers for My Lady and Sir Malcolm ." And then the men and women joined in a shout that echoed round the big hall, and caused Antoinette to beat a hasty retreat, lest the emotion she felt at so much hearty goodwill should grow beyond her control. But when, warm at heart and glowing with pleasure, she stepped into the corridor, it seemed as ( though she encountered a blast of 1 icy wind. A few steps from the door stood Rudge, with a thoughtful frown upon his pallid face. She had not noticed him leave the servants' hall, and now instinctively she passed him hastily. In an instant, however, she stopped, and tken she went back again. "Rudge," she said quickly, "I must 6peak just one word to you; although 1 am sorry to say anything that is not pleasant on such a day." He bowed, and moistened his dry, livid Kps; but he was perfectly silent, and she continued nervously : "I know that you are Sir Malcolm's

special servant, and I do not wish to interfere in any way between you, unless you force me to do so." Again he bowed respectfully, but into his deep cavernous eyes there came a lurid glow, and the girl's voice trembled • as she forced herself to go on: "I have seen you intoxicated more than once," she said gravely; "and if you can- ' not correct that terrible weakness I must urge Sir Malcolm to dismiss you. There are several younger men among the ser- ■ vants, and such an example from one in ' your position must be very injurious to them. I hope sincerely that you will be careful, for though Sir Malcolm values your services, I am sure he would respect my wishes in the matter of all the house servants." She waited for an instant for him to reply ; but as he did not, she turned away, and in a moment passed through the heavy swing doors into the beautiful hollydecked hall, where an enormous yule log burnt on the wide open hearth. - For a minute Rudge stood motionless iivifch 'clenched fists, breathing deeply; and then, with a muttered oath, he turned hastily, starting back on the instant with a sharp ejaculation. Running along the corridor, sobbing and choking with rage, came Doris. She had contrived to subdue her jealous fury until she had pushed her way through the excited servants, who impeded her path, out once, as she thought, alone, her tears broke forth, and her passion of envy overmastered her. i "Come. come, miss," the man said, regarding her with an evil sneer; "why should you cry? We shall all be happy now my lady has come home." > "We shall be wretched— wretched !" the maddened creature cried. "She hates me, I know she does ; and she hates you, too, I

Rudge. She talked to father about you last night. And she'll send me back to ■ I school, if she can. Oh, if I could only 1 . get rid of her. If I could only set my ■ my father against her." • Wild with rage, the girl rushed away, and then the man's long fingers once more ' closed upon his attenuated jaw. "Yes," he muttered slowly, and vindictively, "she's a fool in general, but she's right this time. There won't be ' much peace under my lady's rule, either for her or me. Sir Malcolm would not stand up for me against his young wife. And yet it doesn't suit me to move on yet awhile. In four years I can save what I need, not before. "Well, my lady has got . the upper hand just now, but I rather think there's a crack in ier armour. It wouldn't take long to make the money I want'if I could find that crack. Sir Malhasn't been hard on me, but he on her, t if I know anything of 'here won't bo worth a. minutes purchase."