VIOLET LISLE; OR, A PEARL BEYOND PRICE.

Manawatu Times, Volume LXV, Issue 1306, 3 May 1911, Page 2

VIOLET LISLE; OR, A PEARL BEYOND PRICE.

All Rights Reserved.

By the Author of "All or Nothing," "Two Keys," etc., etc.

PART 7. CHAPTER XL IN PURSUIT. At the castle Lady Darlington endeavoured with some success, to make her guests forget the absence of Guy, It was singular that she should have felt so certain that Guy would obtain no sympathy from Melville Lisle; but in truth she was able to do complete justice to a character like that of the poor aristocrat. It was .only towards the daughter that she felt any anger; but towards the father she found herself leaning with a growing admiration. It pleased her to see the precious possession of birth so highly prized, and she found herself planning that when Guy was safely married to Sibyl she would take up the Lisles, or— and she actually smiled at the thoughtshe would let Melville Lisle take her up. At any rate he was a congenial spirit, and worthy of a better fate than hadjallen to his lot. She listened during the evening for the rhy of the hoofs on the paved courtyard winch should announce the return of her son from the defeat she knew he would experience, and, as the time went by, and she was disappointed, she became uneasy. But at last, somewhere near ten o'clock, she heard the sound of hoofs clattering over the stones, and then waited expectantly for Guy to come in, something like pity stirring for him in her heart. He did not come, however, and she felt that it had been a bard blow for him. He had probably gone to his rooms at once, unable, perhaps, to face the guests in the drawingroom. Poor boy !as he grew to know the world better he would have fortitude to bear a disappointment like this. And with this, she dismissed the subject from her mind, and gave her attention to her guests until she retired, when it occurred again, and she said, casually, to her maid: " Lord Darlington went at once to' his rooms on returning, did he not, Haskins ?" " I don't think he's returned, your ladyship." " Oh, yes; I heard his horse about ten o'clock." "It was one of the village boys brought his horse, my lady. I suppose he brought a message, too," Lady Darlington started up in alarm ; but instantly composed herself and said in her quietest tone: " The groom must have forgotten the message. Send—no, go yourself, Haskins, and find out about it." So Haskins, with an inkling that something was wrong at the castle, hastened out of the room and roused one of the grooms to inquire about the horse and the message, "There weren't no message," said the groom, sulky at being roused out of a sound sleep. "You didn't takie the horse and let the boy go without a word, did you?" demanded Haskins, with the sharpness.of one who is near enough to the throne to assume some authority. "I ain't a fool, am I?*' growled the groom. " I'm not so sure about that," said Haskins, amiably. " What did the boy say ?" " 'Lord Darlington's horse/ said he. ' How cpme you by it ?' says I. ' His lordship gave it to me to bring home,' says he. 'What message?' says I. ' None, exceptin' it's all right,' says he. An' that's all there was of it." Anil with this circumstantial account of the conversation the groom looked triumphant. "Y,ou ninny!" exclaimed Haskins, scornfully. "No message, excepting it's all right! What is that but a message, I'd like to know ?" And leaving the man crushed and bewildered, she returned to her mistress and made her report. Lady Darlington 'listened l with vague alarm, and said quickly : " See Robert, and ascertain if his master has returned yet." Haskins returned after a consider-a-L absence. "RoLcrt has gone to Houghton, my lady. Lord Darlington said he would not need him to-night." "See if Lord Darlington has come home, Go to his rooms yourself." " I have been, my lady, and knocked, but did not receive any answer." Darlington was greatly disturbed, but she controlled herself, and said, composedly: " I will go to his rooms. He ma;-' have had some sudden summons to London, and gone without disturbing me. There may be a note for me."' She said this to prepare the.waj for any freak of his lordship's. It was quite conceivable for t'io boy in his passion to have gohe off to town. That would not have worried her much, She hurried to his rooms with a fear in her heart that she would not turn into words. The bed was empty, and had noi been occupied ; the rooms were silent with a nort.of desolation. In the dressing room were of a hurried sorting of rlothin;.', ?n;l en th> to/>!f was a letter. A .rlar.ee shov/r.-l her that it was addressed to her, and she tore it oren and read it as she stood, She read it to the last word, then for the first riir.c, sho'.'S'i tip it hud ca'.'sci! nor. She crushed the sheet of pacer in her hand and ssni< back into a chair, cr/in* as anj human mother would have done. " Oh, Guy, Guy I" The note was not a kn;; one, but

it told everything the mother had dreaded. It ran: " Dear Mother,—l received a letter this evening from Mr. Lisle, telling me of your visit to him, and of his irrevocable refusal of my suit for his daughter's hand, and of her sad conCL.iTt.nce with his decision. He said Violet released me from a pledge which had been made without the consent of either parent and that she wished ntver to see me again. " All this seems so unreasonable on your part and on his, that I have determined to take such steps that Violet and I are not to be treated as children, By the time you receive this Violet and I will be married. "I am more sorry than you, in your first anger, will be likely to believe, and I shall look forward with the keenest solicitude for a word from you which will tell me that you are ready to receive my wife and share with her the affection which has always been mine. " Lovin'gly, your son, " GUY." It was the mother who had received the first blow, a nd it cut her to the heart to know that her son had done this, with eo further attempt to win her to his wishes; but as she thought of it her anger grew, and the feeling that Guy, made so little of her authority rankled deep in her breast. The woman of the world overpowered the mother, and she began to think whether there was any way of escaping what she was pleased to call " this disgrace." Married ! Why, thej could not be. married until the morrow. The Marquis of Coldenham might suggest something to prevent the marriage. She started up quickly and sought the smoking-room, where it was quite probable she would find the marquis yawning away the time over his cigar. The marquis was not one to trouble himself about this affairs of others; but there were several things just then that transpired to make him willing to do service for the Countess of Darlington. In the first place it was dull at the castle, and any excitement would be a relief; he was much r-Te concerned in the marriage of h:s daughter to Guy, than .Lady Darlington had any notion of, and he was desirous that the marriage, or at least the announcement of the betrothal should come soon. He turned his head at the sound of Lady Darlington's footsteps and when he saw who it was, drew himself up from his lounging position, and would have uttered some commonplace of conventionality when he checked himself as he caught sight of the expression of her pale face. " Something has distressed you, Lady Darlington," he exclaimed with real interest, for his thoughts sprang at once to Guy as the cause. "Something, indeed. Read this letter." ■ He took the letter from her, and read it, at first hurriedly, and then over again, more carefully. Then he looked up at,the countess, the hard set of his \ lips showing hou much he'was affected by what he had read. " What are you going to do about it ?" he asked. " Anything- everything, I have come to you for help, marquis. Advise me." "You would interfere to prevent the marriage?" "If it is not too late. There is nothing-nothing I would not do tc prevent this dreadful thing." The marquis mused. "The marriage cannot take place before to-morrow. Guy must have counted on your not receiving this until the morning. When does the next train leave here for London?" "Not until five o'clock in the morning." " That would get me there at seven. Barlj enough, a s far as that is concerned. The trouble would be to.find them," " You could telegraph to have the marriage stopped," said the countess, with a sort of fury at being outwitted, as she supposed, by the girl who had taken her son from her. " That would never do," said tht more cool-headed man. " Guy would only be angry and insist. What would you do then ? The girl is probably of age, and they would be married in spite of you. Permit mt to suggest that some subtlety must be practiced in this instance." " What do you suggest ? Oh, marquis, save my son I" "I will do what I can believe me. I will act as if it were my own case. The father of this girl, are you sattint he knows nothing of this ?" "I had •b".'! 'i' so; but now—now I do not ; l:-o.v what to think." The rcar-iiiis, now he was roused, was full of energy. He had said that he would act as if it were his own case. It wss very much his own case, in fact, and be was disposed to sacrifice a great deal oi energy and comfort to prevent the marriage that would not only make Lady Darlington unhappy, but, what was of more consequence to him, would let loose the money-lenders, who were withholding their claims because of the prospect, that his (laughter might become Lady DarDarlington. " How far may I go in the matter ?" he asked. " Any length. If Guy should dc tliH thin;.', I would disinherit and disown him." " And you will he willing to pay something for a release ?" , " /•n./thinj;-, anything." >.'!y live thousand pounds? That Kill seem, a great deal of money tc i girl like her." " Tin thousand, if you like. Save juy, I don't care what it costs. Save him !" "I will save hira if I con, Depend upon me to do all that lies in my power, Lady Darlington. I think ] will go now and see this man, Lisle,