JUST A GIRL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXII, Issue 10014, 28 December 1895, Page 3 (Supplement)

JUST A GIRL.

BY CHARLES OAUVICR, Author of "Tlio Outcast of the Family," "Queen Kate," " In Cupid s Cli 11113," " Uetter Thau Life," "On Love's Altar; or, A Fatal Fancy," "Shu Trusted Ilim."

CHAPTER XlV.—Continued.) The pony • phaeton was brought round after lunch. There was only room for two and a small groom behind, and Esmoralda begged to be allowed to drive.

" You will bo quite safe, sir," said Trafford, who, with the two ladies and Lord Solvable, saw them off.

" I will trust myself with Mis? Cliotwynde anywhere," said his grace, gallantly.

Though it was a warm afternoon, ho was wrapped up in furs as if it were winter, and ho leaned back in the easy carriage with an air of pride and enjoyment in his strength and his companion which caused Lord Solvable to smile. '' A case of' I came, I saw, I conquered 1'" ho said, blandly. "I never saw a man so hopelessly in love I If tlio duke were, say, ten yours younger, I wouldn't give much for your chances, my dear Traff.'" Trafford smiled at tlio jest, and looked after the carriage thoughtfully. The duke was delighted with Esmeralda's driving. " You must liavo a pony-carriairo and pair, my dear," he said, as if lie were speaking of a box of hairpins. "I will toll Trafford to got them at once. This is too old and shabby for you ; ib does vory well for mo, but it is not smart enough for you." "Oh, no!" said Esmeralda. "Ib is quite good enough ; do nob buy a new ono." " But why not he asked, with surprise "Why should 1 nob havo that pleasure? Tliero is tho priory." He nodded at somo stately ruins, and Esmeralda drovo up to them and looked at them with interest. " Selvaine shall toll you its history," said his graco. "Ho is tlio historian of the family, you know, and is never so pleased as when ho is relating some story connected with it. Dear, dear! how out of repair tho fencing has got! I must tell Holby to roplaco it with somo of the new iron railing. Now wo will drive to the lake. Turn down this lano to the left. Are you sure you are warm enough, my dear?" "Oh, yes," said Esmoralda. "Do you feel it cold ?" She saw that his fur coat had slipped down a little, and slio pulled up and arranged it round him more closoly. The duke was much touched by hor thouglitfulness.

"Thank you—thank you,my dear," ho said, gratefully. They drove on, and presently catno to the It was a largo piece of water surrounded by firs. A flock of ducks rose as they approached, and a heron sailed away above their heads. The place was weird looking, lor all its prettiness, and Esmeralda gazed at it in silenco and with a creepy feeling, "It reminds mo of Australia—l don't know why," she said. " How silent and— far away it seems." "Some persons think it rather dismal," he said. " Hut that, I think, is bocaueo of the .story connected with it." Esmeralda was always ready for a story, and turned to him eagerly. " ,\V hat is it? Something very dreadful ?" " Well, yes," he said, hesitatingly. The courtly old man was almost sorry to have referred to anything that was gruosomo in Iter bright, young presence. " Please toll mo," she said. "Must 1? I am not sure that I ought to do so. You will always remember it when you come here. Ono of the Traffords committed suicido here." "Oh I" said Esmeralda. "A man?" " No; a woman," said his grace. "Ib is a very sad story. She was the wife of a Marquis of TralTord—my great groat-uncle. It was a very unhappy marriago. The marquis was poor and married her for her money ; it was what is called ' a marriago of convenience.' They are seldom anything but unhappy arrangements, and generally prove terribly inconvenient. She was in lovo with her husband, but ho detested hor; but though he no doubt treated her with coldness, 1 am quite suro tie was not guilty of actual cruelly; no Tratford has had that Crime laid to his charge." "You mean that, he didn't beati her?" said E-mieralda, much interested. "Er—just ho." said tho duke.. "They lived together, unhappily together, somo years, until one night the unfortunate lady stole from the house and throw herself into die lake hero. They found her the next day with a smile on her face—the first sho had worn since her marriage, thoy said." Esmeralda stared at the lake and shuddered. She could almost see tho white figure floating on tho top of the silent water. "Whydid sho not leave him—runaway?' she said almost to herself. Tho duke shrugged his shoulders. "A Marchioness of TralTord could scarcely do that," ho said, simply. It was almost better for hor to have done what she did; but let us go now, my dear; I am afraid I have saddened you with my dismal story. Let us trot into tho sunshine again," and he, too, shuddered slightly. Esmeralda glanced over her shoulder at tho lake as they drove away, and tho thought) of the woman who had preferred death to a loveless life haunted her for tnoro than a mile. Then they came in sight of tho sea, and the vision of tho whito figure (led before tho glorious view.

Tho duke leaned forward and waved his ebony stick round tho bay. "Beautiful, is it not? There aro few finer bays in England. Look straight below you, my dear. You see how tho coast curves? That is where the new wateringplace, that I told you of last night, is to be. There-just by that jutting rock—will bo the pior, and tho esplanade will run round tho curve, with the houses in a terrace at the back. It will make a capital seaside town, will it not?"

" Yes," said Esmeralda. "And you aro going to build it?"

"Yes." assented the duke, placidly, as if ho had tho money at his banker's. "It will bo rather a largo undertaking, and it will cost a great deal of money ; but I hold that it is reprehensible to let money lio idle while it could ho used in providing employment for hundreds of deserving persons. And it will improve tho property also. I shall not boo it, but TralTord, 1 trust, will do so, and"—ho looked at hor with a littlo smile—"you too, my dear."

Esmeralda coloured. She felt rather surprised. Tlio Bolfayros could not bo poor, as Norman Druco had Paid, if they wore going to spend all this money.

As they drove home this impression deepened; for the dulto spoke of other improvements, and always in the tone of a man who was possessed of unlimited wealth; and he found fault with thu steward, Mr. Helby— even Trafford himself—for neglecting eortain improvements. " You must arouse thorn to a sense of their duty, my dear," he said, with a smilo. When they drovo up to tho palace, Trafford camooutto help them to alight, and the duko, as ho Icanod on his son's arm, said :

" I have had a most delightful drive, Trafford. Miss Chetwynde is a famous whip, I want you to send to London for a phaeton and a pair for her." " I have done so," said Trafford, quietly. "I nm glad, I have been showing Misa Clietwyndo the eito of the now town, and alio quite agrees with mo that it would be a groat improvement. Don't you think wo ought to commence it at once, my dear ?" Trafford glanced at Esmoralda gravely; but, quite innocently, she said: " Oli, yes; I would begin at once," "You see 1" exclaimed tho duke, triumphantly; and he patted lior ahouldor approvingly. Lilias, fearing that Lady Wyndovor and Esmeralda would find Bolfayre dull, had invited some people to dine that night, and Esmeralda made her first acquaintance with a country dinner-party. Iu was a stately, not to say solemn, affair. There were throe or four of tho neighbouring county families, a couple of officers from Belmont, and tho rector and his wife.

The county families had hear.d of, and read about, " Miss Chetwynde, tho heiress," and were consumed with curiosity respecting her, and were amazed—and doubtless rather disappointed— not finding her to be a kind' of female cowboy, They wero also much startled and impressed by her beauty, and before tho evening was over Esmeralda had won tho golden opinions of the mala portion of the patty.

• 'The men grouped themselves around her very much as they wero in the habit of doing in London, and Trafford looked (in from a distance with his usual gravity. The duko was not present, at dinner, btib ho came into the drawing room afterwards for half an hour, Mid witnessed Esmeralda's littlo triumph, and nodded and smiled at? hot* as she left her court of admirer?, and seating lmr«oIf besido him, talked to him of thoir drive in her frank, unaffected way. " I congratulate you, Trufford," said ono of the guests, an old peer and closo neighbour and friend of the family. "It is scarcely necessary to wi"h you happiness; you have secured that already," And Trafford smiled in the proper manner.. He had received a letter from Lady Ada that evening. Ib was only a few lines. " Write to me. Tell me whether you him asked lief. I must kunw, ilhmrli your answer will probably iiisike me more wretched than 1 am already; ami lam miseraldi) eunuch, Hod kii"W«. Aim." (To be continued on Saturday next.)