MAIDA.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 11869, 22 January 1902, Page 3

MAIDA.

BY CHAELES GAP.YICE, iuthor of " With All Her Heart," " At Love's Cost," " Love, the Tyrant," *' The Shadow of Her Life," " A Heritage of Hate," j etc., etc., etc. j CHAPTER Xlll.—(Continued.) ' Pleroncouet led the way up the broad stairs with their massive balustrade and carved side-panelling above which were pic—every one a gem, some pricelessto where ; Leighton's picture took up a large portion of the wall of the gallery. Beside it stood -a magnificent organ; and, after glancing at the picture, Maida's eyes went wistfully to the organ. -. , "Why, it's large enough for a church,'' she said. "Wb have one at the Towers, a gaudy thing with no music in its soul." "This is all right, I think," he said. "Will you try it.?" He turned on the electricity which lit the lamps at the keyboard and worked the bellows; but Ma id a shook her head timidly. . .."The others will disturb them," she said. He, had forgotten the others, had forgotten everything excepting the girl beside him. . ■ ■ "Good heavens, why should it?" he said.' " Pray try ' it. If you .knew how passionately fond I am* of musicthough, of course, that is no reason why you should play," "he added, with a humility quite j novel to him.

" Oil, but yes," she said, with a frankness and candour which helped to make up her charm for him. " You forget that you've been taking so much trouble to interest and amuse me. I will play, if you wish it."' She sat down and began, and Heroncourt drew back in the shadow, so that ho might watch her face without her knowing it. She played very softly, so that she could speak through the music. '• I had some lessons from a man in London, but I could .not afford to go on with them, and I could not practice because we were too poor to buy anything better than a cheap harmonium with mock stops;'and that would have been too hateful. It is a beautiful organ." She was playing Chopin's " Funeral March," the march which has in it so much of the subtle joy of life as well as tho subtle peace of death; and Heroncourt, to whom music was a passion, thrilled and began actually to tremble. Divine music and divine girlhood; a double feast; think of it! ■ ''

When she had finished, he said, almost harshly: "Go on, please." r "Oh, must I?" she murmured. " The others

He made a little, impatient gesture of his hand, and she glided into a thing of Greig's. Neither of them was conscious that the "others" had left the drawingroom, drawn by the exquisite music, and that some were coming softly up the stairs, while the rest were standing in the - hall, looking up in rapt silence and admiration. " Oh, beautiful!" he breathed, as the last note died away, and he came out of the shadow and looked at her with his heart

in his eyes and his lips set tightly, with tl bis brows drawn in the frown which si darkens a man's face when he is deeply hi moved. She had lost herself and had fox-- tl gotten his presence, and she raised her face u with a little, startled air. tf "Beautiful, indeed!'\echoed Lord Walmington, from the stairs, and there was a b subdued chorus of gratitude from;; the others. *■ " g Maida rose and .turned quickly, with her bands resting on the edge of the key-board n behind her, a sudden flush rising to- her face, her eyes shining with the startled ii look through the long, dark lashes. She made so exquisite a picture, set in the v\ soft halo of the electric light, that her un- ]< suspected audience almost gaped at her. Lady Glassbury saw Maida's confusion y and that she was embarrassed by the con- a spicuous position in which her own great r musical gift and Heroncourt's attentions 1; had placed her, and with infinite tact ran ( up the stairs to her. " Don't go yet!" she said in a casual < way. " Please play something else for us," -t and she glanced at Heroncourt, who went down the stairs and joined Carrie and her ] father, the latter standing looking as if he ( did not know whether to be pleased and flattered or not by the sensation his elder < daughter had caused; but there was 110 I uncertainty about Came. < Doesn't she play superbly?" she said, 1 taking Heroncourt's arm with girlish en- 1 thusiasm and looking up at him with her : greenish eyes sparkling. " But I can't think how you managed to get her to play; 1 she is so 'shythat sounds funny, seeing . that she used to be a professionalhush! , I mustn't let father hear!—but she says 1 it is ever so much harder to play to a few, especially when you know them." He nodded. "I think I understand,'' he said. "It was very kind of your sister to consent— . but I 'worried her into it." " Did you?" said Carrie, smiling. " How little you know Maida! Why, wild horses wouldn't worry her into anything." "Then it's all the kinder of her, and I'm all the more grateful," he said. "Do you play billiards, Miss Carrie?" "Now, how should I?" she responded. "Did there seem room for a billiard table at Coleridge-street? Is there one here— but, of course, there is." "We will make up a pool. Come along! I'll give you your first lesson," he said in quite a new tone, an almost boyish one; and, tucking her arm in his, lie led the way to the billiard-room, calling out over his shoulder: "Who's for pool?" For the rest of the evening he almost devoted himself to Carrie, ' who, under his skilful tuition,' soon picked up ; the way of holding her cue, and to her great delight and pride • presently succeeded in potting a ball. ,It was quite; a' merry party, the merriest that had met at 'the Court for a long time, and Maida, coming with her father. to the door to say ; that their carriage had arrived, found Carrie the laughing centre •of a ' laughing and admiring group, not the least merry being Heroncourt himself. ' "Going already!" he said, wistfully. "Why, wo are just beginning the : evening " Must we really go? Oh, I have enjoyed myself so much! And what a lovely game pool is!" " Billiards is better," he said. ■ " You must let me give you some lessons." " Yes, you 11 make a splendid player, Miss Carrie," said , Lord , Walmington. " You must be so . good 'as to come over and play with us." , , "Don't you; you stick to this table," cried Lord Glassbury. " It's far better than Lord Walinington's." ■ * Heroncourt took Carrie, not Maida, to their carriage; but as ho closed the door ho looked at her rather- intently. ' Thank you," tie said. " You: have been very kind to us to-night, Miss Carrington. Good night, Miss Carrio; you won't forget that stroke I showed you?" " Oh, no; I shall dream of -it—dream of everything!" she responded eagerly. Then as the carriage started she leant forward and waved her hand to him, her face wreathed in smiles. "Oh, hasn't it been delightful, too delightful to be real!" she said, sinking back with a long sigh. " Isn't it a lovely, grand place, and aren't they delicious people. Maida, I know now why most persons are snobs. If to want to know people like that makes one a snob, why, I'm one myself from to-night! Think of it! They are really grand folk, the swellest of the swells, and yet they are so simple and natural —■ and—oh, I want a word to describe them! They're ever so much less stiff than middleclass people: did you see Lord Glassbury reach over the table and-knock the things down, and not care a bit; and Lord Walmington ate his apple with a knife as if he didn't know, any better! And how they laughed and joked in the billiard-room just like—just like a lot of city clerks enjoying themselves— a city clerk wouldn't think it proper to be so noisy! And Lord Heroncourt—oh, oh, Maida, I've fallen in love with him!" " How nice; for Lord Heroncourt," said Mr. Spinner, with a grin. . V " Yes, I'm sped, as Mercutio — it Mercutiosays. I shall be like Elaine, pine away and die. He's too noble and great and sweet for words. Do you think there would be any chance for me if 1 were five years older, Maida? Oh, and 1 was so glad of being a kid, until to-night! No wonder they are all so fond and proud

of —did you see how Lady Glassbury looked at him from time to . time, and how she: turned to him and listened when. he spoke; and how the rest asked, his opinion and seemed to treat him as if he were a kind of chief •' So he is—in Scotland, put in Mr.Spinner, glancing at Maida out -of the, corner of his eves. "He is the head of the Maclan' clan; "Lord Maclan is his Scotch "Really! I'm not surprised," said Carrie. " He's grand enough to be the Lord of the Isles! How■ grand he must look in.Highland dress and I suppose ho has a piper to play before him?" - V "At any rate he need never need a trumpeter while you are disengaged, Carrie," said Maida, with a smile. . "Ah, of course, wo ; know what is the matter with you." retorted Came, with mock severity. " You're jealous betause he paid me so much attention, and didn't oiler to teach you billiards. But 1 would try and not show it so plainly, poor dear!' When the rest of the guests had gone Heroncourt went ' back to the billiard-room and lighting a cigar.etto began to pace up and down; and presently the countess came in. ; , . " Where is Glassbury V" she asked. " Gone straight to bed; he is off fishing to-morrow before breakfast. Won't you sib down?" v ' : . . . She shook her head but leant against the billiard table, and examined her fan with an absent air. - She was rather pale, and her pretty lips had a downward curve as if she were rather -tired. ( " Quite a successful evening, Byrne, she said. •' • " He nodded. lie knew that she had not come in to offer congratulations. ) "The Carringtons are admirable, don t you think?" He nodded again. y i . "For a nouveau riche, the father is emiently satisfactory; he is so quiet; and they aren't generally, are they?" - ( ( "No," he assented; "not generally. "And the girls— a bright little thing the child is. It was good to hear: her laugh. She will be an acquisition." " And Mr. Spinner— delightful lie is!" he said, with a touch of irony. "That completes the party, doesn't it?" " Oh, you have forgotten Miss Carrington," she corrected*him, with an affectation of innocence. ...<. . . - - " ■ ••••■•• : "Ah, yes! I had forgotten Miss Carrinwton," -he retorted, with a fair imitation of her tone. J She is very beautiful, Byrne. She is the loveliest creature I have seen for years. How strange' that she should be - our Miss Carringtoh, the reciter. For the moment I was dumbfounded. : And she stands the change, the ordeal, so well! She might have always been one of ourselves—as she will be presently." He looked at her quickly, then dropped on to a divan. ' 1 " What may you mean by that, Ethel he asked. , ' ' " I only meant that of course she will marry someone of rank. They are immensely rich, you know. There is 110 doubt of it. Mr. Spinner—" He moved impatiently. " Byrne," looking down at him wistfully, " you admire her—l. could see that why will she not do?" "Good Lord, Ethel!" he said, grimly,- " you talk as if I had but to choose— throw my handkerchief, like ' some beastly sultan! Do you think, , after what you have seen of her, that she is to be had , for the asking,-, that she would stoop to pick up any man's handkerchief, even '-.a sultan's?" "' Being a woman, she may be wooed being a woman, she may be won.'" "The quotation's wrong," lie said, grimly; "and so are you?" " It would be so good a thing," she murmured. " The money— He sprang to his feet with a gesture of impatience, almost resentment. "In God's name, don't put it in that way, don't drag the money in Go to bed, Ethel ; you are tired." "And I tire you," she said, with the woman's' patient smile. She. went to him and laid her hand on his arm. "Forgive, me, Byrne, but your, future, your happiness, are dear to me. Ah, but you know! Good night!" . He went to v the door, but before he opened it for her .li e took her hand and touched it with his lips. " I know. I'm an ungrateful beast, Ethel. But money and that exquisite creatureit jars and hurts!" He sat up for some time afterwards, smoking incessantly, after the manner of the sons of men, and thinking of the " exquisite creature," thinking how good it would be if he were, say, a young farmer, and she were another farmer's daughter if he were only rich instead of a titled pauper, that he might woo her as an equal; and as lie went to bed by the 'light of the, early cu;wn, he paused beside the organ and 'calle'd up the vision of her as she had sat there, so virginal in her purity, so wrapt in the music, so far away from, him in her entire unconsciousness of his presence; and he shuddered at the thought of the money. (To be continued on Saturday next.)