maida.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 11887, 12 February 1902, Page 3

maida.

BY CHARLES GARVICE, tnthor of "With All Her Heart." " At Love's Cost," " Love, the Tyrant," " The Shadow of Her Life," " A Heritage of Hate," etc., etc., etc.

CHAPTER XVIII. (Continued.') To reach the window, Maida would have had to pass the two women, and she shrank from mortifying them by revealing her presence. She thought she would move farther down the terrace; but Ricky' and Came were leaning over the balustrade a little lower down, and—was not Maida herself m love? So she remained where she was, hoping that the conversation would cease or that someone would come out and interrupt them. ... » • "Oh I daresay he's in love with her, Mrs. Trefoyle went on, with a little yawn, " though you never can , tell; men are such actors nowadays, especially when they want anything. If I were in Miss Carrington's place 1 should be very doubtful of his adoration. I should never be able to forget that I was immensely rich and that he was cruelly poor, and should be afraid that he was marrying me for my. money, especially if I knew much about'his past—but perhaps she doesn't, "What do you mean?" asked the other lady, with evident curiosity. Oh, well, I daresay he's no worse than 'most men," said Mrs. Trefoyle, with a fane air of charity ; " though they used to call him ' Mad Vaser'—he was Viscount Vaser, you know ; but of course everyone knows of his affaire du coeur. It has been the one affair of his life, and I must say that I pity Lady Glassbury." ■. She had lowered her voice, but Maida heard her plainly,' and would have gone' up to thorn and interrupted tihem or have returned to the drawing-room ; but she seemed unable to move, and stood there looking straight before her, filled, not with fear or even the first movements of jealousy, but with an indignant wonder. Maida knew little of the smart set and its peculiarities ; she had never met a person like this Mrs. Trefoyle. "Lady Glassbury?" said the other lady, her whisper thrilling with morbid interest and curiosity. " I don't know anything about her; I have never met her; I have never heard of her." " Really? How strange ! But you've been abroad, haven't you? She was the lady who sat next to Lord Walmington. A very beautiful woman with fair hair and fine eyes. Looks ridiculously young; quite a girl, indeed. She was a very great beauty, and could still give points to nttany of our girls." "And she and Lord Heroncourt?" murmured the other lady, invitingly. " Have been devoted to each other since they were children. Oh, it is quite an open secret. When ho was Lord Vaser, they wero always together ; he was quite a tame cat at Glassbury House. Everyone knows that he would have married her, only that they were too poor. Perhaps they would have married in spite of that but Lord Glassbury came along and offered .himself, and, of "course, her people would not let her refuse him." '

" And you think—" Mrs. Trefoyle shrugged her too» obvious shoulders and" fanned herself with a, languid air of confidence. " My dear, it is well known ; all the world and his wife know it. I tell you they were always together ; he used to take her to the theatre and concerts, to go out with her everywhere. Of course Lord Glassbury put in an appearance now and again, and everything was quite proper," she laughed .a little mocking laugh. "Why. she's stopping at the Court now. Certainly Lord Glass;bury's there with her ; and it's all right,'though, I suppose it's scarcely in accord with the convenances ; people are so lax nowadays to what they used to be. But all the same if I were Miss Carrington I should not like it and I should keep my eyes open. You know there is nothing that holds so fast as one of those boy-and-girl attachments, especially when they are carried on for so many years. Did you see Lady Glassbury looking at Lord Heroncourt during dinner, and notice the expression of her face?,;was just the look a woman has when she is going to lose her man forever." To her credit, the other woman murmured a remonstrant " Oh !" "But Lord Glassbury," she said, "he seems so happy. He was talking and laughing across the table to that bright little Carrington girl; surely he doesn't — Mrs. Trefoyle shrugged her shoulders with that eloquent shrug which conveys so much. " Oh, he is not the only complaisant husband," she said, with a little significant laugh. " Besides, ho trusts his wife. She is not the woman to go wrong even for such a beau signor as Lord Heroncourt; but that she is devoted to him there can be no doubt; and I daresay if Lord Glassbury had carried his complaisance so far as to shuffle off this mortal coil. Lady Glassbury would have becomo the Counters of Heroncourt— notwithstanding Miss Carrington's beauty. And she is really, lovely, isn't she? I can't tell you how much I admire her. Such exquisite style, too. It will really be a shame if Lord fleroncourt doesn't cut himself clear from his old attachment and devote himself to her. Of course this is quite entre nous. I am sure I don't know why I have spoken so freely ; but the affairs of other people are so interesting, aren't they? Especially when one knows them very well." She did not know Lady Glassbury at all and had met Heroncourt that night for the first time. "It's getting rather chilly ; shall we go in?" They passed into the drawing-room, bub Maida still remained. Her face was burning, her heart was throbbing ; but not with doubt of Heroncourt or Lady Glassbury, but with indignation ; nob for one moment during her conversation had auy doubt of him or of her assailed her. She was too confident of his love, the love that spoke in every tone and every glance. She felt that she knew him to the inmost heart, that he loved her and her alone. But though one may be invulnerable even to a deadly poison, ib may have power to irritate, and Maida quivered like a sensitive leaf. The air seemed suddenly chilled, the brightness of the stars had become dim. The woman's gossip was of no account, the terrible inferences sho drew of no weight; but the facts remained ; Lady Glassbury and Heroncourt had been great friends. It was true he had made no secret of their friendship, but it was also true that Maida had seen them together at the houses at which she was reciting : that she was staying at the Court.

She struggled against the insidious poison, and turning suddenly, re-entered the draw-ing-room, and, obeying an irresistible impulse, went up to Lady Glassbury and sat beside her. Lady Glassbury turned to her with the gentle smile which she seemed to reserve for Maida, " Are you tired, dear?" she asked. " What a successful dinner it has been ! As a rule, I hate these huge dinners, these big functions. But this has gone off so well Your recitation helped it. How beautiful it was ! And how beautiful you are, dear, to-night She put her hand upon the girl's arm and looked at her with a smile that had something wistful in it. "No wonder Lord Heroncourt is such a happy man !" • Something— her desire to impress upon herself the worthlessness of Mrs. Trefoyle's scandal and gossip, impelled Maida to say : ,■''■■,'-'■," " We are to be married next month, Lady Glassbury." Lady Glassbury did not start— of her class are not given to starting or ejaculation, and shun every indication of emotion ; but her face went pale, and though she smiled, it was with her lips only ; her eyes had a startled and pained look ; and Maida could not fail to notice both the pallor and the expression of the eloquent eyes. "So soon, dear said Lady Glassbury. "But why not? Why should you wait? You are young enough, it is true, but Lord Heroncourt— well! he is young, too— but there is no reason why you should not be married at once ; indeed, every reason why you should. Next month! My dear, you don't want me to wish you happiness; you know that I do so with all my heart." "Thank you," said Maida, with her almost Puritan simplicity and directness. But why had Lady Glassbury's face suddenly paled, and why had her eyes looked so strained?

The guests -were going. Mr. Carrington and Carrie, stationed in the hall,, were saying good night; there was the bustle and stir of departure. Of course, Heroncourt lingered to the last; he was going to 'walk home to the Court, and he drew Maida into one of the ante-rooms— were too many of them at the Towersand put his arm round her. .-"■■-.. •V; '"

"Good night, vay>: beloved,", lie said. " You have crowned yourself with laurels to-night. Good Lord! what have I done to deserve you"? When I think that you, with your infinite grace and beauty, with your genius, belong to me, I ask myself what % have done to win such perfection. But, oh my dear; I love you with all my heart and soul! Maida, I have never loved any other woman. I lay my life at your feet." ' Some demon prompted her to murmur: "No other woman? Think, Byrne !"■... He met her gaze unflinchingly. . " No other woman," he said, almost fiercely. " Why do you ask?" "Nothing," she said. "It does not matter. Oh, Byrne, go on loving me, for I cannot live without your love." He tore himself away from literally tore himself— himself with the reflection that within a month, a short month, she would bo his. But much may happen in a month. CHAPTER XIX. It was a busy month. Under any circumstances the getting together of her trousseau is a matter of importance to every girl, evey to the girl with only, a few shillings to spend; to Maida, with practically an unlimited sum at her disposal, the business seemed a tremendous one. But to Carrie it was a labour of love, and she threw herself into it with all her wonted energy and exeitment. '

Lady Glassbury had come to their assistance, and had insisted upon them paying her a visit to Glassbury House, from whence they could make their attacks upon the shops. Maida had accepted the invitation, but with a- certain inward reluctance, for she could not altogether get rid of Mrs. 'Prtrfoyle's gossip. Her be-lief in Heroncourt was unshaken; but still That is the worst of scandal; however absurd and groundless it may be it clings like an evil vapour. But Maida was reassured, if she had needed any reassurance, by Lady Glassbury's evident affection for her. She was sweetness itself to both of the girls, but more especially to Maida, whom she treated as a sister. She went with the girls to do their shopping, and introduced them to all her friends with something like pride; for, indeed, she was very proud of Maida' beauty and grace and the ineffable charm which oust its spell upon all with whom she came in contact.

Heroncourt also found it necessary to be in town, for the family lawyers and Mr. Carrington's were engaged upon the settlements, and, as usual, had a number of questions to ask and details to arrange. He came to Glassbury House every day, and very often accompanied the ladies to dinners and receptions, concerts and theatres. He was bored no longer,, and all his friends declared that he was a changed man ; there was happiness in his face, in his voice, in his very gait and bearing; and his pride in Maida was almost amusing; it was that of the man- who has found the pearl above price, the great ruby.

Mr. Carrington occasionally ran up ; but he spent most of his time in the city looking after the gigantic affairs in which he was concerned. He, too, was radiant and full of satisfaction, though he was not particularly well. The fact was, the man was working in tiese days of his wealth almost as hard as he had worked in the days of his poverty, and his rather florid colour was giving place to that peculiar pallor which marks most of the city men. Maida was the first to notice the change in him, and one evening, when he had been overcome by a sudden faintuess at dinner, she had made him promise that he would consult a famous physician. The promise had only been extorted after a great deal of pressure, for he had pooh-poohed the idea that there was anything the matter with him. " It's nothing but the heat," he declared ; "we don't often get it as hot as this in autumn; and then the weather's so changeable; it's cold onejlay and hot another; I daresay it's only a chill." He went to the famous physician the next day, and, though he was rather grave and quiet when he came back, he made light of the doctor's opinion. "Been a little over-doing it," he said, in answer to Maida's anxious inquiry. "Says I ought to take a rest, mustn't excite myself—"Oh, the usual thing. They all say the same. There's nothing the matter wirtt me." " But why do you not rest, father?" she asked, taking his great hand in hers and fondling it. "Why should you work so hard.? You are rich enough already; why do you want more money?" Carrington laughed evasively. "Nobody's rich enough,'- my dear," he sand. -"Everybody wants more. 'Besides, I want my gel to have plenty of money; she'll want it in her position." "Money!" said Maida, stifling a sigh. "Father,. I almost hate the word"Mr. Carringtcn looked as shocked as if she had said something blasphemous—" I shall quite hate it if you make yourself ill trying to get some more. Besides, Byrne has told me of your generosity to us, and there is no need to give us any more. Promise me, father" He drew his hand away impatiently.

" Don't you worry yourself about what you don't understand, "my dear," he said. "I tell you lam quite well. Everything's prospering, everything's all right. The Roaring Jane shares stand higher than ever they —he broke off, and an expression "came into his eyes, a half-vacant, half-uneasy expression, which Maida had seen once or twice before and which had always caused her a vague anxiety" I must be off to the city. Got a meeting of the Bilchester Electric Traction Company. I'll knock off some of the work, if that'll please you. Want any more money? Don't spare it! You cam have as much as ever you want. Beautiful house, this." They were in the drawing-room of Glassbury House. " Who'd have thought a year ago that we should have been staying here, guests of the Right Honourable the Earl of Glassbury; who'd have thought that my girl was going to marry an earl herself; and you talk about hating money. It's right down wicked. Why, it's money that has done it all." He went off and left Maida standing, feeling as if a chill had suddenly swept over her. The money hud done it all. Yes ; but for her money Heroncourt— She thrust the thought from her with a little spasm of pain. They were in town a little over a fortnight and kind as Lady Glassbury had been,and much as she had enjoyed the shopping, Maida was glad to get back to the Towers. The whole place seemed simmering with excitement over the coming wedding, and Heroncourt and the Carringtons found themselves in a vortex of dinner-parties and festivities, all in honour of the bride and bridegroom-elect. Tremendous preparations were in progress, the whole village was to be en fete on the wedding-day. there were to be triumphal arches. Heroncourt's tenants and" Mr. Carrington's employees the entire village, in fact, was to be feasted. There was to be a reception after the wedding* and on the same night a ball" at the Towers to which half the county was invited. The Towers itself was in a state of confusion with preparations for the great 'event; an extra staff of servants had been engaged ; dressmakers and milliners were at wovrk all day and apparently all night. . And . the confusion at the Court- was still greater, for the place was in the hands of the decorators who were hard at work restoring it to its ancient splendour. (To be continued on Saturday next.)