A PRETTY CONSPIRATOR.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 13352, 5 December 1906, Page 10

A PRETTY CONSPIRATOR.

BY THOMAS COBB, Author of "For Value Received." "A Man of Sentiment." " The Intriguers." " The * Friendships of Veronica," " The Composite Lady." etc.. etc.

[COPY RIO HT.]

CHAPTER XXIV. A SELF-DENYING ORDINANCE.

When Catherine Hathorne reached the corridor, she found that the lift wast down on the giound floor, and feeling far too restless to wait until it came up she descended by the staircase, thus missing Sir Jeremy, for whom the cage had been waiting. Quite unconscious of Catherine's visit to • the hotel Sir Jeremy reached the corridor and was taken at once to Mr. Thonileigh's sitting-room, which he entered at about half-past five. Seeing at a glance that Pamela was distraught he began with some anxiety to inquire after her father, whereupon she gave a detailed account of Dr. Weetbury's visit, insisting with marked emphasis upon the necessity of keeping the patient perfectly free from disturbance. "Would you like to see him?" asked Pa- • mela. _ . "Before 1 go away, yes, certainly," said Sir Jeremy, "but in the first place I have something to «ay to you." Timorously she took a chair, Jeremy bringing another rather close to her side, with various symptoms of . unaccustomed .-•tembarrassment. She sat with her hands clasped before her, her head slightly bowed, , the colour coming and going on her face. . "'I dare.say," he began, "'that you have some sort of notion as to what had been passing between me and your father just before he collapsed." "Oh, it—it's dreadful," murmured Pa- . mela, and raising her hands she pressed them hard against her face. ' " Now, now," said Jeremy, leaning forward towards her, "I want you to try to keep your head, you know, Ihe fact is I am afraid I acted a' little indiscreetly. I ought to have stood out and insisted on taking you .straight to Keynshaw last week. • But, you understand, Pamela, you're sometimes .rather difficult to resist.,' " "Am—am I V she asked, uncovering her face, and assuredly she had never looked more irresistible than at the present moment. • . •" • , , , ' "Then." he continued, "when Lady Bedingtield went to Kccleston Square I ought to have given you the cut direct. ' " I suppose it—i* would have been better." she- admitted. _ . '• You see. we live'in a censorious world, said Jeremy, "and so 1 ought to have paid more respect to it. Anyhow, I cry, ' Peccavi," and I'm sorry 1 dragged you with

m^; People seem to be immensely stupid," j murmured Pamela. ' '• ( "There's no denying some of them are, he continued, " but" that's no reason why we , should take a. leaf out of their book, is' it? i " So I have a rather difficult- task before me. - Of course, vou and I have become quite firm f- - friends, and now here's Thornleigh insisting i fj-] V that we' haven't diawn the .line at that—" j, _ "Sir Jeremy," faltered Pamela, "I im- ; P ' plored him nut to hint at such a thing. ■ "Then he had— had talked to you i first!" cried Jeremy, rising hastily from his . \ chair. ' . - "I begged him not to talk about it at all," she answered,' seeing : that Jeremy's eves were fixed intently on her face, and coming to the conclusion that she had never seen onv human being look nearly so embarrassed." Moreover, the tide of his con- ( i versation seemed to be suddenly dammed, as he stood leaning against the edge of the table, crossing and uncrossing his legs. J " Don't you think ," she suggested a few moments later, that you might finish what you began to say?" " Well—'ves," he returned, " but the fact is—l don't know. .'--You. understand I '-.li *•< didn't imagine -■ that your father hadhad - consulted you beforehand. _ I assumed that he had jumped to a conclusion, and I hoped it was a—a mistaken one." - ! '• - " Perhaps it' may be!" said Pamela, but' Jeremy took a few paces away from herabout lhe room, glancing at the door as if •he would have been, extremely glad to be - safely on its further side. : His - confidence in Catherine's opinion was at least begin- " - ning to waver, and he dreaded lest he should find himself after all in a predicament. It was true that Pamela admitted having implored Mr. Thornleigh to refrain from touching the subject, but her reason might have been mere maiden coyness. "Pamela," said Jeremy, with considerable diffidence, " I told you it was a deli- ' " cate subject, but there's no help for it. Probably it is all nonsense, but your father suggested that you—that . I was •by way of ousting Kedington, you know, and I I want you to tell me that he didn know what he was talking about." \K ' Of course not," she retorted. " Nothing " could "be more ridiculous—nothing in the ." - world," and Jeremy drew a deep breath of - • " relief. . " -■« "Then that is all right, he exclaimed, . . and Pamela broke into a laugh. " Oh, Sir Jeremy ! Sir Jeremy," she cried, ** how atrociously you are treating me." " It is the best news." he answered, "that I Have heard for years." > " Bat . suppose I had wanted to* say - 'yes!'"' • ":■ ".Well, that would have been immensely a. inconvenient," he admitted. " You know," Pamela murmured, looking up smilingly into," life .face, " I felt rather afraid as well. Because I really do like you verv much, and I should, have* been sorry * if what I was told had been true." " Oh, then he — Yes," she answered," nodding her head once or twice. "My father declared' you - were—were, 'oh, almost dying for love, of - ■■■ me." ■ ... v ". " You believed it?'-' asked Jeremy. . ."How could I tell';'' she returned. "But you're not, are you?' .. ; ■ " Why,', no.". he said,: " I can't say I feel - " " much like dying. and. thrusting his -hands deep in his pockcts 'he began to walk about . - the room, laughing in a rather boyish manner until she brought him to a standstill and Gjuscd him to look grave again. "The question .still remains,"'she said. " What is to be done about my father?" ,C::! "Ah!" said Jeremy," who is to bell "the est * ■ i " * ■ * "I cannot," answered Pamela. " I have not half enough courage. Besides, though •we are smiling, there really is a danger, you must; remember.'' • "Still, danger or not," cried Jeremy,' . "one thing is decided; whatever happens we are not destined tc be man and wife, -v Pamela!" " Oh. dear, no; not for the world," she retorted. ! "All the same,'' said Jeremy, "he will' 1>! a lucky chap. And as to his identity, why., Thornleigh does- not much carc. He lias the ridiculous notion that you are a ; great responsibility. He wishes to get rid of it, but I think you may leave me to deal with him." "Suppose that he should lose his temper,"' suggested Pamela. . v;;"> "That is a thing you may safely count upon!'' . t "'Then he may grow excited, and lose his life as well."

"No, no," said Jeremy," this is to be a day of entirely good fortune. He won't lose hi.i life though lie wishes to lose his daugh- ■ ter." - ■ • .. ■ . " You make me feel utterly humiliated," she murmured. - "The calm before the storm," he returned. a little enigmatically. "May I ;;:v: y .'..take, it." he added, "that you are not going , out this evening?" - ; '"I must not leave mv father, she said. ; v '• Besides,' there is nowhere to go. I have >T" ' been absent far too long already. I ought to bo sitting with him—shall 1 say you.are li«re?'' she suggested, and after a brief ab- "•" 6ence Pamela' re-entered the room with a •• message to the effect that Mr. Thornleigh would like to see Sir Jeremy. Mr. Thornleigh lay fully dressed outside the bed with two or three books and several newspapers on a chair by his side. ■ .His face looked white and haggard, and he raised himself on one elbow as Jeremy came into the room. - "Why 011 earth," he demanded, "did you •end that infernal doctor? I understand myself better than the whole pack of them. ' Quiet and 'peace of mind! That's all I want. Let me go my . own way and I can manage, to mb aloi)g.'* - W: ---. "'life- ' '

"Anyhow," said Jeremy, sitting down on the bed, " there's no one to disturb you here." "No one—good heavens, what about Pamela? How can I rest whilst I don't know what's going to happen to the gril!" "Look here, Thornleigh," was the answer, "I am not going to -let you excite yourself again. 1 ' "The question is do you intend to act as a man of honour?" demanded Mr. Thornleigh- . * " Why, of course. Does not that go without saying?" • " Cole * . "Now, now, lie,down and keep quiet, urged Jeremy, with a laugh. " Panel* will be all right. Her future shall he precisely what you wish. lam taking : I in handdoes that satisfy you?" "I counted on you, Cole," said Mr. Thornleigh, as his'head dropped on tothe pillow. , ■ ' " That's all right then, but I'm not going to talk about it any, more just now. I shall turn up again to-morrow morning—some time before twelve."' "That confounded doctor said he would be here at ten," muttered Mr. Thornleigh discontentedly. "Well, I shall not be long alter him. Meantime, keep quiet and don't leave your room. Good-bye, Thornleigh," said Jeremy, and returned to the sitting-room for a parting word with Pamela, who, however, was not to be .seen. (To be continued daily.) [PUBLISHED BY SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT ]