THE AVENGER.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 13483, 9 May 1907, Page 3

THE AVENGER.

~.:':■"'„'■■ .:■; ■■.-;,. ■. . . . . mr , . '.., ~.,...: ■;.;:. BY. E. PHILLIPS OPPENHEBf, ■ ■■'Author of " The Mysterious Mr. Sabin," "A Man and Ilia kingdom," " A Prince of Sinners," "Mr .Wingrare. Millionaire," and I "A Maker of History," etc., etc.. etc. : i ■' ■ ■. ~, 7?-'■■?-"■■:> i [ALL EIGHTS EESEEVED.J [COPYRIGHT.] CHAPTER XXXVll.—(Continued.). The girl turned slowly round and faced the baroness. They might indeed have represented the . opposite poles in femininity. From the tips of her perfectly manicured fingers to the crown of her admirably coiffured hair, the baroness stood for all that was elegant and refined in the innermost circles of her sex. Agnes would hare looked more in place behind the refreshment bar from which Morris Barnes had brought her,. Her dress of cheap shiny ,silk was illfitting and hopeless, her hat with its faded flowers, and crushed shape an atrocity, boots and gloves, and brooch of artificial gems— all were shocking. Little was left of her. pale-faced prettiness. The tragedy which had stolen into her life had changed all that. Yet she faced the,-baroness .without flinching. She seemed sustained by the suppressed emotion of the moment. *'. : ■'.;,'■ Ho was my man," she said fiercely; "and no one had any right to take h;m away from me. . He was my husband, arid he was brutally -murdered. You tell me that I must give up the letters for the sake of the woman who wrote them! What do I care about her! Is she as unhappy as I am, I wonder? I will not give up; the letters," she 'added, clasping, them in her hand," except one condition." . "If it is a reasonable one," the baroness said, smiling, " there will be no difficulty." Agnes faced her a little defiantly. ; ■ " It depends upon what you call reasonable," she said. " Find out for me who it was that killed my husband, .i you or' any one of you, and you «hall have the letters.'* v Sydney Barnes smiled, and left off nervously tugging'; at his moustache. If this was not exactly according to his own ideas, it was, •at any rate, a- step 'in the right direction. Wrayson was evidently ... perplex j ed. The baroness adopted a persuasive attitude. ' ''■■' ;.'"'.' ! ;.'^-.' J • "My. dear girl," she said, "we don't -any of lis know who killed; your husband. After all, what does it matter? ; It is terribly sad, of : course, but he .can't ,be brought back to life again. You have yourself to think of, and how you are to live in the future. :•- ■• Give me '■■ that packet. < I will destroy it before your eyes, and; I promise you that you shall < have no ; more anxiety about your future."- ' . ', The girl rose to her feet. The packet ; was already transferred; to : the? bosom lof her dress. "I have told you ,my terms," she said. " Some of you know all about it, I daresay ! Tell me the truth and you shall have the packet—-one of .you.'* Wrayson leaned forward. • -' v "The truth is simple," he said, earnestly.. "Wo do not know. I, can answer for myself. I think that I can answer for the others." " Then the packet shall help. me to find out," she declared. ' ." * The baroness shook her bead. "It will not do, my dear.girl," she .said quietly. '"The packet is not yours." ■ The girl faced her defiantly. ( "Who says that it is not mine?" she dcmanded. . ■ ■ ' .\>-. ■;'..'■• "I do," the baroness replied. " And I !" Wrayson echoed. "And I say that it is hers— and ■mine," Sydney Barnes declared. " She; shall do what she' likes with it.- She shall not •be made to give it up." V : " Mrs. Barnes," the ' baroness . declared briskly/ "you must try and be reasonable. 'We will buy the packet from you." i Sydney Barnes nodded his head approvingly.' i '"That," he Raid, "is what I call talking ! common eeuse." "We will give you a thousand pounds i for it," the baroness continued. i "It's 'not enough—not near enough," Barnes called out hastily. " Don't you; lisI ten to them, Alice." | " I shall not," she answered. "Ten I thousand pounds would not buy.it. I have I said my last word. I am going now. In •three days* time I shall return. I will I give; up the letters then in exchange for i the name of my husband's murderer! "If i that. is not forthcoming, I shall; go - to. the r police!" j She rose ; and walked "out of the room. I They all followed her. The baroness whispered in Wrayson's ear, but he shook his ; head. "It is impossible," he said firmly. "We S cannot take them from her by force." ; I The baroness shrugged her shoulders. She caught the girl up npon the stairs, and I they descended;'together.; : ; Wrayson and [ Sydney Barnes . followed, the latter biting his nails nervonsly, and maintaining a gloomy silence. At the ; entrance, ; Wrayson ! whistled for a .cab,, and handed Agnes In. j Sydney Barnes attempted to follow her. ■",-•" I will see mv eister-in-law, home," he declared, but Wrayson's hand fell upon his. arm. ■ ■ "NoI" he said. "Mrs. Barnes can take care of herself. She is not to be interfered with." r'/.- ' ;■ ;; S She nodded -back- at him from the cab.; ! -"; : "I don't want him," she .said. "I don't j want ■ anyone. In '-■ three daysV- time I will return.'.' • ■ l '' " And , until then you will not part with [ the letters?" Wrayson said.. .';. |S "Until then," she answered, "I pro- ; mise." ■'■ ■ * - The cab drove off. Sydney.Barnes turned upon Wrayson ,\ whits and venomous. : "Where do I come in here?" he demanded fiercely. ; ', _^- ' "I sincerely trust," Wrayson answered I suavely,* " that you - are not coming in; at all. But you, too, can return in three 'days." ■' ■. ;. ;■ /;,,' '.. '■■-'': _, ;;.../■ ; . | CHAPTER XXXVHI. •'.• "At last 1" Wrayson said to himself, al- ! most, under his breath. / "Shall we have I a hansom, Louise, or do you care for a ! walk?".'';' ';■ * " A walk, by all means," she answered, hurriedly. "It is : not = far, ■is • it?" • "A mile; little more perhaps," ho I answered.' "You are sure that you are I not tired?" ' i '■.;■" Tired only of sitting still," she answeri ed. .We had a delightful crossing. This way, isn't it?" ■ They leit the Grosvenor Hotel, where : Louise, with Madame de Melbain, bad arrived about an hour ago, and . turned v towards Battersea-. Louise commenced to talk nervously, -and; with 'a very • obvious desire to keep tho conversation to indifferent 'subjects. Wrayson .humoured her for some time. They spoke of the journey, suddenly determined upon by Madame de Melbain, on receipt of his telegram, of the beauty >of Etarpos, of the wonderful reappearance of her brother. ■ ' I can scarcely realise, even now," she said' "that he is really alive. He Mso /altered. He seems a different person al- | together." . ■ ".■'-' :.;.' i "He has gone through a good deal," ; Wrayson remarked. r ' She sighed.' " ■..'/■//^ "Poor Duncan!" she murmured. *.' He is very much to be pitied," Wrayson said, seriously. "I, at any rate, can feel for; him." ' :;":../;.'''■■'./ ".- ; /- j ■ ! He turned towards her as he spoke, and | his words were / charged ' with /meaning. ! She' began quickly to speak' of something else, but he interrupted her. • i " Louise," he said, "is London so far j from Etarpes?" ." What do you mean," she asked. "I think that you know very well, "'■ he ! answered. "I am sure that- you do. At /Eterpes, you were content to accept what, | believe me, is quite inevitable. Here— well, i 'you have been doing all you can to avoid * me, haven't you?" ' .... "Perhaps," the admitted. ' "Etarpes was ,an interlude. ■,;;! told you $61 You ought 1 to have understood that."-

They entered the park, ami Wrayson I was silent for a few minutes. He led the way towards an empty seat. "Let us sit.down,'' he said, "and talk, this out." -'. ■ ■■ ■ ■ ■"■- M . She hesitated. * - "I think—" she began, but "he interrupted her 'ruthlessly. » j "If you prefer it, I will come to the baroness' with you," he declared. She shrugged her shoulders and sat ! down. ■ /'':' " Very well," she said, " but I warn you that ' I am iin a. ; bad < temper. J am hot and ..tired and dusty. We shall probably quarrel.'' " "'-'■, He looked at her critically. She was ; a little' pale, perhaps,; but there was hothr ' ing else to. indicate that she had just arS rived from a journey. Her dress, of dull black glace silk, was cool and spotless, i her hat and veil were immaculate. Always : she had the air of having just come from the hands of an experienced maid. From [the /tips of her patent shoes, to; the fall of ! her veil she was orderly and correct. | .' "It takes two," he said, "to quair-jl; ■-IT"shall not quarrel with you. All that I ; ask from > you is a realisation of the 'act [that we are engaged to; be married." I She.-withdrew the hand r which he'' -1 I calmly possessed himself of. ' ' [;•'." are nothing of the . sort," she ,declared. , "■ ■ ■ He looked puzzled. .;■/:'" Perhaps," he remarked, "I forgot to mention the matter last time .1' saw you, but I quite thought you would take it for granted. In * case I was forgetful, please I let me impress the. fact upon you now. We are - f going to "V be married, and > very shortly. In fact the ; sooner the better." j . Of her own free, will she laid her" hand I upon his. He fancied that behind her veil the. tears .had gathered in her eyes. | ;'",Dear friend," she 'said softly, "I can--I not marry"you I''l shall never marry- anyone. Will you please believe that? It will make it so much, easier for me." -• (To be continued dtuly.) ATTRACTrfcE NEW STORY. I s On Saturday next we commence publication of * a charming: new story, "Neither Storehouse nor Barn," by Allen Eaine. This story will, be published in > instalments in the columns of the; New Zealand Herald every Wednesday and Saturday till its conclusion.