IN THE NAME OF THE PEOPLE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 14586, 24 January 1911, Page 3

IN THE NAME OF THE PEOPLE.

BY ARTHUR W. MARCHMONT, Author of " When I was Tsar," " The Queen's Advocate," etc., etc. COPYRIGHT. ' CHAPTER VIII. mirai.da's mask. Tire next morning was gloriously fine, and I .was on the Stella in good time to see that all was in readiness. Old Bolton, my skipper, muttered something about the wind shifting and that we should probably have a change in tlie weather, but lor once I didn't- believe him. and just before noon I jumped.' into the launch and went off in high spirits to fetch Miralda and her mother. Then came a decidedly disagreeable surprise. As I stepped on to tlio quay, Inez was waiting for me, her servant standing by with wraps, which clearly indicated she meant to be of our party. With one of her most radiant smiles she gave me her hand and reminded mo that 1 had invited her to see tho yacht. So when I heard Miralda ahd the viscontesse were going to-day, I thought this would be just a chance of chances." "Of course, delighted," I replied very cordially. I couldn't very well tell her she wasn't wanted'; so I buttoned up my chagrin and made tho best of it. " We're going to have a little run out to sea." "You're quite sure I shall not upset your plans?" she asked, knowing quite well that that was precisely what she wag doing. "My dear lady, what plans do you think I have that could be spoilt? There's heaps of room on the Stella for us all." • " I mean with regard to Miralda, Mr. Donnington," she said, dropping her light tone and fixing those queer eyes of hers on me. _ ' " I hope to give both the viscontesse and her daughter a pleasant day's outing. You don't consider that a very deadly plan, I hope." " You may remember my warning?" " I try to make it a rule to remember only the pleasant things which are said to me by beautiful ladies, contesse." "You mean you refuse to be warned?" " Against what?" "Ah, you pretend you do not know," she retorted impatiently. " I don't think you quite grasp the position. I am in Lisbon on business which will detain me some little time. Meanwhile, I am fortunate in having met some old friends and made some new ones, and I am delighted to have an opportunity of welcoming them on my yacht. That is how matters stand. And any warning against doing that, however well meant and by whomsoever given, is really as little needed as if you: or I were to go to the Stella's captain and warn him against hidden reefs out there on tho open sea." " It is against a hidden reef in an apparently open sea that I am warning you." " Well, Captain Bolton is a splendid seaman; and knows his charts, but a man of very few words, and he would— smile." "You may smile if you will; but do you , think I should hava forced myself upon you in this way without reason?" " The man is. fortunate indeed upon whom such pleasure is thus thrust." . " You cover your meaning with a jestbut I am too much in earnest. I wish to be your friend. You must not seek to interfere with Miralda's marriage." " Your pardon, but we are really getting too personal. Let me suggest that we wait to discuss that lady until she is present. Ah, here they are," I exclaimed, catching sight of them. And then I had a little thrust at Inez. " And you are fortunate, too. Lieutenant de Linto is with them." I knew how he must bore her and she did not succeed in disguising her chagrin. She had admitted that she had. come as a sort of watchdog; and the punishment fitted the crime so aptly that I grinned. Nor was that to be her only punishment, as matters turned out. The skipper proved a true weather prophet, and Inez was a desperately bad sailor. She played her watchdog part cleverly; but it was entirely superfluous. All the delightful anticipations I had indulged in were killed by Miralda herself, -whose conduct perplexed mo far more than on the previous night. * Almost from the moment her dainty foot touched the Stella's deck, she acted in a manner . I could not have deemed possible. She was very bright, and laughed and talked as if there were no such thing in the world as care and trouble. She treated me as if I were a mere acquaintance whom she was just pleased to meet again. Nothing more. But it was not that which so pained me. She spoke freely of her visit to Paris, referring now to her mother and again to me in regard to little episodes of the time there, and doing it all without a suggestion of restraint. Then in a hard tone and with jarring half-boastful laughter, she began to jest about her conquests. She named several men, who, as I knew, had admired her; mimicked their ways, ridiculed their attentions, and freely admitted that she had flirted with them, because "one must amuse oneself." If any man had told me that she -was capable of such, conduct I think I should have knocked him down. But I heard it all myself. I could scarcely believe my • own eyes and ears. ' The last belief in the back of my mind was that she could bo the callous, heartless coquette she was showing herself, luring men to her by her beauty only to laugh a,t them for believing in her, and descending to the depths of talking about it to others in a vein of self-glorifi-cation. 1 ;' _ The luncheon gong interrupted but did not check her, and as I sat listening in silence she appealed to me more than once to confirm some little • ridiculous trait of some one or other of the men she had " scalped." Inez saw and rejoiced at my discomfiture, but retribution was at hand for her. When we sat down to luncheon the sea was as smooth as the table-cloth, but when we reached the deck again the weather had changed and a heavy bank of clouds to the south threatened a "capful ,of wind. And even this served to show Miraklfi in a new light. She heard mo tell the skipper to return. "Is it going to be rough? I hope so. I love a rough sea. Don't go back yet." Inez and Vasco protested vigorously. Miralda. looked at them both and shrugged her shoulders, and then turned to me. " I don't see why we should spoil our pleasure for them, do you?" she asked with a laugh that was half a sneer. " I am sorry to cut your pleasure short, but I think we had better return," I replied. " People look so silly when they are ill;" and with an unpleasant laugh she crossed to the side. When the wind came and the Stella began to roll, Inez hurried away, followed directly by Vasco. The viecontesse had been very quiet all the time, and although the motion of the yacht, did not appear to upset her, she said she would rather lie down and asked Miralda to go with W "Don't be unreasonable, mother," was the reply. "I am enjoying every moment of it. You don't want to shut me up in a stuffy cabin. But take my hat with von, and bring me a wrap of some sort, and my cloak." The unfeeling words and the tone in which they were uttered stung me like the knots of a whip lash. I gave my arm to the viscontesse and took her below and installed her comfortably on a sofa in the saloon.

" Miralda loves a rough sea, Mr. Donnington," she said, as. she pointed to the 1 wraps for me to take on deck. " Don't {! stay with me; I am going to take an old woman's privilege and have a nap." ® I took the thing© in silence and re- > turned to Miralda. She stood by the bul- l warks, her eyes intent on the troubled s waters, a stray lock or two of her hair , had been freed by the breeze, and her i; face was radiant with delight. She revelled in the scene. A veritable incarnation r of vigorous youth and bewitching beauty. | She turned as I reached her side. "Isn't it glorious, Mr. Donnington? - I , suppose I may siav on deck? I sha'n t be in the way?" - " The whole yacht is yours to bo where c you will, of course," 1 replied. n " You always say such pleasant tilings, i I remember that knack of yours. Help * me on'with this cloak," she added with a „ coquettish glance. " There, how do I i look?" she asked when she had adjusted 1 the wrap, gracefully, as all her acts were. t " And now you must find me a corner where I shan't bo quite blown away, she commanded. I found her a corner and installed her. " Wo shall want two chairs, of course, and then we can have a long chat like we used to in Paris." _ 1 I had had quite enough of Paris 1 already, if she meant to continue to talk { in her former strain. But I fetched an- ( other chair and sat down. Then she laughed suddenly and almost boisterously. "Do you know I really believe my mother wanted me to go and stop with her? She can be a terrible nuisance. Imagine me pinned up there. Sympathise with me." " The viscontess© told me she hoped t to get to sleep," I replied. "Then wasn't it selfish of her? As if j I was going to miss this beautiful sea , just because she feels bad and has a head- \ ache. Absolutely preposterous, wasn't it?" and she laughed again. ' I looked round at her and made no reply. (To he continued daily.) '