THE GIRL WITH THE VIOLET EYES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 16567, 16 June 1917, Page 3 (Supplement)

THE GIRL WITH THE VIOLET EYES.

Ifc BY GUY THORNE, ttrthor of " When It Was Dark," *' Tho tliSlfl? 1 of a Hundred Deaths." eto. •

I m§mo: ■ — (COPYRIGHT.) S - *' Spf'jV •'' CHAPTER Vlll.—(Continued.) l | . Tffl car moved off, and Rupert took out ;/l pjifhppads from his mouth and nose with j jSratifrdcepest and most heartfelt sigh of "S : '-relief he had ever known. Tnen he M ■ jjoted curiously at the half-crown, remempPfbering the Jew's innumerable meannesses Ifp'iirthe' past. Finally, ho put it in his : pjeket with a chuckle. mjMi". I'll have it framed some day when all this is over," he murmured to himself. m As they turned into Oxford Street the reaction came. He leant back in the car, iff®:and for a moment everything.whirled roand him and he felt as if, in another moment, he would lose consciousness altogether. He would have given tlw world, ||§Jila- thought, for a brandy and soda. fjffe At that moment the car stopped, and. ftlTom, the chauffeur, jumped down from IP* his seat and came to the door. ll§pfr«ay, mate," he said, "there's still ten minutes to closing time, and here's Wsinice, handy pub. What do you say to Ma wet!" _ • The chauffeur's happy inspiration' put new life into Rupert, and it was with coneiderably more fervour than the former jjfeuas aware that Rupert pledged the old paying " When the cat's away the mice Ml'will play*" Nor had he the least idea IfifeioV,' even after all that had happened i|l|lh»t night, the old saying was still to ; * prove itself doubly. ■M'' He jrot- into the car again, and it turned down Park Lane. As he passed Sir Jasiffffiper Meredith's great house Rupert pressed gg|his face to (he window. There, within a few yards of him, was the princess of igfliis heart. He called her name aloud, as fplif/she could hear, and a great yearning possessed him. But ho was a man who had the priceless faculty of controlling his iISs thoughts and emotions. There was danliMgeroiis and secret business to be done ere sM&e winter's sun should rise again. He Si bent his thoughts towards it, plotting and planning every detail of his scheme. At ' the gates of Eaole House he said ifiptood-mpht. to the chauffeur &nd pulled the Iplbell. Almost immediately, the watchful Stew stumped out of his lodco with a' ypfjriot and a rattle of keys. . He cave a surly nod in answer to the young man's greeting, and Rupert hurried up.the dri,„ ffMwthe house. He pressed the bell button, llpfand- there was a considerable delay,'until ggfpt'pst he heard the heavy bolts being ungM loosed, and the door swung open. He could not resist a gasp of surprise. : "Instead of the moon-faced Quong, in his pM black suit, a tall girl stood there. She p -was dressed in a long kimono of dull cornel. flower bine and black,, and as the light ill/: jell upon her she seemed like some sybil Pgyir priestess of the ancient world; and the effect was heightened by a -silver girdle in the form of a snake, where two emerllpgfiiMs glittered in the flat head.. was Mona Lipsius, the doctor's g|pffdaaghter! had only seen h*r four or five ! "times once his first meeting upon Rich■jSpwfljd Hill, when her .par had run over |p|lhe little dog, and she had given him half. 11l a-crown. Once or twice he had seen her in the hall, stood still' to lot her pass, and ?'•, bowed. ' She had smiled kindly at him, murmured a word of greeting. , fand murmured you would be surprised,"I thought you would be surprised,a®® Mr. Cook," she said in her low, and pi honey-sweet contraltoa roioe in which pSS3§ there seemed a < lingering caress—"but Qoong has been faken ill, and I have sent ; |||phiin'to bed; and I did not want to keep the ( other servants up. My father has telephoned to me that he will bo.detained London to-night," ' ; . l ll%t? a P ert bowed and murmured some-" firing. Ho was too astonished at this V- ;«iimght' apparition to have full control JflK himself, and his 1 eyes wandered to her $||||p amazement. «/• •Sjm'Certaaily she was wonderful as she * stood there and closed the heavy door. ',; iA. great fire was burning upon the open hearth of the hall She stood 'in the 1111 entre, under the electric light, with a background of stairway, flanked by two . - suits of Japanese armour—a strange exotic setting at • this deep • hour of the night, which made a perfect picture. "The hair, £ as brilliant as ripe corn, shone with- a strange lustrp. Underneath the perfectly black brows the" great hazel' eyes r V. arched black brows the great hazel eyes flickered with light, as when a single moonbeam strikes some ■' still forest pool The crimson mouth, vivid and vibrating, was wreathed in a smile of welcome; her ' teeth gleamed like pearls. .' f • . ' r She was so beautiful, albeit* her beauty had something of the baleful . splendour Sof the forest panther, that Rupert's heart : ; beat . faster, and a sudden tumult of the senses rose within him and could not be denied. . It was as though his aims and purpose, his thoughts and plans, were ; ' suddenly dissolved. They passed away ?:I5 from big mind. The actual moments alone § pulsed i within him, and -he stood like a man who has suddenly passed through tome great door and finds himself in 'a g|||| mysterious fairyland or strange country liP|tpf dreams come true." syggjoaare tired," she said, "and you l&llBmro be hungry. I am alone, and weary /fe of myself. You shall talk to me for a |p? little. I . invite you to a mystic banquet jffe in my hidden kingdom!" fo,' She threw back her head, a Utile, and O Sighed, a low, musical laugh, which v ! seemed to coil round him-like some liv|®|'iiig thing. So Cleopatra herself might stood, with laughter in her eyes, gratifying some imperial whim as she inllp' vited - the captain of her guard to sup with her. The very thought half crossed brain ; but he did not remember that -those who supped with the sorceress ;f-T- Egypt were doomed to die at dawn. i i ' wmm,< CHAPTER IX. A WOHAN SCORNED. Eupert Rolleston followed Mona Lipsius p&Mr*? a man in a dream. The tall, swaying figure in its dull, blue robe, flitted before "™> and he seemed drawn by an enchanted thread. They went up the silent stairs, down a l^^ktig' corridor towards a part of the house ; . v jfcjwrt had not yet seen. He knew it was towards her own apartments she was leadIs?: tog him. At length she stopped, and he It in her hand was a small key. ' Forget everything!" she said, turning U}6 blaze of her strange beauty full upon 'i'i&lf™' " Imagine that for to-night you have keen bidden to a feast in a fairyland ofitew. Come!" The door before her swung open. She j passed into a black darkness for a mo- . ffie nt, there was a gentle clicking sound, . "W then the blackness shook, dissolved, . MSWi melted into innumerable soft radi- | |v| to £ es all green, amber, and old rose. i . Swaying like a drunken man, and, in- , tis senses were drugged by a potion J pSS£. ® ore powerful than most men ever know . ~*poppies and mandragora that filled the J .fans with fantastic sweetness and made j l§i8«, i l i® d music in the heart passed and gasped in wonder. j ft » new where he was by instinct, but , Wat did not lessen the wonder of what i ££ ww. , Sir Jasper had told him that , til "J: Lipsius was one of the best-known , l "®ctors of Japanese antiquities in the 8 orld, and that he had spent an immense ] Prtnne on his hobby. Indeed, it was a c i^®i2 a '" er of common knowledge and was all ] l«2®il eneral public knew about the wealthy [ f ® lc bmond Hill. This, then, was J •Illr^ famoUß ,6 allei 'y to which only privi- t jmged connoisseurs were admitted; but, a W 8U a Snide, at such an hour, it v Wm v a veritable cave of Aladdin. v •Enormous lanterns hung from the roof, r §Ps! 0 w ® e paper, with designs of in- d in» beaut y painted on their glow- • | ? lanfjf r 8 wreath of bats danced a fi I%'sWnn! !f ? easure round a great, orange- $ ( S^ o * 3o ' a blood-red dragon curled t ' U *° n ? ? cylinder of luminous t! SBlfrjZ' • 80 ''?ht came from the ceiling, t( • ffl innumerable concealed electric lights, n HM every object in that hall of marvels I p Ml. b ■ and distinct - I o S^w'llCfl",'f ere P ricel , ess panels of powdered ■ ft v P n n which snakes ' with the' ri pSSm S w l re w J rou ? ht in Raised and ' s ,Pagoda-shaped vases of .ti • «Bd^ni.*»,^ orC t ?' n ; 38 high 33 a ' man ' i d 1 .'with i;?ii kID ? 8 ransom, were hung ftSnpT T k Th e floor was of i „ Sl»^te^W' C( f l 0? red marbles and in ti ' ti l® P la 9 6 was a P°° l of clear as HI 1-r veme - on y upon which ,'d. BK were floating with'; their v m iur iMVe* of green jade, | - ■

There were suits of tortoise-shell armour, strong enough to turn the blow of a sword or the impact of a javelin; suits worn by the Samurai, the ancient feudal lords of Japan. Waxen masks of incredible ferocity stared .down' with eyes that seemed alive—beside them, the criminals of the Chamber of Horrors would have seemed like clumsy toys. From an ebony pedestal, encrusted with precious nacre, thin column of grey smoke rose into the air, scenting all tho place with drowsy, Eastern perfume; and on a sort of altar, draped with marvellous \ embroidery of silver and cherry blossom, was a great ebony Bhuddha, upon a throne of jasper, bordered with great, orient pearls.' The slanting eyes of the idol, and its curious enigmatic smile, seemed to pervade and dominate the hall of treasures.

;. And if the motionless black symbol was indeed the god or demon of the place, then the warm and living figure of the girl was its high priestess, a 3 with burning eyes she drew her fascinated guest towards a table by which huge piles of yellow cushions were heaped to make a couch. The table was a low, squat 'thing of vermilion lacquer, studded with beetles of glittering bronze-green enamel, and upon it was a silver bowl piled high with fruit, and a tall, crystal flask of straw, coloured wine. "Here," she murmured, spreading out her hands, which were like things of carved ivory, "here are figs, with their bruised, purple flesh, melons smelling of musk and yellow as topazes, grapes which seem as if they were carved from hard jade. And thin wine is the wine of em perors and kings-drink of itAit is the hour of enchantment!" She poured, and hardly knowing what ha did, the young man drank. Soft fire seemed to course within his veins. It was as though a mist cleared suddenly before his eyes, and he saw everything with a greater vividness and clearness than he had seen anything in lifo before. * She was kneeling Iby his side, as he halfsat, half-rec!ined upon the cushions. Her cool hands held his own, he could feel the lingering pressure of her fingers upon his wrists. A great coil of hair had become unloosed and fell in a shimmer of gold about her face. She was tipeiking now, low fierce words, which came from her in a rapid, torrent of speech. " You have come here to be mine; the gods have.seinli you! lam alone, eternally alone. My father has great interests—l am necessary to him sometimes—l am not as other girls are. But you have come to mo!" • ! «

Ho stared at her,,-fascinated, • tonguetied, unable to move or think. The passionate, shameless avowal vent on. Of her actual words he apprehended very little, but he knew that a net was coiling and racoUing'arouhd him, that he was powerlesiu. *\ Her face was very close. The beautiful crimson lips were slightly parted. Suddenly, it happened- in an instant of time, she bent swiftly forward. He felt hot lips upon his cheek, white arms seeking to encircle him—and then, - like * sudden trumpet-call; his soul awoke. It was as though an icy wind had blown suddenly through this unreal prison house of shifting light* and perfume. His surroundings soumed to dissolve like smoke. A flood of shume and horror descended on him as his conscience came back, and he leapt to his feet, with a shout, his eyes wide with loathing. All the thousand impulses of manhood came back in a flash. The face of Helena, his solemn vows, {he high and perilous business to which he had consecrated his life*, his horror of the monster on whose track he was.—all these were part of him again. He put out his hand as if to ward her off. : Seeing her foj,the firffc time as she really was, he shuddered . inwardly at a beauty which was evil incarnate. As she stood before him with a sharp, questioning face, he saw the cruelty of her fathers eyes reflected in her own. The perfect mouth seemed to tremble and change until it* was even as the mouth of Dr. Lipaius,. and something brooded over the whoje countenance that was not good .to see. '* '" ' l '-/ 'i'' * .''.•,' ' She gasped' a' little, as if in surprise. All the colour fled from 'her cheeks, leaving them ivory white. She stammered as if in amazement. . \ ■ , "You—you—" one hand clutched her throat for a second, and the tall ' form swayed-a little. Then, swift and sudden came the hideous fury of a woman scorned. The mask was' gone. Like some fairy tale of childhood the enchantress was changed into a monster. What had been woman was now tigress, ruthless, and alert to slay, She realised what had happened in an instant. Rupert had spurned her as if she was an' unclean thing.: • And now the words begad to come hissing from her parted lips, with a horrible noise like escaping steam. She cursed him with hideous words, trembling with hate. • Her eyes Dilated-, her hands clutched the air. .The malignancy of hei tone was horrible. "Ah! you shall bitterly repent this night she cried. "If ever in your life you have had an enemy before, you have one ten thousand times more pitiless, and more determined now! If it cost me life itself, I would humble you and bring you low! Realise this, that you shall pay so dire a penalty that you will wish you had never seen the light of day or had died when a child upon your mother's knee. Nothing can prevent my vengeance. The blow shall fall when you- least expect it. It may be soon— may not be yet, but I tell you that you are doomed! , Rupert raised his hand. The gesture was full of unconscious command. " You do not know what you are saying," he said in a stern voice. "When God's daylight comes again you will regard what has happened to-night as a mad dream—and I shall also. Goodnight!" He turned, and with firm footsteps, passed by the translucent pool of water, traversing the wonderful hall with all its treasures, until at last his hand fell upon the lacquer handle of the door. Once' he turned, and saw the tall blue figure swaying by the low table o£. exotic fruits. The woman's arms were raised, above her head, like some weird prophetess of old.' Then he passed into the silent corridor, with'a great sob of relief. Swiftly Rupert hurried down the passages, turning tnis way and' that until . he ' found himself in a part of the house he- knew. He hastened up the stairs, past the prirate' apartments of Dr. Lipaius, until he reached his own room above, Then, locking the door, he switched on the light md sank exhausted into an armchair, just is the clock upon the mantelshelf beat out ;he hour of three. The fire was out; the room looked cold ind cheerless. He himself was chilled :hrough and through, for he had undergone so much on this eventful night that iven his youthful strength seemed ebbing rom him. Rapidly he reviewed the situation. The ssu» was obscure before—now it was teribly complicated by what had happened, Hitherto, he had been on excellent terms vith everybody in this wicked house. He vas entirely unsuspected; he had not a ingle enemy. Now all that, was changed, le had a relentless foe, whose power was nly second to that of Dr. Lipsius himself, low far the girl was in her father's condence, how much influence she possessed, e did not know; but he guessed it would e great, and he was under no delusions s to her power to do him harm. She ould stick at nothing; to a fine intellect fas added the fury of rejected love. A anther robbed of its cubs was not more angerous. Mechanically he lit a pipe, and after ve minutes' the tobacco had its effect. It wthed his nerves and seemed to null him •/gether again. Out of his thoughts, one iiing emerged clearly—there was no time > bo lost. What he proposed to do must ow be done quickly. It would be imrobable that Mona Lipsius would act at ice. Utterly ignorant of the true reason ir his presence at Eagle House, she would squire time to formulate a: plan.. He light reasonably count upon a day or vo's ffrace, and in that time he must ire everything. . Directly he was satisfied. of this, he ise and began to work. There was no me like the present. The house was ileep. No one .would disturb him. The )ctor would ■• not 'be back till the next orning. ~ 'V "'< «'i.fJ*?Z ''" '-- '{ (To , b«' continued on Saturday next.) '