SHORT STORY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18381, 23 April 1923, Page 10

SHORT STORY.

~ THE FLIRT. ,

BY CATHERINE TYNAN.

'"," ~ ' ., (Copyright.) /y; :.'■:;. ; .r'. It was an: odious name to attach 'to a man, yet it -was -whispered of him by ' angry, mothers in their confidences with their dearest friends. He had a way with young girls, despite his forty years. Perhaps indeed his age, his slightly weary, handsome face but acted to the fascination ho had for those .tender creatures. It was all in his favour that through the mothers might be very angry with him, tho daughters never were. - ', Long ago Charles Anstruther's heart had been broken by a worthless woman who had preferred an old titled husband and a great estate to the handsome romantic boy of absolutely no prospects. At that time no one expected young Anstruther to succeed to his uncle's title and. the property. There were half a dozen good lives between him and them, if they were the lives of children. However, the innocent lives had been swept away, by illness and accident, leaving the cousin who succeeded very lonely for them. ; That treachery of the woman long ago had doubtless broken some spring in hiß life, or he had never been so content to spend it aimlessly, jogging the fashionable round like his fellows, with all the time a weary contempt of its inanity and his own ■worthlesFness. '. . ■.-.' -"-A One of the drawing-roms in which he was accustomed to lounge & good deal was that of Mrs. Mauleverer, a pretty, faded, kittenish woman who despised her excellent, plain husband, and liked to have a man like Anstruther dangling after her. The dangling was only apparent. Mrs. Mauleverer had been a friend of Constance Blythe in the old days, „ the memory of which yet had power to stab Anstruther sharper than a knife. She was her friend of a sort still, and would sometimes drop a word of her doings, the 'word which kept Anstruther in her draw-ing-room day after day. ■ Lady Trgvanian had not, after all, made so excellent a bargain. Her Sir James had proved exacting, and she was afraid of him- He had discovered quite early in their married life that the English climate did not suit him, and the twelve years since they married had been spent abroad in a haughty seclusion and exclusiveness which cut off Lady Trevanian from the admiration which, worthy or unworthy was the breath of her nostrils. ':,--, ■ . ; ',' \ ~-. Recently Sir James had given up his role of • an imaginery sick man for ' real ' illness. 'U%, Mrs. Mauleverer, who did not • pretend to a sensibility she did not possess, openly discussed the chances of Lady Trevanian'a widowhood. Anstruther listened, detesting the vulgarity of it, yet unable to" help \ the avid craving : ' he had to hear more of Constance. ; The tea\camo in/ on* '' afternoon at Queen's Gate, and with ii the children, a boy and two girls. • *, ' • v The little 1 girls amused Anstruther— they . : were so like their ; mother. They came in in; dancing frocks, : since they , usually • entertained afternoon visitors to a display of skirt-dancing. : ■ .This afternoon, however, Anstruther's eyes wandered ; from ;i the airs and graces ] of / Gladys and ;. Gwynneth, who ! were seated on Stools by the fireplace fanning themselves, : and .quite ready for a flirtation, and went on to the fair slender j girl who: had come in with .them. . ; " Will you kindly pour out the tea, ' Miss Neville?" asked Mrs, Mauleverer, in a tone of; distant politeness. •••,' , : . ■ There ,was no suggestion of introducing Anstruther. Indeed, when he went f and took '-the cups from ; . Miss Neville's hind Mrs. Mauleverer's eyebrows went up, Ai ';• though his politeness 'wore, uncalled •,'f<>r.;Y: vb ■"''•,.:-.':',vW: : :^. 'Ivliss Neville kepft her eyas obstinately lowered. She had a small, : pale, pure face, in a setting of golden-brown hair. She was dressed quakerishly ; in grey, - with a bit of lace at the neck and wrists. Anstruther,■', after v he had received the .■ teacups from : her hand three or four times, felt a : curiosity to see her eyes. What were* they like, he wondered. She had very fine delicate black .eyebrows, which , gave \ an i odd air of distinction to her face, and? her clashes also were dark, in curious contrast v with .-;.'■ her bronzecoloured . hair that waved away '■ so prettily \ behind 1 ; her small ears, and lay in little;. rings on her neck. ■■ a. Other visitors dropped in later. , Mrs. Mauleverer i made % another chilly request that Miss' Neville should give them some ; music. It was excellent 'music, but it only made a cover for the chatter of the visitors, which the hostess led. = No one took" any.' notice of the, musician except Anstruther, „ who went and turned " the pages of her music, and: thanked her in a low voice when she had finished play- :' ■ ing. , ;"v'-';:'; : ...: :: : . '/-v.. ', ■■ ■- .Mrs. Mauleverer might shrug .her . shoulders v and lift ■ her ■ eyebrows, there ; were' certain things' Anstruther could not see omitted while he stood by. Yet he had the wisdom to pay Miss Neville no further attentions, though he was full of a boyish, 'chivalric indignation ' at the ': way she: was - ; treated, : quite out of keeping i with ; his , forty: years y and his jaded air. . / There was a new interest for him now .. m Mrs. Maul everer's: drawing room. Yet I he never spoke ;■, to Miss Neville beyond the merest conventional phrases.. Then one day he met her crossing the Park. When he stopped and offered his hand she looked frightened for J a second, but took it. He held it a minute longer than was necessary. She explained confusedly that : the children were out with their mother, and she had taken a message from Mrs Mauleverer to her dressmaker. "Let us sib awhile," he suggested, ** the sunshine is pleasant. How deliciously the hyacinths smell." He was so sympathetic, so kindly, although such a magnificent person, like a prince, the girl thought simply, it was easy for her to say to him what she wanted to say. " I mustn't sit down," she answered, ! M but I am glad I met you. Sir Charles 'Anstruther, it would bo so kind if you wouldn't turn my music or hand -the teacups. I'm afjaid Mrs Mauleverer doesn't like it, andand—the money is very important to us." " Us V' he quered. < "There is, a whole family of us, in a vicarage in* Lincolnshire. Mr father's stipend is two hundred a year, with the house and garden. Mrs. Mauleverer pays me a hundred a year." "I wouldn't take charge of Gladys and Gwynneth, to.say nothing of Harold, for ten times that mtm." Her cheek showed a demire ''.imple wrich delighted him. "I; have grown _ fond of Ola.;/ .. and Gwynneth," she said, "and. ihr lavfi grown fond of me." "Yon are a wonder-worker.'' : Again her cheek showed ,>!,,; / « ui'pl-.' J Then she was serious once r>io;/i.i. • " Mrs Mauleverer does nol like \ m ■ \ But for Gladys and' Gwynnet , I shoul ■; : not be there. ; You must make it eaisir r for me, Sir Charles Anstruther." "I promise you I will," he replies, I with a fervour 'which seemed: out - of ', flace, adding enigmatically, "if you will et me." '•"•';>'•'>/'.•■'".'..''"'■'.'.;'"■ ' ; -- v •".•".- '.; : v:';:-' '_ He had walked' by her; side across the Park. v.i' He ; stopped. at a flower-shop it\ Mightsbridge,; bought a basket of bin i < ;. v of the valley, and when she said goo ! j ' j

morning to him at Queen's Gat* '"■-, hand- j ed it to her. She took it with, a transforming blush, which recurred to him during the day with bewildering persistency. '. -,- x . ■;' Stil he did not give up turning the pages of her music and handing the teacups. A few weeks went by. Then he came in one day on a disturbed family " Mother has sent away our dear Miss Neville," said Gladys and Gwynneth together. " Isn't she horrid V " Hold your tongues, you rude monkeys!" stormed Mrs. Mauleverer. He turned to th e painted little woman with a questioning face. "I didn't like the girl," she said, "so I gave her a month's wages, and packed her off. She had the insolence >to leave the money on her dressing-table." "Where is she gone to?" asked Anstruther. "I don't know the name of the place. Perhaps the children could tell you, if you are particularly interested." "I am," replied Anstruther grimly. " Scrivelsby Vicarage," cried out the two little girls together. "Fenny Flats, Lincolnshire. Do go and tell her to come back." He reached for his hat and gloves, mentally resolving that Gladys and Gwynneth should have the most enormous boxes <5f sweets Fullers could produce when he had time to attend to the matter. "You're not going?" asked Mrs Mauleverer, piteously. "And I had something to tell you. Did yon know that Sir James is gone at last? I have a letter from Constance." His. pulses did not quicken in the slightest degree. All his emotions were for i the moment concentrated about the lonely figure of the girl going home defeated and discredited to the crowded vicarage among the fens. Would they be good to her and comfort her ? . Yes, he thought they would, as he recalled her tender face when she had spoken of them. Nearly two months had pased before he made his appearance again in Mrs Mauleverer's drawing-rom. Telegrams letters, personal inquiries had had no result. Sir Charles was Out of town, had been the answer when she had called to Hill Street. She had altered her way of thinking of him now to a dull resentment. ■;; It was April when he came, and Mrs Mauleverer had . a visitor."' Someone else uttered a little hastily-repressed cry of surprise as he was announced. He was dressed with an austere touch of gaiety that suggested spring, a dove-colouirea tie, light gloves, lilies of the valley in his coat. " Sir Charles!" exclaimed the lady in black, and her voice trembled. He looked at her quietly. Her radiant fairness shone out of the sombre garments like the moon out of a cloud. He had been wont to imagine their meeting, and the thought of it had set his heart beating with great violent thuds. Now his pulses were quiet. He had his talisman. . " How do you do, Lady Trevanian ?" he asked, taking her extended hand. " You never brought back Miss Neville after all. - Wouldn't she come then! But you were a dear to send us those sweets," cried Gladys and Gwynneth in shrill unison. :..; : . '■■ ~;' ■ .-„• Mrs. Mauleverer looked at him critically and with dissatisfaction. ;v " You are.like a bridegroom," she said. " What have you been doing to yourself ?-.",' And where -have you been these ages '''"■' \''' : ' "I have been getting married," he answered, quietly. . ,\ . - The widow unfurled her great fan, and held it partly before her face. "Married!" repeated Mrs. Mauleverer. And then icily, " Allow us to congratulate you. Do I know .the bride?" "Yes, you know her. I had .the felicity to meet, her here. She was— Miss Neville." ■ '■■' He turned from the two women to.the' spoilt little girls who had flung themselves upon him. / ;, - "We do want to -see her," they clamoured. :" And she -wants to see you. We are at Hill Street. Might I carry them off for the afternoon, Mrs Mauleverer ?" To her amazement Mrs. Mauleverer found! herself consenting. No woman could ever refuse Charles Anstruther anything when he spoke in that pleasant Way ; of his.: . , '■-'. ' , ~ -■'~"