MISS PHIPPS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18762, 16 July 1924, Page 5

MISS PHIPPS.

BX KATHEMNE TYNAN.

(Gspyrieht.) CHAPTER \m-(Contmued.) There were many things Delia wanted to talk about, but somehow she felt she could not in the presence of Miss Phipps. She hoped she was going to be a great deal with Cousin Kit, with whom she was immensely taken. She could not see for the life of her why he should not be quite welL He was so splendid-looking; and now that he had forgotten the shadow which hung over him, she could hardly think of him as ill. To be sure, ho was

very thin, and there was that bagginess of the cheeks; but that she had discovered was common in men who had been through the war. Even Jim Lovell had those hollows in cheeks that ought to have been young and smooth. She wanted to tell Cousin Kit all her adventures, but she felt she could not in. Miss Phipps' presence. She wanted to tell him about Jim Lovell, and how he, with the assistance of the sailors, had icscued her from that horrid place. But she did not want to talk before Miss Phipps. Already she had discovered that Miss Phipps listened with an eager curiosity to all that was said. In the midst of some gay irrespoiisibility she had glanced at Miss Phipps looking down at her plate, and had been aware that she listened. She had an absfurd idea thai the two rather outstanding ears amid the thin hair moved.

On this disco7ery she had become cautaens, which was quite unlike her. She realised that she had come from people and surroundings of whom and which Miss Phipps knBW nothing. She would only misundersiand. Delia had that revelation. She would wait till she and Cousin Kit were albno to tvLk, ter tell him her adventures, to talk over Aunt Lizzie, whom she had loved, who had been so fond of Christopher Talbot She noticed that Miss Phipps ate enormously, rejecting no dish that was offered to her, while she drank nothing but water. She herself drank her glass of champagne and felt livelier for it Christopher Talbot urged a second on he., telling her that good champagne never hurt anybody, but she refused, aware all the time of Mis 3 Phipps' disapproving gaze. "Never mind," he said, laughing. M We shall see what we can do about the nearest thing to Munchener beer to-raorrow. There is something called PQsenear, I believe, not so good as Muncbsner, and not jsa dunkel, but it may serve." Again Miss Plnpps groaned. He had his second glass of champagne. The bottle stood by his hand. As he was about to have his third she intervened, going round the table and laying a hand upon the bottle. . . . "It is poison for you," she said. "You will suffer for this." He looked up at her and suddenly Jais face was weary again. "I always suffer," he said. "I might as well have my compensation beforehand. Why will yon interfere when I am happy?" "You will hava'to take your sleeping draught to-night, 11 * she said, in a voice so low that Delia could scarcely hear what she said, "I won't take It," he answered roughly. "I havs to pay for that respite with infernal reactions and depressions. You know. Yon ought to keep it from me even if I ask for it." "I cannot b< Jar your pain," she muxmured under her breath. "Theee was a woman nursed me in hospital," he said., as though he had forgotten Delia. "She was gentler than you. bhe was one of the ladies of the French Bed Cross, so soft, so pitiful. She felt all our pangs. I used to ory for morphia after they left off giving it to me, cry like a baby.' AH the time I could see her white face full of an infinite compassion. Little by littta she got me off it, bless her! At last it was only sweetened water and I ceased to need it. There were horrible dreams: after the morphia. I prefer to bear what Fve got to bear wide-awake." "Why will you take wine ?" Miss Phipps said. "If you would obey me you need not have steeping draughts." . She went back to her place as though the discussion was finished. The humility had gone from her expression. She looked triumphant. He left the third glass of champagne untouched. With an obvious effort he tried to talk

to Delia as though nothing had happened.

"You must not mind us, Delia," he said. "A mm and his nurse, like a man and his wife, sometimes disagree. H the man is wise and ho is sore of his

nurse or his wife he gives in." s DeHa rushed into conversation. Miss Hupps was talking the savoury from the silver' dish the manservant was holding for her; she was rather flushed. Delia ran over in her mind possible subiectii of conversation to cover the awkwardness and remembered the pair she had travelled with. "I forgot to> tell you, Cousin Kit," she said, ''that I travelled down with some delightful people, a Mr. and Mrs. Le Mesuricr, quite young. They knew you. Thev were very kind to me" "Oh!" Christopher Talbot came back to ordinary things. "Terry Le Mesurier, a very nice boy, and a charming yountj wife. I haven't seen them for a long time. I have been rather a Diogenes, I fear. Now you have come, Delia, we must soe some more company, if Miss Phipps will permit it." He sent a half-resentful glanco towards Miss Phipps, and Delia was reminded oddly of a mutinous child. Miss Phipps said nothing. She .was eating her savoury with the same depressed air. Perhaps she was satisfied with the exhibition of her authority and was too nice to insist. , "We could not expect a young thing like you to put up with our dull ways," he went on. "I have been postponing getting a car. Now I shall see about one. Miss Phipps thinks jogging along behind the old horse better for me. I am sick to death of it." . Evidently the champagne was heartening him and he had forgotten that moment of submission to Miss Phipps. "The excitement oi motoring will not be good for you," said Miss Phipps, in a monotonous voice. "I am .dead sick of stagnation," he said. . Delia happened to be looking at Miss Phipps. To her amazement she saw what she thought was a glance of infinite pity directed upon Christopher Talbot's unconscious face. A mother might have looked so. "*",",. ->~ 'T am sorry it is dull," Miss Phipps said. "If only the pain did not come after such exertions. Yo<tr poor head'" His face quivered, then hardened. "We shall have the Le Mesuriers over here," he said. "You and I, Delia, will go over there when we'get the car. I have friends in the county still. _ It is a long time since I have seen the Pierponts. You would love Marv Pierpont, Delia." "May I go please?", asked Miss Plipps, standing up. ■ . ■ . ' "Must you leave us ?" Christopher Talbot asked formally, going before.her to open the door. . ."•>., She said nothing in response. Delia, from her fresh and glorious youth, looking after the small pinched figure of Miss Phipps. felt suddenly sorry for her. At the door she paused.. •" " You will not stav up too late. Mr. Talbot," she said. "You will not be so well to-morrow if you do. If you want me to-night you will ring for me." , "I shall not be very late," he answered./ and came back to the table. "A devoted creature," he sai<V "but too ready to remind one that one is only a crock, after all." The shadow had fallen again upon his face, and he pushed away the port wino the servant had placed at his elbow.

SOOKDS IK tatK HtGBT. Delia, sitting on ihs side of her bed, in dressing gown and slippers, just abont to retire for the night, heard a tapping at her door, in reply-fco-ber " Come inl" Miss Phipps entered. She was still fnllly dressed, although three hours must have elapsed since she bad left tho dining room. The littlo mother o' pearl clock on the mantelpiece of the sitting room had just struck twelve silvery notes. As Miss Phipps caino in, Argus lying on the white rug by the fire grate lifted his head and growled. "Oh!" said Miss Phipps, "you. h*v« that horrid dog here! Do you think rb sanitary to have him in the room ? J. am sure ho smells. Would you mind turning him out while I stay ?" Argus had got up very deliberately and was standing between Delia and Miss Phipps, pressing himself hard against Delia's dnjss; ho had adopted her with extraordinary quickness. "He does," said Dt-lia, putting down her face on the shaggy head and sniffing. "He smells. Doggy! Yum! Ynm,!*' This ridiculous behaviour seemed to affront Miss Phipps who turned away with the air of dignified long suffering which Delia remembered in a solemn cat upon whom she had played tricks. "How disgusting ? said Miss Phipps. I can't imagine how you like the horrid foolish, creatures." Miss Phipps was not- nearly as humble as she had been when Christopher Talbot was present,. '•"■■-'. Delia took Argus by the. collar, led him into the sitting-room and closed the door before coming back to Miss Phipps. Sho was not sure that she appreciated the intimacy of the visit. She would have said that one only received one's very intimate friends in one's bedroom. "Are you not going to bed V she asked. It.ia very late." "Ah ! I see yon do not want me," said Miss Phipps- "I shall just lie down in my dressing-gown, with my slippers on a chair beside my bed. I expect to be called up to-night." Delia vras alarmed. "You don't'think Mr. Talbot is ill V she asked "Ho hasn't been doing too much!" " He has been doing a great deal too much. If you are going to stay here I must ask you not to excite hiro- Hc.may pay for the excitement, which you thoughtlessly provoke, by days of suffering. That is why I intruded on you at this hour. I thought I had better warn yon. H yon upset Mr. Talbot yon will have to go away." Her voice was very low. It "was characteristic of her that she never raised it.

Argus, the other side of the door, growled audibly. "I can't imarino how you made that beast like you. Miss Phipps went on. "He never would Kke me, I suppose bccanso I did not like him. He used to

sleep on Mr. Talbot's bed—just imagine • I had great difficulty in getting my patient out of that horrid habit. He

would not hear of banishing him at first. It came abont simply enough in the end. The horrid thing could not bear me, and it was quite dangerous for me to approach the bed, so he had fco be banished. I take good care he does not get back again.'*_ "He is very welcome to stay here," said Delia. "And Lossie too when she is done with her poppies. She can sleep on my bed if she likes, though I haven't made the lady's' acquaintance yet." "It is a pity to tarn this pretty room into a kennel," Miss Phipps said, looking round her. She had dropped the unfriendly tone. "Lassie is a nasty little beast. Horrid of her having puppies ! Ifß rather disgusting, don't yon think?" "It never struck me that way," said Delia. - "I suppose I had better go to bad," said Miss Phipps, yawning. "Pm sorry yoa are not my next, door neighbour. We would have been company to each other. I had no idea/Mr. Talbot wished you to have these rooms.'* She looked at Belia from under ber which were quite devoid of lashes.'-, Delia wondered what she was thinking of and felt vaguely uncomfortable. . \. .. ...; "I did not like the Drag«n Edom;'* she said.

"I sleep next door,** said.Miss Phipps. "Hi you were ill you -would only haye to call ma" . you shall see my dear Tim. Such a.beairtaful cat, arid so qtdet '. You • ■will probably not sea. Mr,, Talbot tonor for some days. Another thing I want to speak to you about is— you talk of people coining here. Well, he is not equal to visitors. All that talk about a motor-car is sheer nonsense. He couldn't stand it. He rhusi be kent as quiet as possible. Tm afraid.it will bo very dull for yon. Yon would probably lose your health in this dull'house.'* She stood holding the door half-optn, and Delia was startled by the greenness of her eyes as the reflected light fell on them she had 6een it sometimes in the eyes of animals—a flat opaque greenness. "I shan't mind being" dull," Delia answered. "In fact I don'tknow'what it is to be dull. There "will be'so* much to see and do here. And if I can'thaveVmy friends here I can go to them. And I don't know what illness is ,!'■'■ "Time enough ! Time cuough !**• ,;/; :,.'■■ (To be continued daily.)