LOVE BIRDS ON A BOUGH.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 19133, 26 September 1925, Page 16 (Supplement)

LOVE BIRDS ON A BOUGH.

j|| - BY KATHARINE TYNAN, - - i (Cdpyrigh'i.) If, was tho name by which Cynthia Eldon and Robin Despard were known in their nursery days. They were cousins, and had been brought up together. It was someone who had seen them side by side on a low branch ot a tree, the fair head and the dark head together, chattering to each other in a language none understood bat themselves, who had called them lovebirds on a bough. The name had remained with their intimates as they grew older. ."Where nro the love-birds?" people would ask coming into Nuthatch. Cynthia was the orphan. Perhaps for that reason she had been more pitied and thought of in babyhood than the child of the house, for Margaret Despard, Robin's mother, was a tender-hearted woman, and delicately conscientious lest she should favour her own child more than poor Mildred's motherless babe. Tho only on 6 who favoured Robin was her old Nanna. Robin had heard her say one day to Mrs. Leigh, the housekeeper who had turned into tho nursery to see the birds:

"I'm not sure, but maybe Cynthia will fce a cuckoo to Robin yet. Thero never was a more unselfish child than Robin. I hope they'll never set their hearts on the same man, because my bairnie wouldn't have much of a chance." c'

The saying had conveyed nothing to Robin at seven years old. She remembered "it later and understood better. Nanna had been too partial to her. She had had a stiff disciplinary way with Cynth'ia which Robin had been sad about. She could remember Nanna's taking back the things which Cynthia had coveted and Robin given with . joy,. sho had delighted in living' offerings lipon Cynthia. When' Cynthia was pleased with her, Robin was as happy as could be. : "Cynthia would strip her bare," said Nanna- to Mrs.' Despard when the children Were much older. "I never saw as generous a child as Robin."

"CyQthia is . very, like poor Mildred. M Mrs. Dospard thought again, and remembered a time when sho had fancied herSelf inj love with Lawrence Eldon at the ago of; nineteen, and Mildred had come and styept him off. Sho would not acknowledge to herself even now that Lawrence Eldon had become desirable to Mildred as soon as she discovered her young cousin's fancy for -him. That-would be too : terrible. Poor Mildred! Lawrence Eldon .had not turned out very satisfactory after all, and they were both dead. And she would not have changed her clear, kind, devoted Tom for anyone in the wtjrld.

Nuthatch was the most delightful house Of its' kind possible, with delicious low i rooms? and wide fireplacea, dormer windows and many passages. The bedrooms •were* Charming, with old chintz and old mahogany furnitiire, and you went down two steps into this one, and up two steps into that one, and there was a powdering closet in one room and ancient tiled grates and cupboards everywhere.- The corridora upstairs were long and wide. Altogether, it was the kind of house about which a child's dreams and memories fasten. 'The gardens outside 1 were lovely, l tiled walks and box borders and * lily-pond, and a dial, with a bit of wpodlapd. and a hayfield or two and pasfcarage for Dolly and Daisy, the Jer--Bey!/if»WB, and for the horses when they wfM&put out to. grass. ... ».«• ■■■•< ?&■>, All heart could desire, Margaret Despard had said When she came homo to it a bride, aud it had only grown dearer aiuiU lovelier- with the passage- of tho JPPT. « ! The Despards were quite 'well off withdiut being uncomfortably rich, and they li'ad only their' one Eldon, squandering hift'bwn and his ■wife's money, had left pothing for the child, but Cynthia was never allowed to feel that. She and Robin were treated exactly the 3ame as they grew up. In their thoughts of the future the Despards had provided for Cynthia as for ilobin.

Cynthia grew ap remarkably beautiful. A little head of golden curls; a fair and warm complexion, dark Blue eyas,-a slender, beantifuj 1 figure jand''more thin common tall. BobliiV was. like her namesake, small and brown and bright. She would have' been very pretty avyay from Cynthia, but Cyntnia s beauty had the effect of making her almost plain. Robin dressed always in 'browns and yellows, with perhaps a touch of scarlet. She was like a brown bird with silken Close hair, just like the colour" of a bird's feathers, and with a swift, glancing motion of her little head. She was touch livelier than Cynthia, who sat on a .throne to be adored.

Strangers comirig to the houso often took Cynthia for the daughter of tho house. Mrs. Despard became aware almost unwillingly 4hat Cynthia always came down to, ingratiate herself with Robin out —yes, she Robin out whan she chose, and —she ofteti\ chose. She held the first place. Mrs. D««pard had been vexed with the old Nanni when she had said that Cynthia would yet be the cuckoo in the nost. The Nanna had never cared for Cynthia and she had i; been - jealous for liobin. ii

As the girls grew ;«p the Nanna's speeches often came back to Robin's mother. It was herself; and Mildred over acain. Sometimes she was irritated. with ]*r darling Robin's way of conceding everything to Cynthiaj till she Femembered that she had done the same with Mildred. Something of Mildred's spell must have still constrained her when she had made so much of Cynthia. It might have been better if she had been more of a disciplinarian with Cynthia. Cynthia ■was tending to become like Mildred. It would not bo for her happiness.

Tho two girls came out and were' presented at Court, where Cynthia, in her white silk with her mother's Brussels lace, made the most beautiful debutante of the year. Robin had been insignificant beside her; white was not Robin's colour and she looked overweighted by tho fine clothes. They danced through a London season and came back gratefully to Nuthatch, before July was too old; at least, Robin came back gratefully. The girls had had an invitation to go yachting with tho Serecolds. Mrs. Despard did not care for the Sorccolds, and knew what life oil the yacht, would bo like —dancing and late hours and bridge and raah jong —too hectic a life for her girls,

Cynthia was obviously dissatisfied. Robin whispered to her mother that Guy Serecold was in love with Cynthia and sho with him—hence the dissatisfaction, tho new air of boredom that Cynthia brought to the b -loved place, which at this season of full summer splendour was looking its sweetest. The neighbours w<jre prosy, said Cynthia; they had' missed Good w jiod * and' Cowes; and she should have liked to go yachting and to tho moors th® Serecolds had taken for August and September. "If there was only one man in the •world. Cynthia would have him," said Robin de'iglitediy to her mother. "Guy Serecold is infatuated. It only needed a few days more to settlo it." "Neither your father nor I like the Serecolds," said Mrs. Despard. Having said it., she turned to her littlo daughter. She thought Robin irresistible in her knitted suit of all the browns and golds and scarlets and the brown hat pilled down,: over, eyes that were as iaithfukMmdng S.' There were .times when Margaret DespSrd could have wept over her little daughter, wept and Jaughed in turns.

"Not. much," said Robin. "Only the people I love dreadfully—Daddy and you and Cynthia, and, of course, Chios and Jack and Vixen." "You'd share us all with Cynthia," Mrs. Despard said, "if we'd let you. The dogs don t. care for Cynthia because she doesn't care for thorn, and she can't ride Vixen. Otherwise she would have them." She said to herself, turning away, that it would bo a queer business it' someone or something should come to Robin which she would not wish to share. Robin had been too much Cynthia's satellite. She had stood in her shadow. She had not been averse when Cynthia pushed her out, or she had acquiesced. Cynthia, after all, had her way and joined tho Serecclds in Scotland when they came back from the yachting trip. There was nothing against the Serecoicls except their pursuit of pleasure. For once Robin had let Cynthia go without her, choosing to stay at home where she had a hundred happy occupations. " I couldn't lock the dogs in the face if I went off' again," she said to her mother, " and I adore to he with you and daddy in this dear place." " Do you know, darling,!' she added, unexpectedly. " that I've beer discovering that Cynthia is not, a country girl at all. She adores towns." Yes; that was just like Mildred. Tho mother wondered if Rob in time would discover other things about Cynthia. She said to herself that Cynthia and Guy Serecold would be well matched; both tall and handsome, fond of pleasure, not particularly considerate of other people. There had been stories of Guy Serecold's loving and riding away. Well, Cynthia could take care of herself. She remembered the time when she had loved Cynthia only less well than Robin, when she had adored tho fair, childish beauty. Cynthia had been chilling her off through the years. It would he just as well that sho should marry Guy Serecold and take her shadow from off Robin. Robin was assisting in the making of raspberry jam in the kitchen, and the house was full of the hot, delicious smell when Colonel Dospard called to her through the open window. " Robin, I want to introduce Mr. Selwyn." Robin, who had just filled the last pot, and handed back the copper preserving pan to the cook, was aware of a tall voung man who was looking, at her with amused eyes. She had heard of Mr. Seiwyn before. His coming to live at Bennet Abbas had indeed greatly tho young ladies of the country. He was known to bo young, good-looking, distinguished both as a soldier and a politician, tho heir to an old peerage. They were really near neighbours, and on a voyage of exploration into his neighbour's lands Dick Seiwyn had come upon Colonel Despard, who had invited him to iunch. They saw a good deal of Dick Seiwyn after that. From tho beginning he had seemed taken with Robin. As for Robin, she turned to him as the flower to the sun. They all liked him; he was a charming young man. He bad been at the Embassy in/ Vienna before the war, and he had brought home a few foreign graces. When he kissed Margaret Despard's hand she felt she loved him. All was going so welL As August waned to September and September waxed, the mother was inwaidly thankful that Cynthia was out of the way. Cvnthia was enjoying herself hugely in Scotland. Why didn't Robin wiite? What, was she up to, the monkey ? And so on. From something self-conscious in the ' letters Mrs. Despard guessed that Cynthia had conjectured the lover. She was very glad that Robin did not write. Robin was so unendingly busy and happy, being for the first time in her life without an invincible rival to whom she must be always foil. Somewhere in Margaret Despard's heart was a doubt. If Dick Selwyn's comings and goings at Nuthatch should reach Cynthia she might come home to inspect. He was a better parti than Guy Serecold. She prayed that things might be settled for Robin before Cynthia came home. They were not settled. The two seemed content to wait awhile, though anyone coif.d see how things were tending. So far there had been no love-making. But Dick Selwyn's ways with Robin were the ways of the loving, the amused, happy, contented lover.' As for Robin, well, perhaps she did not know what was in her eyes when she lifted them to his. Mrs. Despard said to herself that Cynthia's domination was in danger. All the same she prayed that Cynthia might not come. She came—unexpectedly—sending a wire at the last moment for the car to meet her. She arrived when Robin and Dick Seiwyn were out with the dogs on a long tramp. They came home to find her by the fire in tho hall. It was October now and there had been the first frost in the night. The logs crackled and sang. Tea waited. The little flames were, reflected in the gilding of the teacups and the polished silver. Cynthia was leaning by the chimneypiece when they came—beautiful in an amethyst velvet" tea-gown with a collar of fur. She was alone The tea-bell had not yet rung. She went forward and kissed Robin, who felt suddenly muddy and unkempt. After a few words, she went upstairs to take off her shoes, which were wet and muddy with, t' melting frost. When I she came down tho stairs she saw Cynthia in a beautiful heap on the white hearth-rug, Dick Seiwyn standing by and gazing down at her golden head and bright, uplifted face. Robin's heart sank like lead. All that afternoon and evening she was cold as a stone. Cynthia had laid hold on Dick Seiwyn, and he seemed quite willing to be taken. Thero was some subtle change in Cynthia. She sparkled and wa3 brilliant, and she had been learning tricks. Robin was sickeningly aware of Cynthia's swift glances and withdrawals. When they dressed for dinner Cynthia had come to Robin's room. "You sly cat!" she said. ."So that, was what you were hiding—putting me off with second-beut. I was very nearly engaged to Guy. Luckily we quarrelled. He was intolerable. There was an infant there who chose to fall in love with me. I oouldn't help it. I snubbed him at last: he had become too forward: he cried, actually cried. You remember little Benoit, Robin ? You should have had him. Ha said he'd blow his brains out if I didn't take him. Amusing, wasn't it? Guy was very impertinent about it." Robin was looking at her in horror. Was this the Cynthia she had adored ? Something broke, as though a bough had snapped and fallen. She escaped from Cynthia's hand.s that would have held her, and came down to dinner, red-eyed. She must have been quicker than she thought, for Dick Seiwyn was already in the drawing room, and alone. Ho came to meet her. " Darling," ho said, " darling! What's the matter ?" She was in his arms for the first time. He was kissing her "My little love!" he said. At dinner lie spoke across the table to Cynthia. " You've, been staying at Ross, T hear," hs said. " You must have met my little cousin, Rupert Benoit. He is coming to stay with mo. He seems very unhappy about something—some woman has played fast and loose with him." Only Robin heard. Cynthia retired early. When Robin went up to bed she peeped into tho room to find her cousin writing Mtpr "Are you all right, Cynthia?" she asked, in a fall ring voice. The old giamour died hard. "I don't like'your young man," said Cynthia, " He's a brute. I'm writing my explanations to Guv. He'll believe thorn. I've always known your mother didn't like mo. I am going to clear out, and leave the field to you. They'll welcome me back at Ross. Good-night. Think of your young man, and forget me." T'.« v. nr ) iMVn down. The love-