THERE IS END TO ALL THINGS.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXI, Issue 4307, 16 March 1901, Page 3 (Supplement)

THERE IS END TO ALL THINGS.

(f’y I l '. (!. I'hiiips.) Wiifii they parled; he had fallen at Jut feet and kissed the hem of lii’!' dress. How ridiculous a demonstration it. appeared to Jiim lu-day, and .yet ho dreaded to meet her again. Slio had treated him atrociously, ho had considered at the lime. Englished, she liad amused herself with him, and t’non given him his “conge/’ Sim was a married wo.iKvii and he had linen a hoy. lie recalled every incident of the fareite!!. A .youthful passion it may 1 1 :. v’i• heen, lad—hi l eiiidd not (Impute it. even now- it was a. passion that hit its marl;. There had he-m a. conservatory opening net of the room she occupied. It wv> in 1 h<* < lliut Ik* had made 1 1 j 111 - elf the most absurd—there, and lor a innnient at Ihe piano, at which she had seated lao a>ii indifferently. and where he had knelt in her like it lover in the London .Journals. She. had strolled along -nilliug at the llnwers. saying ernel tilings to him in her new and careless ’voice, and he had followed her wi’-tiiillv like n whipped ‘dog, [dividing to he re-admit ted to favour. A spray ef fern that she ha.d piekid and dropped had heen captured hy liim [inssionately - ; lie* has! touched it in their last moments together. She shrugged her shoulders wild a sneer, and Ids eyes filled at her cruelty. ‘V/iri.l <in yon f oppose there was in a hov like vou to hold a woman like mo?” she had asked. It was tlie harshest thing she could have said, and he remembered that at that he had broken down altogether. Good heavens, how preposterous lie had boon - how wrongly he had done to worry, always being pnl In-tie and reproachful! “Si la .iemie-se savait, si la vieilesse pouvair 1 Imvever, it was over. Ho hud not “found halm for his wound in six mouths” ns si.e had prophesied, hot in nine years he had married, and forgotten her existence entirely, until it was recalled to him hv the sight of her name in the Visitors’ List. Now the recollections rushed hack at him, and, while he laughed at his former self as a fool, he was conscious of a si rango tremor at the prospect of seeing Iter O’lcc more. Ho loved his wife sincerely. Twelve months ago he could have contemplated meeting .Mrs Jernyngimm without misgiving. lint lie had heen married twelve months. The time had not lessened his love, lint it had naturally dispelled the romance. After ail, to ho “in love’’ with a, woman is a greater safeguard against others than to “love her.” He was hound to aekiiowkdge to himself that lie vvis frightened at the thought of seeing Mrs Jenmiglnun again. .Mo hud, as a matter of fact, avoided I he. Casino- since he knew she was in Dieppe.

Ho put down his paper, and looked across at Nellie, reading a Tauchnitz novel. How pretty alio was, and how trustful! What would she say, could she divine his present mood? Sinless as it was, it would cut her to the heart. Hah, ho was a fool—wliy should that woman ina-ko him afraid to venture out of doors! He was not fond of her still—of eourso lie was not! The Tnnchnitz novel dropped to Mrs Maxwell’s lap. "What aro yon thinking about, darling ?” she asked. ■‘[ was thinking how charming you look in that frock, my dear/’ lie answered. Ho preserved the habit of making graceful speeches to his wife. Cynical bachelor friends said he forgot who she was —that it was the force of habit. She shook her head doubtfully. "There was a nasty black wrinkle between your eyebrows. Jack, and you were tugging your moustache, as you always do when you’re ‘put out.’ I do look charming in this frock, I admit it - hul you weren’t thinking so.” He obeyed a sudden impulse. "Nellie, eomo here. Do you remember, soon after wo wore married, you ashed me a (|iiestiouP You asked mo if I ever cared deeply for another girl than yourself.” "I remember,” said Nellie. ‘‘Yes?” ‘T told you what an infernal idiot I had once 'made myself over a, married woman. I asked you, too', never to use a certain scent because it reminded mo of her. You know all that?” "I know, I know, go on !” "Weil, she’s here, that’s all, and—confound if —I’m rather sorry.” "Uli!” said Nellie. And then there was a pause between them. She was the one to break it.

“ft—it's quite all over, .Tael;? She couldn’t, she daren’t, attempt to— — ? You're married —you would\ simply have to how aml pass on. Besides, by your own account she was —well, she didn't can; For yon any more. Why should you mind seeing ■her?'” "I don’t know,’’ ho muttered irresolutely ; “I’d rather not, that’s all. Anyhow, let’s talk of something else. Wo are leaving Dieppe the end of the week: as a, matter of fact, I daresay I shall never come across her.’’ .Mrs Maxwell, however, was not satisfied. For ouo thing, she wanted to remain longer in Dieppe than they at first proposed'; and for another, she objected on principle to her husband being nervous of a “recontre” with any woman in the wide, wide world.

“Come for a walk",” she said, “and don’t ho such a stupid bo". One would think you were in love with her now, to hear you talk. You mako mo jealous!” And she ‘made a mirthless pretence at a laugh which would have deceived no living soul hut a husband. “Get ready. l.’m going to put on my hat—ami 'f you’re very good, you shall come and walch mo lose all our money in the Casino.”

She had never been more hotvitehing or trucpicLtiflli in tlioir courtship than slio was during that evening. Far more I plainly than the man himself she realised that she had a rival—though 't might ho only a memory—and she put forth all her forces to annihilate her. Beautiful, doubtless? Jack would never ha vo' been captured by a woman who was not good lookin' l -. And a woman of the world also? Jack hated schoolgirls! j “Nevertheless, mused Mrs Maxwell, conten.’plating her rollectiou complacently ’ in cue of the mirrors of the gamingrooms. "1 think I ought to ho capable of holding my own against the lady, I ( really do!” j The wrong horse came in again ; and j again, undeterred hv ill-fortune, she ■ drew a ticket from the howl. 1 As_ she lifted her head she felt her | husband beside her give a galvanic start. . The next instant, following the direction • of his gav.e, she knew Cue woman. j Plain.she meditated, ‘-evidently • fallen off! Now I wonder if she has charms of manner enough to make him lose sight of that or if I dare venture on au heroic course P” ‘-.Mv darling, don’t yon think we’ve played this idiotic game long enough?” ; said Jack, in a strained voice. ‘‘Let us . go into the terrace.” ** s;, ( ],e could not even tsust himself in the same room with her, couldn’t he? It was too had : really, it was luimiliati n lt ■ ■‘You go, dearest,” replied Mrs Max-

well, sweetly. T Know you hate to he here, and f am too much i.-ilatnated to leave off yet, myself. Go and smoke your cji/.a* ni jailer- him! the ;iir, ;jik! come hack to me when you’ve finisned it. 1 shall he perfectly safe, and 1 mean to ‘break the bank.’”

Jack departed obediently, and out. of the tail of her eye his wife _ watched the other woman take note of it. “Xow will she follow him or not J ' she asked herself. "Xoi Just yet, I suppose —it would be 100 marked. Patienr.'rl” It was ten minutes later when .Mrs Jem;, ogham sauntered carelessly i .o.’ii tier place at the table out through chi. (/■lass door, and Airs .Maxwell clasped i-er hands in her lap with sudden nervousness. After all it was an Jieroic course. Had she been rash and foolhardy I There was moonlight outside, ami the lapping (l f waves. Fatal adjuncts to such a matter! In the moonlight, too, the creature's appearance would he softened and relined. She had made' a mistake, perhaps—she had placed him in a temptation she would have avoided. Should she join him —rescue him, while there was still time? Xo! She would not, she would stand her chance. Moonlight or no moonlight, she would risk it. Two francs more -and the devil take the hindmost I

They came Face to face —she had planned it. so—and her slight gesture of surprise was perfect. “Mr .Maxwell—you ? Is it possible?” “How do you do, Mrs Jernyngham. I ” lie was going to say ho was pleased to meet her, lint, decided not to. “I did not know you were in Dieppe. Have you heen Wire long?” “I have been here, with my wife, about a month,’’ ho answered. “With your wife? Really!” She gave a faint smile—a smile tie remembered very well. “So yon are married —am I to congratulate you?” “Thank you,” lie said, “you are very kind. Your husband is “

“He’s dead; so don’t inquire about his health. You wore always making blunders of that sort.” She/Jaughed. “I used to correct you in that fashion long ago, didn’t I? You see I haven't changed. Well, well, well, and so you’re married? I told you you’d marry—you didn’t believe me then.”

“An, hut you were right.” “Of course I was right! Shan’t wo sib down? —or won’t your wife lot you? I say. are you henpecked P You used to he the sorb of boy who’ll ho henpecked. Perhaps you’ve improved since those days?”

"Perhaps I have. There are two chains — ” "Thanks. Do you know this is very funny to me, to meet you in the capacity of a married man? Do you remember how yon used to vow that never, never, never- ?” She broke off, and burst into laughter again. ‘‘And shall I own something? After yon were gone—sometimes when I was inclined to bo sentimental—l used to half believe you.” She leant forward, and fixed her eyes on him in just the manner ho used to find so irresistible. Somehow it seemed less distracting now. The eyes had not altered perhaps, but her face was older and that expression looked out of place on it. There was even a sadness to him in beholding the change that time had wrought in her. The woman whose memory had thrilled him so was gone. He had "thought about her so much, and now she did not exist. It was pathetic, and —what was more painful still —this wreck of Nora Jernyngham could not join with him in mourning for her. He wept alone.

"You are not glad to,see me!’!’ she said.

He was not; he was sorry. His very soul was full of regret, of sympathy. But he would not toll her so, and ho listened for ten minutes courteously to her distressing provocations, her disheartening pleasantries. Then ho rose. She would not make a conquest of him again, she knew it perfectly ; no had escaped from her chariot-wheels for all time.

“Then I suppose this is the last time you will bo likely to see me?” she said, shaking hands in good-bye. “I suppose so,” lie answered. But to himself ho said that the last time ho had ever seen her had been nine years ago. Mrs Maxwell looked up inquiringly as' he returned to her- “ Amused yourself, dearest?” she said, innocently.

“I shall bo amused to-morrow,” renlied Maxwell, “when I can laugh at myself! To-night, somehow, I cannot.” And Mrs Maxwell, understanding, was content.