PRISONERS OF THE COUNCIL

New Zealand Times, Volume LII, Issue 12197, 23 July 1925, Page 10

PRISONERS OF THE COUNCIL

PUBLISHED BY SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT.

BY

LEWIS RAMSDEN

Author of “The Word of a Soroerleigh,” “Red Cavalier,” “My Comrade Frank,” “Under a Kingly Mask,” &c., &c [COPYRIGHT. I

SYNOPSIS OF PREVIOUS CHAPTERS. CHAPTERS I. to lll.—The story opens on Clifton Suspension Bridge. • John Travis mediates putting an end to affairs. He is accosted by a.man who fancies he can read some design of the kind in JFravis's attitude. The stranger shows a certain fear of a motor-car and its occupants. He offers John Travis two hundred and fifty pounds, being the half of his ‘ present possessions, if he will render him a service. John Travis. «*eing in immediate need of funds, agrees. They retire to a wood. The stranger gives his name as John Latimer, stating that spies are after himself and me wife. They change apparel, and John i Travis agrees to adopt for' the time being the personality of John Latimer, thus giving the latter an opportunity of getting aw&y unobserved .and joining his wife on board ship. Attired as Latimer. , John Travis makes his way back to the Suspension Bridge. He sees _once more the motor-car, also the motorists. Their : behaviour fills him with suspicion, and he enagges a hansom to drive him back to the hotel. Arrived there, he goes to Latimer's suite, and has a wash and change. The attendant tells him Mrs .betimer has arrived. He goes to the drawing-room, and sees there ft beautiful young girl, who does not appear to know him. She tells him she is Helen, and Travis remembers that Latimer s wife was Marie. Helen inquires for Marie. Travis finds out that she is Latimer's sister-in-law. They dine. Helen tells him that he is not like her sister's description of him. She says she has run away from the convent, and pleads to be allowed to.6tay. He says it is impossible. As Marie does not turn up, sne jumps to the conclusion they have quarrelled. She lets him know 6be is the Countess Helen Fredro. He ieveels to thnt he is not her brother-in-law. CHAPTERS iV. and V.-.lohn Travis tells the Countess Helen that he is personating John Latimer, and tells her what he knows. She gives him some of her earliest recollections, before she was sent to England. After some conversation he decides to take her to a lady friend of his mother's. He orders a tab, and they set out. The driver is muffled up to the eyes. All goes well until-the driver stops, and says there ie a’ slight accident to the harness, and asks his assistance. John Travis alights, and. is captured, bound and carried to a waiting motor. The sar** fate overtakes- the Countess Helen Fredro. They are taken rapidly to Tondon, and are brought +o a standstill 1 efore a tall 'Louse with . a covered-in yard, which f hey enter through a yellow door. CHAPTER Vni.—TWO IN A PRISON. 'When I did fall asleep* it was not to awake until the late morning of the- November day had dawned. A first glance around told me that visitors had been in the room, so that I must have slept soundiy not to have heard them, quiet as their movements may have been. For the remains of supper had been cleared away, and in the corner of the room nearest the door were a couple of large portmanteaux.

Once more intensely annoyed with myself, I jumped to my feet.-It seemed that, tnrough my sleepyheadedness, I had lost an opportunity. Of course it was really pretty certain that those who had entered the room had done so fully prepared to deal with any attempt I might make; but I hated to think I had missed a chance, however unlikely. As I crossed over to the portmanteaux it appeared to me thoy were'' very like those I had opened in the hotel at .Clifton. I found they were life samo, and on the top was a note directed to M. John Latimer, which, as I might suppose it was intended for me, 1 opcfied. I might have guessed, without reading the signature at the end, that *V missive, which was written in Frc;..h. was from Michael, and this was its purport: Monsieur.—Pray accept my assurance that thU is written in friendlyspirit, and outside the instructions 1 have reoeived, though not. I trust, in any way breaking them. My object is to save madame and yourself needless suspense. To-day and to-morrow you will remain undisturbed. Not earliei than the day after will the appointed judges sit. * Meanwhile al!.. that is ; possible will he done for your comfort; but any attempt to communicate with those outside your apartments null be utterly useless. Excuse to 1 account for your absence from the Royal Promenade Hotels Clifton, has been made, and such cportion of your own and madame’s baggage, as may ( be needful has been brought away. ' The letter concluded with ,the conventional flourish of Continental politeness. I stood there, between the door and the portmanteaux, and reread the note. Two more,days alone in this place with Helen, ent off from all chance of communication with the outside world! The prospect dismayed me, and all the more so because there was a traitorous undercurrent of feeling, a thrill of delight which would not be entireilv kept down by those other considerations which ought to have prevailed.

Then I sternly took myself to task. I was a selfish brute to have so much as a thought of pleasure in the prospect of her company. To me the enforced seclusion could bring no harm. Even if. at the end. there was . a chance of personal danger I had been well paid to take the risk. But to the future of this young and innocent girl it might bring disaster. The mischief may have been already wrought. I groaned inwardly at the thought of what would be said against her should' this adventure become known. The least I could now do wqs to take care that, however much appearance might he against her, bv not so much as a word or look of mine should there oe any other cause. From such rumination 1 was aroused by seeing the curtains over the way leading to the sleeping apartment pushed aside, and the object of my thoughts appeared. The young countess was fresh •s a morning rose. Her toilet was incomplete in one detail —her long hair was loose, hanging dark, silky and wavy shout her. It made her appefir like some tall, graceful schoolgirl. Standing where I was in the corner and partly obscured by the two port, manteaux, one on the other, she did not at first see me. I observed her look of dismay, which swiftly turned to one of relief and. it seemed, of pleasure, as she caught sight of me.” “Oh!” she exclaimed. “I am so jjlad you are here. Mr Travis.”

Then, with a dainty flush upon her cheeks, she tossed hack over her shoulders some straying silken strand, and explained.

“I was in an awful fright just now. I heard some sounds, and thought you had been taken away or something, i came as quickly as I could, without stopping to do my hair.”

“I was beginning to fear yon had found the task impossible without the help of a maid.”

“ Oh. dear no!” she laughed. “I have vury often had to do- without one. It -as difficult to keep a maid at the con-

vent. Each one declared it was too quiet and dull.” Sho was now looking with curiosity at the portmanteaux. “It must have been _ those trunks 1 heard them bringing in,” she sank “Yes: I can’t think why the noise did not wake me. I did not know I was so heavy a sleeper.” “There was realty very little noise; I had just woke up a moment or so before, or I thould not have heard it; and it was done very quickly, too. There was a faint scuffling sound, and my first thought (I suppose it was rather silly) was that vou had been taken 1 unawares, perhaps gagged and bound, like you read about in storybooks, you know, and were being dragged off.” “Better for .vou if I had.” I said gloomily. “What do she demand-

“Just read this.” I replied, handing her Michael’s note. I looked at her as she read the letter, and instead of dismay she showed' distinct relief She saw my astonishment, and explained'. “I suppose I am a shocking coward, but the thought of going before these ‘judges’ as Michael calls them, appals me. This oomes quite as a respite—two whole da vs.”

“Two whole days shut up in this prison!” I said. “A prison? Well, I suppose it is, only I didn’t think of it like that. Perhaps that is because I have been used to days together of retirement and seclusion—in the convent, you know. But for you, of course ” “It doesn’t matter about me, I am thinking entirely about you. countess.’’ “Why?” The frank simplicity of the inquiry amazed me, although I ought, I suppose. by this time to have expected it. “Why, because; —don’t you see? To be shut up here with a stranger?” "A stranger?” There was surprise, , and a note of reproach. “A mistake. I beg your pardon. I know yon have honoured me by allowing me to call myself your friend. I should have said: To be shut up here with a friend you have known only so short a time!”

A flush came to her lovely face, but the beautiful eyes still looked at me, with direct and smileless gaze. “Oh! I see what you mean,” she said, and laughed. “You mean it would not be considered proper for me to be. here with you. Well, nobody asked us whether we would come here'or not: -t is not our own doing that wo are shut lip here together; so I don’t see.how anybody can possibly blame us, can they?” I muttered something about that being one way of viewing it,” then changed the conversation. “I believe, Countess, that this trunk contains some portions of your sister’s wardrobe. Whenever you like I will move it into your room.” “Oh, take it in at once, please. 1 do hope Marie has a. pretty frock or two there. She won’t mind my borrowing them/1 know.” In a few minutes I had taken the heavy portmanteau into the sleeping compartment, yand had returned. “If there are many pretty things to look at I shall be a long time, so don’t be impatient, Mr Travis,” she laughed as she went away. She seemed quite delighted with the prospect, and to he thinking nothing about the awkwardness of her position, and her gaiety was in some degree infectious. “All right,” I laughed inreply. “1 am. going to make free of the contents of yonr..brother-in-law’s portmanteau. He gave me permission to do so, and I .shall be glad to get rid of this evening dress which, of itself, at this time of the day, gives me an up-all-night sort, of feeling.” ,As soon as the Countess Helen had again retired I took the trunk intended for me- into the bathroom, had a bath and a shave, and put on a tweed lounge suit. My toilet completed, I felt, if not a new man, at least a very -fit and healthy one,’ with a certain inward sensation which made concern over the difficulties of my position temporarily give place to speculation as to how, when, and in what form breakfast was to be provided.

Then, as I pulled aside the curtain covering the entrance to the sittingroom, a grafeful mingling of odours came to my nostrils, and on the table appeared a - repast—steaming coffee, ham, eggs, rolls, and other good things, again proving that, whatever fate might be in store for the countess and myself, there was no present design to make our captivity a harsh one. But, pleasant as these appetising odours were to my senses, this pleasure was instantly lost in the intense thrill of delight and admiration caused by my sight of the Countess Helen. For she had arrayed herself in a morning gown, some exquisitely dainty affair of the most delicate creamy shade. I had before seen her only in her plain, grey-travelling dress, and I was now again about to remark what one is always inclined "to say when a charming woman appears in something new and becoming—that she looked more beautiful than ever. But that would be wrong. , I should rather say she was like some flawless precious stone' in a fresh setting. And' her limpid eyes, her sweet mouth, were full of lurking laughter. I could tell she had expected my look of surprise, perhaps had, with a natural instinct of feminine coquetry, challenged the admiration also, though when this latter expressed itself so unmistakably in my glance, as I know it must have done, a rosy tint suffused her face, and her eyes fell. A sudden anger came over me that I should have given way to this thrill of intense pleasure in her beauty. Was this the , stern self-control I had told myself I would exercise over every look and every thought? “How‘•did these things come?” 1 asked abruptly, as I indicated the viands-on the table. “Have I been fool enough to miss another opportunity?”

The Countess Helen looked surprised. I think she was, for the moment, even a trifle offended by my tone. “You have missed no opportunity, Mr Travis,” she answered. “That is how our breakfast was sent up.” She pointed to a newly-appeared recess which I had not noticed, in the wall, and not far from the door. A moment’s examination showed me how this recess was made. A thick steel panel had slid hack and revealed a lift arrangement, such as is still used in some restaurants for sending up dishes from the kitchens below, only this one was perfectly fitted and worked with admirable, smoothness and silence, the | panel opening or closing automatically as the, lift ascended or descended. \

(To be continued.)

In the box of the lift was another notice, in Michael’s handwriting, requesting that the dishes and so on should be replaced in the lift when empty; also again warning me . that any attempt to communicate with those below would be useless.

Holding this note in my hand, and with brow still frowning, I turned slowly towards the breakfast table. Then, as my eyes met those of the Countess Helen, she laughed at me outright. “Really, Mr Traviß, I am beginning to think you must be an awfully ungrateful man,” she said. There was no withstanding the magic of her laughter. My frown vanished like a mist before the shining of the summer sun.

IJ>o you mean I am ungrateful to those who have supplied this breakfast? Well, X ” “No; ungrateful to me for waiting for you, although I am so famisliingly hungry. Do come and begin at once, please.” '