Edith.

Otago Witness, Issue 1501, 21 August 1880, Page 24

Edith.

By A. M. M.

■ Chapter XV. Weaving the net of Fate. GAIN it was night, hot, still, I and oppressive. The hilla, i over which during the daytime hung the vapoury white smoke, were red and lurid now, from the many bush firea burning there. The leaves on the trees scarcely fluttered at all, 80 quiet was the night. Edith Halford stood on the verandah, with her back to the garden, and facing the wide open hall-door, the lamplight streaming through which lit up a face flushed with excitement, and eyes in which the bright light of pleasurable surprise dwelt.

Elphinstone had been talking almost entirely to her. He scarcely said anything to anyone else, and Edith was animated, surprised, pleased, that he should pay her so much attention. She liked him very much, but never a thought of love for him crossed her mind. She was pleased that he should pay her so much attention, but did not dream of his being in love with her, or in fact of anything of the kind. Enough for her that her heart was bitter and Bad at the utter loss of Reginald Hearn, and the sudden dashing to the ground of her bright day dreams, and that it was consequently a relief to try not to forget him,— but to interestherself in something and some one else. Perhaps it was not so very hard, to half forget Elphinstone was a man who had seen a great deal of the world, and the ways of the men and women in it, and could if he choose (as who cannot ?), make himself an interesting companion. He had only to exert his powers the least bit, and he soon knew that Edith Halford liked him to talk to her. Reginald Hearn was gone from her life, and bitter and cruel though Fate had beenjn not giving them to each other, what was the use of struggling against that all-power-ful mandate of his which had gone forth when her only and first love had been taken from her ? No, her life was too bitter without him for her to leave unplucked the least flower of comfort she might find growing in her pathway through the cruel world. Is it La Rochefouoauld who says, ' We are never more likely to form a hopeful attachment than when suffering from a hopeless one'? I forget; but one thing I know : even if they sound rather harsh, they are often true words. Before Edith laid her head on her pillow that night she remembered those words, wondering if the issue would justify her applying them to herself. But she was not thinking of them now, only thinking, as we often are, when on the verge of taking a very important step j in our lives, of the present, leaving the past, with its load of black care, to slip into oblivion, almost equally careless of the future as regards the consequences which our own action or decision may involve. Some [one came softly behind Edith, and placed two hands before her eyes, so that she could see nothing around her. ' Take your hands away,' she said, with sudden terror and vehemence. * Not until you guess who it is, Edith,' was Mrs Grey's rejoinder. Edith put both hands up, and grasping the hands of her tormentor as firmly as she could, threw his hands from her face, and, turning round, stood face to face with Frank Grey. 1 1 might have known it was you.' ' Only that you did not know — this time, at least.' ' I knew no one else would think of doing such a thing.' ' That's just where you are mistaken, Edith. I was just in time to prevent Elphinstone acting the part of your elder brother, and as I have always had to be that relative since I got married, I did not believe in having my rights interfered with.' 'Miss Halford knows better than to believe such a slander regarding myself, Don't you, Mias Halford 1 ' said Elphinstone. 'Of course I know that. It is only Mr Grey's way to get out of a scolding, to pretend he did it to prevent some one else.' ' Ah, well, Edith, in future I shall not interfere as your protector. I ought to have known I should get no thanks from either side. It is jusfc the same if a third person tries to interfere between husband and wife.' ♦ Stop your chaff, Grey,' said Elphinstone. ' No chaff at all, I can assure you only a fact which everyone is aware of ' • Well, you ought to be able to speak from experience. When lam married— if 1 ever am— l shall be able to speak more confidently on that head than I am at present able to do.' Edith felt very uncomfortable, lest the first part of Elphinstone'a speeoh should provoke Frank Grey to say something in return whwh. had better be left uniiil,

However, she need not have alarme*' herself. Grey knew the man ihj 'had to deal with, and common courtesy to ms guest also forbade him taking anynotice of what Elphinstone might say. Besides which, he was not the man to rashly find fault or quarrel with another out ; so instead of taking any apparent notice of what had been said, he turned the conversation to impersonal topics-the mischief the bush fires were now doing, ana the worse which might happen unless ral ?Some °oMho squatters round about have had a deal of work lately beating the fire out, and nearly all have lost more or less. There's that Macßain, who was in town yesterday, was telling how he had bad nearly all h« .fencing burnt, and a wonder the fire didnt get to the house, too. Every hand on the place worked night and day when they saw what was. coming, but that woulan t have kept it off but for the wind changing as it did.' ... ' I should not like to live out of town in this time of year; and yet I should like to see one of these fires close,' said Edith, half meditatively. , ' You would not care to see another, answered Elphinstone. 'You would always afterwards think that the greater distance that existed between yourself and the aforesaid bush fire, the better for yourself and your property. «I dare say I might; but it is very Belfish of us to think so.' ' I don't know about that, Edith ' said Grey ' I don't see that we could do any good by being in one, and if we can't, we most certainly are better out £ if ' < When I see the fires at night, I feel so glad I am not in the reach of them, and yet, at the same time, I tell myself that it is selfish and cowardly to feel un ' 1 1 don't think you are very selfish and cowardly, Miss Halford. On the contrary, I believe if the chance were to come, you would be braver and less selfish than most of your sex.' * You are not very flattering to women in general,' laughed Edith, affecting to ignore Elphinstone's flattery of herself. « I only say what I think.' ' Then you think unjußtly. « Prove it.' t Why, you know that in danger women are no more afraid than men.' * I apeak from experience, and am aorry to say I have always found it different, arid that in the least danger, real or imagined, women become flurried, lose their wits, and finally become hysterical.' . , ' Then you have not seen the best women, or, if you had, you would never apeak so-no, nor think so either. 'That's right, Edith,' said Frank Grey. ' Don't let him run down women. Let Mortimer do that.' * But your brother is not here to do it. Besides, we all know he does not mean it, because he always has a good word to Bay for eaoh individual woman, whoever she is, or whatever Bhe has done. It is only woman in a sort of abstract sense that he objects to, never one particular woman.' , . 'Perhaps, Miss Halford, he admires one particular woman, and so then he would not object to her.' ' Da you know what I once read as a definition of metaphysics ? '

•No.' ' „. . . ' One man explaining something he does not understand to another who does not in the least understand what he ia saying.' 'Yes?' ' Don't you see what I mean ? < Hardly.' * You and I will do for those two men.

* Tell me how that is?' 'Why, I tried to explain that Mr Mortimer Grey, although he always has a hard word for womankind, never has one for any woman who is spoken of, and I did not understand what I was talking about, and you--' # 'Would not understand is what you ought to Bay. But I will beg your pardon.' Frank Grey walked slowly away, leaving Elphinstone and Edith to pursue their conversation by themselves, and without a third person present. It was very uninteresting to him to hear such nonsense talked, ho he went in search of his, wife or brother. They were in the garden, sauntering slowly up and down, and now and then talking of something about which they seemed not quite to agree. Mrs Grey had been telling Mortimer that she believed Elphinatone was very much, ' Bmitten ' with Edith Halford, and that she did not like him well enough to let him flirt with her.

Mortimer's only remark, when she had told him her opinion, had surprised, and for the time silenced her. He said : • Elphinstone is in earnest, if ever anyone was.' At length she burst out : * It cannot be that he is in love with her. She is far too good for him.' ' All the more reason in his caring for her. We are not so likely to care much for a thing we can have without any trouble to ourselves, as we are for what is extremely difficult to get.' ' Oh ! then you do not think she is in love with him ? '

' I did not say that, Rosie.' ' But you do not think she is, do you 1 Do tell me, Mortimer, what you really think?'

' I do not think she is in love with him yet. But your sex is so incomprehensibly changeable j she soon may be.'

Again there was silence between them, broken only by the sound of their footsteps on the gravelled walk. 'Mortimer, you will not be vexed at what I am going to say ? ' Mrs Grey spoke in a very quiet, serious tone, and Mortimer was surprised. He wondered what she could have to Bay to vex him in connection with their late subject of conversation, so he answered unhesitatingly : ' I don't think you are very likely to.' ' But promise you will not mind.' * Then I promise.' Still she was silent, and not ready to tell him what was in her thoughts. She did not know how to ask him if he had ever cared for Edith himself, and yet she wished to do bo. It is not very easy for any woman to ask a man — especially a man who is remarkably reticent about his own feelings— whether he is, or ever was, in love with one of her friends, to whom some one else is now paying marked attention. But Rosie Grey was a determined little woman, and when she had a certain end in view, generally somehow or other gained that end. She now determined to make quite certain of how affairs stood before she took a step in the matter in either direction. She was fond of match-making, and neither to help nor retard a match between her friends, and be simply a neutral looker-on, was out of the question. It would have been utterly impossible to her. Mrs Grey stopped in her walk, and, summoning up all her mental courage, said : ,' I hoped that Edith was very dear to you, Mortimer.' He started. The idea had never occurred to him, and he was very much amazed that anyone else should think of such a thing. 'Edith is the daughter of my old friend, and I have never thought of her but as a child. Do not ever think of it again.' Then Frank Grey joined his wife and brother in their slow saunter, which on his approach they ha 4 immediately resumed. Chapter XVI. If only it were Reginald Hearn. When Mortimer Grey said to his sister-in-law, ' Elphinstone is in earnest, if ever anyone was,' he was not far wrong. Elphinstone was in love, not madly or desperately — perhaps not so much in love with Edith as Mortimer himself was with Brenda Olive— nevertheless he did think he loved Edith Halford. He determined to marry her, and whilst talking to her also decided that he had better ask her consent to that proceeding. However, the evening was wearing on ; he had said nothing to her. Perhaps, as the time passed, he began to think it might not be quite so easy to marry her as he had at first thought it would be. Perhaps all the advantages, after all, were not on his side. True, he had a comfortable home to offer her, and very many girls— most, Elphinstone believed — would give up their liberty gladly and willingly for so much as that. Edith was, however, not quite like other girls he had met. Her one aim in life, after all, might not be a husband and an establishment of her own. If it were not, then he did not stand such a good chance as he would otherwise have done. There was a great gap between their ages ; she might object to that. Also, although poor, Edith was well born, bright, intelligent, and pretty — the prettiness of girlhood— which would be sure to make her attractive in whatever society she might be. If she herself were thoroughly aware of her own powers — unless she cared for him as much as he did for her— the chances were that he stood but a poor chance of winning her. Elphinstone did not flatter himself that Edith was really in love with him, and consequently he felt no confidence. He grew less talkative, and Edith, wondering at his silence, laughingly asked him what he was thinking of. He was about to tell her, but the moment was an unpropitious one : Frank and Mortimer were within a few feet *of where he and Edith stood. • He merely said nothing in reply to her question, but rather abruptly proposed that they should go inside, and sit down. ' I would rather stay outside.' ' Let us have a game of cards, ElphinBtone,' said Grey. ' Mortimer can amuse Edith and my wife, and you and I will have a game of euchre.' An angry feeling took possession of Elphinstone for a moment, because he thought Frank wished to take Edith away from him, in order that his brother might have a ohance of talking to her. His anger only lasted a moment, however, for his good sense told him that if Mortimer had cared to, he might have been with Edith all the time, instead of leaving her to himself. So he and Grey lit their pipes, and walked into the house, leaving Edith and Mortimer alone on the verandah. Very soon, however, Mrs Grey appeared. ' Edith,' she said, in the most impressive and serious tone at her command, ' I hope you were not flirting with Mr Elphinstone whilst Mortimer and I were walking about.' 'I don't think I was,' said Edith, drooping her dark-fringed lids over her eyes, whilst an accusing thought came into her head telling her she had been doing nothing more nor less the whole evening. 'He seemed a nice, interesting companion — at least he talked to interest me— and I listened to him. That was all.'

' Yes. You would not have me rude to him, and go away the moment he spoke to me.' 'No, but you should not have let Frank go away. I do not like Mr Elphinstone. ' ' You are prejudiced.' f I am.' ' You are mistaken,' ' I hope so.' 'You ar^.' 'Time will show.' ' I don't see what timeHhaa to do with it.' There was silence for some moments. * Well, Edith, dear, don't let him flirt with you, I don't want you to be a candle to attract the men moths round about. You can be something better than that, and you ought and must be.' The angry colour rushed to Edith's face, as she replied : ' Why didn't you keep him to yourself if you can't trust me. You know I am not a flirt, andjMr Elphinstone is not one either.' ' Then, Edith, for mercy's sake, think of what you are doing. If neither of you are merely amusing yourselves, there will be a bitter end to this. I wouldn't say this to you, dear, if I did not care for you. I have no relations here, except my husband and his brother, so I have always felt more towards you as if I were your elder sister — perhaps even your mother— than as if I were merely an acquaintance, and I do not think I should be doing right if I were not to warn you that there are two endings to this kind of thing : Either you will throw Mm over, or he will throw you over for some one else.' ( I wish you would not talk so dreadfully. You see no harm in Miss Olive flirting with everyone around her.' ' Brenda is far too worldly to come off second best. Besides, Edith, you ought to be better than Brenda has the least idea of being. She has always been taught to think herself the most important being in her little world, and I believe she has profited by her teaching. Edith would not think seriously, however, of what Mrs Grey said. Mortimer, aB soon as he perceived that he was not wanted, had walked off, and as he now returned the conversation was stopped. Edith said she must go home, to which Mrs Grey urged no objections, but merely asked Mortimer to see her safe to her father's house ; then she added : > ' Do not disturb Frank and Mr Elphmstone. They are so busy at their cards that they will forgive and bless you for not going near to disturb them.' Of course this was a fib. She wanted to keep Elphinstone from going home with Edith, without seeming to do so. Mortimer saw through her artificehoped it was true that his brother and his guest were very much interested in the cards— and, without a word against such a proceeding, coolly walked off with Edith, who could not make any objection, as Mrs Grey had intimated that her husband and Elphinstone were too busy to be disturbed on any account. Firßt Mortimer walked rather fast, but as soon as they were out of the garden he slackened his pace to almost a saunter. The air was heavy with the heat ; from the sky every now and then shot the forked summer lightning. They had gone a very little way when Mr Halford met them. He had come out on purpose to bring his daughter home. 'Sorry you should have [the trouble,' he remarked to Mortimer. Meanwhile Mrs Grey, as soon as she had said good-bye to Edith, went into the dining-room, where her husband and Elphinstone were. They had finished playing, and were leaning on the sill of an open window, enjoying a quiet smoke. Her entrance disturbed them, and Elphinstone, taking his pipe out of hia mouth, offered her a chair. As he did so his back was to the window, out of which he and Grey had been looking, and he half faced another on the other side of the room. He was just in time to see Mortimer close the gate behind himself and Edith. ' I had quite forgotten- -I have an engagement, and ' — looking at the clock as he spoke — ' it is past the time. I hope you and Mrs Grey will excuse me. I shall have to hurry.' t ' Put it off to another time,' suggested Rosie. ' I would if I anyhow could, but it is impossible. Say good-night to Miss Halford and your brother for me, Mrs Grey. I have enjoyed my evening most thoroughly. May I come again, and have another game with your husband 1 ' ' We shall be only too happy to see you any time you like to come,' was the answer. ' I'll take care, though, that you have no more quiet chats with Edith Halford,' was the mental reservation. Elphinstone thanked her, and was off. When he was gone, her husband burst out laughing. ' So Elphinstone haa a most important engagement.' ' What a pity he had to go so soon.' 'Do you know why he went ? Because I do. 7 'No. Why?' ' Bacause he saw Mortimer and Edith stealing off.' ' Saw Mortimer and Edith stealing off ? You should have told me what you wanted to do. Worst of you women is that you defeat the best intentions by half measures. If you had told me,' continued Grey, 'what you were about, I would have kept him quiet ; as it is, ho will catch up to them iv two minutes.' i His wife's face was a picture of blank

dismay. She had congratulated herself on her management, and it was of no use. ' I hate the man ! ' was her exclamation. 'Because he saw through it all. I don't] like him mysslf, my dear, but the best way is to let things take their course.' ' No, I won't,' was the emphatic reply. Elphinstone quickly caught up with Mortimer and his companions, and soonafter a little manoeuvring, managed to fall behind in company with Edith, leaving Halford and Mortimer to lead the way. He drew Edith's arm through his, and asked : ' So you were going off without saying a word to me. You might have said good-bye.' ' You were at cards, and Mrs Grey and I thought it best not to disturb you,' said Edith, trying to keep up with her father. Elphinstone prevented her, and walked more slowly than before. ' You need not mind walking with Ine, Miss Halford. You did not mind how slowly you walked with Grey.' ' Papa has always known him,' hastily answered Edith, whilst her heart began to beat violently, half in anger, and half in surprise. • Won't you let me always know you ? ' ' I don't know what you mean.' He caught her hand in his, and, holding it in his own, he bent his head till his face nearly touched hers, and then in low, passionate tones, Elphinstone told Edith how he had loved her from the first moment he had seen herj; asking her then to marry him. For some moments Edith did not speak. Her eyes were fixed on the crimson hills, in the distance. She felt his hot breath on her forehead. She did not —could not — love him as Bhe loved Hearn. But she would never see him again. She liked Elphinstone very, very much, and would care for him more after she was married to him. Besides, her father was so poor, and what right had she to throw away a chance of making a good match ? Even if she could not help her sisters, it would be one less for her father to keep. So Edith gave her consent. Deep down in her heart was the thought— 'lf only it were Reginald Hearn ! ' To be continued— Commenced in No. 1494.)