OUTLAW AND LAWMAKER.

Otago Witness, Issue 2057, 27 July 1893, Page 39

OUTLAW AND LAWMAKER.

By MRS CAMPBELL PRAED, Author of "The Head Station," " The Bond of Wedlock," " The Brother of the Shadow," "Passion and Policy," "Nadine," " An Australian Heroine;" And joint author with Mr Justin M'Carthy of - "The Ladies' Gallery," "The Right Honourable," Ac. Copyright, 1892, by. Tillotson and Bon.

Chapteh XXL At Government House. T was the last night bat one of the Prince's stay, and the Birthnight ball, long after date, had been fixed for that evening. The occasion was to be one of unusual splendour. Mrs Valliant, in her rather shiny black moire and a feathered cap, bad- been persuaded to emerge from her retirement and to chaperon Elsie. Not that there had been any difficulty in persuading her. She had always made it a point .of duty tor attend the " Queen's Birthday " ball. At • the other balls Bbc bad allowed Ina and Elsie to be chaperoned by any obliging neighbour, but upon this occasion she felt that loyalty demanded an effort, and moreover it was her only opportunity of witnessing her pretty daughter's triumph. She was a good deal assisted in the effort by Lord Horace's present of a lace shawl, which, as she said, made her look fit to stand even beside Lady Waveryng in all. her diamonds. To-night she was in a state of feverish excitement almost as great as that of Elsie heraelf, and her delicate face, which had the remains of Elsie's beauty, was flushed like a girl's as she put the last touches to Elsie's hair and dress. Elsie's dress had been a present, too, from Lord Horace. It was white, and floated about her in fleecy clouds, the little satin bodice moulded to her pretty, slight figure, and great bunches of Cloth of Oold and La France roses at her breast and on her shoulders. There was a bouquet of roses, too, on the table, which she had made herself. Oddly enough Frank Hallett had sent her no bouquet this time. Perhaps he thought she would wear Blake's or Trant's ; perhaps he remembered that she had once before discarded his for one that Blake bad sent her. But .Blake had sent her none now, and ' Trant had been called suddenly to Barclin and was hardly expected to be down in time for the ball, and so Elsie had been obliged to go herself to the curator of the public gardens and beg for the roses, which were not as perfect as she would have liked. There were so many more important persons to be provided with flowers. But while she was dressing, a spec'al messenger arrived with a box. Peter, the Kanaka, brought it to Elsie's room. The messenger had said that he must take back an assurance that Miss Valliant had received it, and co Mrs Valliant went to the door. The messenger was a suave gentlemanly person — Lord Astar's servant — and he had come from Government House.

The box contained another bouquet, wired as if it were straight from Covent Garden, and tied with ' pale pink streamers. It was composed entirely of the most exquisite La France and Marecbal Niel roses, and was in a silver holder. At the bottom of tbe' box lay a little packet and a note. When Elsie opened the packet she gave a cry of surprise and delight. The light flashed from a star of pearls and diamonds. It was the temptation of Marguerite, and Elsie, notwithstanding her many Leichardt's Town seasons, ber numerous flirtations, and ber daring unconventionality, was in truth as innocently ignorant of evil intent to herself in the mind of man as was Marguerite when she opened Mephistophelean casket. Elsie's lovers had always been chivalrous. The note was only a few lines : —

If you will honour me by wearing the accompanying little trinket this eveniDg I shall interpret it as a sign that you accept my love, and that I may hope for the fulfilment of my most ardent wish. — Devotedly yours,

Elsie drew a deep long breath. It was almost like a sigh of pain, but it was not pain or dismay or indignation which brought it forth. To ber the note bad but one meaning. It bad never entered her mind that a man

could approach a woman with words of love meaning anything but the one thing— marriage.. Of conrse he wished to marry her. It was very strange — very sudden.. That was all. To-nigbt she must make up her mind whether or not she would accept this brilliant destiny — nay, she must decide now, this very moment, since her destiny depended upon the clasping round her neck of the jewel Lord Astar had sent her. Well, there was nogreat difficulty in deciding. Here was some balm for her poor torn heart and wounded pride. Now, at least, she could prove to Blake that she bad never loved him. She could show him that if he despised her there were others more highly placed than he who thought her worthy of being 1 lifted to a rank* far beyond any that he could offer her. And yet— the stab was agonyshe loved him. She bad never realised it so keenly as now. Mrs Valliant watched ber in breathless interest. She, too, had»eeen the flash of the diamonds, and she bad no doubt of what the note contained. She, too, was in ber way as innocent as her daughter. She knew nothing of the wickedness of the world or the ways of men like Lord Astar. " Elsie," she cried. " Ob, tell me ; what is it ? " "It is from Lord istar," replied Elsie dreamily. "Yes — yes, I know; but show me— how beai.tiful 1 " She held the ornamsnt to tbe : light, and then away from her, and gazed at it in an ecstasy of. pleasure. "It is magnificent—a present for a queen. Oh, Elsie, and it is settled. And you let Minnie Pryde go on with her chatter, and you never told me —me, your mother, and I have been co anxious. Ha proposed to you to-day. I knew it was coming. I saw that it was coming. No one could have watched him yesterday without seemg — he couldn't tear himself away, he couldn't keep bis eyes from you. Was it to-day, Ehie, that be proposed ? " " No, he hasn't proposed to me." "But the letter?" said Mrs Valliant, bewildered. " What does he say 7 It can only mean that." "Yes," said Elsie slowly; "I suppose it means that." She gave the note to her mother, who read it eagerly, and then looked at Elsie with an expression of bewildered joy, mixed with a certain vague terror. Then she read the note again aloud, and her expression became one of confident triumph. "Yes, of course it means that. 'His dearest wish — that you will accept my love.' I tbink it is beautiful, so delicate, such a romantic way of putting things ; and to send this. It's like what one reads in books — oh, Elsie, and he is so rich — Horace was telling me. Of course it's quite natural. Ina married to Horace and the Waveryngs so taken with her. The difference in position ! wouldn't strike him. Oh, what will the Garfits say now, and Mrs Jem Hallett, who didn't think you good enough to be ber sister-in-law ? And now— Lady Astar ! Oh, Elsie, it is so wonderful. I can't believe it." The poor woman ran on In her delight, never for a moment doubting her daughter's good fortune. Elsie said not a word. At last Mrs Valliant exclaimed, "Elsie, how strange you are. Area't you happy? Tell your mother, who is so proud of you." " Yes, lam happy," Elsie said. " And so, mother, you wish me to wear Lord Astar's star?" " Why, v of course. He will understand, as he says, that you accept his love." " Accept bis love," repeated Elsie. " And I have none to give him in return. But that' doesn't matter, mother."

"It will come," said Mrs Valliant. " How can you love him when you have only Been him about five times ? — though it seems to me that it would be hard to help- loving anyone so good-looking and fascinating as Lord Astar. lam not afraid of that."

She fastened the star round Elsie's throat, where it gleamed, as Mrs Valliant. said, like an electric light. They tried it in several positions — in her hair and in the front of her dress, but decided that it looked best upon her neck..

Elsie was strangely silent. All tbe way to Government House she was silent too. It was a long drive, round by the south Hide and across tbe bridge. Minnie Fryde and her father were with them— an arrangement by which Mrs Valliant was spared half the price of the cab. They did not have a jingle this time. That was well enough for a club dance or a private party, but for the Queen's Birthnight ball— and the Prince there— and Lord Astar ! — No. At the last moment Mrs Valliant had done violence to ber economic soul, and had countermanded the jingle, and bad asked tbe Prydes if they would go halves in a closed landau.

" Ob, Elsie,' look ! " cried Miss Pryde, as they drove in at the great gates. The grounds had been turned into fairyland. The avenue of young bunyas was like an avenue of overgrown Christmas treeg— pyramids of coloured lamps. And all the paths were outlined in coloured lamps, and Japanese lanterns were dotted about the trees and festooned the colonades, and over all the full moon shed a ghostly radiance. Within it war even more like fairyland still. Canvas rooms had been thrown out — bowers of palm leaves, poinsettia, fioweiing yucca, and rich calladiums, and all the. rarest tropical plants. In one place a miniature fern tree gully with stuffed birds perched on the huge fronds as if about to take flight. Murmuring casoades, mossy grottoes, and banks of maiden-hair and rock lilies. And further on, a mass of azaleas, and then a camellia tree, and here and there moss-bordered pools with fountains playing and water lilies floating about. Of course Ina and Lord Horace were with the Waveryngs and the inmost circle of the Government House party — Lady Stukeley in the magnificence of crimson velvet, rose point, and diamonds that paled somewhat in glory beside Lady" Waveryng's tiara, that was celebrated, but which were, nevertbeless, finer than anything of the kind which the Lichardtstonians had ever seen. It was really an imposing sight, and Elsie wondered whether a drawing room could be much grander: the great ladies in their jewels, the Prince and his suite, with their decorations, and the uniforms and gold lace and cooked hats and swords that; made tip a background to the central figures. Everybody who had any sort of right to wear a uniform had put it on to-night, even to Minnie Pryde's father, who bad once bad come kind of appointment in a volunteer

corps, and Mr Torbolton, the Premier, who looked very uncomfortable, and nearly tumbled over bis sword. When Elsie bad got over ber entrance greeting, and the little bob to Royalty, to which a course of six days' pageantry had already accustomed her, she found some amusement in watching the Leichardtstonians as they filed past and performed their obeisances. Frank Hallett came presently, and put his name down for some dances, and found Mrs Valliant a seat from which she could see the ,. dancing when it began. He gave a startled look at Elsie's glittering decoration ; the girl flushed crimson in contrast to his sudden paleness — it seemed to her that every eye in the room must be fixed on that star. Cerfcaidy the eyes of Blake were arrested by it, and he, too, turned a shade paler, and his own eyes gave out a flash as he noticed, the ornament and guessed its history. "I congratulate you, Miss Vallianf," he said, very low, in a voice of concentrated fury and bitterness. "Lord Astar has excellent taste in jewellery. 11 Lord Astar ! " Frank Hallett caught the name, and turned to Elsie with a sudden passionate jealousy. "Comeoub with me," he said hoarsely, forgetting Blake's presence —forgetting every thing but a sudden awful fear that seized him — " I want to say something to you." "Not now," answered Elsie, calmly. "Please forgive me, Mr Hallett— l forgot When I let you put your name down for the first waltz that I cannot dance it with you." "You are engaged to me for that waltz," said Blake. She looked at him. His eyes never flinched from her face, but held hers with a compelling power. Elsie realised what a subject of hypnotism must feel in the presence of a master of that gift. She would have given worlds at that moment to have been able to assert her will and contradict Blake. It was impossible; she was spellbound. She began to speak, and the words died on her lips. " You are engaged to me," Biake repeated. " In the meantime may I offer you my arm, till," he added as they turned away, " Lord Astar is at liberty to claim bis property." Still Elsie was spellbound. They walked on a few Bteps. At that moment the music began, and the formal reception ended— the first quadrille — a State business— was being formed. The knot of men behind the Prince broke up ; the Prince was leading off Lady Stukeley. Lord Astar came hurrying to them. He was flushed, and looked excited — there was the light of an evil triumph in his eyes. " I have been watching you and watching for you," he said to Elsie. " That abominable bowing and scraping seemed never endiDg, and of course I was tied. Miss Valliant, I'm tied still, you understand, for this quadrille, and I believe it's Mrs Torbolton— one of the wives of an official dignitary— sounds Mormonish; that speech, doesn't it 7 I'm on duty, you understand. Once this dance is over I'm free till supper time. I claim the first waltz— the dance after the quadrille." Elsie looked at Blake. She stammered — " I think — I believe lam engaged." " No," exclaimed Blake, making a profound and, it seemed to Elsie, an ironic bow, " I resign my claim ; Lord Astar has an evident right." "You are very good," said Lord Astar coolly, and somewhat superciliously, glancing at Blake; "but you needn't take the merit of the sacrifice, though I am much obliged all the same — Miss Valliant was engaged to me." "The next waltz, and," he whispered to Slsie, " don't let too many fellows put their names down. It's to be mme — this even- ! ing. Ob, if you knew how beautiful you look" He hurried off to where Mrs Torbolton was sitting. Poor lady, she would much rather have danced with one of ber husband's colleagues. Blake gave his arm again to Eleie ; he had tnrned aside while Lord Astar had been speaking. "Shall we dance? I will find a place among the lesser fry." He placed her opposite Minnie Pryde and Mr Andersen. Minnie's eyebrows went up in astonishment at the sight of Elsie's star. •' My goodness ! exclaimed, " to think of my not noticing it when you took off your cloak in the dressing room I Who is it?' Not " and she gave a significant flash in Blake's direction. Elsie held herself haughtily erect, and vouchsafed no sign. Miss Pryde was n6t to be rebuked. " It's not his Respectability of Tunimbah. That I'll swear. I always said be bad no chance. Oh, Elsie," and Miss Pryde's voice sank to an awestruck whisper, "it's not, it can't be the Prince ?" "How do you know it isn't paste?' whispered Elsie back, as they parted hands. It was in the contact of the ladies' chain that Miss Pryde had jerked cut her interrogatories. "Tell your grandmother," replied Miss Pryde, with more pertinency than elegance. Lord Astar claimed Elsie directly the darce was over. He had found no difficulty, in depositing Mrs Torboltpn oa a chair, for the good lady was scant of breath, and glad to secure a permanent position till supper time. His dance had not been unprofitable. He had taken advantage of the pauses in the quadrille to lead the conversation to the subject of Elsie. Miss Valliant, he poon discovered, was not a favourite in Leichardt's Town. Mrs Torbolton thought it was really her ..duty to warn tbe young men — he' was quite young, and no doubt he had a mother who would be sorry to see him fall a victim to the most designing flirt in Leichardt's Town. Elsie, it may at once be said, had refused Mrs Torbolton's son, and the young man had gone to the diggings, and had lost his money and taken to evil ways, a second instance of the fatal effect of Elsie's charms. Mrs Torbolton hated Elsie, and perhaps it was not unnatural that she should. " Yes, she was certainly very pretty," Mrs Torbolton grudgingly admitted. But then everybody knew that Elsie painted, and made herself up in a way that was not respectable. And she took presents from gentlemen, and went to lengths that really would astonish Lord Astar if he knew. In proof of it there was the fact that in spite of her undoubted beauty she was not yet married. Mr Frank Hallett was supposed to be in love with her, but Mrs Jem herself had declared 'quite lately that Mr Hallett was evidently doubtful about tying himself to a girl so talked.of— now that

he was likely to take a prominent position id politics, and when it is so important that the wife of a public man should be above suspicion—" Caasar's wife, you know," added Mrs Torbolton— and she bad gone on to a highly-coloured relation of some of poor Elsie's escapades, the Jensen episode among them. Lord Astar was not at all ill-pleased at Mrs Torbolton's confidences, He bad often been just a little uneasy on tbe score of the Horace Gages and the Waveryng conneotionship, but clearly it counted for very little. Lady Horace was a harmless little creature, utterly ignorant of the world, and , not likely to assert claims of any sort. Lord Horace, as everyone knew, was the scapegrace of the family— the half-witted scapegrace, which was a far less dangerous person than the clever black sheep; and but for Lady Waveryng's infatuation for him, and consequently the help that Lord Waveryng gave him, no one would ever trouble their head about Lord Horace's personal or family dignttg — no, that would not matter at all when the Waveryngs left Australia, which would be very shortly. It was unlucky that they should be on the scene just now, but with a little management things could be kept dark. And as for Elsie, the penniless daughter of a defunct scab inspector, and a pretty dressmaker — Lord Astar had informed himself on tbesubjectof Elsie's parentage.and he smiled in amused appreciation of the hereditary instinct which aided her in the concoction of those very tasteful costumes to which she so frankly owned— the girl .who " made up " and who accepted presents from her admirers; the girl of whom the Laichardt's Town matrons fought shy, and of whom tbe Leichardt's Town yourg ladies were jealous ; the girl who was a sort of paxiah among her kind, and who loved dress and luxury and jewels, and who was" devoured with a curiosity about life, about tho world, who wanted to travel, who wanted " experience ; she did not mind what kind of experience " —so poor Elsie had stated, as long as it was experience ; — ah, well, was not thistbe'natural and fitting conclusion ? And he would give ' her experience, and of a not very unpleasant kind. The battle would be even ; the bargain would be'a fair one. After all she deservedher ' fate ; for Lord Astar was quick enough to see that the girl 'was not in love with him, and that it was only the glamour of rank, wealth, and perhaps a glamour of the senses, which had intoxioated her. There was in his manner a certain familiarity, a certain freedom, when h9 came to claim her, which jarred on Elsie, and roused in her tbe first faint feeling of alarm. But this had vanished when he piloted her into ttfe dance, and guided her swiftly, surely, and with a perfection of finish of style and movement which was very delightful to Elsie. She herself was one of Nature's dancers. She loved the exercise, and she danced as few women can who have not made it a profession. When the dance was ever,, he took her out into one of the canvas conservatories.' " I have been all round," he said ; " I know the quiet nooks. Here is one you'd never suspect." He pulled back a corner of the canvas, which was flapping loosely under >an overhanging branoh of palm leaves, and drew her through. They were in a little vine trellis, naked now, and with the moon K shining through the interlacing boughs, of an old Isabella grape vine, and at the end , of the trellis was a small summer bouse, unlighted, except by one Japanese lantern." • He . led the girl, .half shrinking, half wretched, . half glad, to a bench ■in the summer, house, , Then he took ber twp hands and drew' her to him, leaning a little back himself while he looked at her with bold admiring eyes "My own darling. ' You are so beautiful ; and I love you bo. If you knew blow I . watched the door this evening, and how my, heart jumped when I saw the flash of those." he placed a sacrilegious band upon the girl's warm, soft neck. . . She shrank a little from, his touch. " You were glad that I wore them 7 " "Gladl I told you wfbat it meant— my dearest wish 1 Darling, you didn't hesitate 7 You knew what it meant ? " . " I asked my mother, if 1 should wear them," said Elsie, simply. "You asked your mother 1 By Jove I" Lord Astar stroked bis moustache ; and then he laughed and. put bis aim round Elsie's waist, and would have kissed her but she eluded the caress. . < -. •'What a shy little thing we are. , Not one kiss ? " "No— not yet," she said, still shrinking., He bent down and kissed her neck, and then ber arms, and then her gloved hands, and back again to ber dimpled shoulder. She put up h6r bouquet to shield .herself from the rain of kisses.* She had kept her lips — but these scorched and' hurt her. "No,let*u3talk." " Kissing is better than talking, when one has such' a delicious soft thing as you to ,- kiss/ Haven't plenty of other men found that out and told you so 7 " " I don't know whether they Save found it ou*-. They have not told me so." V Not— really 7 Am I the first 7 " he asked jestingly, inoredulously. "Almost the first. Yes, the first.".. She made a mental reservation — the first man whom she had freely allowed to kiss her, and whom she intended to marry. Blake had kissed her, but that had been a theft — an outrage. "You all say that," be said, laughing. " But tbe ladies of Leichardt' Town tell a different tale." " Ah ! "—she gave a little wounded exclamation — "please don't tell me what they said. I know it was something cruel. Tell •Yl O " _ Jile — "Tell you what?" " Anything that is not too hard for me. Tell me what made you first think of this ? " " If I had a looking glass I'd pub it in front of you and ask you to read the answer • to that question in your own face. I love my love with an E, because she is — hang it, there's not an adjective for Elsie, except elegant, and that does not express you. I love my love because she is tbe loveliest woman I've even seen. Will that do ? " t , " And you will give up everylhing for me —only because I am pretty 7," "Give up everything 1" he repeated. '- " Gain everything, youmean." " It is giving vp — when you don't know a-- . girl, and when it's a girl like me, with no connections—of—or anything to speak of —only a little Australian savage, and when even": — «Wb.enwhat? fl

*•■■«- — — — ■ " When Bhe doesn't even love you as much as she oaght." He turned himself to her and looked into her face with a curious surprise. She was looking out into the nfght, and her expression puzzled and her indifference piqued him intd still wilder admiration. He laughed in a strange way. »• I think I could make you love me— quite ai much as you ought— sf yon will trust yourself to me." Now she turned to him seriously. " Very well," she said, " I will trust myself to you. If I had nob thought that you would make me love you, and if I hadn't wanted to try, I would not have worn this." She touched the diamonds at her neck. He threw his arm around her. She knew that he wanted to kiss her, and something in his eyes made her shrink. She got up hastily. "Not now," she said. " I think I should ilke to go back to the dancing." - " No, no," he pleaded. Bat she was firm. Nor would she let him kiss even her hand. He ought this was coquetry, and told her he bided his time. Chapter XXII. We are Engaged to be Married. The dance that should have been Frank Hallett's was - claimed by the Prince. Of course the royal request was a command, and Elsie danced with the distinguished guest of Leichardt's Land, to the envy and admiration of the' Leichardtstonians. Lord Afitar had written his name down for the dance following, and be came almost immediately and took her away. They went round the room once, and then he said hoarsely in her ear : " You are fooling me and playing with me. You won't listen to what I have to say— and yet you have as good as promised to be mine." Elsie's hour had com 8. She let him lead her into the garden. They went to the little summer house to which he had taken her before. All the Way he poured out words of ardent devotion. Frank Hallett watched her go out with Astar. He watched for her return. It seemed to him as though some horrible fate were leeping him from her. He could hardly prevent himself from going up to her when she was dancing with the Prince, and when she was on Lord Astar's arm. There was something about Elsie to-night which filled him with uneasiness. He was certain that she was very unhappy. He had watched her face while she was talking to Blake, and he told himself tbat it was Blake she loved. Why was she " flirting with Lord Astar 1 What was the meaning of that glittering star 1 He was standing moodily s gainst a background of palms at the entrance to the ballroom,' when he heard ( his own name spoken, and in Elsie's voice — " Frank." He hardly knew the voice, it was so thin and so frightened. He turned. She was standing there alone ; he could not see Lord Astar. She was deadly pale, except for a bright" red spot on each cheek, and her eyes were like flames. " Frank," she said, still with that strange quietude, " will you take me away somewhere— : somewheie where nobody can see me?" ■ " Elsie," he exclaimed, " what^ is the matter 1 Come with me, my dear." 1 will take care 'of you." He gave her his arm. As she clung to it he felt a tremor all through her body. ■ "Not there; 1 ' she cried, fancying he was going to turn into the ballroom. "Take me borne. Oh, Frank, take me home." " Your mother is there," he said ; " she was asking for you a moment ago. I told her you were with Lord Astar. Won't you go to her J" "No, no." She shuddered. "I can't go in there— l can't, I can't." Her composure was deserting her. He threw a hasty glance round. Another dance had begun. To the right was a refreshment room, now empty. He took her in there, and put her on a chair. By this time she was trembling violently. He went to the table and poured out a glass of champagne, all that he could find in the way of stimulant, arid, made her drink it. "I am sorry it is not something Btronger," he said. " Elsie, tell me ; are you ill 1 Has anything happened 1 " '■ ••Yes— yes— l am ill. Take me home, Frank ; now at once. If I stay here I shall faint, ,or go mad. Take me home." " Tell me where your cloak is," he said quietly, "and if you will wait here for a few moments. I will fetch it, and will send for a She felt in the bodice of her dress for a cardboard number. He noticed then for the first time that there was a great scratch upon the white skin, and that the diamond ornament was gone from her nsck. He asked no questions, but went silently to the cloakroom. After a few minutes be came back with her cloak and wrapped it round her. She was cowering in a corner of the room, having moved from the chair in whioh he had put her, and she had her face turned from the dcor, as if she were afraid of being seen. "Come," he said. "I was lucky. My flyman was just outside the entrance, and I got the cab at once." He led her out into the colonade. She had a lace scarf over her head, and she pulled it round her face, still in the same dread of being recognised and spoken to. "Do you want me to tell your mother, or to send any message ? Would you like her to go with you ? If yon would I will take you a little way down the drive and you will be able to wait in the cab while I bring her to you." she said, "I would rather go with you alone. Mamma will think lam with Lord Astar ; she will not mind." Elsie gave a wild little laugh, whioh broke into a sob. " Stay," she said, and taking her programme,, she wrote upon it, "I have gone home with Mr Hallett. Please don't mind about me, bnt stay with Ina. lam tired.— Elsie." She folded the programme and wrote her mother's name upon if, all with the same feverish haste, and pub in into his hands while he helped her into the cab. "Give it to someone to give to her," she said, " and then come back and take me away. I can't bear it any longer. Oh, Frank, make haste and take me away." He went back for a moment to the entrance of the ballroom, bidding the cabman

to drive on and wait a little lower down the drive. He looked round for a trustworthy bearer of Elsie's message. By good fortune Lady Horace was coming out of one of the tea-rooms on the arm of Morres Blake. He went up to her. " Lady Horace, may I speak to you for a moment ? " Blake withdrew a few paces. Ina looked at him anxiously. "Where is Elsie," she asked ; " I cannot find her." "Elsie is with me, Ina; something has happened to upset her — I don't know what, unless that cad, Lord Astar " "Lord Astar I" Ina repeated. "Oh, Frank, mamma said something — nothing is settled. I will not let Elsie be carried away into doing what she will all her life regret. Trust me, Frank. I have been looking for Elsie ever since. You mustn't judge poor mamma hardly. You mustn't be hard on Elsie." Ina spoke in great agitation. She laid her little hand on his arm .beseechingly. He looked at her puzzled. " I don't quite know what you mean," he aaid. «' I judge Elsie hardly 1 You know how I love her. Lady Horace, you may trust her with me. She wants to go home. She doesn't want Mrs Valliant — I asked her. She wants to go home with me. Perhaps she will let me help her. She asked me to send this to Mrs Valliant. Will you explain?" Ina took the folded programme and read what Elsie had written. " Yes, I will explain. I think I understand why Elsie doesn't want mamma — she thinks mamma might be angry. Poor Elsie. Take her home, Frank, and be kind to her." Ina's voice was trembling. Frank wondered why she showed so much emotion, but he did not wait to ask any questions. Ina turned towards Blake, who was standing apart watching them, with a curious expression on his face. " I beg your pardon," Ina said, with quiet dignity; " Mr Hallett wanted to tell me that my sister wasn't very well, and that she does nob want to frighten my mother and take her away. She is only tired, and there's nothing wrong ; and so be is going to take her back to Riverside, and I will explain to my mother. It would be such a pity to interrupt mamma's pleasure, for she is enjoying the sight, and she so seldom gees anywhere, and there is nothing really wrong with Elsie," Ina added conscientiously, " She is only tired." Blake bowed, and she took his arm again, while Hallett made his way out to where the cab was standing. He gave the order to the driver — "Riverside Cottage, Emu Point, , round by the bridge," and got in beside Elsie. He saw that in those few minutes her composure had baen broken down completely. She was crouching in a corner of the cab, add was sobbing hysterically. He took her hand in his, and soothed her as i£ she had been a child. "Elsie, dear — try not to be unhappy, Elsie. Nothing can happen to you now. lam here to take care of you. If I can't be anything else I can be your brother, dear ; and I can take care of you." " You don't know ; you don't know," she sobbed. " I think I can guess," he answered, grimly. " Lord Astar dared to send you that diamond thing that you wore— and he took advantage of your— your ignorance and thoughtlessness in accepting a present of which you probably | didn't know the value. You took it as you might have taken a flower from me, and he inferred from it that you cared for him." " No," she said ; " don't think better of me | than I deserve. He did send it to me. He asked me to wear it as a sign that I would accept his love. I thought he wanted to marry me ; and I would have married him— for his rank and hiß money — though I didn|t love him. I was bad enough for that, Frank. And then" She fell again to shuddering sobs. "Goon, Elsie." Frank's voice was deep with passion. " Tell me everything." " I can't, I can't. How can I tell you of my disgrace! How can I expect that you will ever speak to me or look at me again. If you knew how low I have fallen — what men think of me." Frank gave a low, grim exclamation. " Well, Elsie, tell me as if I were your brother. Try for to-night to think of me as your brother." "It was mamma who saift-I must wear that, and the bouquet ; it came while I was dressing. I had told him at the races that — that he might send me something. I did it — how can I make you understand I Mr Blake was behind me ; he warned me against Lord Astar. He had no right — bis speaking made me mad. I wanted to show him that I did not care." "Ah t " Frank drew in his breath as if with pain, "I understand. It is Blake whom you love." "No, no," Bhe cried with passion. " I hate him ; I never wish to see him again." " Is that true, Elsie ? " " Yep, Frank, I will tell you the truth. I did think I cared for him. We were playing at a game that was deadly for me, and I wouldn't own it. I thought I would make him care. It was a fair challenge. I can't blame him for anything. One of us had to be hurt. It is I who was hurt, but I would not let him know. I hate him now. He exulted over me. He dared to tell me that he had won. And I said no, no. I wanted to show him that it didn't matter to me. It was for that partly. You know I always meant to make a great match if I could. I never hid that from you. It was partly because of Mr Blake, and to get away from every thing.that I wore Lord Astar's diamonds". Mamma thought that he wanted to marry me. We were both of us blind— foolish, oh, how utterly foolish. We didn't think how I must seem to him fair game. And he must have 'laughed. It makes me laugh now>" She burst into hysterical merriment that was terrible to bear. "Don't, Elsie; don't— don't laugh like that, my dear. There is no shame to you, because he was a villain. The unutterable cad. He has darad " "At first I thought he meant that we should run away to be married. He 6aid if I would meet him the next day ; and he would get off going with the Prince, and take me to Sydney; and afterwards to England. And then— when I understood " "What did you dol My God, if I had beard him" " I don't know what I did. I tora the thing off, I think I threw it at him. And be J tried to keep me. And then I came to you ;

I thought at once of you, Frank. I knew that you would take care of me." He took her hand in his, and put his arm round the little trembling form. " I will take care of you with my life. Only give me the right." " The right," she repeated, as if she did not realise what it meant. " Oh, I knew that I could trust you, Frank— there is no one like you." She clung to him, and her shivering ceased. "Frank," she went on in a broken childlike way, "ha didn't kiss me ; I didn't let him kiss me. That's all the comfort I have. No one ever kissed my lips except" and she fell to shivering again. For answer, Frank Hallett bent down very quietly and kissed her forehead. He laid her head against his shoulder, and she I seemed to find comfort in the caress. " Elsie," he said, •' I want you to listen to J me. You know how I love you — no, you never can know quite I love jou. I would have given you up to Blake if ho had wanted to marry you, and you had loved him so that to marry him would have been for your happiness. I have kept away from you these weeks because I didn't want you to feel bound in any way, or to have any remorseful thoughts. I said from the beginning that I would take my chance and wait your time. But I think that the time has come now for me to speak." "It is generous of you," she said, very low ; " now when no one can respect me ; when I bave given the two — when Lord Astar and Mr Blake have a right to despise me." "They have no right," cied Frank. " You are yourself —pure, sweet, womauly, as you have been always; I don't know what ha? passed between yon and Blake. I don't want to know. No man can be so unutterable a scoundrel as to despise a woman for loving him— and you love Blake, my poor Elsie. It breaks my heart to see it, and yet I know it quite well." " And in spite of that you— you want " she said breathlessly. " And in spite of that I want you to marry me— that's what I want, Elsie. I want to have the right to protect you. I want Lord Astar — I want all the world— to know tomorrow that you are my affianced wife. I am not a great match, Elsie, dear, but I am great enough to protect you now. And you mightn't do better," he added, with an odd little laugh. 11 Ob, Frank, you hurt me." " I don't want to do that. And I don't want to take any advantage of you, and of your weakness to-night. If you don't want to bind yourself, let it be understood between us that our engagement is only before the world, and that in reality you are as free as you were yesterday. I shall not vex or worry yon, Elsie. I shall not even ask you to kiss me. Everything shall be as you wish. I understand you, and how you I feel." " No, Frank, you can't do that. And I couldn't sacrifice you just to my pride, for that's what it comes to. If I were to accept you now, to-night, it would be for always, and because I meant to try and make you as good a wife as it is possible for me to be." " Will you have me, then, Elsie 1 " " Frank, you don't want to marry a girl who has just told you that Bhe cares for a man who — who would not marry her and has let her £63 that he despises her." " Yes, Ido want to marry that girl. It is nothing to me what any other man feels about her." " But it should be something to you— what she feels about some other man." There was a short silence. At last Frank spoke. "I am willing to take my chance of yonr being cured of that. I have been watching you. Perhaps you thought I was too dense to see or to understand. But love makes people quiok at forming conclusions. I formed mine about you and Blake. I thought he didn't care for you in the way that a man cares when he means to marry a girl in spite of every obstacle. I can't help feeling about Blake that there is some obstacle— some mystery in his past." "Ahi You feel that, too V " Yes. It may be nothing disgraceful ; I don't know. Why should I think so ? The man is a gentleman. I like him in a kind of way, though he is my rival. Bub when a man loves a woman beyond all things, he goes away or else he does his honest best to win her. He doesn't play at a game of flirtation to amuse himself and gratify his sense of power, and let her run the risk of being hurt in it, as you have been halt, my poor Elsie." <■ " Don't speak of that. I will cure myself. I will not let myself be beaten." " It's because you say that I am safe in taking 'the risk. I know you, Elsie; how good and true and pure you are in the very depths of your nature. You have only besn)playing at lite, and at love. You haven't known^anything of evil, or of the realities of the world. It may be that only in marriage you will learn what love means — and, oh 1 if it might be for me to teach you. You have never cared for anyone in the real sense of the word. Of course I know that you don't eire and never have cared for n c in that way, though I believe that you have a more solid affection for me than you ever had for anyone." " That is true, Frank." " I don't believe that you have ever loved Blake in the real 6ense, either. You were dazzled by him at the beginning. There was a glamour of romance about him, and he has a way of compelling interest and admiration. Ob, I saw it all at Goondi, at the election time, And Ina saw it, too. Ina always said that you were only fascinated, and that it would pass away. Ina has been my best friend all through. If it hadn't been for her I should have given up hope." "Frank, it is Ina you ought to have cared for, not me." Frank winced— he did not answer. There was 'a little silence. Presently he said, " Elsie, lam right. You will get over this girlish fancy. I am not afraid— l will wait." , , ' They bad crossed the bridge and had passed out of the long straggling street of the South Side, as' it was called, and now they were in a quiet road, bordered with gum treep, which gave out an aromatic fragrance into the night. Elsie had grown calm. Frank still kept his arm about her, but he had attempted no closer caress. They drove ' {or some little .way in silence. Toe lights

of Emu Point and of the honses in Riverside paddeck began to show in front of them. "Elsie," Frank said, "will you tell me what you are thinking 1 " 11 1 will tell you when we reach home," she said quietly. "I will give you your answer then. Don't speak to me till we resch home." He obeyed her, and they did not speak another word till the cab drew np in front of the little garden gate of the cottage. There was a light in the drawing room, and Peter, the kanaka, was acting as watch dog in the verandah. Frank helped Elsie to get out, and told the cabman to wait. " I will see you in," he said, in a matter-of-fact way, " and then I shall go back to Government House and bring Mrs Valliant home." Peter, the kanaka, had got up from his blanket, in which he had been sleeping in the verandah, after the fashion of an Australian black. He rubbed hia eyes at sight of Elsie. She bade him wait and watch still for Mrs Valliant, speaking quite composedly, and then turned to Frank. " Will you come in for a minute and hear what I have to say 1 " , He followed her into the little drawing room, which was lighted by one lamp, turned low. She raised the wick and stood by the table, a little tremulous again now; but never, he thought, had he seen her look more beautiful. She had let her cloak drop, and the lace from her head. Her pretty balldress was scarcely crushed, and the roses on her bodice were fresh and overpoweringly sweet. She had thrown away the bouquet. On her face were still traces of tears and humiliation, and her eyes shown very brightly. Oa her neck was the deep angry scratch which the point of the diamond star had made. She put out her two hands to him, and he held them in his and stood looking at her. " Well, Elsie, what is it to be ? " "It is to be as you wish," she said. " Only— only, Frank, don't expect too much from me yet. I will try— l will try hard to forget." " Thank you, dear," he said gently. " That is all I ask. God bless you, Elsie ; you have made me very happy." "Tell them— tell them tonight," she said feverishly. "I want everybody to knovf — tell them at tbe ball— tell mamma. But don't tell her anything else, Frank. Let that be between you and me. Let it never be spoken of again from this night. Only see that Lord Astar knows." "He shall know," said Frank grimly. " And I will tell your mother. She wouldn't hare been sorry six months ago. Perhaps she will be disappointed now. Bat," he added, " Ina will be glad." "Yes, Ina will be" glad," Elsie said thoughtfully. They were standing, he with her hands in his, both with trouble in their eyes. "I must go," he said, rousing himself from the contemplation of her face. " Goodnight, my dear," he added, wist ft lly— " try to sleep happily." Still he did not relinquish her hands. " Frank," she said falteringly,' " it seems a strange way to be engaged." " Yes, we are engaged," he answered, with an effort at brightness. "We are engaged to be married ; and you have made me very happy. If it seems strange— but the strangeness will wear -off in time, Elsie." He let hands go. "Good-night, dear." "Frank," she said appealingly, "Frank, I didn't mean— won't you kiss me, Frank ?" {To be continued.)