Chapter 11. The Nook.

Otago Witness, Issue 2240, 4 February 1897, Page 42

Chapter 11. The Nook.

When, » couple of hours later, we entered Mrs Laing's garden, the first person we encountered was the m&n I hated, Andrew Book, in his ill-fitting drees clothes and broad crumpled shirt front with its great djamond solitaire, lounging in a wicker chair at the river's brink, smoking, and in solitude - enjoying the glorious sunset that, reflocting upon the water, trn reformed it into a stream of rippling gold. The Nook, as Mre Laing's house was called, was a charming ' old place facing the river at a little distance . above Staineß Bridge, long, low, completely covered with ivy and surrounded bj a wide ■weep of lawn that eloped down to the water's edge and a belt of old elms beneath the cool shad* of which I had spent many delightfully lagy afternoons by the side of my well -beloved. "▲hi Deedei," exclaimed Beck gaily, rising as we approached, " I was waiting for somebody to come. The ladies haven't come down yet." " Have you seen them ? " I ttked. " Not yet," b« replied ; then turning to my friend Dadley, he began chaffing him regarding a young and wealthy widow he had rowed np to Windsor in our boat a few days before. - "We saw you, my boy. We saw you 1 " be laughed. " Ton were talking so confidentially as you passed that Ella remarked that you were contemplating stepping into the dead man's shoes." "No, no," Dadley retorted goodhumouredly. "No widows for me. She was merely left under my care for an boor or so, and I bad to do the amiable. It's really too bad of you all to jump to snob rash conclusions." At that instant a soft musioal voice behind me uttered my name, and turning, I met Ella, with a light wrap thrown about her shoulders, coming forward to me with outstretched hand. " Ah 1 Geqffrey, how are you 7 " she oried gaily with joy in her brilliant sparkling eyes. Then, as our hands olasped, she added in an undertone, "I knew you would come} I knew you would forgive." " I have not forgiven," I answered rather ooldly, bending ov«r her slim white hand. " But I hava committed no fault," she said, pouting prettily. " You have given me no satisfactory explanation." " Wait until after dinner. We will come out here together, where we can talk without being overheard," she whispered hurriedly, then left me abruptly to greet Dudley arjd Andrew Beck. There was something nignifioant in the swift inquisitive glance she exDhanged with the last-named man, and turning away I strode across the lawn annoyed. A moment later I met Mrs Laing herself. She was elderly and effusive; tall and of stately bearing. Her hair was perfeotly white, but by no means scanty ; her face was Clever and refined, without that grossnees that too often disfigares a well-preserved woman of 50; and in her dark eyes, undimmed'by time, there was always an expression of calm contentment. Her husband had been a great traveller until his death 10 year* ago, and she, accompanying him on his j urneys in the East, had become a clever Hr guise, an accomplishment which her only daughter, Ella, shared. A« we Blood together chatting and watching the b?ats full of happy youths and maidens gliding past in the brilliant afterglow, I thought that never had I seen Ella looking so handsome as, standing with Dudley, she bad taken up Beck's theme and was congratulating him upon his trip with the lively widow. Hers was an oval face, perfeot in its symmetry, clear-cut and refined, a trifle pale perhaps ; but from her eyes of that darkest bine that sometimes sparkled into the brightness of a ►npphire. sometimes deepened into softest grey like the sky on * summer night, there shone an inner beauty indicative of a purity of soul. The mouth was mobile, ihort and full, with an exquisite finish about the carve of the lips ; the nose short und straight, and the hair of darkest gold — Ihe gold that cannot be produced artificially, but has a slight dash of red in it, ja?t infficient to enrich the brown of the shadows sod give a burnish to the ripples i»< the high lights. Her eyebrows were set rather high ap from the eye itself, and were slightly drooped at the corner nearest the ear, imparting to her face a kind of plaintive, questioning look that was exceedingly becoming to her. Her gown was of soft, dinging silk, of palest heliotrope, that bore the nnmistakable stamp of Parii, while on her slim wrist I noticed she wore the diamond bangle I had given her six months before. As she chatted with Dadley she turned and laughed at me gaily over her shoulder from time to time, and \i ben we entered the house a few minutes la^er it was with satisfaction that I found 'ivtelf placed beside her at table. Dinner was always a pleasant, if slightly stately, meal at Mrs Laing's. She was a brilliant and accomplished hostess, whose entertainments at her house in Pont street were always popular, and who surrounded henelf with interesting and intellectual people. Bohemia was generally well represented at her receptions, for the lions of the season, whether literary, artistic, or musioal, were always to be met there— a fact which induced many of the more exclusive set to honour the merry widow by their pretence. Wearied, however, of the eternal small talk •bout new books, new ploys, new pictures, and the newest fads, I was glad when, after smoking, we were free to rejoin the ladies in the quaint oak-panelled drawing room. The moon had risen, and ere lone I

strolled with Ella through the Frenoh windows and out upon the lawn, eager to talk alone with her. " Well 1 " she said at length, when we were seated in the shadow beneath one of the high rustling elms. "So you wanb an explanation ? What oan I give 1 " " Your letter conveys the suspicion that there ezUts some seoret between Beck and yonrself," I said as calmly as I could. "My letter 1 " she exclaimed in a voice that seemed a little harsh and strained. " What did I say ? I really forget." " It's useless to prevaricate, Ella," I said ratber impatiently. "Yon say that if I knew all I would never utter words of love to you. What do you mean t " "Exactly what I wrote," she answered huskily, in a low voice. "You mean to imply that you are unworthy of the love of an honest man ? " I observed in astonishment. " Yep," she g&rped hoarsely. "I do not — I — I — cannot deceive you, Geoffrey, because I love you." The last sentence she uttered, passionately, with a fierce fire burning in her eyes. " You are jealous of Andrew Beck, a man old enough to be my father. Well, I confess I was foolish to allow him to walk with me here with his arm around my waist ; yet at that moment the indisoretion did not ocour to me." " But he was speaking to you — whispering into your ready ears words of love and tenderness. He spoke in persuasive tones, as if begging you to become his wife," I said angrily, the very thought of the scene I had witnessed filling me with indignation and bitter hatred. " No, you are entirely mistaken, Geoffrey. No word of lova passed between uf," she said quietly, looking into my eyes with unwavering glance. I smiled incredulously. ! " You will perhaps deny that here, Within six yards of this v«ry spot, you stopped and burst forth into tears 1 " I exclaimed with cold cynicism. " I admit that. The words he uttared were of sufficient significance to bring tears to my eyes," she replied vaguely. "Ho must have spoken words of love to you," I argned. " I watohed you both." " I deny that he did, Geoffrey," Bbc cried fiercely, starting up. "To satisfy you, I am even ready to take an oath before my Creator that the subject of our conversation was not love." " What was Beok persuading you to do 1 " I demanded. " No, no," sh« cried, as if the very thought was repulsive to her. "No, do not aek me? I can never tell you — never 1 " " Then there is a secret between you that ! you decline to reveal," I said reproachfully. She laughed a harsh metallic laugh, answering in a tone of feigned flippancy: "Really, Geoffrey, you are absurdly and unreasonably suspicions. I tell you I love no other man but yourself, yet merely because it pleases you to misconstrue what you have witnessed you brand me as base and faithless. It is unjust." " But your letter 1" I cried. " I bad no intention of conveying the idea that any secret existed between Mr Beck and myself. He was, as you well know, an old friend of my father, and has known me ! since a child. Towards me be is always ' friendly and good-natured, but I swear he bat never spoken to me of love." "But you cannot deny, Ella, that a secret — some fact that you are determined to keep from me — exists, and that if not of love, it was of that secret Beck spoke to you so earnestly in the garden here 1 " Her lios moved, but do soiilci escaped them. She shivered. I saw my question had entirely nonplussed her, and I felt instinctively that I had uttered the truth. At that instant, however, a servant crossed the lawn in the moonlight, and, approaching, handed me a telegram, stating that Juokes, my man, had brought it over from Shepperton, fearing that it might be of importance. Hastily I thrust it into my pocket unopened, and when the servant was out of bearing I repeated the plain question I had put to the woman I loved. In the bright moonlight I watched how pale and agitated was her faoe, while involuntarily she shuddered as if the thought that I might ascertain the truth terrified her. " Geoffrey," she said at last, in a low plaintive voice, as, sitting beßide me, her slim fingers suddenly closed convulsively upon mine, " why cannot you trust me when you know I love you so dearly 1 " " Why cannot you toll me the truth instead of evading it ? You say yon are unworthy of my love. Why 1 " " I—lI — I cannot tell you," she cried wildly, breaking into hysterical eobi. "Ah ! Yon do not know how I have suffered, Geoffrey, or you would not speak thus to to me. If you can no longer trust me, then we must, alas 1 ' part. But if we do, I shall think ever of you as one who misjudged me and cast me off merely because of my inability to give you an explanation of one simple incident." " But I love you, Ella," I cried. " Why should we part— why should " " Hulloa, Deedes 1 " interrupted Beck's high-pitched, genial voice. " I've been looking for you everywhere. We're all going for a moonlight row. Gome along." Further conversation was, I saw, out of the question, and a few minutes later we had all embarked, with the exception of Mrs Laing, and were gliding slowly down the stream that glittered in the brilliant moonbeams. Dudley had brought Ella's mandoline from the house, and as our prow cut the rippling waters he played a soft, charmiDg gondolier's song. My love sat beside me in the stern, and her eyes mutely asked forgiveness as ever and anon ihe turned to me. I saw how beautiful she was, how full of delicate grace, and how varying were her moods ; yet she seemed nervous, highly strung, with a strange harshness in her voice that I had never before noticed. She spoke no word to Beck, and I remarked within myself that she avoided him ; while once, when he leant over to grasp her hand, Bhe rhrank shudderingly from its oontaot. An hour later, when, after rowing down to Lalebam, we had returned to the Nook and, at the instigation of the ladies, were enjoying cigars, I accidentally placed my hand in the breast pooket of my dresß ooat and there felt the telegram that I had until that moment entirely forgotten. Opening it,

I was amazed to find it in cipher. The cipher signature was that of the Earl of Warnham, and I saw it had been transmitted over the private wire from Warnham, his seat iv Sussex. Taking a pencil from my pocket I at once prooeeded to transcribe the mysterious array of letters, and when I at l&sb discovered the purport of the mesinge I sat back in my chair, breathless and rigid, while the flimßy paper nearly fell from my nerveless fingers. " Why, Geoffrey 1 " oried Ella, starting up in alarm and rushing towards me, " what's the matter ? You are as pale as death. Have yon had bad news 7 " " Bad news 1 " I answered, trying to laugh and slowly rousing myself. "No bad news at all, exoept that I muafc leave for town at once." " Well, you certainly look as if you've been hard hit over a raoe," Beck exclaimed, laughing. " You can't possibly get a train now till 11.30. It's hardly 10 yet," said my wellbeloved, exchanging a strange, mysterious glance with Dudley. "Then I must go by that," I answered, again re-reading the pink paper and replaoing it in my pooket, endeavouring to preserve an outward calm. Presently, when Ella was again alone with me, her first question was : "What bad news have you received, Geoffrey 7 " " None," I answered, smiling. "It was of a private matter of really no importance at all." " Oh, I thought it must have been something very, very serious, your hand trembled so and you turned so pale." " Did 1 7 " I laughed oheerily: " Well, it's nothing, dearest, nothing at all." Thus reassured, she oontinued to ohat with that bright vivacity that was one of her most engaging characteristics. I have, however, no idea of what she said ; I only answered her mechanically, for I was too full of gloomy apprehensions to heed her gossip, even though I loved her with all my soul. Half an hour later, Dudley, finding that I had to go to town, announced his intention of walking back to Shepperton. •' Tbe night is lovely, and the moon bright as day," he said, as we all shook hands with him in the hall. " I shall enjoy the walk." " Beware of the widows I " shouted Beck, standing at the top of the wide flight of steps. We all laughed heartily. " None about to-night," my friend shouted back good-hnmouredly, and setting out briskly disappeared a moment later down the long winding carriage drive. "It's really too bad to tease Mr Ogle about widows," Ella protested whan we went in. "He enjoys the joke hugely," I said. "Dudley's an excellent fellow. I've never in my life seen him out of temper." " In that case he ought to make a good husband," she replied, laughing, as together we all entered Mrs Laing'B pretty drawing room, with its shaded lamps and cosy corners, where we spent another threequarters of an hour chatting, until, finding we bad just time to catch our train, Beck and I made our adieux. When I shook hands with Ella she whispered an earnest appeal for forgiveness, which, truth to tell, I feigned not to hear. Then we parted. With Beck at my side I walked sharply down the drive, rendered dark by tbe thick oanopy of tress overhead, and bad almost gained the gate leading to the high road when suddenly, catching my foot against some unseen object in the pathway, I fell heavily forward upon the gravel, just managing to save my face by putting out both hands. " Hulloa 1" crieu Beck; "what's the matter ? " " The matter 7 " I gasped, groping at the mysterious objeot quickly with my hands. " I believe I've fallen over Bomebody." "Drunk, I suppoie. Come along, or we sha'n't catch our train." Bat, still kneeing, I quickly took my vestas from my pocket and struck one. By its fitful light I distinguished the prostrate body of a man lying face downwards, with arms outstretched beyond bis h6ad. Turning him over with difficulty I lit another vesta and held it close down to his face. Next second I drew back with a loud cry of dismay and horror. It was Dudley Ogle. His bloodless features were hideously distorted, his limbs rigid, his wildly-staring eyes were already glazed, and his stiffened fingers icy cold. In an instant I knew the truth. He was dead. (To be continued. )