THE NOVELIST.

Otago Witness, Issue 2254, 13 May 1897, Page 43

THE NOVELIST.

[Published By Special Arrangement.]

WHOSO FINDETH A WIFE.

By WILLIAM LE QUJEUX, Author of " The Great War in England mi 1897," "Zoraida," " Stolen Souls," "Guilty Bonds," "A Secret Service," &c, Ac. [COPYRIGHT.] Chapteb XXIX. The Seal of Silence. D, you must not as^ me, for I cannot tell you," she faltered after I had gravely repeated my earnest inquiry. She shrank from my embrace, and as she stood before me her handsome head was bent in aa attitude of utter dejection. 11 Ah, the same lame story," I cried impatiently. "You refuse." She raised her sad eyes. I saw in thair clear depths a yearning for pity. " I dare not tell you yet, Geoffrey," she •whispered in a strained, terrified voice. " You knbw well -how much keen anxiety the loss of that document caused me," I said. "Why did you not tell me that it was inyonr keeping 1 " " It was not in my keeping," she protested. 11 1 recovered it only a few day 6 before we parted." " But you knew something of its whereabouts," I argued. " I was not certain," she vaguely replied, her slim fingers picking at the bands of pearl passementerie across the flimsy chiffon of her bodice. With an expression of disbelief I turned from her. " Ah, GaofErey," she cried wildly, " I am fully conscious of what your thoughts must be. Now that you have discovered my true position, that I am a Russian, you believe I had a hand in the thefb of the AngloGerman Convention ; that by my machinations its text was transmitted to Petersburg —ah ? " No answer passed my lips, but I think I bowed my head in confirmation of her fevered worda. " Well, it is untrue, as you will learn some day. It is untrue, I swear," she exclaimed with terrible earnestness. "Instead of endeavouring to bring suspicion and opprobrium upon you, and disaster upon the nations of Europe, I have striven both night and day to clear away the ill effect produced by the dastard revelations mads to our Ministry in Petersburg. Remember that the single spark required to fire the mine and convulse the world from Calais to Pekin was not applied ; the Czar refrained from declaring war. Some day you, and through you the British Government, will know the reason why a recourse to arms was averted. When you are made aware of the truth, then no longer will you misjudge me." She spoke with a fervency that was entirely unfeigned ; her bright eyes met mine with unwavering glance, and with a quick movement she had placed one hand upon her breast as if to allay the palpitation there. Her heart waE full j upon her fair face was an expression of mingled anxiety and dread, and her bejewelled hands trembled. " I am your husband," I said oalmly. "If I promise you not to divulge snrely I may know your secret, whatever it may be." "No," she answered, speaking almost mechanically. "I dare not tell you anything at present. It would be fatal to all my plans — fatal to me and to you." " You speak so strangely," I observed with some warmth. " Mystery aeems one of your idiosyncrasies." " Ah," she sighed, advancing a step towards me, her head sunk upon her breast, "it is imperative. You cannot know how I have suffered, Geoffrey, ever since we met. Long ago at the Nook, fearing that I should bring you unhappiness, I strove to tear myself from you and return here to thie life, but was unable. I loved you, and hated all the strict etiquette and theatrical display with which I am bound to surround myself merely because I chance to be born of an Imperial family. I married you, and content in the

j knowledge that you loved me devotedly I I was prepared to renounce my name and live > quietly with you always. But, alas 1 we of ; the Romanoffs are ruled by the head of our ' house, and our actions are ofttimes in , obedience to the will of the Emperor. I was compelled to depart without revealing to you the secret of my birth." "But wby did you masquerade in that manner I " I inquired. ; "At first I did so in order to avoid all the . trammels of Court life in Petersburg, the eternal gaiety of la Ville Lumiere, and to ba ! free to do what I liked and go where I chose," sheanswered. "Soon, however, my lifeas Ella Liing became a stern reality, for I met and ; loved you.' 1 j " Then you regretted ? " I " I regretted only because I feared that I i cared for you too much — that one day we \ should bB compelled to part." : " You knew that it was impossible for you ,to renounce both title and position," I . hazarded, looking at her gravely. I "I feared that my family would not allow me to do bo," she answered frankly. " Yet , you proposed marriage ; we became man and wife, and the first weeks of our new life were full of joy and happiness. Soon, however, the Nemesis that I dreaded fell upon me, crushing all desire for life from my heart. I was compelled to fly and leave you i in ignorance." i " And you forgot that in your escritoire | there remained the stolen agreement 1 " I said slowly, looking straight into her pale face. " Yes, I admit it," she replied in a voice almost inaudible, her dry lips moving coni vnlsively. "So full was my mind of ! thoughts o¥ you that I did not remember it . until too late to return and secure it." j " The woman who passed as Mrs Laing was not, of course, your mother 1 " " She was no relation whatever. I paid her to pose as my maternal relative and keep bouse for me." "Where is she now 1 " "I have no idea," my wife answered. "She was a curious woman, and strangely enough she left London suddenly on the very morning of the day of my departure." " And what of Beck i" I asked. " Did he know who you really were ? " " Scarcely," she exclaimed. " Do' you think he could hava kept to himself the knowledge that I was the relative of the Czar ? Why, such a man would have related the fact that he knew me and dined at our house to every member oE his club within 24 hours. You know, as well as I do, how he simply adores anybody with a title. It is the same with all the newly wealthy crowd who are struggling to get into society." It was upon my tongue to explain to her the truth regarding the man servant who passed as Helmbol<z; nevertheless I hesitated to do go at present because of my promise to Paul Verblioudovitch. The Bilence between us was protracted. She had covered her tear-stained face with her hands, and the silence was broken only by her sobs. Nevertheless, I was not moved with pity. Her determination to preserve her secret filled me with annoyance. I had expected her to make confession, but I plainly saw she had no intention of revealing the truth. " Why did you associate with a woman of such doubtful reputation aB Sonia Korolenko ? " I asked abruptly at last. "Because I wißhed to ascertain something," she replied in a harsh voice. " She is scarcely your friend," I observed. " She is," she declared. " I have known her for several years." " And you were actually aware of her true character while associating with her 1 " I exclaimed, rather surprised. "Of course," she sighod. " She is an adventuress, I know ; nevertheless, she has proved my friend on many occasioni." " That's curious," I remarked. "Why?" "Because she made certain allegations against you," I answered. " Yes," she said, without betraying either anger or surprise, "I am fully aware of that. Strange though it may appear, her statements were made with a definite object." "Why did she utter such unfounded calumnies 1 " "Because I wished to see whether you really loved me," she answered, drawing herself up and regarding me with sudden calmness. At that moment she assumed the air of the grand duchesg. " I did love you," I declared, " and I took no heed of her assertio&s. I notice, however," I added, turning and pointing towards the piano — " I notice that you have placed in a position of conspicuouaness the portrait of the man she declared was your lover. Side by side you have placed the pictures of batrayer and betrayed." She held her breath, gazing across to the spot I had indicated. Then in a voice full of emotion she said : " You wer« foully betrayed, Geoffrey, it is true, but the evil that was dona has now been eradicated." " In other words, Ogle has paid the death "penalty, eh 1 " I observed, with a grim expression of satisfaction. " No, no 1 not that," Bhe protested seriously. " I mean, that the strained relations between your country and mine have now been readjusted, and that a feeling more amicable than before prevails. Even the Earl of Warnham must admit the plain trnth that no power joins another in war unless it sees its own interest in so doing. Russia now, as before the effusion of hearts here in Paris, will attend to her own business, and will not send her Black Sea and Baltic ! Fleets flyiog out unless her interests bring j her into collision with your British Govern- I ment — and then it; may happen it will not be to the interest of France to fight. In the latter days of Louis Philippe there was talk of a Franco-Russian alliance, and there were people who knew — they did not think they knew on the best authority — that the two would be one next spring. Yet Louis Philippe went over to your England an exile by the useful name of Smith, and before long France and England were allied in war against my country. No, good counsel has prevailed, and by the very revelation of the secret alliance contracted between England and Germany Earopean peace has been secured." " You talk like a diplomatist," I observed reflectively, i

" ■■ " " ' ' a She shrugged her shoulders, and with o1o 1 forced laugh said : "It is but natural that I should take aa intercut in the affairs of nations, I suppose." ■< " Let ua put them aside," I Baid. " W& ' are not rival diplomatists, but husband and wife; we" " Yes, yes," she cried, interrupting. " I am happy because you are here with me — yon, whose presence I have been fearing for so long. See 1 I smile and am happy," and she gave vent to a hollow, discordant laugh. " Happy because you have so successfully mystified me," I sighed. " No, happy because I love you, Geoffrey," she exclaimed, again throwing her arms affectionately about my neck and raising hei full red lips to mine. " Forgive me ; do say you will forgive me," she implored. " How can I ever forget the ingenuity and deep cunning with which you deceived me 1 " I said. " I cannot but recollect how on that night at Chesham House Grodekcfc congratulated you upon your marriage, yet how careful he was not to disclose to me your identity. Again, even my friend Verblioudovitch must have known who you really were. Why did he not tell me 1 " " Because the staff of the Embassy had already received utrict orders from Petersburg not to acknowledge me," Bhe exclaimed with a smile. " Lord Warnham fancied ha, recognised me, and spoke to the Ambassador; but the latter succeeded in assuring him that before marriage I was Ella Laing, and that the Grand Duchess Elizaveta Nicolayevna was at that moment with the Czarina at Tzarskoie Selo. He believed ifc, and afterwards M'sieur G-rodekofr! assured me that was the first occasion he had been enabled to. successfully deceive your lynx-eyed Foreign Minister." " You feared that the Earl might recognise you," I exclaimed, surprised, for I now remembered the effect produoed on my chief when his eyes had first fallen upon my wife "You knew him, then?" " Ah, no," she faltered ; " well, we were not exactly acquainted," and she appeared rather confused, I thought, for her cheeks were suffused by the faintest suspicion of a btesb. " Did you expect he would be there 1 " " No, you told me distinctly that he was not going, otherwise I should never have accompanied you," she said frankly. " Why 1 " "Because I did not desire to meet him," she replied, adding with a laugh: "Aa it wae, however, he was satisfied, and went away marvelling no doubt at tho striking resemblance." " Yet you told me nothing," I observed reproachfully. " No, I was afraid," she replied in a serious voice. " With you I lived on from nay to day fearing detection— dieading lest you should discover some facts regarding my past, and by their light believe me to bo an adventuress. Yel at the same time I worked on to" achieve soy freedom from a yoke .that had baccma ao galling that, now 1 loved yon, I could endure ie no longer." " And did you not Bucceod in breaking asunder this myaterious bond 1 " I inquired hal£ doubtfully. "No," she answered, shaking her head : sorrowfully. "By au untoward circumstance | against which I had noh provided I was i praventad and compelled to flee." • "If you will divulge absolutely nothing j regarding the manner in which you became i possessed of the stolen convention or the ] reason yon have masqueraded aa my wife, yoa j can at isaat tell me why you recaived go many : i communications regarding clandestine ineetingo, and explain who was your myßterious correspondent who sigaed himself ' X.' " Her heart beat quickly; sho sighed, and lowered her gazs. She strove to preserve a demeanour of calm hauteur as befitted hesr station, but in vain. " Yon have also found those letters," she remarked, h«r voice trembling. " Yes. Tell me the truth andjrat my mind at ease.' 1 : " I can put your mind entirely at ease by assniitig you, as I did after you detected ma walking in Kensington Gardens, that I hava had no lover beside yourself, Geoffrey," she cried vehemently. " I have told you already I that I worked to secure freedom of action in . the ftxfcave. Those letters were from one who rendered me considerable assistance," " What was hi* name ? " I demanded quickly. : " I may not tell you that," waa.her answer, uttered in a quiet, firm tone. : "Then, speaking plainly, you refuse even ■ now to give ins any elucidation whatever of i this irritating mystery or to allow me to l obtain any oorroboration of your remarkable ! story," I Baid with a sudden .coldness. ! She uoliced my change of manner, and • clung to me with uplifted face, pale and agitated. Her attempt to treat me as other i than her husband had utterly failed. ; "Ah! Do not speak bo cruelly," she exclaimed, panting. "I— I really cannot bear i it, Geoffrey ; indeed, I can't. You must have • seen that. I ioved you. I was, when I married, prepared to eacrifice all for your sake — . nay, I did sacrifice everything until — until I was forced from you and thrush back here to this place that to me is little else than a gilded prison. Ah," she cried, sobbing bitterly and gazing around her in despair, " you cannot know how deeply I have sorrowed ; how poignant has been the grief in the secret and inmost recesses of my heart, or how through these months while I have been travelling I have longed to see you once again, and hear your voice telling me of your love. But, alas, without knowledge of the strange secret that geals my lips, you can know nothingnothing." " I only know that I still adore you," I said with heartfelt fervency. "Ah! I knew you did," she exclaimed, raisiDg her eager lips to mine id ecstacy. " I knew you would pity me when you came, yet I feared — I feared because I had lied to you, and deceived you so completely." Thett she kissed my lips, but I did nob return her hot passionate caress, although I confess itmade my head reel. "You have not forgiven," she exclaimed in a voice quivering with emotion as she drew back. " You" have not yet promised that you will still regard me as your wife." I hesitated. The startling fact of her true station and the revelation of how ingeniously I had been tricked caused me a slight revuli sion of feeling. Somehow as Grand Daoh«#

she seemed an entirely different being to the j plain, unassumiDg woman I had known as Ella. From the crown of her well-dressed hair to the point of her tiny white kid shoe, ■with its pearl embroidery, she was a patrioian; the magnificence of her dress and jewels dazzled me, yet in her declarations of devotion her voice seemed to be marred by some indefinable but spurious ring. 1 Even now she was deceiving me. She would allow no word of her mysterious secret to pass her lips. It had always been the same. She would tell me absolutely nothing, yaguely asserting that to utter the truth would be to invoke an avenging power that she dreaded. I remembered how she had seemed terrorised on more than one occasion , when I had demanded the trutb, yet what I had learned that night increased my suspicions. " If I forgive and seek no explanation of the past," I said at last, " we must, I suppose, remain parted." "Ab, yes," she gasped. "But only for v few short weeks. Then we will come together again never to part — never." . " I can forgive on one condition only," I »aid. €< That you tell me the truth regarding the dastardly theft from me on tha day of Dudley's death." - For an instant she was »ilenr. Then burying her face on my shoulder, sobbing, Bho answered in a tone so low as to be almoßfc inaudible : " I cannot." Gently but firmly I put her from me, although she olung about my neck urging me .to city her. " I cannot pity you if you refuse to repoge confidence in me," I answered. "I do not refuse," she cried. "It is because my secret is of such si nature that if divulged it would wreck both your own happiness and mine.". "Then to argue further in absolutely useless," I answered coldly. "We must part." • " You intend to leave me without forgiveness," she wailed. " Ab, you will not be so cruel, Geoffrey. Surely you can see how passionately I love you." "You do not, however, love me sufficiently well to risk all consequences of divulging your mysterious secret,'' I retorted with almost brutal indifference, turning slowly from her. " Then kiss me, Geoffrey," she cried wildly, scringing towards me and again entwining her soft arms about my neck. "Kiss me once again, if for the last time." Oar lips met for an instant, then slowly I disengaged myself and strode towards the the door. In her refusal to throw light upon the incidents*that had so long hold roe perplexed and bewildered I fancied she was shielding someone. Although crushed and downcast I had resolved to go forth into the world again with my terrible burden of sorrow concealed beneath a smiling countenance. I regretted deeply, that I had sought her now that I was aware of the gulf that lay between us. " Stay, Geoffrey ! Stay I I cannot bear that you should go," she wailed. Halting, I turned towards her, saying, " When I have learnt the truth, then only will I return. Till then I can have no faith In you." v " But you are my husband, Geoffrey. I—lI — I -lovs yon." She tottered forward unevenly, as if to follow me, but ere I could save her she staggered and fell forward upon the carpet in a dead faint. I rang the bell violently; then, with a final glance at v tfce blanched features of the Wtanan I so ' dearly loved, I pa6sed out, ' struggling through the brilliant, laughing throng of guests in the great hall, and was soon alone in utter dejection beneath the trees in the long gas-lit avenue.