CHAPTER VI.

Otago Witness, Issue 2883, 23 June 1909, Page 79

CHAPTER VI.

I Mrs Chadwick was greatly excited at Ellen's news. She had nothing but nice ' things to say about Mr Varley, who had , had rooms with her off and on ever since ' she and her husband had started the ' house ; and, of course, the fact that he had ' been a friend of Sir Patrick's, made ' everything all right. It appeared, too, ' that Mrs Ohadwick knew r little bit about 1 the occupants )i Wynche. A cousin of } hers had a daughter who was one of the under-housemaids in this big establishment. "And she is going on well, too, thougn the housekeeper's a bit hard to please. It shouldn't be difficult. Miss Mien, to arrange that this girl, Eliza Bond, should ■waii on you." ' Ellen ' shook her head * with a faint smile. ■ - » t "I don't expect to have anybody to waif upon me," eho declared. j But Mrs ChaoVick was quite sure that, going on Mr Valley's recommendation, things would be made very nice and comfortable for Miss Ellen. _ i "My cousin's girl says that Lady Nor- ► cheater is very handsome, but very queer. There is some talk that ehe wasn't quite his lordship's equal, but that's, no business of ours, is it?" j "Norchester!" said Ellen to herself. ; "I wonder where I've heard that name ! before. It sounds almost familiar.*' j The question of clothes was discussed j between herself and Mrs Chadwick, and ' she felt the necessity of spending s few j pounds and buying herself a very modest • black evening gown .and a few other things. ■She heard nothing from Varley till two days later, when a little note arrived. He j wrote from Wynche Castle, telling her the ! ■besb train to travel by, and saying that, j ho would be there- to receive her on her ; arrival. "He doesn't do things by halves now, does he-V" said Mrs Chadwick approvingly. She had thought of travelling -down with' Miss Ellen, but now she contented herself with taking the- girl to the station and starting her on her journey. j It was with very different feelings that Ellen put herself into the train this time. ! The excitement was very pleasant;- for , though Varley , had warned her that she mus.t not expect her new life to be a bed of roses, the, feeling that she was vgoing | to a position of trust, that she would ! have her place in a well-appointed house- j - hold, and, above all, that she would be" ' breathing the sweetness and the freshness of the country air, served to. irradiate her spirit. When she found herself waiting od the platform from- which she was to take another train, Ellen suddenly remembered that it was here where she had eat a few weeks before and watched that young man talking to the stationmaster. The recollection of his charming face and delightful manners brought him before her almost visibly ; at the same time there flasnea back to ber memory the recollection of his name. "Why, he was called Norchester!" she said to herself. "That man who spoke to him from the train as it came in called him Norchester, I am sure. How odd!" She took this little remembrance as a good omen, for if the Lady Norchester whom she was going to ioin had any connection with this handsome, attractivelooking man she could not fail to be interesting. The local train was slow, but it drew up at length at the little wayside station al which Varley had told Ellen to alight ; and he was there himself .standing on the platform waiting to receive her. "I haven't come in the motor*," he said. "I thought you would prefer this."' "j-his" turned out to be a very pretty little phaeton drawn by a pair of ponies. Ellen^s face coloured with pleasure. "Oh!" the said, "how land of you! What dear little animals." She went forward and stroked their noses, and spoke to them and handled them in a way which proved to the groom I that this young lady knew what she was about. ' And she saw that Varley had left the driver's place for her. She hesitated a moment. ' j "May I?" she asked. "Won't Lady Norchester think it strange?"He reassured her. "It's all right. I know what you can do with these ponies., and I am not a bit of a whip myself. Don't bother about , your 'uggacje — it is coming on later." I It itemed like a dream to Ellen to sit ■ in a luxurious carriage and once again to hold the veins in her hand. The ponies were in splendid form, and trotted off in , fine style. j Kichard Varley found an extraordinary amount of pleasure in sitting beside her, in watching her, and in telling her which road to take. ' "You are just in for the best time of the year," he said, "and I know you will endorse my opinion and say that Wynche is situated in a most beautiful part." | "J-Jven if it were less beautiful," said Ellen, "it would be lovely to me." | And yet as she spoke the tears clouded her eyes. This return to all those things j which had had such close association with her childhood brought back the sense of her loss, almost unbearably for the mo- 1 menl ; but happily the ponies gave her plenty to- do — the road curved a good deal, and she had to be continually on the watch for motors. j As they were drawing nearer to Wynche ehe turned to Varley and said : "You won't let me thank you, but my heart is just overflowing, for even if I am a failure here I shall never cease to feel I owe you a big debt of gratitude." ( "You will not be a failure," Varley I answered. 1 I Agd no more was said between them till ,

the carriage rolled in under a broad stone gateway and passed into an avenue of most magnificent beech trees. As they approached a turning out of this avenue, Varley suggested that they should pull up. "Perhaps you would rather walk the rest of the way," he said. "I want to point out a few of my favourite bits to you* 1 am afraid I shall not have much oppor-. tunity, as I am going back to town thii afternoon." "Oh; I am sorry/ said Ellen, and sh< said it earnestly. She -was growing to Like Richard Varley very muoh indeed. She had regarded^ him as a ' man contemporary with her father, but as they approached a certain spot in the grounds and he took off his hat and pointed out the beauties of the scene, Ellen suddenly realised that he was not as old as she had supposed him £o be. His hair was grey-tinged, it was Lrue, but the face was -not" lined, and when his manner was buoyant, as it was at this moment, he looked quite young . It was evident that he took real delight in introducing her to the natural which would henceforward surround her. Heexplained as they walked on to the- house, that as a boy he had spent many happy days at Wynche. "The late Lord Norchester wa: my mother's cousin and also a great- friend of my father's, So he took a great, ideal of interest in me. He married rather late in life,, and died just at the time when he would have been of such value to his boy." As they faced the castle Ellen stopped involuntarily, with an 'exclamation oi admiration. "Oh, how beautiful ." she said. "What' a splendid old 'louse. lam so glad to come here." "That's right," said Richard Varley, and his face lit up as he spoke. He led her through the great entrance, pausing to speak about some of the oldest parts of the architecture to her Within they were received by various men-ser-vants. "Will you tell her ladyship that Miss Milner has arrived," said Varley. I The butler replied that Lady Norchester i had desired that Miss Milner should go to j her in her voom. ' I "I am ' afraid i oan't, come up with , you," Varley said in a low voice, and involuntarily he put out his hand. | Ellen slipped hers into it, and the firm. I pressure of 'his hand-clasp gave her a feeling of courage and confidence. * She followed the* footman up the broad stair- ! case. Inside, the house was very old,, less i beautiful perhaps than outside. Thera, was a silence and t gvandeur about it, how-< ever, which appealed very strongly to Ellen. As they passed along a corridor the sound of an angry voice was heard close at hand. With a scarcely concealed smile, the footman paused at the door and threw, it open. '"Miss Milner," he announced. Ellen passed into the room, and then paused. Some one was sweeping to and froy screaming out words in passionate angeiy Ellen had a vision of a splendid face distorted with rage. There was something superb in the movements of the furious woman. She took no notice of the new< comer, but went on launching a torren<( of abuse "at an oldish woman, a maid, who was quietly occupying hersel? with putting the room straight, picking up a chair which had been flung down, settling cushions on the sofa. ' Even u^ this first moment of acquaintance with t<he mistress of Wynche Castle Ellen felt that" there was a kind of insolence conveyed in the silence and indifference of the maid. But in truth her feelings Avere blurred; indeed, she was conscious of a. sense of alarm, and she stood trembling* a little, as Lady Norchester suddenly paused I and looked at her.

(To be continued.)