A DOUBLE SPELL.

Otago Witness, Issue 2921, 9 March 1910, Page 90

A DOUBLE SPELL.

By Herbert Jamiesox

It was my last bachelor holiday. In the spring Cissie M'Caul and myself were to be united in the holy bonds of matrimony. I wanted a final fling before what my friends called "the happy event." I broached the idea w'th trepidation to my fiancee.

"Cisde, I've about 12 clays' holiday due to me at Christmas. I'm thinking of spending it abroad." "Spend Christmas abroad?" she ejaculated in amazed and outraged tones. I felt annoyed, righteously annoyed. If I had suggested spending a short vacation in the moon she could not have looked more surprised.

"Certainly!" i replied, perhaps somewhat too tartly for an engaged man. "Is the notion so very monstrous? A great many people go abroad at this season. Here v. e have dull skies laid dulness generally There you get warm sunshine and that infectious air and spontaneous gaiety which we English, strive as we may, can rarely eompaes successful!} at home! The change will do me a great deal of good." She 'coked at me sadly, with reproof in her eyes. She thought me depraved, I could see. But I maintained a steadfast attitude. I was determined lot to give in to her insular prejudices. ''And where are you going?" she inquired. "Paris? 1 ' "Paris? Good gracious, no! Who ever goes to Paris for health? I intend to visit one of the winter sports resorts in Switzerland."

She appeared relieved that Paris was not my choice. I judged that Switzerland spell to her propriety of conduct, if nothing else. Yet there arose another fear in her mind.

"O/i, you'll go -ami got killed, I'm sure. You remember poor Mr Nash, who got thrown our. of the' bob-sk-igh and died after months of suffering?"

"My dear girl, please reassure yourself ! T'hi not a sportsman, and promise not to indulge ; n anything more dangerous than skating and, perhaps, n little mild tobogganing. If Igo to St. Moritz, as I expect I shall. 1 promise not to try to win any laurels in the Crest a Run, toI perfectly realise that 70 miles an hour on a toboggan is not for the engaged man. M} idea of taking a holiday is to set myself up fox the happy event of next, year."

There, I had said it—l, who detested the expression, sometimes wondering if, because of my hatred, I was genuinely in love with Cissie or not. But I had my reward. She raised a smiling mouth to be kissed.

"Ho by all means, dear bo:/. Of course, you must please yourself this time!" "Please yourself this time"—it was horribly ominous for the future.

That evening ] went to see my married sister, Ada. My object was twofold—to explain why I could not spend Christmas Day as usual in the bosom of her family, and to ask her for the name of a pension in St. Moritz which ehe had once recommended to me. I found her at home and her three children.

When the latter had plagued me for half an hour I suggested their ejection from the room.

"I'm sorry, Percy," my sister observed, as the last tyrant made a bawling exit. "Yes, I must admit they are rathei out of control just now." Here she lowered her tone, though there was no necessity, the door being close;!. "Fraulein ie sulking in her room. I gave her notice this morning. She has absolutely no contro 1 over them."

"I should try an English governess next time." "Mrs Westbrook has a Swiss girl. She is a great success. Percy, your going to Switzerland just now is most providential. Will you do me a very small favour while you're there—one that won't put you to much trouble?"

I took her at her word and granted that "very small favour." The next moment mv rashness was revealed.

"I want you, Percy, to do your best to find me a nice Swiss governess for the 'children, one on whom I can "perfectly rely."

I know I made a very disagreeable face-. Was my search ..ov health to be construed into a search for domestics for this despotic sister of mine? "But, Ada. really, I'm only going for twelve days.".

" Oh, you will have plenty of time to look around. You can't spend all your time skating, remember." " Besides, from . what T. have heard of St. Moritz, I doubt if there is a single registry, office," "My dear boy. do you suppose for an instant that I wish'you to- pi'owl around registry offices? A few private inquiries, judiciously made, will, I'm sure, reveal to you the needful. It is so important to get a good governess for the children, and, after all, you are their you must remember."-

T succumbed before the invincible argument. Ada has such a way with hei. For three days after my arrival at St. Moritz no thought was further from my mind than that of my sister's mission. It- was typical Engadine weather —a cloudlees sky, hot sun, and a keen, crisp air. The ice was good, and I spent hour after hour on its surface, seeking to imitatenot very successfully, I fear—the expert skaters around me. It was a very good thing to be alive. The pension which Ada had' recommended to me turned out all that could be desired. It was kept by an English lady—a widow, with one small daughter, and her management was excellent. My appetite was prodigious—who ever has a, poor appetite at St. Moritz? —and I did full justice to the ample fare provided. It was on the third day that I first particularly noticed the Swiss governess who had charge of the widow's little girl. She was teaching the child to skate, andwhat symmetry of form, what elegance o p movement, the teacher had! Her voice as she issued instructions was melodious in the extreme, and when the child fell without hurt, .1 thought I had never heard a more silvery laugh. For fully fifteen minutes I suspended by own skating operations and watched the fascinating pair.

That night ] spoke to the governess, our theme of ' introduction being, of course, the child. Her knowledge of English was good and we got on extraordinarily well. When a girl is bright and intelligent, differences of nationality are at naught.

I learnt thai her name, was Rena Meleni

Some names bewitch you at their first hearing; Rena Meleni, J decided, was one. I lay in bed, repeating it to myself, and it was as though I were listening to the soft, soothing strains of my favourite instrument—the harp. A girl with so nice a name could hardly help being nice nerself. I vowed to cultivate he'* acquaintance.

Now, at St. Mcritz it is not difficult to cultivate icquaintanceship. The bracing qualities of the air arouse a most delightful sense of camaraderie, and when enthusiasts of sport cluster together—as witness our own Newmarket—social distinctions are of no importance. There were a dozen ways open before me of qu ; ck intimacy with Rena Meleni. I took the readiest: I asked her to teaeh me to do a little figure-skating. All, those lessons and those falls! She laughed at me—but did I mind it ? Not a, bit ! It was good to hear a woman laugh as Rena could. Laughter so spontaneous, so whole-hearted, had rarely come >my way. When she had succeeded in tiring me out, and I had- succeeded in learning dismally little, we sat and talked. At a convenient distance her cha.rge played with pail and spade in the snow a.s though it were sand —which is the fashion of all children at 'St. Moritz.

I used a big word that I had to explain. " Ah," she said plaintively, "I wish I knew English better." "You know it very well. And, after all, one has id live in s country before one gets perfect in the language." 'Ah, that would be lovely! But, of course, that is impossible. Ido not know anyone in England,'' and she sighed a long sigh of regret. And "then Ada's forgotten commission flashed into my mind.

I reproached myself for my remissness. Had I been a dutiful brother I should, of course, have made- my sister's request the centre and pivot of my Swis© holiday, and spent my first day in St. Moritz scouring the place for a likely governess for those little brutes. But now the very thing suggested itself. " Rena, if you would really like to go to England, I think I might " She was already clapping her hands with the impulsiveness of her race, "' You'll take me?"

" Not that exactly. But I know some one—in fact, it's my sister—who, I think will."

I told her of the position my sister had tc offer.

According to my showing it was one of the best and meet enviable situations in the world. Ada herself was the incarnation of good temper and consideration, and the children—Heaven forgive me ! were little short of angels in their general behaviour. I could not have used more glowing terms ha-' I been inventing a patent medicine advertisement. "I come." she- said. " T come at once."

I told her that that would be a little too precipitate. The final decision rested with my sister; the full qualifications of the applicant—of course, as a mere.-matter of form—must first be laid before her. And then there was her present mistress to consult in the matter.

The consultation being satisfactory, an hour later J had written and posted a letter to my sister. Needless to say, I made out a splendid case for Rena Melenj. I only hoped that the enthusiasm I felt would be communicated to her.

Two days after I received this laconic telegram :

" Engage the girP and bring her home —Ada."

I jumped with joy The next moment I pulled myself abruptly up. Why had I jumped for joy? Was it merely because J had successfully fulfilled Ada's commission and was free to enjoy myself for the remainder of my holiday? Could it be of any possible consequence to me that Rena Meieni was coming to London to my caster's, a.nd that I could se< her whenever I pleased ? Only in stories can one be blind for long to the fact that one is in love. I knew it at once —knew it because my pulse stirred at 'hte sight of. Rena Meieni, knew it because my last thought at night and my first thought in the morning were of her. Of course, I called myself every bad name under the eun. I blamed the intoxiair and the freedom of life. But to affix the blame did not lift me from

| the responsibility. There was poor Cissie ! in England, faithful to me in every thought ; and aspiration and trusting me up to the I hilt, and 1 here was I in Switzerland, inI volved in this horrid imbroglio. I still ! loved Cissie, and yet was held heart and i soul by the fascinations of this Swiss ; governess. Ought such a wretch to be ! allowed to live? And then I would fail £.?ieep and dream i rapturous dreams of —Rena Meleni. I purposely pass ovei the days thai j elapsed before my return to England. I j suppose I skated 2nd toboiganned, but really all the outward events of that time have faded out of viind. Pain and plea- : sure—keen pain and glorious pleasure—> have 'never been so strangely -mingled ir j my experience. I travelled back to- London with Rena I Meleni in my charge. At Charing Cross j I put her in a cab and asked the driver to ! take her to my sister's house —and then j went direct in another cab to 'my flat to fight out the battle with myself. . Perhaps : it would, have been better had 1 escorted i her to Ada's. Her wistful, pleading, disj appointed face as I left her alone in the four-wheeler haunted me for hours The first friend I met told me T looked worried. It was a mild statement of my true feelinigs. To face the situation gave one the shivers. Here I loved two women. j —or thought I did—and at the same time held in d.ue respect the laws of this land, I which are strictly monogamic. The proper course war the conventional one—to marry Cissie at the appointed time (before, if feasible) and utterly dismiss for ever the other from my thoughts. But the inclination and the courage to take the proper ! course were both lacking. I did, however, one brave thing. I let ! six whole days elapse before I went near jmy sister's house. What Ada thought of jme I did not care. A man returned from a twelve days' holiday has always the excuse of pressing business. On the seventh . day flesh and blood could, stand it no longer. T must see Rena. Meleni, or perish. As I walked up the steps to my sister's house familiar sounds greeted me through an open window. The children were rampaging—rampaging even more loudly than usual. Was Sena's authority (which I had warily advised her to exert from the first) already set at naught? My sister, extraordinary to relate, answered the door in person. I never remember her committing before such a breach of household etiquette. "J thought," she explained, "it was 1 the man from Scotland Yard." "Scotland Yard!" I exclaimed. She vouchsafed me no further explana- | tion in the hall, doubtless because the servants might possibly be in earshot. Putting her fingers to her lips, she backed me into a little comfortless room misnamed the " snuggery," and abruptly closed the door behind us. "I conclude, Percy, that you did not do this on purpose?" I only stared. "Is it possible you naven't heard? I made sure the thing had got into all the papers by this time. That governess you sent me was nothing but a scheming adventuress. She bolted last night with half my jewellery." "Good heavens! I " but I knew not what .0 say. " Of course, you were taken in by her good looks and plausible manners. So was I; anyone would be. And what do you think she had the audacity to tell me an hour before she made off with my jewels? That you had fallen in love with her out in Switzerland and that at any moment she might expect a proposal of marriage from you." The breath was taken from me, but I contrived not to show my emotions. "My dear sister," I remarked, "what perfectly preposterous ideas these sort of people get into their heads !" As I left my sister's house, I realised with great satisfaction that the charms of Rena Meleni for me had entirely ceased. Cissie told me later that the love-letter I wrote her that night was really the most delightful up to date. —M.A.P.