THE NOVELIST.

Otago Witness, Issue 3419, 26 September 1919, Page 54

THE NOVELIST.

[Published bt SivecrAT- Aerancement.] HIS FAIR EN*.MY.

Bs- DOROTHEA CORBOT7LD, Author of "Held in Bondage," " A Father's Sin," "Loyal Hearts," etc. [Cbi-xaicni.J

SYNOPSIS OF PREVIOUS CHAPTERS. CHAPTER I.—Miss Eupheinia Merlyn returns homo late one March afternoon At her door she is accosted by a ehauDy stranger. It is her brother, Ralph, the blade sheep of the family. After years of absence he returns to ask a favour. Sho takes hmi in and gives him tea, all against her will. She refuses to take charge of Ralphs daughter, Sophie. Her sister, Delia, enters the library, and welcomes her brother, accepting tho charge of her niece, Sophie, with alacrity. She agrees to lend her brother a hundred pounds. Ho is anticipating a good livelihood out of a situation which nas been offered to him in Barbadoes. - CHAPTER ll.—The scene changes to a rencontre between Carl Meintz and his daughter. Alma Miller. It was considered well for Alma to drop her German name while she is among her relatives in Canada. Her father, working for iho German Secret Sexvice, tells her of his deep-laid plan to serve tho Fatherland, in which she must participate. She is to take the place of Sophie Mestyn, who was to come to- her aunts in England. He has arranged that Sophie shall stay in Canada and take the place of Alma in the Miller home. Alma tells her father that she intends to marry an Englishman, Jack Bellairs. He rebels against the idea, but holds out Bellairs as a sop to his daughter. She contemplates the idea of posing as Sophie Merlyn. CHAPTER lll—The 3cene changes again to Merival© Farm in Canada. Jack Bellairs is saying good-bye to Sophie before departing on War Service to England. He proposes to her, and she accepts. MJerivalo Farm is to be sold, and Sophie is sad at the loss of- her beautiful homo and the news from her father that she cannot join her aunta in England, but must go to the Millers. The Misses Merlyn receive their supposed neice, Sophie, who is really Alma. Tho girl drops into her niche at Ormiston Terrace, quite easily. One morning the sisters receive news that their other brother, Captain James Merlyn, is expected home that afternoon. His ehip is in dock for repairs This is the man whom Alma, at her father's instigation, is to rob of' certain valuable papers, which will be of use to Germany. She has a letter from Carl Meintz - reminding her of this obligation. Simultaneously she hears from Sophie Merlyn the news that Jack Bellairs has proposed to, and been accepted by, Sophie. This turn of events enrages Alma-, and the cold and hard demeanour of Miss Euphemia towards her supposed neice feeds the girl's vindictivencss.

CHAPTER IV. " So this is poor old Ralph's girl!—glad to see you, my dear," and, greatly to Alma's dismay, Captain Merlyn drew her to him and kissed her heartily. He had arrived early in the afternoon, and, not wishing to make a fourth at the meeting between him and his sisters, Alma had remained in her own room till it was time to go down to tea, an act of consideration which won golden opinions from Miss Delia, proving as it aid that she inherited the tact and good breeding which were the distinguishing characteristics of the Merlyn family.

Cap tajn. x , Merlyn was, Alma told herself, the' handsomest man die had ever seen—tall and broad-shouldered, with a bronzed face whose regular features, firm lipped mouth, and resolute chin were redeemed from sternness by a pair of merry bine eyes. It did not need his smart naval uniform to proclaim him every inch a sailor. He was much younger than his sisters, being, in fact, the youngest of the family, his sister Sophia of 'sainted memory having been the eldest, and Eu-phemia and Delia coming between the two brothers, but he looked older than his six-and-thirty years, while Delia, who was his senior byfive years, looked much younger. "You don't favour the Merlyn family," James Merlyn went on after a pause during which, with Alma's hand still held in his, he had been scanning her face, greatly to her embarrassment, with keen scrutiny, not unmixed with admiration.

" I don't see any likeness to her father, either, do you, sisters?" " Not, not in the slightest," Miss Euphemia replied promptly, while Miss Delia murmured that, though Sophie did not resemble any of the family personally, yet she was like her namesake in many of her had also inherited dear Sophie's proiiciency in music and languages. "Ah! you play and sing, then? That's good ! AVe'll have Mine music after dinner," James Merlyn said heartily, "and that reminds me, Euphemia, I asked young Lindley, one of my junior officers, to look in this evening. I knew ycu wouldn't mind; the poor chap has no friends in London. All his people live in Cumberland, and he can't get a train to the north which fits in till to-morrow morning. He's a very nice young fellow, my right hand on board, and very musical. Plays the piano and sings like a nightingale." " Of course, James, we shall be very pleased to see him," Miss Euphemia replied; "what a pity you did not ask him to dinner."

" Well, I didn't ouite like to do that. He's putting up at St. Pancr.as, and I hadn't time to wire."

" Sophie says the piano is not quite in tune," Miss Euphcmia went on, "but the tuner who was here a couple of months ago was quite astonished, he told roe, at the way it kept in tune considering its age. Our dear Sophie played so well, didn't she. I have never heard any amateur to equal her." "Can't this Sophie play as -well?" Captain Merlyn asked, patting the girl's shoulder. "I'm sure she can." " I don't know. Sophie has not troubled

to air her accomplishments for us," was the coldly-spoken reply. " Simply because you have not asked mo to do so"," Alma said quickly. "You always say you hate amateur-playing."

"And I meant it," was the reply as Miss Euphemia turned away, thus signifying that the argument was at an end.

James Mcrlyn raised hie eyebrows. Evidently there * was friction "between his oldest sister and this pretty niece of theirs, and ho wondered why. The girl appeared to liim to be everything that could bo desired in the way of an agreeable addition to tho household. Never had Alma looked better than she looked that evening. True to her resolve to make a 'good impression upon her "uncle," she had arrayed herself in tire prettiest evening frock sho possessed—the creation of a Paris house in Bond street and bought as a bargain with some of the money her father had given her. It was of soft white satin with a tunic and bodice of crystal embroidery, jet butterflies ornamenting tli 3 shoulders and corsage. Miss Euphemia had pronounced it much too smart for home wear, when Alma had doned it on the occasion of a small dinner party of intimate friends which the Misses Merlyn had given in honour of the younger sister's birthday last May, and also much too elaborate in style for a young girl, but there was no disguising the fact that it suited Alma's tall, slim figure, and that the tout ensemble was charming. Besides, Alma had a certain satis! iction in the fact that Miss Euphemia would certainly have disapproved of ''her wearing it to-night, and might therefore have forbidden it, had she known of Alma's intention to smarten herself up for the benefit, of the new arrival.

Dinner to-night was a very different meal from that usually oartnken -of by the Misses Merlyn and their niece, when the trio either went through the four or five courses in spasmodic attempts to keep up a general conversation, or Miss Euphemia and Alma started one Of their grand arguments which made Miss Delia tremble for future peace between them. To-night Captain Merlyn did all the talking, his jokes and funny stories keeping his audience in fits qf laughter, and, though he tried to get Alma to respond to his teasing allusions to her " American " upbringing, the girl refused to be drawn, and sat silently listening to his badinage without attempting to put forth the arguments which burned within her for utterance, to Miss Euphemia's secret amazement and Miss Delia's relief. With the dessert arrived Lieutenant Lindley, R.N., who was immediately hauled into the dining room by his superior officer, and told that he was just in time to drink the health of the "King's Navy,' and success to the British flag. He was, as Captain Merlyn had said, a nice genial young fellow, with a chubby boyish face and a general air of being well content with himself and the world at large. He made himself quite at home, and soon gained the good opinion of his hostess, by reason of his agreeable manners. He seemed much struck by Alma's beauty, and seized the first opportunity, when he and Captain Merlyn ioined the ladies, to seat himself by her side, and enter into conversation.

" You've lately come from Canada, Miss Merlvn, your uncle tells me,"" he began. " Yes," Alma answered, without looking up from the sock she was knitting to be sent with Miss Delia's collection for the Tommies at the front. "My father sent for me "

"I've heard all about you from my friend Jack Bellairs," Mr Lindley went on. " I've often wondered if you were anv relation to the captain. Jack didn't tell me that you were leaving Canada, so it Avas a delightful surprise to meet you here to-night." The speaker paused, awaiting a reply, but none came. He was not getting on very fast, he told himself. "Old Jack's an awfully good sort. His family and mine live ouite near each other up at Elskerdale, in Cumberland, so I've known him all my life, and we are slightly connected, too. Hia father's cousin married a distant cousin of mv father's, or something of that sort. Awfully complicated things, relationships, don't you think?"

Alma knitted off the wool on her needle and turned her sock to commence on the next one, jerking her ball of wool towards her with a little impatient gesture. If this young man was an intimate friend of Jack "Relbirs there might be some awkward developments. " I have never studied the subject," rhe replied, "and I have very few relations."

" lii Jack's bst letter written just as he was leaving Toronto, he told me that von and he "

Alma looked up now, and her face had grown pale. "Plense don't mention it here," she said hurriedly; "it is a secret, at present, and my aunts do not know of it—it might mean 'ructions,' vou see." and she smiled, that adorable smile of hers which so transformed her, "so please keep our secret."

" Right oh ! —nf course. I will. I think Jack is a jolly lucky dog, Miss Merlyn, if von ask me!" "Thank you! Yes, uncle, I will plav romething with pleasure," and, thankful for the interruption. Alma rose hastily and went, to the piano.

How cdad she was that Sophie's letter had arrived before this officious voung man had said what would perhaps have canned her to give herself awav and make a scene. Even as it was. all the ra.ore against her rival which she had been trying to live clown surged un within her, and made her loner to scream aloud. However, les covenances must be observed, and Alma gave no sien of the turmoil within her as she seated herself at the beautiful Broad wood, a slim, graceful fiiruve in her shimmering sown, at which two pairs of masculine eyes gazed in admiring approval. "Dashed if I couldn't fall in love with

the girl if she wasn't my niece," mentally ejaculated Captain Merlyn, and "it's beastly hard lines that old Jack has got first innings!" Frank Lindley thought ruefully, '' but it's just like my luck —always ioo late!"

The unconscious object of their thoughts ran her fingers over the keys and then broke into one of Grieg's difficult movements, in the playing of which, since she had not practised much of late, she found a subject for the concentration of her faculties, which for the nonce made her forget her grievances and think only of the present. She played well, and at the close of the noisy "prelude" suddenly there cair.3 the sofr rippiing notes of one of Lirst's charming- rhapsodies, filling the listeners' ears with tha delightful melody, proving that the was a skilled .musician !"

"Capital!—capital!—encore!" cried Captain Merlyn, when "the last soft sweet strains died away. " You can play 'some,' Sophie, as you Americans say. Now, let's have a song, and then Lindley here shall show us what he can do."

The res&< of the evening passed pleasantly enough. Alma played and sang, and Miss Euphemia hunted out some old duets her beloved sister Sophia used to sing with Ralph, and Alma and Mr Lindley did full justice to them, the latter having a good tenor voice which blended well with the girl's soprano. "We hope you will come and see us again whenever you are in London," were Miss Euphemia's parting words to the young man as he took his leave; "it will give us great pleasure to renew our acquaintance."

" Thanks awfully. I shall look forward to coming," was the reply, and he meant it, only as he repeated to himself while the train bore him townwards, it was such a beastly rotten luck that Sophie Merlyn wasn't free to bo wooed and won, as he could have wooed and won her.

"Well, what do you think of Sophie?" were Miss Delia's first words when the brother and sisters found themselves alone that evening, Alma having said goodnight as soon as the guest had taken his departure.

"Think of her? I think she is the most lovely creature I ever saw. You never told me she was such a beauty. If she wasn't my niece I should be over head and ears in love with her already." James!" from both his sisters. Captain Merlyn laughed.

" A figure of speech, my dears ! —a figure of spepch!" He lifted his glass of whisky and soda and drank it off, then, bidding his sisters good-night, left the room.

Coming downstairs next morning just as the gong was sounding for breakfast, Alma saw Captain Merlyn emerge from his study behind the dining room, and called out a gay " good-morning" to him. Evidently he was an early bird like herself, and she might find an opportunity of joining him in his debarred sanctum one of these days, for the Misses Merlyn seldom appeared till the clock struck nine. She would ..even try to waylay him earlier still to-morrow.

" Ah! there you are! I was just wondering if you were anywhere about, and thought I'd go and find you!" was the captain's greeting, and to Alma's confusion and dismay he embraced and kissed her. This was an ordeal she had not contemplated, or, if she had, it would only have been that of being greeted in a fatherly way by an elderly gentleman whose niece she could easily imagine herself to be in reality. But this still young and singularly attractive man. was quite another matter, and Alma felt that in another moment she would exclaim, " I am not your niece! How dare you-kiss me!" As it was, she managed to say composedly, " I hate being kissed, so if you don't mind, Uncle James, I think we will dispense with it on ordinary occasions, and made ' good-morning ' or ' good-night ' do instead."

Captain Merlvn looked astonished at first, then broke into one of his hearty laughs. What an extraordinarv young person!" he exclaimed, "evidently devoid of all natural affection. Now, I think kissing is a fine institution, and you are looking so pretty this morning, Sophie, that it is difficult to help kissing you. However, I will try to respect your wishes—sometimes !"

" Always!" laughed Alma. " I shall see to that. Are you ready for breakfast? Aunt Delia said I was to give it you if vou were —but they will be down directly. I will see if > there are any letters."

She parsed into the dining room, and Captain Merlyn followed her. "Two for you," handing them to him, "and the rest for the aunts." " None for you, then. Don't your American friends write to you? And who was that mutual friend ' Jack ' I heard you and Lindley talking about last night, eh?"

Alma felt the colour mounting to her cheeks. "He was a young man who worked on the farm next Mad—next, our£: " she replied, "and I was in Canada, Uncle James, not America,—the Canadians would he very angry if .you called them anything but English or French."

" And what is this Jack Something or Other?"

"English, of course. His people live up in the North somewhere." "Ah! black sheep of the family, I suppose, sent off to .get him out of the way." "I am sure he was not!" Alma replied indignantly. "He was quite a gentleman " '• Of course. I was only getting a 'rise' out of you, fair niece. What are you going to do to-day to amuse me? You see, I don't know how long I may bo at home, so I must make the most of mv time." '• I I don't know. What am I expected to do?"

" Well, I want to go up to town, have lunch somewhere, and look in at the Royal

Academy. Then we might do a theatre one evening."

"Oh!" Alma gasped again at the prospect of such unheard-of gaietv, "now delightful!"

"Tour aunts don't care about theatres," Captain Merlyn went on, "and they"ro awfully afraid of Zepps, but you and I might go. Here they come, we'll ask 'em."

Accordingly, when the quartet was seated at the table, and Miss Euphemia had poured out the tea and coffee, whilo her brother dispensed kidneys and bacon and scrambled eggs from the dishes set before him, lie suddenly remarked with a sly glance at Alma: "Is anyone game for a day in town—a look in at the Royal Academy, lunch at the Ritz, and a matinee at the Coliseum?'*

The Misses Merlyn looked dubious. "Weil, you see, James, this is my day for the Belgian Refugee Sewing Meeting," Miss Euphemia replied. "I couldn't go last week because of a bad cold, so I must not really miss this one, and I am sure that you, Delia, could not stand the fatigue of doing so much all at once."

"No, I am afraid not, though I should have loved to go with you, Jim—but there is nothing to prevent Sophie ivot» going if you will take her." "Certainly—delighted. How soon can you be ready, Sophie? We can take tho train up to town. I think there is one somewhere about ten-thirty—and taxi home."

James Merlyn had no fault to find with his supposed niece, when Alma came downstairs dressed for the day's outing. She wore a pretty frock of pale grey taffetas and a smart toque with sparkling jet wings. Her gloves and the little suede shoes with their big buckles, were pale grey also, and she had a grey parasol and carried a silver bag given her by Sophie Merlyn. With her lovely Hushed face and sparkling eyes, soft now with happiness,- she was a striking picture of "the very flower of youth" just opening its petals to the joy of life. Captain Merlyn and his supposed niece reached the station just in time to catch their train, and Alma found herself seated upposite her "uncle" in a first class carriage, happily conscious that she found tavour in his eyes, and that she herself and her toilette, over which she had expended much time and thought, were objects of admiring glances from the other occupants of the compartment, men and women alike.

Arrived at Victoria Station, Captain Merlyn and his companion took a taxi to the Koyal Academy. Alma had never seen the West End, except on the day she paid a flying visit to the shops in order to get the clothes her father wished her to have for her visit to the Merlyns, and Piccadilly on this fair July morning was a revelation to her. Coming up Grosvenor Place she jaught a glimpse of the Park and all the smart people assembled there to watch the riders in the Row. It was difficult .to believe that not so far from our shores but that they could be heard from the coast, the booming of big guns told of warfare and death, where men were giving their life-blood to save England from°the fate of Belgium. . "Would you like to go into the Park for a stroll?" Captain Merlyn asked, noting the girl's wistful gaze at the moving throng, "if so, we have plenty of time and can walk to the Academy from here." . "Oh ! I should, if you don t mind. "All right, then, we'll stop at the corner." Many eyes were turned upon the goodlooking naval officer and his companion, as the two joined the promenaders in the Row, and James Merlyn was well pleased to note the admiration Alma excited, and the envious glances cast at him by the male element, though he himself came in for a fair share of notice from the women, many of whom would not have objected to change places with his pretty companion. "Jim Merlyn! by all that's wonderful. Bow are you eld man after these long years?" A tall man in khaki had stopped in the act of passing them, and held out his hand —his left Alma noticed —for his right arm was in a sling. "Why, Mathison, is it possible? What have you been doing with yourself all this time? But I need scarcely ask, your name has been on everybody's lips—they winged you out there, I £ee." "Yes, but nothing much. I got off better tlun some of our poor fellows —and they have saved my hand fortunately. What are you doing in town these days?" "My ship got torpedoed, and is under repairs—nothing serious—so I've got a, short spell at home. My niece and I are doing the giddy tripper to-day. Sophie, this is a very old friend, Colonel Mathison —Miss Merlyn."

Colonel Mathison bowed, nnd turning, walked on with them on Alma's other side, to her intense satisfaction. She was in the seventh Heaven of delight at walking between two such distinguished companions, and wondered what the real Sophie Merlyn would say could she see herher place and filling it as to the manner born ? She had read all about Colonel Mathison's wonderful deeds, and had gathered that her "aunts" had known him in the old days—her vivid imagination weaving a little romance round him and Miss Delia, a romance which must have been nipped in" the bud, since the younger Miss Merlyn was still unmarried. She wondered if the Colonel were too ! The two sauntered up towards the Marble Arch, the observed of all observers, and had nearly reached the point at which they must turn when, as though to put a check upon her pride and pleasure, Alma

camo suddenly face to face with her

She hid raised her eyes to Colonel Mathison as she answered a question, and in doing-so encountered the smiling gaze of the last person in the world she wished to see. (To be continued.)