THE BARTONS' SECRET.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 7270, 26 July 1893, Page 4

THE BARTONS' SECRET.

LITERATURE*

.'CONTINUED I 1 No thank you/ said Denton, stiffening more and more under the Counts amiable hospitality. ' 1 have come to talk to you on business.’ i * And I have already/ replied Count too Herder, * done myself the honour to asinfa you that I am telighted.’ * Sit down, if you please/ said Denton, * Willingly/; the Count responded, and drawingja chair near that be had placed for bis visitor, ha bestowed bimaelf in it with a flourish. * You don’t mind my cigarette ? ’ he said, waving it in the air. 1 1 cannot do without my cigarette of a morning. It is the only form of tobacco for a gentleman in the early part of the day.’ *I am here no business, Count won Herder/ eaid Denton once more, with a supreme dryness. * Exactly/ rejoined the Count ; * exactly. Let us talk pasiness. Mr Deaton is & man of affairs, and naturally tesires to lead the conversation to the path where bo shines, I, who am not a pusiness man, I prefer thi field badinage—of persiflage even. I love the touch-and-go of friently gonversaiion.* * When you are at liberty. Count von Herder/ said Denton. 1 Aba!’ cried the Count, sniffing rejoicingy at the smoke of his cigarette and holding ’it under bis nose to do' it. *We are to be goot and listen. Fery well. Permit me to assure Mr Denton that I am always at his tispoaal. Pardon me for just one instant, while 1 secure another cicarette and put it in reatiness. So I Now I am at your serrice.* He bad risen wbi>e speaking, had crossed the room and bad taken a cigarette from a little cedar cabinet from a side table ; now ha returned, waving his cigarette daintily between thumb and fore-finger, and disposing himself in his chair, folded bis arms, threw one leg idly over the other, and lay back with an agreeable smile. . * Some time ago/ Denton began, * yon paid a visit to Mr Michael Hawthorne.’ * Mr Michael Hawthorne Barton/ said the Count. Denton declined for an instant to be drawn from what he bad to say. ‘ You intimated to him that you had a document in your possession, which concerned him nearly, and you made a request/ * Exactly/ said the Count, still smiling. * You warned him that if that request were not complied with, yon would lay that document in the hands of General Mallard.’ * Did IP* said the Count. ‘ Pet haps I did. My memory does not serf me well about these little dransactions, but it is not unlikely/ ‘Mr Hawthorne/ pursued Denton, ‘declined your request in the most unequivocal terms.’ * Inteet, he did/ the Count assented, with every appearance of friendly warmth. * He ordered yon from the house. * Exactly, exactly,’ cried the Count, •still with the same air of friendly assent. * And defied you to do your worst. ‘Permit me to congratulate you, tear Mr Denton,’ said the Count, ‘ on the perfect glearness and chusticewitb which you state your case.’ ‘You may not te aware/ pursued Denton, quite unmoved on tbs outside by the other’s cool impertinences—- * you may not be aware that Mr Hawthorne at once consulted his parents.’ * The excellent Mr and Mrs Barton/ tbs Count interjected. ‘Yes P’ ‘That having learned from them that yoor statement, for a wonder, was to ba relied upon, he at once took steps to communicate it to General Mallard, and that General Mallard and bis daughter have now been for many weeks fully apprised of the facts of the case.’

‘So?* inquired the Count. 'That is «o,’ returned Denton. ‘lt may interest you to Know, therefore, that "there is not tne slightest probe, bility of Mr Hawthorne at any time affording you the aid which you were impudent enough to ask at his hand.' * Now really, really, my tear Denton,’ cried the Count. ‘You ought not to talk in this way. 1 am perfectly willing to be friently. Why should yon go out of your way to say unpleasant things ? They don't matter much to me, but 1 should like to see an excellent a oheutleman as my goot Denton keeping bis temper.’ . It it were the Count’s desire to anger Denton, or if he were merely indulging hie own triumph, mattered little. His insolence slid away from his cool old adversary as water from a duck s back. He did not even need to shake himself free of itr * Mr and Mrs Barton, Mr Michael Hawthorne, and Miss Mallard—-whose pardon I sincerely beg for mentioning her name in Count Yon Herder's presence-' — ’ ‘ Now, now, vy rill yon say these things.?' cried the amiable Count, beaming all over. ‘-——are quite willing to have the whole matter made known to the whole world : at large. They don’t court publicity, bnt they are not in the least afraid of it, and not in the least to be influenced by it. General Mallard, who was at one time ardently in favour of the match you did your dirty little best to spoil—— ‘ Oh really, really,’ said Yon Herder. * ——-is now opposed to it,* said Denton, ignoring this interruption as he had ignored its predecessors. ‘ His opposition might he intensified by

publicity, though that is doubtful. In any case, I hope to overcome his scruples; and I desire to tell you,that you on your side are absolutely powerless to damage the good people whom I represent. As for that scoundrelly little tool and catspaw of yours, Mr Dogdyhe, he has shot bis bolt on his own account, and has been iynominiously dismissed by General Mallard, who, being a gentleman, and a man of honour- ’

‘The same thing, I assure you, my tear Denton/ said the Count, with a large sweep of the right hand, ‘ the same thing, I assure you.’ * never found himself in the slightest temptation to submit to being blackmailed by anybody.’ 1 Quito so, quite so/ said Von Herder, as jovial as ever. * Now, thus/ said Denton, crossing his fore-fingers in his own quaint fashion —* thus the matter stands :oa the one side, your attempt to browbeat Mr Hawthorne into introducing you to society which you have no earthly claim to enter ’

‘Ob, parton, parton, parton/ cried the Count, rising with a sudden serious and even angry air; * you must not talk in that way, mv tear Dmton ; you must not talk in that way, I assure you. Ton must permit me to inlorm you that I am socially oqual to any man in Sytney. Your Governor here —you speak of your Governor —your Governor is a mushroom of yesterday. Permit me to in inform you that I represent one of the oliest and nopleat families in Europe. Permit me to inform you that my patent of uopilily is recognised in every Court of Europe, that th« purity of my tescent ts unimpeacbed and unimpeachable.’ * I am aware of that fact, Count von Herder/ said Denton. ‘ You are aware of it ?’ the Count inquired, swiftly. *1 am perfectly aware of it/ Denton answered. * I made inquiries in Beilin which satisfied me upon that point. You are quite welcome to that admission on my part/ * Goot, goot/ returned Von Herder, and be resumed his genial air as rapidly as he bad cast it off.

(To be continued.)