CHAPTER I.

Taranaki Herald, Volume XXIV, Issue 2415, 31 May 1876, Page 1 (Supplement)

CHAPTER I.

CHAFFER GRACE DANTON.

A low room, oblong in shape, three high, narrow windows admitting the light through small, old-fashioned panes. Just at present there was not much to admit, for it was raining hard, and the afternoon was wearing on to dusk ; but even the wet half light showed yon solid mahogany furniture, ols-fasbioned as the windows themselves, black and shining with age and polish ; a carpet soft aud thick, but its once rich hues dim and faded ; oil paintings of taste and merit, some of them portraits, on the papered walls ; the red glow of a large coal fire glinting pleasantly on their broad gilded frames. At one of the windows, looking out at the ceaseless rain, a young lady sat — a young lady, tall, rather stout than slender, and not pretty. Her complexion was too sallow, her features too irregular, her dark hair too scant and dry, and thin at the parting ; bnt her j eyes were fine, large, brown and clear, i but manner self-possessed and ladylike. j She was very simply but very tastefully dressed, and looked every day of her. age— twenty-six. The rainy afternoon was deepening j intb dismal, twilight, and with her i cheek resting on her, hand, the young j lady sat with a thoughtful face. [ A long avenue,, shaded by towering trees, led down to stately entrance, gjates ; bojond, a winding, road leading i to a village, not to be seeu from the | window. Swelling meadows, bare and bleak riow, spread away to the right and left of the thickly wooded grounds ; and feeydnd'ali, through the trees there were glimpses of the great river, turbid and swollen, rushing down to the stormy sea. ' \ For nearly half an hour .the young lady sat by the window, ncr solitude' undisturbed, no sigh -of life within of without the silent house. . Theu came the gallop of horses' hoofs, and a lad rode up the avenue and disappeared round the angle of the building. . Ten minutes after there was a tap at j th 6 door, followed by the, entrance of a servant with a dark Canadian face. " A letter, Miss Grace," said the girl [in French. ' ' ' l ' " Bring in some more coal, Babette," said Miss Grace, also in French, taking the feUer. " Where is Miss Eeny?" , , Practising in the parlor, ma*moiselle." /'Very well. Bring in the coal." Babette disappeared, and the young ,lady iopened her letter. It was very short. : '.* NoT«mber 5, 18—. "My Deak GniCE,— Kate arrived in this city a week ago, and I have remained here 1 since to enow her the eights, find let her reCrnit after her Toyaga. Ogden tells me the ■honse is quite ready for ut, > so yea .may expect os almost' as" soon at yoa receive this. We will be down by the 7th for certain. Ogden says 'that Rose is absent. Writo to her to return. — Yonrs Bincerely, ! « ■ • " Henry Danton. " P.B.— Did ' Ogden tell you no were to have a visitor— an invalid gentleman— a Mr. Richards P Have the finite of rooms on tho nest side prepared for him. "H^D." The young lady refolded her note thoughtfully, aud walking to the fire, stood looking with grave eyes into the glowing coals. tf So soon," she thongbt; "sosoon — everything to be changed. What i$ Captain Eiahton's eldest daughter like, I wonder ? What is tho captain like himself, and who can this invalid, Mr. 'Richards, be ? ' I don't like cbariflfe:" „ Babette came in with the coals, and Miss Grace roused herself from her reverie. " Babette, tell Ledru to have dinner at seven. I think your master and his daughter. will be here to-uig-ht." " Good heavens, mademoiffello ! The young lady frbra England ?" " Yes ; and see tha^ there are 'fires in all the rooms upstairs." " Yes, Miss Grace." • "Is Miss Kony still in the ' parlour ?" " Yes, Miss Graco." i Miss Graco walked out of thodining room, along a carved and pictured corridor, up v broad flight of Bhiuiug

"•Hi D."

oaken stairs, and tapped at the' first door.

" Come in, Grace," called a pleasant voice, and Grace went in.

It was a much more elegant apart* ment than the dining room, with flowers, and books, and birdß, and pictures, and an open piano, with music scattered about.

Half buried in a great carVed and gilded chair lay the only occupant of the room — a youthful angel of fifteen, fragile of form, fair and delicate of face, with light hair and blue eyes. A novel lying open in her lap Bhotved what her occupation had been. " I thought you were practising your music, Eeny," said Grace.' " cSo I was until I got tired. But what's 'that you've got 'r 1 A letter ?" Grace put it in her hand. " From papa !" cried the girl, vividly interested at once. " Oh, Grace, Kate has come !" '■' ; . "Yes." • -.-«.. The young lady put down the letter and looked at her. - ' ; '■•• ••" " How oddly you said that ! Are you sorry ?"-■ ' ' . ' " Sorry !' Oh, no !'' ' ' ' " You looked as if you 'were. How strange it' seems" to think that tbiß'aister of inine, of wluJm I have beard so much and have never seen, should be coming here for good ! And papa^he f is almost a stranger, ; too, Grace. I sttsp6se everything Will be rery (different now." ' "Very, very different," .-Grace said, with her quiet eyes "fixed -on the fire. M'he'old life Will soon bd a tbing of .tlie past, and we have beeri Very happy here, have we not, Eeuy ?" '•' Very happy," answered 'Eeny, "and will be still, I hope. Papa, Kate, and Mr. Richards — I wonder who Mr. Richards is ?—Bhallnoi make us miserable;" "I suppose, Eeny;" said Grace, "I shall be quite forgotten when this handsome sister Kate comes. She ouglitUo l>e very bandsDuie." ; ' ' "'^ ' 11 Yon know better than that; cousin Grace. Miss Kate Dantori ixihf be an angel incarnate, but shecttri ne*er aVive you quite out of my hear li. Grace, how old is Kate?" ' «' "Twenty 1 years old." ••" •• ; ' >~ " And OBfttrry wiis thtee ' years older ?" " ' • - ' . ' "Yes;" : ' " Will youwrite to Rose ?" v I shall not have time. I wisn you would write Keny. ' That' is wii&t I came here to ask you toi do." ■ ; i " Certainlyi with ' pleasure^" said )Eeny. "Rose will wait fof no second invitation when she hears who havo come. Will they arrive this evebing ?" "Probably. They tiiay come at any moment, »nd hero I am lingering. Write the note at once Eehy, and send Sam back to the village with it." She. left the parlour, and went to inspect the rooms being prepared for the stranger. ' " Mr. Richards ought to be very comfortable here," thought Grace. M It- is f athet strange uo bne knows anything of him." ' She 1 went downstairs again and back to the dining: room. Eeny was there, standing the fire,' her light shape and delicate faco looking fragile in the red firelight. " Oh, Grace," said she, " I have just ; serit Babette in soaroh of you. There is a visitor in the parlour for you." "For me?" " Yes, a gentleman — yotmg; and rather handsome. I asked him whom I should say wished to see yon, and — what do you think V— ho could not tell ?" "No! What did lie say ?'* " Tolld me to mention to Miss Grace Dan ton that a friend wished to see her. Mysterious, is it not ?" " Who can it be ?" said Grace, thoughtfully, " What does this mysterious gentleman look like, Eeny ?" " Very tall," said Eeny, " and very stately, with brown httir, and beard, and ! moußtaohe — a splendid moustache, Grace — and beautiful • bright brown eyes,- something like yours, rery goodlooking, very polite, and with 'the smile of angel. There you have him," " I am as much, at a logs as ever," said Grace, leaving the dining room. " This is destined to be an evening of arrival*, I think." She ran upstairs for the second time, and opened the parlour door. A gon-