CHAPTER XLVII.-Continued.

Taranaki Herald, Volume L, Issue 12516, 26 March 1904, Page 6

CHAPTER XLVII.-Continued.

"IWihat do you " meto, Iyady Flora ?" Lady Cardonnel stammers, witji wjhite, quivering lips, and rising unteteaJdily to "her feet. "You — yotu're always instolting me, Lady Flora { You and Lady Christabel are always ins<ultin.g me ! Cardbnnel ! how— Low dare you let your daughter and sister iucrdlt me so sta.'ameftill.y ?" l W*> one means to insult you, L Ladj' Cardonnel," Qforistabel interpbses, qjuietly and coldly. "You are applying Lady Flora's words toj yo-urself. Let me speak, Aunt Flora, please. I nave only a few words to say to nxy father. As , Akmt ,Flora and I are not to live here any longer, father," she begins, commencing < almly and bravely, then breaking down in agi- , tation, "It it as well yon should . know we havfe a horne — generously . given to va — elsewhere — ■ — " i "Eh ? .Well, of coiurse," the earl says., miserably irresolute, and a- , shamed, an& sorry, "Flora can stay with her— ah ! her friends in — rin Yorkshire for a time, at least." He tries hard at the moment to recollect if it is in Yorkshire or in Devonshire that those relatives of ,this poor, solitary spinster stepi sister live, anil whether he has {heard some , ten years ago that •.they were dead or not. j "And then, when we are settled somewhere^-say at Cannes, Flora r can join us. Can you not, Flora ? It will be — aih — very pleasant wintering abroad, you know !" with a dismal attempt at a satisfied smile. J ".Thank you Huthven, yo\. and your wife, very: mjuch ; bait I'm not going to join you* at Cannes ! No, - indeed, Vm not !'* Lady Flora 5 says, panting, so that the purple velvet bow Waggles and nods fiercely. "I'm going to live with my niace. My niece, Cferistabel, has hasd a splendid gift to-day, her birthday, when she is of legal age, Riuthven ! She has a. splendid house, and grounds, anid property bestawed on her as a birthday gift ■ from those who love and honor her, for better, for worse, for k richer, for poorer," says Lady . Flora, branching off wildly in her - excitement. "Thousands and thoui sands of pounds have been spent on I a birthday gift for her, poor dear . child J Though her poor aunt," says Lady Flora, shedding tears, ''could afford to give her nothing . better than a set of Honiton braidlace cuffs and " ) "Flora ! "What on earth are you talking about ?" Lord Cardonnel intrrupts, angrily. » "Have, you taken leave of your senses altogether ? Christabel, what is all this nonsense about ? Why am Ito be always annoyed and worried < with these f amity sq.uafables ?" he 1 demands, in great displeasjure and an outbreak of self-pity, -'ily life is absolutely made a "burden to me!" i "Aunt .Flora has told you the iact, father dear," ChristaJbel says, quietly, though she is trembling from head to foot. "I have had the lease of the Furnace House and grounds, all restored and made , beautiful, as it was loing ago, given to me tenday ! Given to do as I please with, to live in, or to let it; quite my own," she- repeats, with childlike, incredulous delight in her shining eyes, and trembling, soft, red lips, and the sweet, roseate glow that tinges her face. "Ouile my. own for twenty-one years !" "Given to you ! By whom ? The Furnace House given to yo.il ! Who gave it to you, Chjistabel 7" . her father dem'ads haughtily. J 1 "Roderic Lin'disay," says Chriptabcl. And the. fair, frightened, glad, blushing face tells Lord Cardonnel \ what his daughter's ■ lips refuse to ■ j "Ro'deric Lindsay gave you the j Furnace House and grcrawrls ?" Lord Cardotmel asks, .stonily ami coldly, but in his inmost heart feeling neither sorry nor distoleascd. "By what right, Christaibel. did Roderic Lindsay give you such a — a peculiar gift, or by what right should I allow you to accept siu-h a gift from a man who is a stran^ j er to me ?''■ , i i "Not - q!uite - a stra,nger, father dear," pleads Christabel, tremulously* "And you were friends witli him'— at first," she goes on, in lowered tones, looking at 'her father ( \vith sweet, beseeching eyes, "I never knew why you broke oiff that friendship, father. I never could tell ; Roderic never could tell !" i "But I could tell I" Loitd Caurdonnel says, autocratically. "But this does not answer my cftuestiou, Christabel. You cannot think that 3 woiild- permit you to accept Roderic Lindsay's gift unless— i — " "But I have accepted it, father," Chiristabel says, paling, but looking at him resolutely. "You hame ? Without deigjtiing to consult your father ?" Lord Cardonnel says, bitterly > "This means I presume, Lady Christa'bel, that you accept the giver as well as the gift ? Or have I ventured too far in asking f so uncontventionai a young lady a question about her private , affairs ?," he, says, with a sardonic smije, but his voice trembLady Christabel's cheek's , tire ' crimson, and her' dark, triitiiful eyes look wistfully at her father through a mist of tears;'' ,' - "Father, dearest ! don't be angry : with me I" slhe says, half audibly. "I know Roderic loves me ! I know I shall be very hapipiy and beI loved if I afecept him !"

"If you accept him !" repeats Lord Cardonnel, with scornful emphasis. - "Yes, if I accept him—w ith your permission, father," she /savtf, humbly and "beseechingly, and bursts into tears of agitation. She tries to reach her trembling little hand to dasp her father's ; she tries to put her soft arxns arovmd his neck, to beg piteously lor Ids love and good will as she has never done before. Btil tbe earl puts away his child's clinging hands. "Don't trouble yourself about such old-!us'hkmecl ideas as your duty to father, I,ady Christabel," he says, frigidly. "You arc | ,of age, as I have Just been reminded. You will do as you please, ol J course. You have always* persisted | in outraging all the conventional J rtiles belonging to .your clas.s and ! order. This is, the climax ! Con- j tract a mesalliance if you please, j but do not except me to countenance you afterward." "You are scarcely just, fathei,' 1 Chtistabel says, in low, trembling tones. "1 have no mesalliance in J view. You must know that, father ?" "I kmrvv notching about your affairs. I nave been allowed to know nothing,' heretofore, so I wish to know nothing now !" I v ord Cardonnel says, in violent irritation, rising from his chair and pacing up and down, while his brentning comes quick and laboured. '• You will do as you please, as you have always done ! Let this oouversatiou cease, I request. I am not able to endure the constant anxieties and agitations to which I am subjected whenever I venture to hope for a little domestic peace I' 1 he says, with another outbreak of peevish reproach and gushing selfcompassion. Christe.bel, perforce, is sadly &?!• ent, wondering what r.he sWh do When Mr Feardion arrives. And even as she tJiiaks of the ; impending visit she hears, through the open windows and the stiii I evening air, the dick and clash oi : the gate at the lodge, which is not more than a few hundred j&ids | away. , * j But I^ady Cardoiael, who lia: Ijcen listening and looking from the I fatlier to the daught.-r, ncr \el low eyes gleaming, iier teeth snowing in a white line insid'o. her t/ghtencd lips, her nostrils panting in speechless rage, starts up n'.>w a^ the smoldering lire of. he*- iury breaks into flame. "Are you going' to allow yoxir daugfhter to set at defiance, Lord Cardonnel r" she demands, hissing the words through her teeth. "Pray, pray, Uydia. let the master rest for this evening ; ' l^ord Cardonnel exclaims. % *T,et the subject of conversation be changed ! 1 want to hear no inora ! I want to luaive pep.ce — if it be possible !" iii ! angry desip,air. I "Are you going— alter Leing .warned against tlia.t rtsnn—to suffer your daulgSiter, ani ignioranr girl, who knews nothing of the woJd, to set you at open delic^cc ?' Lady Cardonnel persist.* in louder fiercer tones, not he^Ung his \,zovi ish entreaty in the k«:wt. ! "Pra.y be silent, Lady Cardonnel! ,Pray be silent!" Christaiml imiplorcs, in hurried undertones, a.^ she glances olut af the window. "A ; visitor coming across the lawn xt'ill hear you ! Do hush ""' But Lady Cardonnel, who has al' the instincts of a vulgar tennag ant, beneath that smooth, siren ir.atmer of hers, is only gratified by Christa'bcrs evident jlisja.iv', .tii'd grows louder antl znorc insol.iit ac~ i cordingly. »'To bo continued).