CHAPTER XV. AT THE ACADEMY.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 13371, 12 January 1907, Page 6

CHAPTER XV. AT THE ACADEMY.

'^JUr Saviie/' said Marg'hcrita St. Lys, meeting Austin at jan "'at home" a lew days <aftor Mrs Grevjlle's ball, "ate you engaged tomorrow ?" . "No, madatne. I hope you are going- to aak me to do something for you." "Yes, I am. -Will you take me to the Koyal Academy ?" Savilc fhisht-d with pleasure. "You do n>e> too much honor," he & aid, "■ an-d make nic very happy." 1 '"1 can do some good in the world, jyvm Jtcc/4 f^s, taKl^ l ; &ug^iiu«g;. |*"1 banks, all toe fc&mo. It is best to |go in the morning, isn't it? 1 don't waut to be hard upon you, and ask you to come too early." "As e>axly as you please," BiAd .Savilfv eagerly. "You would get up early to please me.! 1 ' said Margherita/v gravely. "What dovotioa ! Then, will yi»u come round to mo *at ten ? 1 will not keep you wailing. I am always punctual." ' ♦ . j "I will lie with you to a minute," jsaid Savile. ; And then some people came up to olasm Margberita's attention, and he ; moved away to apeak to others. But he wondered within b'niscli why she had not asked Beaudesert to /be her encort ? "She's bound to prefer him tome," he said 1 ; , "and I feel pretty sure he is infatuated with her— he must be ! I)oe3 she vpant \0 make htm jealous, just £o'" coquetry? One never knows what a pratty woman- is up to- Any how, it's happiness for me, and I'm not ass enough to suppose that my lady ha» singled me out because of any.- preference. She knows I understand sowietleng about pictures, and am not quite a fool. She can't tolerate fools. By Jove ! there is Beau'e pretty coushv-jhaven't seen her since th* ball. I'll go a«d 'talk with her !" Margh'erita was taking her leave just as Everil entered— 'going on to an other "at home." Madame St. Lys paused to shake hands with the girl, but, though the' latter tried to be cor^!, the astute Italian saw through the attempt, a n'i ohe half smiled, half sighed, as she entered her carriage. "Poor Everil !" she said to herself. "She is so jealous of me ! I dare .-?ay she thinks me very wicked, 100, and so T am, 1 suppose. I never felt it so much as Ido now. Th»t h Beaiulesert's fault. Four days sanx the ball, and I have not seen him ? No. no : I should be too happy ! And 1 want him not to be with me <?o much ; it is not prudent, I am so unworthy of him. He will think* it just coquetry, perhaps, Well, better so. I do not mind." Yet the desperate pain in her eyes, the passionate aching- of ■ her heart, belied the mentally spoken w o rds. She joined her cavalier iv the drawin? room the next morcuxg, looking radiant in a picture costum© of pale green, with embroideries in -corn , colour, and they were driven off to BurjHnrton House. ' rive rooms' wore toleraJbfJy full, even when they arrived, and, as is- usually the ca£e when you don't want to be "bothered with friends and acquaintances, they encountered several people they knetf. ♦Tc^te on them 1! " • M»rg>henta said to Savile 4 when they had freed themselves from one group. "Why do one's friends turn up. at j wrong times ?" Savile laugh-eJ. He- was not a t all sorry to .-find that Madame St. Lys did not want to move about with a large escort ; he preferred having her to. himself. Presently, as they turned from one of Turner's richly coloured groups, : it'arp'hprita said : , '• '"Who »s that handsome woman over there? She looks like a somebody." Savile followed the direction of her o-aze, and smiled- = "That is the Duohess of Edendsale," iC said. '"Ytoii must Jet me .introduce you to her." "No, thanks," replied ~ Margherita, coolly. "I never force myself ori people. You go and talk to her, and I will wait for you here." "But — -" bepan S a vile. 'fYbu forget T am Bohemian : the duchess is in the sanctum sanctorum o£ London society. She does not want to know me— therefore, I don't want to know her. Please go and speak to her. Who is it with her, by the way ?" "Lord Charles Durnford. There is no need for me to speak to her. Shr is not looking this way." "She did look this way," said the astute Italian,' "but she will not again. So run off •&»• a few minutes. I should prefer it." Thus adjured, Savile went u.p t« Freda to exchange greetings. Of course, she had seen Madam© de St Lys ; it was not easy to be »In the qume room with her,- and overlook her, and, cursory though ( the view \v u ?<, the duchess* could ; not heir thinking that any man was to be foreiyen for being captivated by her. She felt rather nervous lest Savile should' wa n t to introduce 'her; anri was" relieved when the young- man came up "alone. Was this his dis-

cretion, or 3largherit a '.s ? But, a-< she expressed no desire to know Madame St. Lys, Savile saw that the latter had been right. Freda flrd not wish to know her. "Marghcrita covertly watched the duchess, as she stood talking to Savile. Ernest's sister-in-law must be an interesting person to her. She felt no resentment that the diuchess "held ulo f >f from her ;it was only justice, after, all. What did Freda? .really know •of tli'is *" foreigner i ?\ And perhaps she hud other wisbe-3 for her brother. "And if she .has not," thought Marijherita, with her quiet philosophy, '•she would hardly like me. Very likely she thinks I am a mere adventuress :at the least, , lam a roquette—a heartless ' siren ! Here comes my cavalier. Well, 1 I don't want to make him my slave. I would rather he worshiped the cousin, who doe 3 not w o rsbip him !" She looked up as Savtte approached. (To be continued.)