THE BEAUTIFUL PROXY

Taranaki Herald, Volume LX, Issue 143770, 19 April 1912, Page 5

THE BEAUTIFUL PROXY

By R. .MURRAY GILCHRIST,

Author of ‘‘The Gentle Thespians,” ‘‘Lords and Ladies,” ‘‘Tho Wonderful Adventures!” “Beggar's Manor,” “The Secret Tontine. etc., etc. [COPYRIGHT.] CHAPTER XVlll.—Continued. Sorly conducted Mr. Knowsley down a side corridor to a square whitepanelled room on whose walls hung many highly polished weapons 01 the chase. "Well, what is wrong?” he said. ■Ti cannot bo true that your mistress has disappeared!’’ "It's true enough that the lady's gone,” replied, burly, with a heavy sigh. “Things have got mixed up m a very queer fashion, and Lord knows what will bo the end of it.”

“For Heaven’s sake put the story in plain words!” he cried, “I don't know if you realise how terrible the thing seems to me.” "And .Miss Edgeworth.” he said, when Sorly hud finished her incoherent story. "Has Miss Edgeworth disappeared .too?” ".Miss Edgeworth, sir? Oh. no, silo’s upstairs in the Chinese room, crying her eyes out. As for mo, 1 m so distraught that I scarce know whether I’m on my head or my heels.”

“Perhaps you will be good enough to ask -Miss Edgeworth if she will see me?” he said. ".She may be able to give me some clue.” "1 can ask, sir, there’s surely no harm in asking, i'll go now and sec her.”

She withdrew, to return soon, saying that the young lady would see iiim at once. He followed her up the staircase to the quaintly decorated room in which Anno had lir.st met Lady Delaval. The pretended Miss Edgeworth came from the window-seat.

“Oh, I a'm glad that you have come!” she said. "I think that 1 shall go mad if i stay here doing nothing!” He looked at her in sumo amazement ; the voice was, so like a voice lie loved best in the world. The girl certainly was not beautiful just then—her hair was dishevelled, and tears had washed her skin to a ghastly pallor. “It is so with me,” ho said quietly.

“I cannot realise what my life would ho if—if any harm befell Sylvia. Tell me all that you know, Miss Edgeworth. 'There must surely ho some reason for her disappearing!''’ She turned aside her face. “Mr. Knowsley,” she said, "it would he better for you never to know. You would show wisdom in going away, and forgetting that such a woman as Lady Delaval ever lived.” The hot blood flamed to his handsome face. "You may ho her kinswoman, Miss Edgeworth,” ho exclaimed, "but you have no right to speak of her,in such a way. 1 know Sylvia a thousand times better than you can.” "Ah, no, Mr. Knowsley, you arc wrong. There is no person in the world who realises her weakness, her folly, a.s I do at this moment. Sylvia is a poor, simple creature, little bettor than an idiot.” Knowsley moved towards the door. "You are no friend of hers, or you could not use such words,” he said. "I'll hear no more.” Hut the girl left the window-seat and came, to his side, "Stay, Mr. Knowsley,” she said. "I believe that you are Sylvia’s friend, and God knows that she needs true friends just now. She is and has been for long the most wretched woman in the world!” "I have noticed within the last twelve months that she has changed," he said. "She has seemed unhappy, has lost herself in thought at unexpected moments. But with my last breath I’d swear that Sylvia lias never done anything wrong. Let us waste no more time, however; but tell me, your opinion about her absence.” "I must toll you—l must tell you all,” she said after a brief silence. "But if ever you thought kindly of her, you will never do so again—” "Why do you talk so foolishly?” he cried hotly. "What right have you to hint in such a furtive way. Y’ou can tell me nothing about her that will affect her place in my regard. I ask you for nothing but your opinion concerning her disappearance. I will listen to nothing more.” The girl’s breath came and went painfully. “And Sylvia nevor knew that you loved her i” she hesitated. "You are strangely curious about my feelings. Miss Edgeworth! But I have no shame in telling you that I have loved her for years and years. Whether she knew of my love or not I cannot say, whenever I have striven to speak to her of it she has contrived to change the subject.” “Poor Sylvia showed what little sense she had in doing that,” said she.

“Miss Edgeworth, I will not listen to you ! I 3iould be disloyal!” ,

She pressed her hands firmly to her bosom. “No, never disloyal,” she murmured. “You must—you must listen. Sylvia is not free!”

“Not free?—what do you mean?— you talk madly.” She steadied herself by leaning against a tall cabinet. “Sylvia is another man’s wife,” she whispered.

The colour fled from his face, making it as pallid as her own. “Another man’s wife, another man’s wife!” h© reiterated. “Miss Edgeworth, you don’t know what you’re saying; 1 never heard such arrant nonsense!” “It is not the less true. A year ago she met someone—someone who overcame her with some wonderful favScination. She cannot describe to you hpw ho obsessed her. When she was with him she was quite without will power. Within a week of their first meeting ho married her, and the moment after she left the church it seemed as though she awoke. £%.f? realised then that the whole affair was a nightmare made real. In place of 'the feverish affection she had felt there came an overwhelming repulsion. H© took her to a half-ruined house in Yorkshire, and there they remained for some days. But her horror of him was so great that never was she alone in his company. She would have died else—” “Hy poor, poor Sylvia !” said Knowsley. “>ly poor little girl!” “Thank God you have compassion for her! It is surely terrible when a woman hates and fears her husband There, in that awful house she divined his incredible' baseness. One day she contrived to bribe an old servant—a woman—and a message was sent to Lady Caroline, who went at once.” “And brought her home.” said Knowsley. “I remember well how ill Sylvia was—”

_ “She brought her home, after buying the man’s absence. Sylvia was under age, and, as you know. Lady Caroline’s ward. Her father’s will had a clause by which part of her for-

tune could be alienated without Lady Caroline’s consent. Mr, Brotby—” “Bretby of Somcrcale!” he ejaculated. “One of the wickedest fellows in England!” “Lady Caroline gave him a large sum of money, and induced him to go away for a year, threatening, if ho refused, to deprive Sylvia of at least half her inheritance. He. agreed—it was hoped that lie would never return. We—Lady Caroline, 1 mean, determined that ho should have a fine income if he never approached Sylvia again. Her horror grow instead of lessened in his absence. But some time ago ho wrote announcing that ho meant to come to Delaval and openly claim Sylvia as his wife. Lady Caroline replied that she would never permit this; that the house was not open to him. His next letter contained a threat that he would take Syl via into his own care, and remove her from the influence of any mischievous relatives.” "So it is Bretby who lias taken her away!” cried Knowsley in great agitation. "1 wish to Heaven 1 was face to fare with him.”’

"With all my heart 1 hope that you may never meet him I” .die said brokenly. “I. could not afford to lose—what am I saying? .Vow that I must toll yon all my courage fails.. Yon despise—yon must despise Mr. Bretbv’s unhappy wife!” "Despise Sylvia? If I cared for her before, she is a thousand times dearer to mo now. Although lam not to havcthe joy of calling her my own, I nil! do anything to save her.' Miss Edgeworth, you have never been in love, or yon would understand. At any rate, she shall have peace; ['ll force him to cease, molesting her!” (To ho cuniiimcd.t