FOR HONOUR'S SAKE

Timaru Herald, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 12908, 23 February 1906, Page 2

FOR HONOUR'S SAKE

(By Bertha M. Clay.)

CHAPTER X.—"l HAVE YOUR SECRET'NOW.

It was past one o'clock when Esric Stewart- entered Lady Allister's crowded salon, and was received with effusive delight by the hostess, and by all. and they were many who knew him, as he made his way through the rooms. It was not difficult to find his wife; she was always a centre of attraction, and he soon discovered her, seated on a couch, surrounded by a group of men; she looking radiant, in satin and diamonds galore. "Ah, there is my-husband!" she said. "I am not going home yet. Esric." "I will look you up again presently." Stewart said, and was turning away, when the loud, hearty voice that had "greeted him two years ago on the Boulevard Haussmann, went through him like a shock.

" Captain Stewart—by all that's lucky! Well met again! So you've turned up without a scratch, eh I "What in the world made you go out to such a place?" And Stewart had to resign his hand to the ample grasp of Chris Davenant. while his heart stood still with the mingled dread and hope of meeting Claude face to face. Yet he said, smiling : "I heard to-day that you were in town. Are your wife and ward with vou tonight?"

"My wife, not Claude. She'll be pleased to know I've met you. You must come and see us. There's Julia, yonder: come and talk to her, will you: "and, vou will run down to us?" added Davenant. a* Stewart turned away from him toward where Mrs Davenant sat. "The Ferns, Cranmore Road,. South Kensingtou. We shall expect you soon." " Thanks; I will certainly give myself the pleasure." Stewart answered, as* he might have accepted an invitation to which the conventional form of answer would apply; and: every nerve of his being w?s quivering with the thought of nil that answer held for him.

"Julia Davenant. who looked verv handsome in red satin, shcok hands 'wariniv with Stewart.

"Such a tre;U to see you!" she said. VI am so sor:y Claude is not with us this .eveniEg; hut. of course, you will come over and see us. We are alwavs at home on Sunday and Wednesdav evenings, aud generally at present in "the afternoons; Your wife has been pointed out to me. How lovely she is."

He bowed. The truth was too obvious to be treated as a mere compliment. ''She is surrounded bv admirers." he said, laughing: " 1 have hardlv spoken Ao her."

"The penally of-having a beautiful wife " stud Mis Davenant. "How odd we never met abroad. Were you in Vienna after your niarriagr?" " For a little while: before von went." "j You heard of us tbere - tllen? Claudo made an immense sensation. She had splendid offers, but she is romantic, aud refused them all. The world doesn't seem to Lave changed her intrinsically one bit." "Thank Heaven for that." uiv pinenearted cmrliiig." g.ii.l Captain Stewart, inwardiy. Ah-nd :" I suppose, bv * romantic you me,n >he t!>-nks love an'impor'ont factor in marriage?'' "YU!I, yes: I'm afraid I'm verv worldlv, Captain Stewart : besides, 1 think a gfrl will learn to love auy man who is kind to her. Y'ou look quizzical! \"ou Scotchmen are very romantic, I fear; at any rate you are. But where's the difficulty ft loving a man like Couut brave, good-looking young fellow, and desperately in earnest." Stewart shrugged his shoulders. "Who knows?" he said. "Who knows a woman's heart? She doesn't nlwavs know it herself. Pray remember me "to Miss 'Verner."

He bowed aud m&Ved awav. to talk to some one else. His own heait was unidly questioning—dallying. with the hupe tint was so " blinding sweet," vet which, after all, was selfish. Did Claude retain some memory of him, winch, all unknown to herself, maybe, made her indifferent to other men's love. What.her husband said to Chris Darenant, Pauline could not hear across the buzz of talk areur.d her: but the loud tone.-, of Davenant reached her ear distinctly, and into her blue eyes, at his last words. It-aped a sudden Hash of evil light, as instaujly veiled under the drooping lashes. W'ne:: the two men tunird awav. she said, v:\Ai ia-i-uid cuiiositv {<> ; . In ;ls next her—Sir .Tames Teltham :" "Who is t'.:;-. w':o was talking to mv husband?" "That's Chr:.- Davenant." he- said; "talks for i!i? w!k!2 room to hear him—doesn'l he?" "I don't know the name."' said Pauline: "and Claude—he spoke as it Claude were a woman " "Y'es, she's his ward: h:df French. I believe, and—v<e!l. Mrs Stewart." bowing. "1 may say it to you safelv—a lovely girl; pretty isn'r the woid: she's a blue rose!" " You are enthusiastic." said Pauline, smiling serenely. "Are you smitten?" "Oh! I have ne%-er spoken to her: but I saw her in Paris once, at a concert." "They come from Paris, then?" • "I don't know; they were living in Paris at that time—about two years ago." "What is your paragon's surname?" said Pauline, still with that sanile on her rosy lips. " Verner-." ''An Irish uaaie. I suppose there's not mrtch money, and this Davenant wants to marry bis ward to a rich man." "Xo doubt. She'll be extremely popular this season. Mrs Stewart—after" yc-u." "But I am our of the marriage market." said Pauline, purposely misunderstanding him. " I mean in beauty." said ho. galh.ntiy. " Don't talk nonsense! I am quite anxious to see—aiy rival," with a rrgu'ssh, upward glance. "You're sure t<> meet her. :: yr.it c.< n't call. There's a Mrs Davenant. you know."

"Ob. indeed! Is she here* Pi.i:n her out to m?;"'

" She is close to tho window y.-.inler, in red sntin, {.i!kii:;j to S'i-)::lsv Thllori h ::<.-.' Pauline gazed steadily, thou saivl:

"Do you call bint 'Squire" Tvllctmebe because he is square-built and broadshouldered?"

" Xo; he is Squire Tollemsche, of Ka*t Donford. in Xoniiampsonshire—.-its it m> a town man now, but doesn't look the pari, does he! He's very nth, though." "They want him "for Claude. ptrhapn?" "Very likely." Pauline had heard enough for the present, so she dbmmed her caviller for an [ice. and was, for a few moments, actually alone. She did not mind it jost nowj. she was chewing the end of reflection at once bitter and triumphant. "£?o! this is the girl you love, l->ric." sho said, inwardly, while she sat, t-miliog, and waving her fan gracefully to and ft©; ["the girl for whose- sake you wanted to ;throw me over. I have ycur secret now. and 1 shall mak«- use of it. Was it your will or her guardian's that kept you sx« long away from her side? If bis, be t-eems to have changed his mind ; if your*— well, V know how it will be now that the girl is in town—men always return to their first loves. I won't stand that'. You shall find that it I can't love I can hate—and if I am not clever, I have wit enough for mischief. Ah! s?jr J.ime*thauks so much. Are they formicg This is your waltz, isn't it? 1 shall leave after that."

When Pauline and her husband reached home he simply bade her goodnight, a* usual, without caress, or even handclasp, and went straight to his own room; and she. while her sleepy maid was unrobing her. was saying, savagely, to hemelf: " He will have words enough for Claude Verner. no doubt, though never a word for me; he will have a thousand kiw>es for her. though he has never bad one for me. I don't covet his caresses, but if they are not for me. they are f«r no on* else: and I'll make h*r understand that—somehow—if I daren't make him'."

But even jealousy and anger did not suffice to keep Pauline awake. Like mmt people of her temperament, she could always sleep, and as soon as her fair h*ad touched the pillow she slept the sleep of the healthv and selfish.

CHAPTER XI.—AFTER TWO YEARS.

The April sun was shining brightly on the garden of a pretty villa house in South Kensington, and a girl was,leaning against the side of the open French window, and saxing out over 'the trees, kst in dreamy thought.

A beautiful creature she was. more beautiful than she had been two year* ago; but there was an ever-latent pain in the violet eyes, that they had not kn wn when Esric Stewart first saw heaven reflected in them: more than a touch vf tht bitterness of suffering about the lines oj she sweet, firm mouth: but the whole facthad gained in depth of expressing, and ha<! lost nothing of that wonderful charm <-f childlike purhr, an intrinsic purity of soul, that had resisted all the evil influence* of a life which taught her much cynical wisdom; a life she hated and despised, yet saw no means of escaping. Ye*. Claude Vcrncr had learned many tilings sir.ee these days: knJwd whsi manner <«:" |»e pic they were to her fa'.htr had ignoranily c ns:gncd her; what she was to bs to them and do for them. Well-born adventurers, making their way in the world, between whom and herself there could n-.l be one idea in ccmamn. and on her they. depended as the .means of their ultimate and pe.maner.t success„ Her beauty was :n gain a rich hui>h,itid, and t-> that end she was floated -through the salons of Eu:opean capital*, and niigdt a dozen times and more have married ■ wealthy men: but. alas! for her guardian*. Claude was not made of malleable material, and refused every suilor that came. When reproved or remonstrated with, she was haughty ar.d defiant, and shewed her self generally so independent, that they feared she might run away, or take it in!*--her head to marry some " useless" individual, and they reproved her no more. She was always an attraction to their home, and even in this capacity fully repaid the expense of her clothe* an<t he: keep. If sue could not be driven, thev argued, she might lu« led: time was plenty <f time, after all. fcr even now Claiute was cnlv t went v.

Hut the girl thctrnugtay underload what was intin>3!ely expected" of hcf. and was thoroughly determined t«/ go her owu way, as sho had evei done: but the position was galling to her pride. All her sensitive soul revolted at ;he manner in which, she was thrown «.« the marriage market: she disliked and her guardian* their mean a:.d sordid end*, their Sow tone of thought. They ct.uld wear no masks ■© her: ihc hearty demeanour of th» one. the bbndness of* the other. only disgusted her. She knew that both were capable of rank dishonesty, il it were at ante profitable and safe* How was it that, to shun an atmosphere so antagonistic, the girl had no: escaped through the easy door *»f mar riage? Men had wooed "her whom it had surely net been difficult to love, vet j-lie was deaf to all. Did she know iie:scH? Surely not: and yet th.it evening at she An.bigtt. that other cveninc at the T.uc Monceau, were? epochs in her young 1:1 c Evsry b-ok and tone of Ksiir Stewart to that last, soft leave-taking, which was such a long farewdl. were as clear in her memory now, as.she stood today in the April sunshine, as wheu he was by" her side She was grieved for * him: ah! *o grieved, because Ids marriage was *o unhappy. Had he ever loved this PvoHnoi Arnold, or had he pledged himself to bet in a. mistaken sense of obligation, grateful to her for her care of him when he was wounded? Surely, if he loved her. he would not have lingered in Pari*, while she was in London: .and within a year of bis marriage he exiled himself for an indefinite period, to take part in a petty struggle, wherein there w,i» little cx<-i»e-nient and no gkrv. as if he were wcarv of life. '

Ah! how carefully Cluide ocirrJicd the p.nj»ers d.\ily for news of fhst c»mj»%B. With what a quiver of dread ??ic looked tuuoiic the slain .vid w; ;;ndcd fc; r«n<? n.iaie. What a tltritl of cJjuino- went to her heJJI when she missed it: or mw it in cflr;ncc?i> n with a record of «.nme "for Midi" wish Js:e cr."n:y; for pitched Kittle* there were none, iu tiii* Fort of g«er:3!.Ti w.isfjjc. And no-* he «.v,i<; I'.ome v-ife nr.J iink-urned. Purely hi* trjfe c;<ve him mlovinj Bdr-mc * Hoir could >he 'ieift loving him. nn?ev> her lie Art was n* csltl .n a stone?

Claude ha <3 tcaa is lie psper a»«ra- ; jng that *i» mi J>«acswa. j Wuuld he c-jJJ a-i The Fcnw. wijen be 39ew4 the Ilavetjafit* wcje Vi t«ws? Hat. atjy* j how, liicy Slight trirsct each «rthtr ja *ociesy. The g»f# heart throbbed ituler M. ihe j !hot)glii ; yet *he dii a'* l ! half rafc»« I gladttc** it w«uJil be to her Jo *x-e Eisiic • Stewart ooce were. The t»i the j«h»oi »l^ui3ed her fmtn her reverie,. ,ao<3 her km! i round. It was Chris Darc&arjt vwmiog in to breakfast. Claude had had feetts three bom* jrgw: bat. eScvws wciock «** tauly enough 3": her assmhas. Mr* Da, venant generally brcaj;f&«a«c! is her jw-to, and came <d»wn be-" w©eo eleven and Jw-«3v«, when she bad been to a b&H; otbmiriw, >.hfc trj»* rather earlier. " «%«»d marsing. ray tfas*.~ Chri* rnj, just, touching hi* tip* (o her 3<»?<cb«*.*4: j " I wish two had bees with s* U*l Kigiji i "\Y a* it j> sice b«33?* 1 ».»k«3 Claude.. <:««- 3 iwly. tinging the bell for the w3et. i "Very: l<»i* -cit * smA» * jwnjOe. Iln ogh it's m> early in the #fcai«»n: aod. assise | :hcm. whom do y*»a think T" | I- " Aoftse I k#wr aw&eßT Class de, cm«- i le»3y. thinking of Hs.»il TefflcfflJKhe. | "To be Riwtid Davctu«i, hi* jeeat at the taK!e. " Oar ba«d*<«»ei friend Ijpiiin Stewart, of Lc/ebjtt«br." j i A quiver weal through jfl tf;e [ nerve* j "Captain 3>so*-aji t" »he "'lit'! only arrived is Ivnnctat) yt*Jci'4»y." " Ami came t«* triy Ai3»ltr*i< -slHStf! I.lQ\ a.m. to cwrt hi* wife h-wroe. toy "ilear. £he wa» there fr&su ten a»d I <«*>]yi him' j-« her <4** during il-..:-hour they *«« in the roots# .; She vnv -etim'aadcd by a *<c;rj>« -4 ; mirfcjs," ■(To be tmntinsei?.'i