INFATUATION.

Thames Star, Volume LXII, Issue 17418, 5 September 1928, Page 3

INFATUATION.

By B. M. CROKER. t Author of “Pretty Miss Neville,’’ “A Bird of Passage,” “Mr Jervis,” “Terrence,” “Beyond the Pale,” “The Cat’s-Paw.”

_ CHAPTER XV

SO NEAR AND YET SO FAR

“Ladies!

•What for?’

1 what hour does he dine?”

“He mostly dines out. I believe he has friends staying at the Metropole.”

“What a. pity that lie does not stay there too!” remarked Miss Maria; she had taken an antipathy to this fellowlodger. who. with his numerous requirements, violent hell ringing, and loud imperative voice, kept the whole establishment at “attention.” *

It was a strange, a “heart-shaking” experience fur poor to go straight from the presence of one of these old lovers into that of the other, —to stand in the overpowering glare Miss Maria's idol, and two minutes later to, find herself talking to his unconscious worshipper ! He .was undeniably ail exigeant inmate, never hesitated to give trouble, would order up fresh toast over and over again until it was exactly to his liking, and send, down his hoots half a dozen times, until Sarah was in tears, and the hoy m open, impudent rebellion, suggesting that “the old blister had betterco me down and do them himself.”

The youth was relinked, and gave warning; and this was a serious business. for he was a reliable hoy. who only smoked ami sang in the scullery, and was good at the knives. Yes; Captain Horrodaile belonged to the same ■‘school’ as Mrs. Pegrim, and thoroughly understood the art of making hilusef comfortable. He was selfish to the core, and had a ruthless. tyrannical tongue. Once, when his outlets were singed, he spoke so sharply that .Miss Smee assured* herself that, if Miss Maria coud only have heard him. she mu.st have admitted that she had a lucky escape! What would .Miss Maria have said if she had seen him give old Hero a savage kick as lie lay ou the hall mat. patiently waiting for his beloved mistress and his clai'lv walk? And yet Captain Horrodaile could he charming wlmn it suited him. and for this also fanny Smee could vouch. One afternoon ho had sen-, in a magnificent supply of flowers, fruit, and cakes; these he had followed, in person, with many particular and exasperating injunctions. He expected two young ladies to tea, and actually stood over the trembling and flurried Fanny whilst she nervously arranged vases, and set the table to his satisfaction. The young ladies duly arrived; one extremely tall, handsome, and beautifully dressed: the other, stout, .sergeclad. and jovial. Captain Horrodaile received them as if lie was their bondslave. and entertained them like a prince—not only with choice sandwiches claintv cakes, and Caravan tea. hut with a wealth of amusing stories; and the merry ringing laugh of the tall girl with the blue, blue eyes, echoed up and down the stairs. “What’s all this about?” said Hero to Hanjo the pug. whom he met m the hack hall. (They were tolerably good friends, though Hero secretly despised the pug for his airs, his greediness. and his iove ol gossip; whilst Hanjo. on the other hand, scarcely veiled his lofi.lv contempt for the collie's poverty and social insignificance. Ho merely nodded when they met out-of-doors, ’or walked by with a casual ierk of his tail; and lie would not have been seen speaking to him in the King's Hoad—no. not for a whole roast chicken !)

“It's that nuisance, the bald Captain; lie lias ladies to tea,” . replied Banjo, in his thick throaty voice.

“Oh, ! know—l heard all about it at the club—he has tracked down an American heiress, and followed her. She has millions.” “Dollars?”

“Yes; she is at the Metropole, and he dines there every night, because lie says the cooking is so vile here.” “Oh. that’s what he calls’it?”

“And now he has this girl to tea, and has laid in all sorts bf tempting dainties, and is making himself extremely agreeable upstairs, as you may hear.”

“I. wish he would make himself agreeable downstairs; he always kicks me if he gets the chance.”

“He had hotter not let your mistress catch him.” gurgled the pug. “1 say. how attentive she isj to you!— chops up your food, brushes your coat, studies your tastes. Do you know, tlmt in some ways I’d like to belong to her.”

‘‘l dare say you would!" answered Hero, with an expression of irony that wa.s totally wasted on his listener. “Martin/my man. is dreadfully careless; he often forgets to brush me or give me water, and though he knows I’m fond of game. I never taste it, unless the old gentleman gives it to me off his own plate. Would you believe it. the other day, that vulgar boor actually offered me nearly half of a most delicous cold grouse, and then took it away, made a hideous grimace, and said. ‘Yah! Don’t you wish you may get it?’ I could have bitten him.'

‘Tin sure of it. Tide’s your master's tea coming.” “Oh, so it is”—rising—“and I must he off—lie wiLl lie expecting 111 c.” “Yes. he will; you’d better hurry for the cream.’ retorted the old dog. as he curled himself up and closed his eves.

At las tthe three weeks, the period of Captain Borrodaile’ tenancy, came to an end. during which time Fanny Smeo had lived, so to speak, in a powder-mill; but as they kept such different hours, the once “happy couple” had never chanced to meet. From his drawing-room Captain Horrodaile had watched Maria and her dog walking in the square, as he stood in the window retiectivey! picking his teeth. 1 “By George.” lie exclaimed, “she must he every day uf thirty, and Cad ! she looks it ; and that old brute must he the identical collie pup in his dotage. She always had a good figure and a good air. Maria has blue blood in her veins. She is shockingly shabby —what. a. hat! Companion to a lady, l.’in told: and a. devilish dull one, no doubt. She’s not likely ever to he companion to a gentleman. By Jove! when I think of it. I treated her pretty badly; hub little Mrs. Moffat, the judge's wife, laughed me out of the whole thing. And those stacks ol letters which 1 never answered! They say letters answer themselves, and it’s an A! idea, and quite true. After some years my silence acted as the ‘cease fire.*’ What a lot. of money she must have wasted on stationery!— hut 1 believe some women love letterwriting. even if their letters are neither answered nor read, i suppose, I’ve changed”—walking over to the pier-glass and calmly contemplating his own reflection. “When, she last saw mo. most of my hair was on my head—now it’s on my chin. Well, Xorris. my hov, you are not so handsome. as vou were, but yon are devilish

old dog.

(To be continued.)

distinguished, and that comers to the same thing.

“1 . wonder what Maimie moans to do? I’ve made some progress, though it was a very expensive affair; that dining at the Metmpole was a reai good move. She looks magnificent of an evening, and knows how tu dress. She makes the (.tlior women seem like dowdy pigmies. I never saw her in better tonu than last night, in that) wine-coiLured gown ; her heatl v and throat have the real patrician air,' and any one might take her for a princess born, until she opens her mouth and twangs lent some awful expression as ‘Shucks!’ I think the old man is all right. Heraldry is the straight tip. with him and now that he has got hold ot my pedgree, it will keep him amused for some time. It is a ready sound and marketable article, and I only wish my pass-book was as good reading. 1 dare say Fontaine will be on for letting Maimie go ‘off.’ Site is a couple of stone over liis weight, to fond of ‘toting’ him round. Gossip gives her eight, but say four millions. That is a respectable fortune, even in the States. I think it is all right. She has given me her photograph, accepted my bouquets, my theatre-tickets and attentions, and 1 believe it’s on the cards that she will accept me. The day they lost their way near Bavano was a good business for me, \es. I think -Maimie will say ‘Yes.’ And why not?”—with a glance at his own reflection. “I’m presentable, well bred, only forty. 1 am a gentleman, and. what is important. when cousin Clement ‘sends in his checks,’ as they , all it. I shall he Lord Saxonhurst of Hurst Royal. -Miss Maimie will like to lie ‘my lady.’ though a lady she will never be; she talks too much and too fast, sho gesticulates like a I‘reach lemme de chambre; she expresses herself in outrageous language, and is altogether as go-ahead as an Atlantic liner. However. I might do worse’ ; and ho laughed as he cast a commiserating glance on a somewhat dis-consolate-looking figure, that was still pacing the square, followed by a feeble

oiir seml stoby'