CHAPTER X.

Observer, Volume 1, Issue 18, 15 January 1881, Page 175

CHAPTER X

Three days after the examination of Brownpath, a man of about thirty years of age, with free-and-easy air, blue glasses on his nose, and with a decent sort of stick in his hand, knocked at the door of the widow, Mrs. Hardcastle. Mary answered the door. "I wish to speak to your mistress," said the unknown. "It is only nine o'clock, and Mrs. Hardcastle is not visible yet," said Mary. "I am come on important business." "Who are you?" "Your mistress would not know my name ; tell her merely that I am the person she met in. the magistrate's office." "Oh! that makes all the difference. My mistress has spoken of you, and told me to admit you whenever you called." She now threw the door, which she had up to that time prudently held just ajar, wide open, and showed the unknown in. But, as they were entering the drawing-room, she stopped and said — "You, probably, do not wish to be seen by any one but my mistress." " Quite so, as far as possible." "There are some people in this room, for ever since my master's death there has been no getting rid of the lawyers and notaries — " " I will wait in the dining-room." "No, everybody will see you as he passes out. Have the goodness to follow me." She crossed a small passage, opened a door, and said — " I will inform my mistress that you are here, and she will see you as soon as she is disengaged." Cooke (whom the reader has by this time recognised), as soon as he was alone, looked about him. He found himself in an elegant dressing-room, one of those charming nooks, thoroughly private, luxuriously furnished, redolent of a thousand sweet scents, where only a subdued light can penetrate. On a table of white marble shone magnificent ewers in porcelain and silver, bottles of all kinds, elegant caskets, ivory-backed brushes of sizes, anil for all purposes. On the mantelpiece is a clock of exquisite workmanship. Venetian mirrors are on the walls, here is a statuette by Clodion, and, scattered aboxit are a travelling bag from Aucoc's, a glove-box, a fan, a riding whip, opera glasses, a Russian leather cigar case, and a half-open book. It is \ a pleasure to be amidst this pell-mell of elegant disorder ; there we can lay our hands at once on the various articles to which we are accusj tomed ; here we feel at home, at our ease, and realise what laziness is, and the luxury of the far nicnte, and the delight of lying' at full i length in a dressing-gown, and toasting our feet. Hardcastle, when lie was young, had, probaI bly, tasted the enjoyment to be derived from a well-ordered dressing-room, and on his marriage had wished his wife to taste it also. He took a delight in furnishing this portion of his suite of rooms, and in adorning it with all the thousand and one nothings which he could collect. It was perhaps a boudoir and a museum together, rather than a dressing-room, but it was charming. Seated in a large, roomy chair, with his hat I and cane between his knees, Cooke, whilst .waiting for Mrs. Hardcastle, was gazing with | all his eyes. This sober individual, almost austere, simply both by reason of his temperament and his pocket, had never found himself in such a scene. Whilst performing his duties as secretary to a commissary of police, he had frequently had to present himself in luxurious abodes ; he had found himself in a drawingroom glittering with rich gilding, and had Avalked upon elaborate carpets, but he had never before been brought into contact with the inner life of a woman of the world, and that woman a pretty one. So this was a perfect revelation for him ; he experienced all the astonishment, the surprise, the delight of a child with a new toy, of a school boy in love for the first time, of a respectable woman drawn \>y curiosity to a masked ball, or of ashopkeeper clandestinely introduced behind the scenes of a theatre.

Sometimes lie did not content himself with looking, but got up and handled one of the wonders spread "before him, examining it, weighing it, and, as it were, inhaling it. He might well have been taken for a lover waiting for his mistress, and becoming intoxicated with his recollections of the past and his hopes in. the future. And whilst he gave himself up to this mental inventory a myriad odours mounted to his brain j a sachet d iris, a bottle with the stopper out, a dressing-case of Russian leather, and a sandle-Avood fan yielded xip to him their scents. By degrees he lost his head entirely, and remembered no longer that [he was there on business. The door of the dressing-room opened, and Cooke was recalled once more to a sense of his duty. It was Mary, jvho came in search of him to conduct him to the presence of Mrs. Hardcastle. " 1 regret having kept you waiting so long," v said Eleanor to him, as soon as she saw him ; "but I wished to be perfectly free before seeing you, and now J am at your service..' " You have seen last evening's paper ? " said Cooke, without further preamble, after having taken a seat. "Yes," she replied, "and from them I have gathered that Brownpath is at liberty." " In fact the magistrate decided to listen to me, and an order has been made that there is no ground for further proceedings." " And, now, what hope have you ? " "Much, if you will help me."' "I?" "Yes you, madame." "Oh ! sir," said Eleanor, with energy, "my duty, the sole end and aim of my life — are they not all devoted to the fulfilment of the last wishes of my husband — to avenge him? I have been told to trust to yo\i ; Ido Jso, and t I am. with you body and soul." [To be continued."} ' '■■' ;% .