MEASURE FOR MEASURE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 3310, 15 November 1878, Page 3

MEASURE FOR MEASURE.

81T..1,

A pair of wide-opened, intelligent brown eyes were looking at Lynn Lexington with a very great deal of girlish admiration ; a frank, girlish face fraß uplifted to bis— a face which was passably pretty, in its angular unformedness, and redeemed from actual homeliness of freckle and tan by fine, beautiful teeth, and a sweet, saucy mouth. Miss Deloraine had just introduced them — Mr Lynn Lexington, handsome, travelled, the wealthy owner of Bose Terrace, whose magnificent grounds adjoined the summer residence of the JDeloraines— Mr Lexington, fascinating, unmarried, thirty-fivo, who had won many a woman's heart, only to fling it aside as a useless, tiresome toy, when his royal fancy saw there were other kingdoms to conquer— this handsome, selfish man, and little Madge Hanson, not yet sixteen, not out of school, not awakened from h6yden girlishness into thafc seductively glorious knowledge of womanly power and capability— Madge Banson, the orphan, cousin of Miss Ada Deloniine, who loved the child with all her warm, kindly heart, and who , had ' given her the only home she had ever known, wfio was educating her and training her into what already gave great promise of time, beautiful womanhood. .

The time of this fateful introduction was nine o'clock of a cool May night, when fresh westerly breezes were softly stirring 'the trees on the lawn, when the full, goldenfaced moon was making the night -brilliantly light. \

The occasion was one of Miss Del oraine's receptions, to which Mr Lexington had come —the first place— on his arrival at Hoseterrace from a two years' foreign tour. Music was sounding softly from the dancing saloon. _ The moonlight was bathing everything in liquid, pearly beauty, and Madge Hanson- looked in Lynn Lexington's handsome face, half smiling, half sarcastic in its expression, and thought what a splendidly magnificent man he was.

Then Miss Deloraino went away and left Madge to entertain - : Mr Lexington a few minutes, which she did in her own peculiar manner, asking a thousand inquisitive questions, which he quietly or amusedly answered, or vouchsafing free opinions on different subjects, which made him several times actually laugh— acting in her childish, half-awkward, half entertaimog way, just as raw, unformed school girls will act. An hour after, Mr Lexington and Miss Deloraine were having a quiet chat, watching tho dancers, among whom was Madge, tearing through the Lancers with a boy of eighteen, as if her eternal safety depended upon her keeping step to every bar of the entrancing music, her long brown hair flying over her thin shoulders, her bright eyes flashing the real satisfaction she felt, her merry, honest laugh coming to them, as they watched and heard her — Mr Lexington with lazy, languid amusement on his aristocratic face, and Miss Deloraino with loving, tender satisfaction in her sweet blue eyes. " Madge is sojperf ectly healthy and happy," she said, as she watched the energetic, yet not wholly ungraceful, way in which the girl was dancing through "the grand chain." "I never can bring myself to reprove her for her keen delight in everything she enters into. Dear child, her soberer days will come soon enough. Mr Lexington's lips curled just a trifle. " I mugt confess I never could see what there was to admire in a hoyden of a girl "

But just then, Madge herself, flushed, and happy, rushed up to thorn, fanning herself vigorously. " Oh, such a perfectly glorious dance. Do you know Mr Lexington, there is nothing I so awfully love as a dance ? " He showed his handsome teeth in a smile. Somehow there was something inspiring to his world-weary soul in the girl's solid enjoyment.

" Really, Miss Madge 1 Supjiose I should contradict you now, and say that you prefer a promenade on the verandah with me, while I tell you some of the delightful experiences of my life abroad?" She was all eager assent. "Oh, of course, I should love that. May I go, cousin Ada, with Mr Lexington ? " Miss Deloraino smiled.

" Get your shawl, and tlion you may go." "You see, she trusts you to mo too readily altogether, Mias Madge. Never mind, I promise to take good care of you." Perhaps for an hour the two walked up and down, while Lexington talked,. finding an actual satisfaction in the girl's delighted attention and ecsta'io remarks, in her fresh off-hand criticism*, and guy, girlish laughterThen, when the guests had gone home, and Madge could hardly sleep, thinking of the exquisite enjoymont of that evening, and; vaguely, dimly wondering if all gentlemen were as elegant and agreeable, as cousin Ada's friend, Mr Lexington, that gentleman yawned: over his midnight cigar, and laughed at himself for a fool in wasting so much timo over a giggling, senseless little schoolgirl, merely because she was a little oufc of the ordinary,* and was like new, piquant sauce to a sated appetite. "I don't know that ifT was effort wasted, either," he thought,; reflectively. "She is Ada's cousin, and it will bo well worth my while to cultivate the girl, for the sake of winning my way with the elegantj sttotelf-^man whom 1 have about decided to ask to bo mi««

.tTOMox Hose^tenrace,^ T am not^sure I^haye j any power^-of-'ioriifg'TiStep alter -"go-many" years* conflict with cupid and his hosts, but I think Ada Deloraine- will consent to be my wife; andrl ! am sure of one: fact— that I never saw.a woman ,1 would see at theheadof my table." ; ( j/ / v Then he went to rejet cool, shrewdj caloulating, neveronce ' thinking, or caring, if he had known, that Madge Bansori '■ dreamed fair, rosy dreams of ; him^ ■?• Those summed days flitted pleasantly bj. And to one.young soul it was the dawn of that fairy Mine— the awakening into woman- ' hood; for Lynn Lexington's well-skilled master hand was all too magical in' calling forth responsive chords from the instrument : of,- Madgo Banson's pure, «n« sulhed heart. ; '- : : , _ ■ ,

He saw; His influence over her, and the intense,:,delicate, homage she silently, yielded him wbb curiously delightful to him. Not that he cared the least — the 'very least— but it wa3 a new experience to him' to watch the gradual unfolding of the girl's nature, as one would watch ;the opening of a rose. To see the change in her from day to day— the sensitive flush at his smile of admiration or word of praise • the pained' paleness if he was disdainful; the actual, wistful anguish in her eyes if he was coldly indifferent ; and to know that it was wholly and solely his influence that was moulding her, and teaching every instinct of her nature, that she was passing from thoughtless, irresponsible girlhood into that capacity for joy and suffeWng, enduring and hoping, called womanhood — ; was, a pleasurable experience that Lynri "Lexington had not the moral courage to deny himself . Ada Doloraine saw all that waa happening, too, and if her heart ached at: sight of the girl's misty, .eager eyes, when Bhe watched Lexington's handsome face, the droop of her head, the listlessness of her manner, if he was absent for a long time— : if Ada's heart ached with pity for Madge and indignation at Lexington, she bided her time until Bhe could speak. .■.;; ,-. .■ : ; j : .f>

And one early October night, when she and Lexington were sitting on the verandah, in his own inimitably graceful way he asked her to be his wife, telling her that of all women he had ever seen and admired, she was the only one he had ever asked to take his name and share his heart arid home. •:

And thenJMiss Deloraine had very cbolly declined the honor, and very positively told him that there was but one woman of whom he should think as his wife— Madge Ranson, whom he knew he had deliberately, encouraged until her happiness had for ever passed from her own hands. : .-:■-,. '■

He raised his handsome eyelashes at the sound of her words.

" Ada, of what can you be thinking ? Do you for a moment imagine I would marry a child like tLat ? Dou you for a single moment suppose I care any more for her than fora dozen other intelligent children I meet at my friends' houses ? "

Ada met him quietly on his own ground, but her eyes flashed ns she spoke — "If that is the case, you are even more to blamo than I thought you. Eemember, Mr Lexington, you have wronged a pure, freshlyawakened soul. It will be strange if after days do not bring you retribution." And when, a minutes later, he went, and Ada went into the unlighted parlour, she found Madge sobbing just inside the window. "OhjAda, Ada, I heard every word ! and — and it hurts me so, and makes me so angry! Ada, he has so often told me he— he thought me — " ' Ada took the tear flushed, piteous face, between her cool, firm hands, and kissed, the quivering lips. " Never mind, dear. He is unworthy of your thoughts. Your first heartache has come early, but I am not sure it is not the best. You will forget this in a littlo while." The tears flowed free and fast, and Ada let her cry unchecked, knowing the blessed healing ministry of tears. " If— if he had never — never kissed me, Ada, or told mo how he revelled in the glorious promise of— of the future——" Ada compressed her lips to restrain the fury of her heart. " He isn't worth thinking of, darling. Let's agree to forget him. Shall we?"And with touching bravery Madge forbore to speak of him. Only it went to Ada's heart to see the pale face and wistful[eyes the girl carried about with her for months—that she took with her when sho went for her last term at Madame Foucher's, a quiet, selfpossessed girl, who was learning her first lessons of discipline. " You do not mean to tell me that is Miss Banson? Not that magnificent girl yonder, in the trained black silk, and wearing diamonds? Never!"

Mr Lynn Lexington's eager half undertone brought a smile of satisfaction, to his gentleman friend's face.

"That is Miss Hanson, niece and heiress to some rich old uncle recently returned from the East Indies, Didn't I tell you to be prepared for such a revelation of grace and elegance as even your sated, travelled eyc3 had seldom beheld ? Isn't all I said in Miss Madge's favour absolutely true ? Isn't she royally lovely ?" Mr Lexington was almost gnilty of tho unpardonable rudeness of staring at the tall, elegant girl, whom he hardly believed it possible to realise was the -awkward, overwhelming hoyden he had known six years before— the girl who had developed into such exquisite dignity of graceful self-possession, such symmetry of form, such fascinating loveliness of thoughtful beauty of face— a face that, for all its delicate contour and refinement of expression, had on it the ineffaceable trace of a conflict and a victory, of which he had been the cause.

And this regally-beautiful woman — the centre of admiration of the throng of refined, elegant people who filled her rooms— this was once the girl with whom he had amused himself one bright summer time. '

. That night was the dawning for Ljnn Lexington of the mightiest passion that had ever stirred his heart. In fact, it was the beginning of the only passion that ever shook him out of his self-love and his elegant laziness, and his assured opinion that women were only to bo wooed to be won. Before the dimpling smiles on Miss Hanson's face his heart thrilled as no woman had ever caused it to thrill before. Beforo hw graver words, when he feared his 'influence, over her Avas not bo potent as he wished, hia boul would sink with pain of fear and apprehension that at times he almost rebelled against tho thrall in which she hold him. For certain it was that at last his fate hnd come to him. He realised that his heart had slipped its leash'of calm, assured selfishness, and had passed irrevocably from his long possession to that of this beautiful girl, whose smiles, whoso blushes, meant heaven for him — whos« abstracted words, whose cool reservo, kept him in torment. -

Then as he had never deemed ifc possible for him to do, he nmde it one of the objects of his life to win her for his wife.

He was equally rick with herself ; he was handsomer yet than many a younger man who worshipped at her shrino 5 his social position was one no woman could question— so that there was no fear that ho would be rejected on any such grounds. And lie went almost madly to work, as he never dreamod it among the possibilities for him to do, or even to desire to do, to make this girl lovo him. He offered himself one day, when her sweet beauty, and her graceful winsomeness, and her evident pleasure in his presence, made it impossible to restrain his ardor any longer —proposed to her in hurried; eager, passionate words, whose truth no woman could have doubted.

He pleaded with her as a man pleads but once in his lifo 5 with a fiery force, and headlong passion of earnestness, which threatens to take naught but what it demands for its answer. <

Then, pale as men will look when they stand before women with their destines in: their hands, their hearts on tlieir lips, their' mighty passions in their eyes, Lynn Lexington stood waiting to be crowned king by 'Madge" Hanson's Mr haJida— fair, slender hands, which once had wrung and writhed in aoutesfc agony at this self-same man's bohayiour., ; '*■' : "':''' -'-^ ■ And now ? Her lovely, quiet eyes, calm as a summer sea, raised themselves from under j white, drooping lids, and smiled at him-— not; as triumphantly as florae Women votiW have;

™l^d who had borne their pain and lived to laugh at tbe scars, T)ut pityingly, and a trifle : sarcastically. ; . "Oh, Mr Lexington "—and thefow, sweet tones iWere like fine drops of icy rain—^how extremely unfortunate this is !' and yet "— here the eyea darkened with suppressed excitement, and the little merciless rain of words fell faster, .' and harder, ■ and icier— when I recall a thne r years ago, when what you have said to-day would have made earth a perfect paradise to me, I ought to be g&d you have spoken, because it gives me tb& opportunity to assure you that, with that tune taught me my first agonising lesson of distrust in humankindr-ray first pitiful en 4 durance of a patience and « discipline for which I now am thankful— with that girlish experience was lost all love I ever had for you. And you had all my young heart— a gift I can never bestow on you again." .- = His strong frame tvembledliko a child's; as her qniet, courteous words stung him with his death wound./ fiis voice was husky and uncertain as lie answered lier—

" THeri I am to thank yon foi* having your revenge? You have deliberately amußed yourself at my ! expense. A thrill of defiant fierceness crept in amongst his tones. ■ : v

A flittering smile dimpled her lipa. She shrugged her shoulders with an unspeakably gracefnl indifference.

" If I have amused myself as you atmised yourself, where is the harm? And with one glance at her fair, smih^ig face, he went away, carryinghis sore heart that refused to be healed, while conscience ceaselessly reminded him that there was justice in it. all— that the measure he had meted out had been sacredly measured to him again.