LITERATURE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 5552, 25 February 1886, Page 1

LITERATURE.

A LIFE ASSURANCE MYSTERY. Chapter ll.— (Continued.) ; During the next few weeks Mr Dancey called three or four times on his solicitor, and he also dined with him and went with . him to the theatre. One night Mr Manferry went by invitation to his client's chamber for a cigar acd chat. When : lie entered the room, there sat Mr Skingle. j "Is Mr Dancey in ? " I " Gone off in a tif. Tif is fit spelt | backwards." " And where is Mrß Dancey ? " Mr Skingle pointed to the inner door. " Ruffled by domestic spar. I'll let her know you are here." He knocked at the inner door, and aaid— "Els., here's Mr Manferry, the solar. Bow-wow has bolted, so come out." There was a bottle of brandy, a jug of water, and tumblers on the table. " Have a drink ? Bran, and fishy fine tipple." " No ; I will not drink with you." " What ! are you tiffy, too ? Must be catching. Will drink bolus." Despite the sneering remark, it was evident that Mr Skingle was not comfortable. When he had drunk some brandy and water he looked at Mb watch and said : " Nearly overdue. Exit quick. Perhaps back for a bran, and fishy nightcap, la, Solar." As Mr Skingle closed the door, Mr Manferry closed his fist and said — " I should have assaulted him if he had remained, and that would have been foolish. When Dancey's eyes are opened I'll be quits with the soonndrel." Then he heard laughing and talking in the inner room. One voice was that of a female, the other the voice of Mr Skingle. " Hush ! " Baid the female voice j" he may hear." Mr Manferry knocked loudly at the inner door. " Can I se9 you, Mrs Dancey ? " "I'll be with you directly, Mr Manferry." In abont three minutes Mrs Dancey entered the room — not by the inner, but by the outer door. " Oh, how are you, Mr Manferry ? I am sorry to have kept you waiting. Where 1b Mr Skingle ?" "Surely you know? I heard yon talking with him." " Heard me talking with him ! What do you mean P " " What I say. I heard his voice and yours in the adjoining room." " How dare you say that P I was alone in that room — I swear I was ! But I have a husband who has tricked me and is a «ontemptible cur, and I suppose any one may insult me." "Madame, I do not insult you. lam your husband's solicitor and friend. I would protect you from insult and protect his honour. Madame, I warn you. I must speak plainly. Break off the acquaintance of that person or the result will be dishonour and the mortifying regret that is equally bitter and unavailing." Mrs Dancey sat down and covered her Jace with her handkerchief. "Ohit ia cruel. I have only one friend and I am asked to give him up." "He is not your friend, but your foe." " Daniel knows that I am intimate with Mr Skingle for the sake of the future." " I am confident, Mrs Dancey, that the .prospect to which you allude is a delusion, and unless you take my advice, and Bhun Mr Skingle,^.the delusion will prove a fatal snare." "Well, if Mr Dancey mistrusts me, he had better leave me. lam quite willing to part." " Parting from your husband would not Bave you from a deplorable fate if you did not shun that person." " You must go. I can really bear it no longer. If you suppose that Mr Skingle is anything to me except a friend, a good kind friend, you are mistaken. And I can't help what people choose to think." Mr Manferry next day deemed it hia duty to tell Mr Dancey what had happened. " I have distressed you, and you seem to be angry. But it would have been dishonourable to have concealed from you a matter that so nearly concerns your honour and happiness." " I am distressed but not angry. But what can Ido ? I cannot part them. If I part from her I spite myself and not them. She, or rather he and she, will have her settlement. They will get all that her father may have to leave. No, I will not oblige them by a separation. And I Btill think that their gross impropriety is merely impropriety." " Yon take a sanguine view." " Say no more. Since I can do nothing, for pity's sake, let me think and hope the best." " I will say no more. You must be the custodian of your own honour." "If I get proof that their conduct is lawless aa well aa improper I shall take action ; for then, I suppose, I should get such damages against Skingle as would to some extent compensate for the settlement and the not sharing of what may be left by her father. Do you not think so ? " " That is a question we need not discuss," replied Mr Manferry, who was disgusted that the man he thought to befriend seemed to be prepared to tolerate an infamous dishonour unless he could get compensation for a pecuniary loss. "lam ill with the worry. I yesterday consulted Dr Debus, the medical officer of the Griffin. He says my nerves are a little out of condition. I used to be a first-rate aloeper, and lately I have had wakeful night 3. Ah, I am very restless and miserable." After the lapse of a fortnight Mr Manferry had a note asking him to call at Mr Daneey's chambers in the evening, and not to be later than seven o'clock. " My curious little client is a bit of a nuisance," said Mr Manferry, " I object to being bored with business by night aa well as by day. However, I'll call and see how he id getting on." On arriving at the chambers about halfpnst seven he found Mr Dancey alone, reclining on the couch, and looking pale. " Yes, I am not well. I still suffer from the insomnia. I saw Dr Debus this morning. He has prescribed a sleeping-draught. If I have a few hours of sound forgetfulneas I 3hall be well again." " You are a doctor, and should be able to doctor yourself for a trifling ailment/ " But insomnia is not a trifling ailment, and, moreover, I am too good a doctor to doctor myself. I have for to-night a box at the theatre, and I wanted you to accompany me and Mrs Dancey. My head is so bad that I cannot go. She has gone by her3elf, and that vexes me. I wish you would join her." " I might not be a welcome visitor. But we will go together ; it will do you good to go out." " Very well, I will try." Mr Dancey arose, but before he had walked acroßS the room ho daggered a little, and returned to the oouoh. i "No, I cannot go out. I will lie on my bed and read. It will be a good preparation for tho draught. Ido not suppose I have had an hour's sleep in a fortnight, j If you have no other engagement, go to the ■ theatre. You can bring her back soon after ten, and then I may be well enough for a chat and a cigar." Roluetantly Mr Manforry couaented to go to the theatre, and his object was to npeak to Mrs Dancoy übout her husband. Though ho called at lu3 olub and remained there for a iV-w minutes, he arrived at the theatre before the lady. When she came Jje said to her— "I expected to find yon here. Your

husband told me you loft home soon after Beven." " So I did, but I visited a friend." Mrs Dancey was evidently annoyed and, 1 for the moment, embarrassed, and Mr ! Manferry knew that the friend was Mr Skingle. He was irritated, and would have left her only she happened to say — : "I am sure you do not care for the theatre. Do not stop. I can vory well get , home without an escort." j No, thought Mr Manferry, I will stop, j and for once spoil tho arrangement with Mr Skingle. " But Ido care for the theatre. Besides I promised your husband to be with you here and to see you home." " Oh, indeed ! How very considerate he is." When they were seated in the box, Mr Manferry said — " Your husband seems very ill." " He has been poorly for some days. And he is likely to be poorly as long as he chooses to fret and fume." " Perhaps he cannot help fretting and fuming. He looks very ill." " Dear me, how fond you are of him. I wiah for my Bake you were a woman and his wife." It was altogether a most tedious and uncomfortable evening for Mr Manferry. For a quarter of an hour at a time there was silence, and when Mrs Dancey spoke her words were sarcastic, and sometimes undisguisedly uncivil. Mr Manferry was angry with himself. Even when h6 had consented to oblige Mr Dancey by going to the theatre, he ought not to have remained after such a reception from Mrs Dancey. Probably the lady perceived that he was uncomfortable and spitefully resolved to stop at the theatre as long as she could. At first she said that being tired she should leave at the conclusion of the first piece. Then Bhe said she had changed her mind and would see the rest of the performance " I Bhould be so sorry, Mr Manferry, if Mr Dancey or anybody else imagined that I did not duly appreciate the honour and privilege of being in your custody. Oh, it is a fine idea 1 A chaperon is a scare-man ; but a male who obliges a husband by looking after his wife is a plain clothes private policeman." " I assure you, Mrs Dancey, that I quite appreciate your courtesy and your humour." When they were leaving the theatre Mrs Dancey said : — " You can put me into a cab, and tell the driver vhere to deliver me. That will be equivalent to escorting me home." No, thought Mr Manferry, you have annoyed me for hours, and now I will escort you home, and so annoy both you and Mr Skingle. •• Since you will be so agreeable, Mr Manferry, I must submit to your devoted attention. If you prefer riding outside with the driver, do so. Sometimes two are not company." When they arrived at the chambers and were ascending the stairs Mrs Dancey said — " I shall tell Daniel I have so enjoyed your companionship — that you have been so pleasant, attentive and devoted." " I care not what you tell your husband." They entered the reception room and Mrs Dancey called out — " Don, your friend has brought me home. Oh, we have had such a charming evening together." "Do you not notice the smoke in this room ?" asked Mr Manferry. " Yes. I suppose Dan has upset a lamp. He might have opened the window." "Mrs Dancey went to the inner door, opened it, and screamed wildly. The inner room was full of Bmoke. Mr Manferry opened the windows, and then brought a lamp into the room. The bedding was very much burnt, and still smouldering. Lying on the bed was lir Dancey, his head and face so charred that not a feature could be recognised. Wildly shrieking, Mrs Dancey ran from the chamber to get aid. As Mr Manferry looked at the charred face he said :— " Poor fellow ! I thought it would be divorce, but it is the other D." (To be continued.)