CHAPTER VI.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 7232, 19 October 1901, Page 1

CHAPTER VI.

IX 'WHICH TJf! COLOXEL CHOWS SIYSTKBIOUS. ChishohnA was silent. These two men exchanged glances. They were his best and most confidential friends, Therefore he could not be offended in the least a)t wltat they had said, especially as he knew quite well that they had ' spoken plain, mard facts. - '• Well," lie said at last, in. a, hard unusual Toice. " The truth is that wo have parted." " Then I heartily congratulate you, jmy dear fellow," declared fhe red- faced old Colonel outspokenly. "Forgive me, but you're been a fool aver her, an absolute fool, md couldn't see that she was deceiving you on wery hand. Men (had) begun to sneer and laugh at you behind your back — and, by Jove ! you've had a, narrow escape of making a complete ass of yourself." "I know . I'm well aware of it,' ' his 'host responded in a low tone. "But, between ourselves, it's all over." " Why between ourselves?" inquired Bentiha.il. "'.The world should, I think, know, for your own sake." "No. I intend' to ke'f.p it a secret— foi her sake.". Both men were silent. The conversation had indeed) been a strange one between* a host' ami his guests. But both nun saw that although. Claudia ami her lover had pa<rted, there still lingered in Dudley Ohisj holm's iheart tentler thoughts of ttat. probty callous woman who was one of the leaders of smart London. " Vary well," said Murray -Kerr at length after a brief periodl of silence. "If you wish us to say nothing we cam only obey. Stick to your, .resolution, and let Claudia Nevill proceed at her own -sweet will. She'll marry some foreign notability ov other, I expect, now that she's in search of big game. Then you'll be entirely free of h«r." Dudley laughed again, and soon afterwards, to his relief, the conversation drifted into a different channel. Her Ittlu; however, remained in his pocket unopened. What words of -mad <fespair, he wondered, did it contain? He sat finishing his breakfast and chatting about various subjects. But his tbouglits were of her — always of her. When they res?, hiis two guests went out to see after their guns, while he, remaining behind upon somo pretext, tore open the letter. It. was brief, pennedi evidently in. one of those moments of remorse which come sooner or later to 6uoh a woman. "You are cruel to leax© me Jike thist," she wrote. " Surely if you really )o\~ed me you would nob care what the world might say. I have been foolish, I lcmow, but inn now penitent. I see the folly of it all — folly bacauso I have mot kapt my secret and played the hypocrite like other women. ! Surely love is not farbsddeo; between us bej cause you luapp^ai to hold au official posi-

I tion! Pveturn to me, Dudley — for I love j you !" He rig-bed, then crushing ihs paper in his hand lie cast it into the fire, murmuring—- " No. She's played me false' — falsa !" He recollected what the Colonel had said regarding the Grand Duke Stanislas, and saw witt'ti, chagrin that iJio world v.as.pitying him. B-rfore the blazing log? he stood w-atobhi;; the leaping f ladies cor-jsume {;he letter, thtn when the last spark hadi <3a«'d from the bla--k crackling tindeir, lie sigilred again and went reluctantly out to join his guests. Tha ' mornunig was dull and grey, or-.* of those dispiriting days of la-be October, ns they trudged on past the site of the oJd Roman cemetery,- dtown. through Altringham Wo>cd, across the wide sbretch of mportaii-t known as Udc-imgton Heath, at last crossing the old highway of Watling Street and •entering the Dean Copse. As Marston, .the head-keeper, had predicted, birds were plentiful in the .'.Dean Copse, and, although rather difficult to •work, the trio had continual sport, especially the old officer, who scarcely ever mi?sed, and! was no\y in his dement. The bag was quite a big\one, and. little time was allowed for gossiping. The men lit their pipes- 'and wentr through^ the copse thoroughly and well; until the interval for lunch, iaken searted on a rail out in the open. ' Dudley himself was an excellent shot, and on an ordinary occasion would have- thoroughly entei - ed into the sport. But that day he simply knocked down lire birds in a< mechanical way, in order to entertain his guests, although at hearfc he continually wished himself back at the castla, in "the solitude of that great old iibrary, which he used as has own. den when there alone. "I think, sir, we ought to try the Holly Wood now," Marston suggested, after they hod eaten their sandwiches and drank their sherry. So accordingly they tramped away down in the valley by Upton Magna, and presently came to the spot fndi- j catecL For the past ivfo seasons Dudley j had heea down at Wroxeter- but seldom, i and th-e .place was full of birds, therefore all three were kept busy until 'nearly thves o'clock. After a most satisfactory day's sport ihe party turned towards the old inn at Uflmgton, where the dog-cart was lo meet them. On the way across the bare brown fields, 'Benthall, talking with Marston, was somewhat ahead, and Dudley -walked at tl.e Colonel's side, a* smart, well set-up figure ■ in his rough <trab shooting clothes. > He was hesitating whether to broach a subject that was puzzling him. Presently, however, unable longer to conceal his .curiosity, lie turned suddenly to his com--pandon, saying : "You were speaking;, of Fernhurst at breakfast. Let's see, hasn't Lady Meldrum a daughter?" i "A daughter?" observed the Colonel, looking at him. " Cei'tainly not. They've no family." " Thait's curious,'* Dudley Sciid, with an. affected - air of carelessness. " Somebody said she had a daughter named Muriel." "A daughter named Muriel," the old officer laughed. " No, die has a girl named Muriel who lives with her— a ward, I believe—and a deuced pretty girl she is, too. She wasn't much en Evidence when I was down, ■there. I have my suspicions that during '•She ha^e-party she. was; sent. away. i io> the '.■Quieter, atmosphere surrounding a maiden aunt." : . . . " dh, she's a ward, is she?" remarked 'Chisholm. • "What's her <■ name?" "Muriel Mortimer." » "A ward in chancery^ I suppose?" . " I'm not certain," replied Murray-Kerr hesitatingly. "I only saw her once, on the day of my aarival at Fernhurst. . She left for . Hertfordshire next day. Lady Meldrum, however, seemed devoted to> her — went up 'to town to see her off, and all that sort of thing. But who's been chattering to j-ou about her?" "Oh, I heaTd her spoken, of somewhere. The fellow who told me said she was rather pretty." "Yes," the other answered, in a mysterious, uncertain tone. "She is very pretty, and quite young." " Do you know absolutely nothing more concerning her?" Chirholm asked. '" You always know everything' about everybody when you're in the smoking-room at the Junior, you know." , . "In tie club s'man may open his mouth, but it> is»'t always vise vrhen visiting friends," ths attache responded, with a laug"h. "I don't quite follow you," his companion said. " Surely Wroxeter is. as free as Charles Street, isn't it?" "Well, no, not quite, my dear Dudley — not quite." "Why?" " Because there are some- things that even I, plain -spoken as I jam, would rather leave unsaid."' Chisholm looked at him and saw the change upon the old fellow's features. "You're concealing something from me," the younger man said quickly. "I don't de«y that." was the other's response. "But" I l-eally. oa.n't see why you should so suddenly become seized by this intense desire to know the history of Lady Mel-drum's ward. Have you met her?" " No, never." " Then don't, that's all," was his mysterious response. "What the dickens do you mean, speaking in enigmas like this? Surely you can. speak straight, out?" " No, not in this case. Dudley," the Colonel said in a rather softer tone. " I told you sufficient this -morning about Claudia. Ne.vill, and all I wish to urge is that you will avoid the pretty Muriel quite as assiduously as you will her ladyship in ] future." Chisholm was puzzled. His companion ■was evidently K aware of some fact which for a mysterious reason he was reluctant to expose. " But T can't see your object, in mystify- i ing me like this!" he protested. "We are friends — very old friends — surely you can at j least tell me ths truth?" j "I've told you the truth, dear buy. | Muriel Mortimer is an undesirable acquaint--?«n-ce for you. Is not that a friendly warning?" "A warning, certainly — but !h;irdly a friendly one." answered Dudley. "I mention to you a. woman I've heard about," he I went on as the pair were walking side Inside again, ''.and you at once give me these extraordinary warning?, without offering any explanation whatsoever. Who is this mysterious ward? What is she?" '"' I've already told you who she is." ihi-s companion replied, shifting Hi Is p" as he marched onward. " Whait she is I don't know. All lam aware r.i if that the less you see of her the better, Dudley — that's all." , „„ "And hew do you know that? " Because of something I've discovered," the elder man replied. " Something about ihtr?" "Well yes. Something about her." I "But you Vpeak as though we were inti- I mate, my dear fellow, and that I was abrmtto lose my heart to her!" exclaimed Chisiholm. , "You'll probably know her soon, but j when you arc introduced remember my warning, and drop h<v at once, like a live coal." "You're in a delightfully prophetic vein, this afternoon.," laughed 'his host. " I suppose it's t ; ha dull weather." At this the elder man, halting, turned upon 'him suddenly, and placing his-lumid

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1 upon his shoulder, said in a deep earnest ' tone : 1 " Recollect, Dudley, that what I told you [ this morning afc breakfast was for your own good. I'm not a fellow given to preaching or moralising, that you know well. But I tell you straight to your face that before long you'll know Muriel Moartimer. All I urge upon you is not to allow yourself to be captivated." " Then you know.semething distinctly to her detriment?" Chisholm suggested reflectively, for what his friend had said had shewn him plainly Uiab there was mystery somewhere. ' " I only say that she's not a desirable person for you to know." Dudley laughed uneasily. These woras ware all the mere remarkable in the light of old Parsons' statement. " You speak just as though you feared I might marry her!" he said. "Well, there are many things more unlikely than that," was the elder man's Teply. "We hear of strange matches now-a-days."' "And if I married this fair unknown, what then?" "Well, before you do that just adopt my advice and take an overdose of 'chloral, or something of that sort. It would be a far easier way out of this work-a-day world than marriage with her." } Chisholm looked at him Quickly. "My dear fallow," he said, "your words imply that mariago witls her would be tantainoun't to suicide." t " That was exactly the impression I meant to convey, Dudley," was the other's strange response. r "I can say no more — indeed, I have no intention of being more explicit, even were I free to make further explanation. Avoid her— that's alt." (To be contimied.)

of his country must become English, ; whereas at present it is based on th.it u'i the United States. The principal trade of Liberia is almost exclusively with England, and the mining companies now exploiting the territory are also English. The delegation is anxious to attract British capital and enterprise to Liberia, especially to its mines, but deprecates a great inrush of whites. They are, not unreasonably, desirous of keeping Liberia, for the liib?ria.nis — that the Black's own country shall renwan his very own — that there shall be at least, one independent Negro-land, where the Negro may work out his destiny in his own way.