CHAPTER III.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 7808, 12 September 1903, Page 1

CHAPTER 111.

A DAXGEEOT7S RIVAL. Meanwhile, a very dangerous rival was taking possession of- Mr Valentine Biron. This is how it came about. Tempted by brisk breeze and a blue sky, _te>4_ad walke. over the open Heath to Cro_o-l>y-on-t__e-Sea And, indeed, he stood in need of a mor< wholesome atmosphere and more invigorat ing influences than were to be found undei the roof of Rowton Hall. At Cromeby h. hired a wheel, and climbing noble hills coasting still more agreeably dowolieatheirj slopes, pedalling slowly through sleepy villages, and putting on paoe in the road thai traverses the salt marshes, he reached Sal ford feeling a better and stronger man. foi ' the healthy exercise. Any questions o: conscience that -might have rendered hin 1 uneasy in the early morning were .goae now He simply felt thafc it was good fco live, anc that this was a lot better than Bloomsburj and, he should have added, Rowton. Aftei lunch he struck inland-, and taking fche sur for his guide rather than the conflicting sign posts, he threaded his way homewarc through sunny lame and shady wood. Then i coming to a great spread of beech trees, ht i found himself in a leafy tunnel with greai boughs meeting overhead for a stretch o; hadf a mile. And there in the vista Im caught sighfc of a bright patch by the roac side as if the sun had pierced the- sombr. shade ; but ifc turned out to be only a gir. ; standing disconsolately beside her Dike. She glancedup at Jijm as be drew ne§r— ■,t ouse to see-W-et&er&e! wa_j a j^_rG^_trs_tni

cad, and again to learn whether he was '. morose or amiable, and agreeably assured on • both points she made a step toward® him, i facing him with as much boldness as she could muster. Seeing that she wanted to [ speak, "Valentine stepped down in a mo- . ment. _ "My tyre has gone down, and I have no . pump,*" she explained timidly, rather awed ' by the height of the gentleman as he stood ' before her, his handsome face, and fine bear- [ ing. She thought he must be a cavalry officer. I "Happily I have one," replied Valentine, . glancing at his hired wheel. He. set his machine against the bank, fitted hia pump ' and began, to inflate. She bent down also 1 watching the operation with anxiety. That drew back her short cycling skirt and re--1 vcaled a. very pretty foot in a silk stocking ' and neatly fitting shoe of the daintiest pattern. 1 "I fear it's a case for patching ratner than pumping," said Biron, testing the "• flabby tyre after a dozen or so of energetic strokes. " Oh, dear," replied the young lady. 1 " Yes, it's no go," he said emphatically, 1 after another trial. '■ "And I've no repairing outfit." " Nor I either," said Valentine; looking ■ in the tool-bag. " What's to be done? May ■ 1 run across to Cromeby and get you ai mar ' clime where I hired mme — ifc can't be very ' far."" ' > ■ " Five miles, and— there are trippers." ' She glanced apprehensively up and down • the road. " No, I think I would rather walk home." ► "Have you far to go?" i. "Nearly seven miles — I live afc Rowton." "By happy accident I also am staying there. You will let me see you^through your difficulty?" "With the greatest pleasure. I never i know what to do with a troublesome trip- : :per until aboufc five minutes .after I ought to have done ifc." Her freedom from constraint and the smartness of her remark led him for a moment to think she musfc be an .American; but as he turned frdm clipping the inflator and looked her fairly in the face he saw she could be nothing • but English. Her eyes were blue as the sky, her cheek a study in tender -pink ; there was sunlight in her hair and in her smile. Honesty and wholesome ideas underlay the open candour of her look, and the unflinching confidence of her. regard. She was not beautiful, bub undoubtedly pretty; and there was nothing doll-like in the character of her prefctiness. Her nos© was too long, her mouth a little too wide perhaps (but, then, she had such faultless teeth to show), her chin and the line of her cheek too delicate for that. A certain arch coyness in the expression of -her face and the poise of her head indicated vivacity and sufficient liveliness of So she appeared to Valentine shrinking and .tender and sympathetic, striking a chord in his- heart untouched by his cousin or her maid. "It's rather like a fairy story, isn't it?" she pursued ; " a dark wood haunted by dreadful creatures, and a damsel in distress to be succoured— -— ;" "By a -knight-errant in search of adventures. Unfortunately I cannot take you up on to my saddle," said Valentine, continuing her theme as they walked beside their wheels. " Why doesn't' some inventive genius devise an adjustable, cycle pil- .. Jiaft: for : jjJ3g;i^^^^U-S*^^-'*-^.^^'^ *' Ly*^"*' capital idea for La Christmas card. The damsel in a wafcteau dress perched bei hind her cavalier. Ifc would really be very : .pretty. " ' "With you for the model." 'The young lady acknowledged his compliment withi a smiling inclination of her .pretty head. " I hope I am not keeping you from any engagement," she said, wibh sudden gravity. " None * that I have any cause to regret. If we could only get rid of these abomin- ' able midges," he said, flicking his handkerchief afc a cloud of pursuing gnats. Then he turned with surprise, his companion having stopped with a peal of uncontrollable laughter. "Have I said anything unintentionally funny?" he asked. 'Lies. I happen to be a midge," she replied. "Ifc ien't my actual name, of course. But it has come down to that; perhaps because I, too, am sometimes troublesome. . . . Are you staying at tne inn?" "No, with relations. I arrived yesterday—my excuse for not knowing other residents." "Oh, we are: only fugitive residents, Granny and I. We live at the rectory for a few months, when it is too hofc fco live comfortably anywhere else. Gaanny t calls them our respectable months, and,, 1 think, looks upon taera as a penance — especially towards tiie end of the time — for being ' homeless vagabonds in the rest of the year. 1 believe we know eveiy hotel iv habitable 1 Europe." ; "This accounts for Cosmopolitan: man* ners," thought Valentine. ■ "I wonder who in the world — that tiny world of Rowton — he can be staying with, ' • thought the Midge. " But there are some pleasant residents to be found in Rowton, besides Granny and , yourself, I suppose," said' Val. " Very few. There's the rector and his , family, but they go away fco make room for us, and there are two amiable farmers, and there's one delightful old doctor, and ( then ther* aro the great folks at the Hall who have juste cmc, but they are much to<_ mighty for us to dream of knowing." 1 "1 have heard of aDr Sturgess." 1 "That's 'he. And if it weren't for him we should come here year after year.'' "Is he part of the penance?" Val asked, having heard a very damning account of 7 fche " old madman " from his uncle. » "Oh, dear- no. He sifta our ashes and • smooths our sackcloth. Granny declares. I 1 love him, and I'm sure you wUI like him.'' " Because you like him- " " Because everyone must love him who admires strength and- courage, honesty and kindness," she said, flushing with loyal enthusiasm in the praise of a friend*. " Though 9 I daresay he could be intensely disagree- • able to stuck-up persons like " " Like the great people afc the Hall,"* Val " suggested, quietly. <• " Yes — though *I don't know that they are b stuck-up," she hastened to add, with the - sudden apprehension that this gentleman, r so different from the village residents, 6 might be one of the "great people." ■f " I Bhall try to make the acquaintance, of 7 Dr Sturgess. A man with the courage of - his convictions is a man to know," said fc Valentine. And then 'he turned the sub- - ject, convincing the girl in her supposition, r ond they fell to talking of all sorts of f things^ save -Rowton, so pleasantly wero _ those six miles tramped without one weary -, pause. On the top of Rowton Heath they _ 6aine suddenly upon a comely old lady with 7 white hair and the settled expression of r perpetual good humour, coming slowly np the hill in a pony carriage. _ "Granny!" exclaimed Midge, with new J delight; in "her faoe. And all meeting, she turned to Valentine and sai*\ "May I in- » troduee yeu, Granny? Mrs Magister, Mr t " , • • • . *- Vivienne's temper was admirable. Sho j? had schooled herself to conceal- irritation ■* on all occasions and to display amiability a whenever ifc mitfafc serve a purpose. Ob--1 sesvafcion 'had Mown her how easily the keen edge of infatuation may be dulled! by - tension. £. man';* dogged pei-sevprance in "uUbitstiw'Ss ie matched by«hi.Htack gf ;na|i§n_>e

' in lighter matters; and, though an exacting beauty may get a good deal out of . her lovers in the 'beginning, the system ' won't work in fche long run, and she finds herself a lo.er at the end of the game. She was sweetly reasonable with Valentine wfliea- they met at dinner, only, scolding hi.n for his neglect sufficiently to maike forgiveness the more oharming. She had- ■ kept her rooan constantly until now, and she .knew her cousin, was tpo modest to think that his presence could so specially affect her disposition and inclinations. She accepted the explanation* of his delay as the most natural* thing in- the world, and hex curiosity to know all about Miss Ma~ j gister wa» iintin'ged hy the suspicion of jealousy. She adored those open-minded, simple girls just as she' preferred .fair complexions to dark. One felt the influence of -mob sunny natures in kindlier 'sentiments and better hopes. If Miss Magister would not call upon her she would certainly venture to oall on Miss Magister, who must see tihat the visit was prompted by no vulgar motive of condescension, but by the sincere desire to find a companion of her own oige in such a charming girl. And undoubtedly she intended to pufc this promise into execution as soon as possible, though her real motive was securely locked in her own dark breast. '; From Miss Magister conversation turned' by an easy and natural transition to musip, . and Vivienne, drawing an admission froro her cousin that he ''strummed " a little, she - made him promise to play, to her after dinner—fugitive recollections, a few hanndni-. ous chords, anything' that would satisfy hei' craving, for sweet sounds.. „ L Ancf so they presently went into, the drawing-room, where Vi-vienne bad a couch wheeled into a position wftieresne commanded the player at the piano. She begged her father not to fuss about hex, and only a^ked her cousin to raise her feet when she 5. apposed her body in the cushiohs. Those.leet were prettier even than Miss Magisiter's'.' and more ravishingly clad. Valentine played well. He began with, something in the "Chocolate cieaan" wtey by St Saens. Ifc was during the playing of this piece thafc another strikingly original idea occurred to Biowton. He would quietly leave those two young people to themselves. Music might develop the grc-wth of thafc < sentiment which he <tevo.utly hoped would uttaanately lead to marriage. That wfas thesubtle conceit which struck him as being. in accordance with the best conditions of diplomacy applied to domestic . affairs. Thanking Val for his very delightful performance, ie reg-reffEed tha* some very important letters to write detained him from having more-^-at present, and withdrew. "You played that to. please mejvnpw play to please yourself," said Vivienne, sweetly and low_, as the door closed. ;■ "The two should go -together," Valentine replied; smiling at hex. How beautiful she looked lying there {under the soft warm light of the shaided candies! He played again ; Bach this time, and having played, rose froir_ the piano— r" not to' maike a bore of it," said' he to _u_r_se_.'f. . "How can I thank you for that!" inurirxured, Vivienne, stretdhing out her hand. What could he do but take it in his— tow otherwise respond to the clinging pressuire' of her fingers. "If you write musio it 'must: be like' that— strong and pessimati: Sit by me if you will nofc play again." She indida-ted-a fibor'cushion. He drew it hesjdeVt&e ootoGband -sat, Ms: head' being' broug^t;to>__ level wifch' bers. L*: -* . "Why do we admire itt'iinen?'' she,aske<t ,V _*/& Ltecaui^ ' co:fttff-p^^^ prompts us to- 'draw from them tne .vigour that we -lack?'' 'L As men the, tenderness that wo_ne__ siyjp-, ply— perhaps," answered Valentine: '_ "Oh, that I needed strength no more . than you needed tenderness !" she sighed. Then, dropping her voice almost to a whis- ■ per, and trembling with- emotion, said.:, " Tell me, dear cousin, shall I live?" " Great heavens! what makes you doubfc ib?" "The very wish to live. The yearning that one feels looking, at a sunset, a flower, anything that fades." "Fade and die everything must in ifcs time/ Bt-S that time is too facr away for you to- think of yet." "T want to live," she repeated pathetically. And then she stretched forth her hand again. She was thinking of Miss Magister, and saw that she musfc force the paoe and get well ahead before the other girl got into the running. In love some women may take" 1 years to play their lover, whilst other.s can- scarcely be _oo precipitate, and- must strike their man at once, before he sees the hook, or lose him-. And Vivienne knew by experience that sl_e belonged to tne latter class. . Valentine took her hand omoe more, closing it between his palms, blind no all perception of artifice, seeing o_ily the pa/fchos in thafc beautiful, pleading face. A fcear glistened in her dark lashes — for even a bad orator can force a tteaT by his own superficial eloquence. " You will live," he said ; " you ln.ve been cheated by a set of ohaa-latans. I have seen their prescriptions, and if they prove anything it is that you have none of "he maladies they indicate." " And- you will do what they have failed to do. You will bring me back to health ; you will save me," she said in a crescendo of excitement. " You will examine me tomorrow. Why not now? Will you sordid me? Perhaps we ought to ring for Therese," she added, with a change of tone and ihat significant raising of the eye/brows at the ■ dawn of a smile. . " Oh, no, no ! For heaven's .«-ake dont i do that!" cried Valentine in tearor. "Why should there be any reserve >■*.- tween us? Oh, Valentine," soft as a sigh. "I'm not a doctor, you know," eaid the poor man in faint resistance. "But you must know the symptoms of the disease. You can tell if my "hearfc is weak; feel how it beats now." Slhe drew his hand to her side and held it there. " Though if it beat so painfully there may be another cause," she murmured; and a smile twittehed in the corner of her mouth, as her teeth closed upon her under lip and she looked up into his face — scTclose to hers that bis hot breath fell upon her cL<**k— with those long, wicked eyes. She stretched up her disengaged hand and drew his face closer, slid her arm round his neck, amd brought his lips to hers. "Love me, love nue," she murmured j "give me love -and life." Outside TL-d-se waited, her ear to the door, a jackal waiting for the leavings cf a lioness.