LOVE V. ACRES.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 10301, 4 November 1911, Page 2

LOVE V. ACRES.

(By COMRIE COLQUHOUN.) Author of " The Cunning of the Fool," etc. [All Rights Reserved.] There would have b?en much chafing of spirit in the house of Darstelling had Sir Jarvis and his proud lady been aware of what was passing by the stream which watered their broad acres. Tho moon shone full on two forms standing very close to each other by the river's bank. They were Madeleine Darstelling (Sir Jarvis's daughter) and Robert Maple, merchant in embryo, down from London on his summer holiday. " It's enough for me that you love mo," said the young man, gazing into tho trustful blue eyes which, met. his. " With this assuranco I'll • overcome every obstacle placed between us. Do you think I have set beforo myself an impossible task? The girl was silent for a few moments.

"Are you afraid, Madeleine?" " My father would be very angry if he knew. You know that •" " Oh, yes," interrupted the young man; " you aro going to tell mo that ho lias promised you to the brainless heir of Lord Netleigh without even consulting your feelings." Hero Madeleine made a little moue which assured Robert Maple more than any eloquently-worded protest that ha had nothing to fear from the man who would one day sit on the red benches in the House of Lords. " Well, in spite of his plans," went on this bold son of Sir Jarvis's solicitor, "I intend to beard your father in his den to-morrow." Both her hands wore in his, and ho fancied ho felt a tremor running through them—a tremor born of the possible consequences of th© morrow. " It may be unfortunate for you and for me," sho sighed. " You mean that we may be prevented from meeting again?" The upturned face, up til! now radiantly happy, fell. ._ "Ah, you are looking on the black side, Madeleine. You think your father will imitate other fathers wheso daughters have been sufficiently thoughtless to lose their hearts to men who have no acres to offer, only love, and send you away—pack you off to some far-away place so that you may forget your escapade. This step will not bo necessary. It is I who will go away." A greyish pallor overspread her face, and her frame and hands actually trembled. "Listen, Mameleine " he continued, pressing her closer, " I am going away, and will not return until two years have elapsed." "Two years!" "It seems a long time, Madeleine, but when I come back it will be with a shot in my locker of which your father will have to take account. All I ask is that you will wail roi me—that you will keep the Honourable Rupert Netleigh, whom your parents appear to admire so much, at a respectful distance.'' The birds were restless in their roosts in the trees fringing the stream. They set up a twittering; but tho noise they made did not drown the words spoken by Madeleine Darstelling, which were as music in Robert Maple's ears. "I will wait," she said. The next moment she had broken away from him. and was speeding home. Next morning Sir Jarvis received an unexpected visitor. "Ah, Mr Maple," he said, "pleased to see you, and glad, to hear from your father that you are doing so well in London. That's right. Get rich. Make a fortune in commerce. But beware of speculation. That's a business in which only the wealthy and leisured can engago." The worthy baronet thrust his thumbs into the armholes of his yellow vest and regarded the young man with a patronising air. " I am come to speak to you on a private matter, Sir Jarvis," the young man began. " I will state it in as fewwords as possible. Madeleine and I have grown up together. I love her, and want to make her my wife." Sir Jarvis Darstelling, landed prof>rietor and speculator, had met with a ew surprises in his life, hut "the words just uttered by the young man standing coo) and collected before him almost robbed him of speech. '' What's this I hear ?'"' he gasped at length. "You, the son of a solicitor, of my solicitor " "An honest man, Sir Jarvis. as T hope his son is," interrupted Robert, Maple.

" You dare to corn* here and toll m* that you want to marry my daughter! Audacious I Astounding!" Tho baronet was too much thunder struck to be really angry. When he realised that the young man had not taken leave of his senses, and noted the firm purpose shining in his eyes, he broke into laughter. Tho outburst was so unusual that Lady Darstelling, who was reading in the drawing-room, put down her book and came to inquire what it meant. " Will you repeat to her ladyship what you have just said?" asked Sir Jarvis. "Certainly," renlied the unabashed suitor. " T love Madeleine, and want to marry her." Lady Darstelling posed ns a well-bred woman, although it was no secret that her father ha,d been in trade and that his money had gone to the buying of Sir Jarvis's acres. She gazed' at = the son of her husband's solicitor as though sho beheld in him the personification of effrontery. " Do yon mean that we are to regard this matter soriouslv?" she began, scorn and something like contempt in her tones. " 1 assure you that T was never more serious in my life, Lady Darstelling. I repeat, T love your daughter, and am not without hope of making her lianoy." The baronet's lady assumed an expression of undisguised disgust. "To me," she said, turning to Sir Jarvis, "this subject is net one for further discussion. And the sooner this young man returns to London the better it will be for himself and—Madeleine." "Lady Darstelling is right." said the baronet. _ " Return to London, forget Madeleine and find someone in your own station in life." " I'm going abroad for two years, Sir Jarvis, but I'll never forget Madeleine, and she'll never forget me. Yon will see me again. Madeleine will be my wife. T hove sworn it. We have both sworn it." And with a bow which was as graceful as any that Lord Netleigh's hopeful could perform, Robert Maple left tho baronet and his lady, unruffled on his going as he had been at his coming. " What does he mean by saying that he wiU latujca.?" ajieried Lady Dar-

j "Dogs he know anything? I Can his father have told him how mattors etaiid? Has your cunning solicitor, taking advantage of his knowledge of aJlftirs, lent himself to a scheme for marrying his son outside his own rank? 1 never liked the man, Jarvis, and you irould have dono well to have followed ,: my advice and placed your affairs' in other hands." " Hush, Dora ! Maple was not responsible for my losses. I embarked in that mining scheme against his advice. He has nothing to do with his ton's infatuation for Madeleine. lam sure of that. Remember that he has acted for me for many years, and that young Robert, who, after all, is a line young fellow with a future before him, has been thrown much in contact with Madeleiue. Is it to be wondered at that he has fallen in love with the little puss?" "He will sso her no more," snapped Lady Darstelling. " Madeleine must marry Rupert Wetleigh as soon as possible." Sir Jarvis groaned. " Netleigh is in the .same boat as myself," he sa.id. "If anything, he has been harder hit, and I know that it is not convenient for him at present to arrange for his son's future." A sigh expressive of much came from Lady Darstelling. She did not reproach her husband for having speculated rashly, for the reason that she had been as eager as himself to increase the family fortunes. The Darstellings had been comfortably circumstanced, but they had aimed high; they knew the power of money .during a London season: they sighed for that power, and so Sir Jarvis, seconded by his wife, speculated and lost. It was the old story. When the baronet found himself deep in the financial slough, lie did not stay his hand and endeavour to mend his broken fortunes by economising. He plunged further into the mire; and so about the time when Robert Maple was expected home from liis commercial mission to Brazil, undertaken for the great firm in which ho was fast making.headway, it became a question of Sir Jarvis Darstelling parting from that which in his eyes was the surest evidence of a man's influence and substance—his land, his acres, bought by his wife's dowry. Strenuous were tho efforts he made to delay the dispersal of his estate. For months ho schemed, but Fate was inexorable. Word went round ' the countryside that the Darsiellings were selling their land, their intention being to settle in London. Sir Jarvis had received an offer, somewhat mysteriously made, for the estate, the agent informing him that his 'client Would call upon him for the purpose or arranging about the purchase.

The baronet and his wife were sitting in the library bemoaning the cruel fate which was compelling them to part with their acres when the footman brought in a card bearing the name of Mr Robert Maple. "You will not see him, Jarvis," said her ladyship, alarmed. "How dare ho show himself—at this time, too? I never heard of such effrontery. Perhaps ho has come to condole with us, and no doubt he thinks we will offer no further objection to his marrying Madeleine.' "Leave him to me, my dear. I'll hear what he has to say. He'll not dare to condole with us.' Whon Robert Maple, bronzed, and looking more confident than ever, entered the library, the baronet received him with his usual pomposity but Lady Darstelling fixed upon him reproachful and defiant eyes. "So you've kept your word, MiMaple," Sir Jarvis began. "I hope your mission to Brazil was successful." "Beyond the wildest dreams of my firm," Sir Jarvis," replied the young man in a tone which exasperated Lady Darstelling. There was an awkward pause. " And am I to understand that tho object of your visit is the same as that which brought you here two years ago?" resumed' the Baronet. "It is. I have net yet seen Madeleine, but my feelings for her have not changed, and I have reason to believe that ]icrs remain the same." Lady Darstelling darted a wrathful glance at Maple, and would have spoken, but Sir Jarvis held up a warning finger.

"Weil, my answer is still the same. You appear to forget, sir, that though you have risen honourably by your talents—and no one more than myself r-e----joicos at your success—your position does not warrant you in aspiring to the hand cf my daughter." " I am sorry that this should be your answer, Sir Jarvis, but may I-.-.sk what sort of man you would like Madeleine to marry? 1 ' Lady Darstelling again became restless. The Baronet glanced at her and divined what was passing in her mind. " A strange question for you to ask, is it notP" said Sir Jarris haughtily. "But I have no objection to answering it. My daughter will marry a man who can provide her with an establishment such as that in which she has been reared, a man who owns land (hero a hiiskiness crept into his voice), and who by reason of his fortune aud position has ir.fluen.ee in that part of the country in which he resides." Lady Darstelling's eyes spoke applause. " Am I to take it that you consider the possession of acres should be the first " consideration—that it should come before love, before a mutual manifestation of affection?" Sir Jarris smiled. "Please remember," he said, "that wo are speaking as men of the world. Sentiment does not enter into the matter."

ft was now the turn of Robert Maple to smile. "I had hoped that you and Lady Darstelling would have changed your minds," he said, "that you would have welcomed a suitor who, in the first place, loved your daughter. But since love is not enough—well, I will have the acres." "What do you mean?" gasped the baronet. "Pray explain yourself," chimed in his wife, unable to keep silent any longer. "It is simply this. 1 am now a partner of my firm, with a substantial sum of money to ni3 T credit. I can get more if necessary, and—-and behold iu me a mail of substance ready to enter into negotiations with you for the purchase of your acres." This was the shot which Robert Maple had in his locker. His declaration robbed poor Sir Jarvis and his wife of speech. They looked at the young man as though unable to believe their own eyes and ears. Suddenly the door opened and' Madeleine tripped into the library, humming an operatic melody. Oh seeing her lover she uttered a little cry of joy, and heedless of the presence of third and fourth parties, ran to him and placed her bands in his. Robert Maple now knew on which side victory lay. Leading Madeleine to Sir Jarvis, he said : "Which is it to bo? It seems to me that there are three propositions before you. First, give Madeleine freely to me without any mention of acres; secondly, sell your acres to me; or, third!v, sell Madeleine to someone else."

Lady Darstelling saw the rosy blushes mantling her daughter's face, noted the lovelight in her eyes, and then n, smile of infinite relief played over her own features. She shot a meaning glance at Sir Jarvis, who interpreted it as unconditional surrender. " Gad, sir!" exclaimed the baronet, seizing Robert Maple's disengaged hand, " it looks as if I shall have to sell both, and to the same purchaser. Take her." " With your permission, Sir Jarvis, we'll not put it in quite that way. What do you say, Lady Darstelling, if

I take Madeleine and we keep the acres in the family?" " I think that is a proposal which will satisfy all parties," smiled her ladyship.