In a Fair Ground

Waikato Times, Volume 108, Issue 18068, 10 July 1930, Page 4

In a Fair Ground

(By L. G. Moberly.)

LEADING CHARACTERS. MARTIN DAMERSLEY: The struggling head of a genteel family. He unexpectedly finds himself to be Earl of Glenworth, with a great and beautiful Hall and estate. ESTHER: His wife, charming and sweet-dispositioned in trial or in prosperity. PATIENCE: The Earl’s sister, whose lover, John is too independent to live on her wealth and refuses to think of marriage now that he cannot expect to support her. JOHN HARMER: The independent lover, who regards Patience’s change of fortune as an insuperable barrier. MILES: Martin’s eldest son, who becomes Viscount RalsLon, and decides to have his fling in London. BRIAN: The younger son, who determines to study the estate and its management. ENID: The eider daughter, w'ho renounces her title rather than give up Tom Jackson, whom she marries. LOIS: The younger daughter, who decides to enjoy herself and falls into the toils of an adventurer who promises to marry her. SIMON TREHERNE: A'scheming individual who wins the affection of Lois, and deserts her on the eve of her marriage on hearing that a claimant to the earldom has apappeared. . MISS PENELOPE CARSTAIRS: A pleasant old lady who warns Patience that the Dowager Countess is a\ dangerous woman. THE DOWAGER COUNTESS, who ■ looks on the new Earl and his family with contempt, and leaves an unpleasant' impression. CHAPTER XI. — (Continued.) “It means that I am a usurper, and shall be turned ignominiously out of a position into which I ought never to have stepped.” Martin’s voice was quiet, but it shook. “My dear, I was never fit for such a high estate. It has just been a farcical interlude—only it js dreadful to think that Esther and all of you will be dragged down in my fall." “Martin, I simply can’t bear to think vou may have to leave all this." I looked around the stately library. “The letter can’t be true. Why didn’t hear of this Maurice Damersicy before?" «

“I don’t know —I can’t understand.” Martin still looked rather dazed. “When I succeeded to the title it seemed as though there could not be a doubt that everything was perfectly straightforward and clear. The late Lord Gledworth, so I understand, had one brother, who died many years ago, leaving one son. This son, I understood, was killed in the same railway accident in which my predecessor and his own son were killed. Why we never heard before of this man, Maurice Damersley, I cannot imagine, but a firm of such reputation as Messrs Bradburn is not likely to have made a mistake. We are interlopers, my dear. We have no right here.” His glance travelled around the room, lingering upon the hooks he loved, resting upon the gardens spread out in the mellow sunlight, and coming back to my face with that troubled, - dazed expression which hurt me. “Interlopers," he repeated. “I shall have to find some work again, and at my age it may not be altogether easy. However, that is the smallest part of it all. The ghastliest part of the trouble is the change for Esther, and for all of you. Esther had'learned to love this place. I don’t know how to break it to her, Pat; that is the plain truth. I don’t know how to break it to her. I can’t hear hurting.her.”, “Esther has more courage than all the rest of us put together,” was my answer, and my mind flitted back to the old days of struggle and stress and patient endurance of adversity, and 1 remembered that Esther's courage had never failed, never even in the gloomiest times. Often and often in tire past year a certain Latin motto had come back to my mind, and I had fitted it to Esther, thinking how well she had borne out the words: “Adversis major par secundis" (“Greater than adversity, equal to prosperity”). Esther had shown herself equal to her change of circumstances, a change which might have uplifted over-much, dr weighed down over-much, a woman of pettier character. But Esther had been equal to it all. “Tell her at once,” I said firmly to Martin. “She would rather face the blow with you than be sheltered from it. She has always helped you over all bad times.” My advice to my brother proved correct. Esther received the news with that unflinching pluck which was part of her very being. “Let Mr Bradburn bring this Maurice Damersley down as soon as possible,” was one of the first remarks she made. “It would be best to have everything settled without any delay. And then we must look out for a houge in town again,” she added, with a rather forced briskness. “We shall soon drop back into our old ways.”

“Soon drop back into our old ways!” The words haunted me as I went slowly up the wide staircase, seeing a vision of the dark and narrow staircase at Averney Road, with its steep stairs and threadbare carpet; seeing, Loo, my sister-in-law in her shabby old gown, covered by the overall she had always worn about the house, because, as she used to say, it saved her frock, and she did not mind what messy jobs she did when wearing it. And now? I glanced down from the gallery than ran around the house at The lop of the Gledworth staircase, and watched Martin and Esther slowly making their way into the garden; Esther a very , gracious figure in a dress of soft blue in a silky material that fell in lovely folds, most becoming to Esther’s fairness, and her blue, soft eyes. Dear thing! She had so revelled in the pretty clothes which ( she' had never before been able to afford during the whole of her marired life; she had taken such a frank de-j light in choosing beautiful materials in beautiful colours; there had been something young and girlish in her pleasure over her unaccustomed luxuries. And looking aL her now, remembering those words: “We shall soon drop back into our old ways,” a | lump came into my threat, my eyes I grew dim. Brian took the news with the philosophy expected from Brian. “Well, we’ve had a jolly little innings here,” lie said, looking around the sitting-room, which especially be-

(To be continued.)

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longed to the young folk, “and I’ve learned a fair amount about the management of an estate. No going back to London offices for me. I shall stick to the land now, by hook or by crook.”

I-Ie and I and Lois were alone, and I noticed that Lois was very silent and distrait. She made no answer to Brian’s remarks, and after a pause he went on—

“It will affect you less than any of us, Lois. You will be gone so soon now, and you’ll be so busy and happy looking after Simon’s house that you won’t have time to miss this one.” As a matter of fact they had not yet taken a house. They proposed to be abroad for several months after the wedding, and not to settle down till their return; but Lois scarcely answered Brian; her thoughts were evidently far away, and I thought her eyes looked troubled. “Of course Simon will look .after me," she said, a sort of deflanoe in her tones. “It is all very wretched, but Simon will take care of me.”

“Naturally,” Brian put in peaceably —he looked a little surprised at Lois’s aggressive tone —“and you probably won’t be here to join in the family exodus. At least, I presume this fellow Maurice Damersley - won’t turn us out neck and crop at a moment’s notice.”

“There will probably be a great many inquiries before ‘this fellow,’ as you call him, comes into possession here,” I. said coldly. “Messrs Bradburn will insist upon his producing very convincing proofs of his identity and all sorts of credentials.” “Well,” Brian said slowly, “if the end must come, let it come quickly, that’s my view. I hate’dragging my misery out to a long-drawn point, and if we are obliged to leave Gledworth let us leave it and have done with it as soon as possible." I saw his meaning. I even sympathised with it; but at the same time I had an absurd longing to keep Martin at the Hall until the last available moment, to let him enjoy every single minute of it that could s!ill he enjoyed. But we were mere .pawns of Fate at the moment; the future did not lie in our hands, nor could - we arrange anything to suit ourselves. I believe we all felt that we were at the mercy of circumstances, and must simply accept what came; and the very next day Mr Bradburn telephoned to say that he would bring Mr Damersley down that afternoon.