Serial Story. THE DISTRESSES OF DAPHNE.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XXV, Issue IV, 28 July 1900, Page 148

Serial Story. THE DISTRESSES OF DAPHNE.

By

W, E. NORRIS

(Author of “My Friend Jim,” "Major and Minor," etc.)

SYNOPSIS OF INSTALMENTS 1. to 111 At a great ball in Dresden. Daphne Hamilton displeases her mother by dancing three times with Otto von Kahlenburg. the handsomest man in the room. He has been introduced by Captain Clough, the recipient of Mrs Hamilton’s complaints, himself a close friend of Daphne’s, and to tell the truth her would-be lover. Mrs Hamilton guesses Clough's wishes and is therefore most perplexed at the help he gives to von Kahlenberg in the latter’s obvious pursuit of her daughter. Mrs Perkins and her daughters give some annoyance to Mrs Hamilton by rheir persistent, offers of friendship, but their vagaries provide the others with a good deal of entertainment. At Bayreuth von Kahlenburg rejoins the party, and he and Daphne are inseparable. At <linner x on the evening of the close of the Festival, some information given by von Kahlenburg. relating to an accident in the Tyrol which caused the death of his father, known by the family name or Pardowitz. causes Mrs Hamilton to stare and then faint. The two gentlemen. Being requested not to await Mrs Hamilton's recovery, go on to Marienbad worn? Jack Clough receives a letter saying that the Hamiltons are going t«» avail themselves of the accident to l»eat a silent retreat. Clough, having with much difficulty restrained his friend from attempting a pursuit, starts for London. © © © CHAPTER VU FRIENDSHIP. Ou a chilly , murky November afternoon Mrs Hamilton was toasting hei toes before the fire in Palace (late, where she lived, when Captain Clough was announced. She started up, with a little cry of pleased surprise which her visitor ought to have found flattering. “At last! 1 was beginning to despair of you. What have you been about these hundred years?” •‘Well.” he replied, “for these hundred days past —it is just about that length of time since we parted at Bayreuth, isn't it?—l have been mostly shooting. My record is much too monotonous to interest anybody; but 1 should like to hear yours. What have you been doing meanwhile?” “You might,” returned Mrs Hamilton. resuming her seat, “have had the curiosity to ask that question by post. Perhaps you don’t realise what a dangerous thing it is to break off a course of Marienbad treatment before it is half finished." "I may not have realised all the dangers of the situation; but I owe you no apology, considering that you refused me all information as to your movements. However, let me repeat my question, now that you are here and I am here. What have you been doing?” “Oh, very little worthy of mention. Kecovering, I suppose.” “Both of vou?”

Mrs Hamilton sighed, laughed an<l nodded. “Yes, both of us, lam thankful to say. At least, I quite hope and believe so. But —we were terribly near a catastrophe, weren’t we?”

“I don’t know. We certainly seemed to be within measurable distance of an event—catastrophic of otherwise, according to the point of view. I can't say that, from my point of view, there is anything to take exception to in Otto von Kahlenburg.” “Oh, Jack, don’t be so exasperating! It stands to reason that yon must have taken exception to him; though I daresay you may not have disliked him as much as I did. Anyhow, we have done with the man for good and :ilI now, I trust.” “il’in! And Miss Daphne?”

"Slie has dismissed him from her mind. You know—or probably you don’t know-how easily girls take fancies and get rid of them.” "Some girls, no doubt: but is she of that sort?' "There is only one sort." Mrs llamillon boldly declared. “Infinitely varied, of course, like a packet of mixed seed, but tin- same in essentials. Daphne’s ■ listjnctive peculiarity, for instance, is her mania for music she has gone out to take a violin lesson now. by the way. Well, I suppose he understood that, and took measures accordingly.

But from the moment that she had left him and Bayreuth behind her !” “She proved her resemblance to the rest of the species by forgetting all about him? You are not too complimentary to your only child.” “All I said was that, like other girls, she is liable to take fancies which come to nothing. Would you really have preferred to hear that this one had come to something?”

“No; since you ask me. 1 shouldn't. Only I don’t feel as convinced about the matter as you profess to be."

Mrs Hamilton did her best to convince him— not wholly in vain. To Insure, he had seen Daphne's eyes. He had noted a subtle change in her voice, reserved for von Kahlenburg. and he knew what he knew; yet the fact remained that she had olieyed orders and had turned her hack upon her Austrian admirer without a protest. Would she have proved so docile if she had been anything like seriously enamoured of that ardent, but casual, pretendant? His estimate of Miss Daphne’s character warranted a negative reply. Then, too, it was consoling and encouraging to hear that she had frequently wondered whether he was going to be in London at all that winter.

Equally consoling and encouraging to Mrs Hamilton was the information which she elicited that Captain Clough intended to be in London, off and on. for some time to come. This satisfied her that he must have other intentions of a nature to command her warmest sympathy, and although they were neither of them so indiscreet as to become more explicit, they understood one another pretty well before their ehat came to an end. Each, at all events, understood very iwtil what the other wanted, and would, if poss’ble. bring to pass. But there are things w..ich cannot, with the best will in the world, be brought to pass. Had .lack Clough not been aware of that already, he would have been made aware of it. a few minutes alter he had emerged into the raw outer air. by his encounter with a young lady, carrying a violin ease, who joyfully recognised and accosted him. For if her joy at beholding him was unfeigned jand avowed, she lost no time in letting him know how little excuse was thereby afforded him for personal vanity or self-congratulation. He had not been talking to'her for two minutes before she ruthlessly cut short his hesitating commonplaces by inquiring:

"What became otf you and—and your friend after that Parsifal evening?”

The short pause which preceded her reference, to his friend was significant. ns was also the smile (perceptible even in that uncertain light) with which she received his answer of:

"Oh. we tore our hair and went our respective ways; what else could wdo? My way. as you see, has ended by landing me in Palace Gate: it is upon the cards, I suppose, that von Kahlenbnrg’s may have the s-itne goal, for he is no stranger in London.

"So he told me." observed Daphne, adding, after a moment of silence. “It is such a pity that mother can’t bear him."

“Does that matter?” “Yes: because if. by any chance, he should come to London and should find out our address " “As he undoubtedly will.”

“Do you think so? Well. then, he will just as undoubtedly be told that we are not at home. And I shall he sorry for that, because I myse'f lik • him extremely. You also like him very much, don't you?” “As much or as little as you please. The extent of my liking for him depends. I believe, entirely upon the extent of yours." Daphne laughed. "Well,” she said

presently, “it would be good-natured of you."

“To tell him how extremely you like him?”

“That would be unnecessary, 1 hope; we got on so well together, he and I. But you might, if the occasion should arise, tell him that 1 am really sorry to seem so rude.” ’’You are going to seem rude, then?” “I am afraid we must. Mother has taken him en grippe--for some reason which I can’t guess. Can you?” Jack shook his head, disappointing her a little, he fancied, by his inability to throw any light upon so strange a phenomenon. She put a few more questions to him. They were questions which anybody who had been unaccountably deprived of a pleasant acquaintance might have been expected to ask. and they did not in the least prove that she was breaking her heart for the vanished Otto: yet if she had been heartbroken. sne would scaicely have proclaimed the circumstance, nor did it lollow from her light manner that she was not a good deal more interested than she chose to appear. She took, at any rate, no sort of interest in an old friend, save such as attached to him in his capacity of a connecting link with a new one. Jack soon satisfied himself of that chastening fact, formed his own conclusions, and ceased to enlarge upon personal topics which had secured the sympathr tic attention of her mother. Much Daphne cared whether he was succeeding or failing in his new part of a country gentleman!—much she <ared whether he stood or not for the vacant Parliamentary division, which he had been invited to contest! With regard to her own life and occupations she manifested a similar offhand concern.

“Oh. there’s nothing to tell." she said: “we jog placidly along. My one

daily event just now is a fiddle lesson from a master who lives on the north side of the Park, and who gives himself sueh airs that his pupils have to go to him, since he won’t lie at the pains of coming to them." Then she politely hoped that she might soon see Captain Clough again, and so resumed her march, leaving him with the impression that he had scarcely fulfilled the expectations which had evoked her cordial greeting. Of course there was not the ghost of a shadow of a hope!—there never had Iteen, nor ever would be, any. It only remained to call a hansom and drive back to St. James’ Place, where Otto von Kahlenburg must by this time be impatiently awaiting the return of a friendly emissary. For Otto von Kahlenburg was tn London. It was, indeed, in some measure because he was in London that Jack Clough was now occupying the St. James’ pied-a-terre, which was the symbol of sufficient means and occasional obligatory touch with the metropolis. His young friend had invoked his aid, rather as a matter of right than as a favour, and he had responded to the appeal—not very unwillingly. it is true. On reaching his rooms, he found, as he had anticipated, that Otto was already in possession, and the latter, throwing the end of a cigar into the fire, started up, with peremptory demands. “Well? You have been there? —you have seen them? What did they say?’’

“I have been there and I have seen them," the older man composedly replied. "They didn’t say much.” “You toldthem that I was in England ?”

“No; I thought it better not to tell them that. If 1 had done so, they would have said more, no doubt; but they said enough—Mrs. Hamilton did. at least —to convince me that discretion was advisable. To speak plainly, my dear fellow. Mrs. Hamilton does not love you.” “Do 1 ask Mrs. Hamilton to love me?” “Probably not; yet I presume that you ask her, or will soon ask her, to receive you. And the fact is that, as at present advised, she will see yon hanged first!” “She said that!” "Well, she gave me to understand as much.” “And Daphne?” "Oh, Miss Hamilton was apologetic in advance. Whether she guessed that you were already in this country or not I can’t say; but she evidently expected that you would put in an appearance before long, and she was anxious that you should know how much she regretted her mother’s determination to slam the door of their house in your face.” Von Kahlenburg laughed good-hu-mouredly. “My dear Clough, you will never allow her to treat me in that "How the deuce am I to prevent her? And if it conies to that, why the deuce should I?” "Why?—because you are my friend, of course. As for how—well, I think that if you and Daphne are on my side, means will be found. By the way, you must have contrived to see Daphne alone, or she eould not have spoken to you as you said she did.” “Yes, 1 had a private interview with her, but not as the result of any contrivance on my part. I happened, after leaving Palace Gate, to meet her on her way home from her music lesson. She has a violin master on the other side of the Park whom she honours with a visit every afternoon just now, it seems.”

The young man rubbed his hands gleefully. "Aha! every afternoon? That is capital! Then I know whom she will meet to-morrow afternoon."

“Oh. naturally. But look here, Otto— 1 have a conscience, and although you are kind enough to call me your friend, 1 am also Mrs. Hamilton’s friend, you must remember. I ought not to lend myself to schemes which may end disastrously for her and her daughter. In a word, your uncle’s authorisation becomes important. Have you asked him for it?” “His authorisation? No; I have not asked him for that—how could I? It would not be customary. In our country we are a great deal more formal about such matters than you are. and to request my uncle’s consent to ray marriage would lie as much as requesting him to place himself in communication witli Mrs Hamilton at once. Which would make her excusably angry, 1 am afraid.” “There seems to be some ground for fearing that it might,” observed Clough dryly. “At the same time,

your subterfuge doesn’t deceive me. If you have said nothing formal to your uncle, you have certainly said something informal, and your guilty look shows that he was not pleased.”

“I do not believe.” answered Count von Kahlenburg’s heir-presumptive, evasively, “that it would be possible to please him with anything short of a princely alliance; but he is a slave to beauty, and Daphne will win his heart easily enough when the time comes. Meanwhile, nobody wants you to lend yourself to disastrous schemes. All you have to do, my good friend, until you receive further instructions from me. is to do nothing at all.” “Oh, that’s all, is it? I like your •further instructions!’ Well, perhaps you had better see Miss Hamilton: you will evidently manage to see her, whether it is better for you to do so or not. But take notice, please, that I reserve to myself complete future liberty of action.” CHAPTER VIII. DETERM I NATION. It is a great blessing to be young, and an even greater blessing to know your own mind. Few people, to be sure, when in possession of the former, realise the full importance of the latter; yet there belongs to early life an instinctive, unconscious contempt for obstacles which goes a long- way towards the achievement of results. "He who will be Pope,” says the proverb. “let him take it strongly into his head, and he shall be Pope.” So Otto von Kahlenburg, having taken It strongly into his head that Daphne Hamilton and no other should be his wife, strode across the misty stretches of Hyde Park with a light-hearted determination which was in no wise dashed by the ascertained disapproval of persons who undoubtedly had it in their power to forbid the banns. His uncle? Oh, well, his uncle might, and probably would, make a fuss; but what then? A childless widower, who has but one near relative in the world, lias given hostages to fortune, and cannot, unless he be abnormally unfeeling. show much fight when respectfully defied by that one relative. As for Mrs Hamilton, her mysterious prejudice must be overcome—would assuredly be overcome from the moment that she should be called upon to insure or destroy her daughter’s happiness. What signified—what alone signified —was the question of whether her daughter's happiness was at stake or not. If Count Otto was confident upon that point, it may be pleaded for him that Daphne had. in those Bayreuth woods, given him fair excuse for confidence; if he was also intermittently diffident (as in truth he was) let him be credited with some measure of becoming modesty.

He had no need to ask the way to Palace Gate; for, foreigner though he was, he knew his London very well indeed. and had hosts of friends (and many friendly hosts) in a country which he frequently visited in pursuit of sport. Only of course he eould not tell for certain at what precise hour Miss Hamilton might be expected to illuminate that somewhat dreary quarter of the town by her advent, and he had. in prudence, allowed hiinseli a wide margin of time, thus exciting the visible curiosity of a loitering policeman. whom he passed and repassed, while patrolling an exit from Kensing ion Gardens upon which it was necessary for him to keep an eye. The London police, unlike some of their foreign colleagues, are a simple, unsuspicious folk; so that Count Otto ran little risk of being mistaken for a dynamiter, with designs upon the neighbouring Albert Memorial. The expectations of the gentleman in blue were doubtless verified when a lady, bearing a violin-case, became visible through the fog and falling darkness, and when the well-dressed saunterer sprang forward.'hat in hand, to intercept her passage. Such encounters, it may be presumed, are not unfrequently witnessed bv the guardians of law and order on that particular beat. Moreover, although this did not happen to be an assignation, it had all the appearance of one; for the young Indy exhibited no sign of surprise or perturbation. "How do you do?" she said composedly. "I was wondering whet her vou were in England or not. ' have seen Capta n ( lough, perhaps. “Of course I am in England, amt of course I have seen him." the young man answered. "Did he tell you that I was here, then?” "No. he didn't tell me that; if he

had, I shouldn't have been wondering, should I? But he seems to have told you that he met me near this spot yesterday. What else did he tell you. if it is allowable to ask?”

"He told me." replied Otto, after a momentary hesitation, "that there would be very little use in my calling at your mother's house."

“Ah. exactly! And that is why you have wav la id me?"

“It is a good reason, surely! You cannot, have supposed that I should submit tamely to be refused sight of you.”

Daphne laughed. "Tame or fierce.” she remarked, “you will have to submit, 1 am afraid, to the consequences of an antipathy which I regret quite as much as yon can. Hut there it is, you see. and it can’t be helped. I begged Captain Clough to take an opportunity of explaining and apologising to you.”

No apology, she was assured, was requisite: but something in the nature of an explanation would be very gratefully received. If It was not asking too much, might he implore her to turn back into Kensington Gardens, and grant him five or ten minutes of conversation? He had travelled rather a long distance in quest of that boon, he pathetically added.

“I thought." returned Daphne demurely, “that you had travelled to this country in quest of something a little more exciting. Your name, at all events, has been mentioned among- other distinguished guests who are expected to shoot Lord Dovedale's coverts towards the end of the month.”

So she had taken the trouble to inform herself as to his engagements! That was an encouraging circumstance. despite the somewhat discouraging tone which she was pleased to assume. Her silent compliance

with his request that she should retrace her steps might likewise be taken as an encouragement to the avowal which broke forth from him la-fore they had stepped many yards, side In side. along the deserted Broad Walk.

"1 di<l not come to England to shoot pheasants—if Lord Dovedale and others have been so kind as to invite me. that is only because I gave them a hint, and because 1 had to make some excuse to my uncle I came simply and solely to see you. to tell you what you know already, that I worship you. and that I cannot live without vou!”

Miss Hamilton walked on. looking straight before her and answering nothing. "I did not know that before." was her eventual remark. "Oh. I think you must have known But even if you did not. vou know now. Well?”

"Well -I am sorry. What more can I say? I won't pretend not to have known though we have never spoken about it. she and I—why my mother hurried away from Marienbad. There seemed to be a chance that this might happen. If you will promise me that it shall never happen again, perhaps we may continue to be friends and there will lx* no objection to our meeting occasionally." "Promise you that it shall never happen again! But for what do you take. me. then?" The /speaker’s accents of amazed consternation may have been a trifle exaggerated: he could not. and did not. imagine that Daphne seriously contemplated dismissing him in that curt, unfeeling fashion. Nevertheless. he was chilled, and it scarcely comforted him to hear her reply much tranquillity: "You see. it is less a question of what you are or of what I take you

to Iw than of what is posable and what is impossible; and nay mother —" "Oh. Miss Hamilton!—Daphne! - can your mother make it impossible for you to love me’” "She can make it impossible for me to marry you. Oh. I know what you are going- to say; she is so good to me. ami she has always spoilt me so much that I might, if I chose, induce her to consent to anything. It doesn’t follow that I shall induce her to consent to a thing which she would hate. "That is as much as to say that you do not love me!"

"Have 1 ever given you any excuse for sup|H>sing that I did? She really had: and lie might, at a trilling cost of self-respect, have quoted words of hers which had appeared to convey that impression. But perhaps, under the circumstances, it would lie neither dignified nor worth while to upbraid her. So he drew himself up to his full height, brought his heels together with a click, bowed stiffly from the waist, and said: "Miss Hamilton, 1 see that 1 have made an unfortunate and ridiculous mistake. Pray, pardon mt* for having forced myself upon you. and let me assure you that the intrusion will not be repeated. 1 shall leave England tomorrow.”

"Good-bve. then.” returned Daphne, pleasantly'. "Won’t it be rather rude to disapjmint Lord Dovedale ami your other friends, thought "So rude that 1 shall never dare to show my face in this country again, which is’ exactly the result that 1 wish for.”

The girl raised her eyes to the face which was alsiut to be withdrawn permanently from their range. In the depths of those rare Ijlue eyes some merriment was discernible, together with some compunction, while perhaps upon their surface (but it was impossible to swear that in such an uncertain light) there was just a faint foreshadowing of tears to come. ”1 don’t think.” she said deliberateli. "that 1 ought to let you behave so badlv."

" Nothing.” returned Otto, still haughty and resentful, “is more easy than to’prevent me. .Miss Hamilton.” Nothing is more easy than to act in accordance with one's inmost desires. ami few things are more difficult than to conceal those desires at a critical juncture. Daphne Hamilton, who was devoted to her mother, and who. after all. did not know as much about her wooer as she would have liked to know, by no means desired to be driven into a'eorner: but cornered she was. and nobody will be surprised to hear that she only extricated herself by what, for all practical purposes, amounted to unconditional surrender. Certain conditions she imposed, it is true: but the force and value of these may be measured by the fact that when she and her comjMinion quitted Kensington Gardens (by which time it was no: quite dark), she had promised that if it should not prove in her power to become his wife, she would at least never be anybody else’s wife. "Then there is no fear! ” cried the exultant Otto, at parting. "Your mother does not really dislike me: how could slier" "I’lll sure I don’t know.” answered Daphne, with a tremulous laugh. "No: it is not me whom she dislikes, only Clough whom she would prefer. You did not guess that’ Yet it was evident enough. Well, you absolutely decline Clough- who. for the rest, is not a candidate. bless him! -and all is said. If there are any little difficulties they will vanish. They shall ami they must, now that I have won till I wanted to win!" So tine a thing is it to be young and to know your own mind. (To l>e Continued.)