CHAPTER III.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXVII, Issue 23, 8 June 1899, Page 23

CHAPTER 111.

N< .l morning at bioakfa-t Lord Harlath, anxious pes-ibly to make ani< ncls for the col<ine--< ot his welcome of Mechtilde, began to inquire into her tastes, and discovering 1 she was a hor-ewoman, oid- ivd o. qui.'t mare to be -addled for her. and then saw her and 'Jk ir _: in -t oil' lor a ride. .lanu- 1 ) arrant w us well fatisfiVd to be Miss Hai lath's escort, thou <h e\ t ry attempt to open a conversation proved vain — Mechtilde otin^ i>i.t o \ ] y shy and reserved, but ivlso oppressed by a weight on her l\\ ul. the (head ot how and when her father should learn that -lie w. -a Catholic ' Mr-. Talbots advice hael been to take the first opp inuni'y of -eemg him alone and stating the fact, but, since the gnl nad !i>u>,d her paieut -o opposed to her ideal, she -hrunk from tli'' very thought of this, pi n ate interview. To k(c|i her faith a -i_eiet -he of eo'it.-e knew to be sinful, and, prob ili'^i <_ »-i i> for one moie clay, impn-.ible, since it happeued to be I'i.d.iy ana h< r ah-' meiice lroin meat would certainly be noticed. On ,i lulling tioin the ride she w cr.t treuiblinglv into lunch, but wa.- n lievcd to tmd it .\n- a meal which Lord Harlath never 1 artook of . and it James Durrant remarked tint she ate only bread and butler, his curiosity was certainly not excited by the fact. As the afternoon went by Mechtiklc s trouble increased. She waited to go down to dinntr until the last moment, passing into the dininu-room with a beating heart. Her refusal ot soap and ' nt n,- escaped remark, but when it came to a helping ot sirloin L .rd ILirlatli'i attention wad attracted, and he asked if she were ill. Mechtilde answered in a voice so calm that it astonished all present, but no oii<- more than herself. ' No, i.ither. but I am a Catholic and cannot eat meat to-day. Lord Harl.ith dropped his kmte and fork, rose to his feet, and slowly repeated, abuont too incredulous to be thoroughly angry yet ' A Catholic ' Is is possible that I understood you to say you were a Catholic ' Then as the recollection penetrated his mind that Mechtilde had certainly pawed her lite entirely among ' Papists,' his rage gathered, hke thunderclouds before a storm. v Never let me hear again that you are a Catholic,' he roared. • Eat your dinner this instant 1 Simons,' this to the butler, ' replace Mi-s I lariat h's plate '' Then see-ing the girl make no attempt to touch the meat, his fury grew perfectly uncontrollable. Snatching up his wine-glasses, he Uti-he 1 them against the wall, and. pacing wildly about the room, uttered imprecations unfit tor any L.riy's ears, but inexpressibly to tho-eoi his daughter, who shrank away into a corner as far from him as possible. ' You 11 (hop that Papistical h'imbug !' he bellowed. ' Who made you a Papist I'd like to kno.v. That old Talbot, was it ? Answer, will you, you stubborn hussy ! She'll get her marching orders to-morrow, the idolatrous old fiend — how dare she play such

a prank? I'll have no Popery in my family. So just you change your tune, Miss, or I'll show you the way ! What was that fool, Miss What's-her-name, about, that she allowed this rubbish ? Tell that governess woman,' he yelled to the butler, 'to come here at once. I'll give her the rough sida of my tongne in a way she'll be apt to remember I'

' Father, father, please " cried Mechtilde, ' it was not her fault — don't scold her,' then — seeing the appeal to be worse than useless — she turned on James Durrant her beseeching eyes, pleading the more piteously through the dimness of their tears.

What man could refuse that muto cry for help 7 With a bold movement James strode across the room, and was out at the door in a breath, unobserved by Lord Harlath in his blind pa^ion. To catoh up the footman who had been sent to fetch Miss Swanton was the work of a moment, and slipping a sovereign into the man's palm he said meaningly ' The governess has retired for the night.' The man nodded without changing his well-trained countenao.ee, and returned with this message.

Mechtilde understood something of this little by-play, and if her simple goodness was shocked by the falsehood, she was human enough to thank hur friend with her eyes as he re-enterod the room.

By this time the old lord was too exhausted to storm any longer, and the girl took the first opportunity of leaving his presence, and the only consideration which induced Durrant to control his active indignation against his host was the certainty that a quarrel with the father would ruin any chance of ever again befriending the daughter.