VIOLET LISLE; OR, A PEARL BEYOND PRICE.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VI, Issue 453, 3 April 1912, Page 2

VIOLET LISLE; OR, A PEARL BEYOND PRICE.

AH Rights Roservod.

By the Author of "All or Nothing." "Two Keys," etc., etc, - ; PAST 19. Violet laughed gently, and turned ier head to look towards the inn. 3he knew her good friend was axaid of morbid thoughts, and was :aking this method of distracting ;hem. "Poor creature !" she said, presently. " I am always so sorry for inyone who is ill. But I suppose sveryone is not so dependent on good lealtb as I am. Fancy if I were to jecome ill !" " I don't care to fancy any such inpleasant thing, Mabel." " I should not like to lose my roice now," said Mabel absently, " Lose your voice," cried Lady Nestall uneasily. "Do 3top talking ibout it, Mabel, or I shall give you i good shaking "; and she went nearer to Violet, es if to carry out her ;hreat, but in reality to put her arm :oaxingly around her. " Oh, I don't feel at all sick, dear iiady Westall, so don't feel alarmed" aughed Violet. " Ah, htere comes She will be sure to know ill about our visitors to yonder inn, md then your insatiable curiosity will be satisfied."

Lady Westall, who was in truth, the least curious of women, laughed softly, and caressed lovingly one of :he little white hands as it pointed to where Violet's French maid was coming across the freshly-mown field. 3he had, in fact, been in the inn at the time of the arrival of the strangers, and was primed with all the details she had been able -to gather with that faculty 0 f discovery which is peculiar to a French tire-woman. Neither her mistress, whom she worshipped with a . truly French ariour, ncr Lady Westall, whom she idmired, would take very much interest in her discoveries ; but it was a part of her training to gather and spread information. So she approached eagerly, and began with hepretty accent : " Oh, mademoiselle ! Some rich English ! Such boxes ! She was travelling to Nice and was taken ill—the lady I mean. Oh, she looks verj bad —sick, I jnean." " Not very sick, I hope ?" said Violet. " I don't know. . The physician from Paris who is stopping in the next village has been sent for. Myself, I think she is very sick." " You will go over after -supper and inquire, please," said Violet ; " and if we can give help, make the offer. But I suppose she has servants to do anything she desires. Still, they are all strangers, and we may be ahle to do something." It seemed so little likely that the lady would need any service at their hands, that neither of the ladies gave the matter more than a passing thought after that moment ; but Felicie was faithful to her curiosity, and went over to the inn after supper. Violet and Lady Westall were strolling about when they saw Felicie returning across the field at a rate of speed that suggested a bull in pursuil though there was no such animal in sight. Felicie must have something momentous to tell to put her at that pace," said Lady Westall. Violet laughed. " What is it, Felicie ?" asked Lady Westall, when the maid came up to them, " Have you found your longlost father ?" " Oh, madame, do not joke !" said Felicie. "It is dreadful—very 3readful ! We must fly from here " " Not I," said Lady Westall. " Mabel, fancy me flying " "Ah !" said Felicie, tragically, " you will always joke, madam ; but this is not to laugh at, for mademoiselle's sake."

" What do you mean ?" demanded Lady Westall, peremptorily, frightened in a moment at the thought of any danger to Violet. " The ladj has diphtheria," said Felicie. Lady Westall turned pale. Diphtheria ! Suppose Violet were tc take it ! " You are right, Felicie ; we musl leave at once. Have the trunks packed. I will see to paying the bills. Mabel, my darling, youi voice !" " I suppose you are right," sighed Violet, " but it seems somehow wrong to run away." " Nonsense !" said Lady Westall, lecidedly. "It is what everyone will do," said Felicie. " the servants have run already and nobody will stay in the inn. The landlord is crazy. Th< lady—my Lady Darlington her name is—" " What name ?" cried Violet, taking her by the arm. " Lady Darlington. Oh, mademoiselle ! W T hat is the matter ?" " Nothing," said Lady Westall, sharply, folding her arms around Violet with a certain savageness, as if to defend her from ci r il she could fore see. " Go see to this trunks, Felicie. Don't give way, my darling. Wt must hurry from here. Gome intc the house." ■ " It isn't that," said Violet in a low voice. " I am not afraid oi saving her see me. But she is—his mother ; and she is here, deserted, and perhaps dying." " What of it?" cried Lady Westall brusquely. " Come ! Let us go intc the house. Don't think of it." " I must think of it, Lady Westall. A thought flashed into my braii when Felicie told me who it was. Did Felicie say it was an old lady oi

i young one ? Did che say which it was ?" " No." " Will you ask her please?" " YC3." And Lady Westall hastened after Felicia. She returned in a few moments. Violet was standing as she icd left her. " She says the sick ladj is past niddie age," " Thank you, dear," said Violet in a low tone. Then, after a short pause ; " Lady Westall I am going to :hc inn to see if I can be of any service to her." " You shall not," cried Lady West--11, vehemently. "I must, dear." " Think of your throat, dear." " No, no," sobbed Violet with a vdden passionate outburst, " I can-->t thnk of that. What I think of :, that fhi"! is his mother. And, as ""caven judges me, it would be the rime to me if she were his wife. I -v.st go."

CHAPTER XXVI. THE HOPE THAT LIVED. Lady Westall was more than shock:d—she was terrified at Violet's design of going to see Lady Darlington. 3he pleaded with her, using every irgument she could think of to deter icr ; but for the first time in their intercourse with each other Violet was obstinate. '"You do not know," she said at last ; "you cannot understand. I must go to her. She is his mother. [ must — I must." Lady Westall ceased to expostulate and sighed. " Go then, if you wSH," she sighed. "You are not angry with me?" said Violet, putting ■■ her hand coaxingly on the other's shoulder and .ooking up into her face with her ?reat blue eyes. " No," answered Lady Westall, gathering her into her loving embrace ; " but, remember, if harm comes to you I shall never be happy. It is not only your own life, but mine as well that you are risking in there." " But I must go," said Violet, simply. Lady Westall bent over and kissed her. " Do not stay too long," she said, and then turned and walked rapidly towards the cottage. " Nobody loves me as well as she does," murmured Violet, looking after her ; " but I must go and she will forgive me." She walked slowly, but without any hesitation across the field to where the little inn stood in its un L wonted silence. The fear of the dread disease had driven its trade away and the landlord had a verj long face when he hastened over the threshold to warn Violet of her dan ger. " You must go away," he said " We have diphtheria here." "I know it," answered Violet " and I have come to inquire about the lady who is ill." : " But the doctor said there was danger even here." "It does not matter. Tell mewho is with her ?" " Mon Dieu ! no one," answered the landlord, lifting his eyebrows and spreading out his palms as if surprised that she should ask such £ question. " All her servants have lfft her ?" " Every one. They ran like sheer as soon as the doctor said what was the matter. And who can blame them ? I would not be here, but £ man cannot run away from his pro Perty." " But she must have a nurse,' said Violet. The man shrugged his shoulders. " The doctor said he could get ar old woman in the next village." "An old woman —an ignorant rough peasant, no doubt —for Ladj Darlington !" cried Violet, thinking oi the care and attention the proud patrician would have received had stu been in Englaad.. " Have he: 'riends been informed ?" " The servants promised to attend to that," answered the landlord. " The servants !" cried Violet, in dignantiy. " Let me see Lady Dar lington;" and she swept past the as> tonished man before he could stop j her. "Mon Dieu !" he cried, runninj frantically after her, . "if you go in there you cannot leave here again." " Well," said Violet, proudly, " lel it be so. Where is her room ?" " Oh, you shall not go," said thi man angrily. " Why not," demanded Violet quietly. " Because you, too, will be sick then, and perhaps die ; then I shal be ruined. Two people die in mj louse ? No, parbleu ! you shall not go." " Hush," said Violet, decisively though a momentary pallor whiten?c aer cheek at the suggestion of death. "Do not speak so loudly. You nee: not fear ruin. I wili see that, yot are paid more than you could pos sibly lose even, by ten,deaths in you; house. Where is Ladj Darlington': room ?" " You English are very generous, . know," grumbled the fellow, "bu the risk is great." " The room ?" said Violet. " The one over this," answered th. man sulkily ; but after Violet ha< gone up the staircase he stood on thi threshold and muttered to himself " Jean, this may be a likely chanci for you, if you do not take the di sease. We shall see !" Violet stopped a moment in tlv passage, before knocking at the doo of. Lady Darlington's room. Slv was to meet for the first time, th< mother of Guy—the woman who hue come between her and her dcares happiness. Something of wonder a finding herself there came over her and a feeling of hesitation at goins into iter presence. Then came th thought that she was the mother o

Guy and tint she was >. ■•;-.- ill. and ■/.one; and there was something <>f sxultation in her heart, as she ivnli sed that fate had thrown in her way the opportunity of liefriending the woman who had caused her so much, suffering. She knocked gently at the door. A gasping voice hade her enter, and ?he did so, all the pympathy and pity 'n her sweet womanly nature, roused at, once by the hopelessness and distress indicated in the. husky voice and sharp-drawn breath. The room was a large one but as bare of comforts as such rooms usually are. The. sun streamed its hot rays through the unprotected windows, flooding the room with glaring light, and pouring with blinding effect on the white coverlid of the bed on which the sick woman lay. Violet cast a quick glance at Lady Darlington, noting the pallid, drawn face and eager inquiring eyes. She returned the glance with a reassuring smile and said in a soft soothing tone, whose exquisite modulation was like music to the ears of the sick, woman : " I heard you were ill and alone, and I came to see you. I thought sou would forgive the intrusion since I am a countrywoman of yours." An expression so full of gratitude and gladness shot across the invalid's face, that Violet who could see Guy in the drawn features, turned her head away'to hide the tears that filled her eyes. "Oh, how good you are," whispered Lady Darlington. "It is terrible to be left alone, deserted, as it seemed, to die. How good you are." " It was wicked, heartless, of your servants to desert you !" cried Violet. " But never mind ; you shall not miss them. I will remain with you will some of your friends arrive." She had walked over to the windows as she was speaking, and had drawn the blinds so thnt the sun was shut out. " Thank you," sighed Lady Darlington, with pathetic gratitude. Violet answered only with a smile and began to busy herself in putting the room in order, moving about so quietly and handling everything so deftly, as not to tire the invalid who kept her eyes fixed constantly on her. Then, of a sudden, Lady Darlington gasped out, with a pitiful sort ol wail : " You must not stay here—the disease in infectious." Violet turned and looked'at her, a sweet smile irradiating her beautiful face. For a moment she did not anl- - then she raised her hands and removed her hat, saying, at the same time : "I knew that before I came ; but you see I am going to remain." "You must be an angel," said Lady Darlington faintly ; you look like one. But you are too good, toe beautiful and young to be allowed tc take this risk. It would he wicked." " There now, Lady Darlington," said Violet, with a pretty air o: command, "we will not talk of it further. I have come to nurse you until some of your friends come tc take my place. It will be a useless waste of strength to urge me, so saj no more. You should not try tc talk under any circumstances." Then, for the first time, she went over to the bedside and let her soft cool palm rest on the hot forehead of the suffering woman. Lady Darlington devoured her with her eyes. and then let her heavy lids fall. " Heaven bless you," she sobbed, and Violet saw tears running down her pale cheeks. " No, no, you mustn't do that," she cried in distress, wiping the tears away with her handkerchief. Lady Darlington opened her eyes, and something like a smile showed in them. " They are tears of gratitude and joy," she said. " I won't say a word more about your going. 1 will only pray God that He will protect you through it unscathed. Who are you, please ? What is youi name ? Perhaps I know some of your 'riends. You said you were English. But I should have known that." A slight flush mounted to Violet'i cheek at the question ; but she answered, steadilj : "My name is Marsden. Ido nol think you know any of my friends We do not move in the same circle. 1 knew your name through my maid Now, do not let us talk any more till the doctor comes. He will come again to-day, will he not ?" "He said he would return this afternoon." " Then I will take my instructions from him, and you shall see that wc will have you well in a little while. Could you not sleep now. You looi so tired and worn." " I will try," said Lady Darlington weakly, and closed her eyes as if she needed rest. There were a number of little things that Violet could do to nia'si

the sick room look cheerier, and she did them softly and quietly. And presently the bare. uninviting roon began to take on a home-like air Violet using freely from the opcr trunks that stood in the apartment. Hy-and-by she rejoiced that hei patient was asleep, though hei breathing was pitifully obstructed and difficult, so she quietly left tin room ami went, down to the door. The landlord was there, and his greeting of her was noticeably mnn deferential. " There is a lady waiting ur.drr the trees over there ro speak to you. Mademoiselle." he said, respectfully. Violet had expected nothing less so she smiled pleasantly and went out. to see Lady Wcsta.ll. She stop ped at a distance from her and warn ed her oil quickly. " Don't come any nearer," Violet said. " I don't know anything a bout the danger ; " hut you must take no risks." (To be continued.)