VIOLET LISLE; OR, A PEARL BEYOND PRICE.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VI, Issue 460, 27 April 1912, Page 2

VIOLET LISLE; OR, A PEARL BEYOND PRICE.

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By the Author of "All ot Nothing,"' "Two Keys," ete., ©te. PART 26. "Love him !" ssied Violet, starting up quickly. " Yes, I do love him so that my heart is sore and wretched ; but forgive him lor doubting me —for having no faith in me when he pretended to love me ! No, I will not do that. I never should havo doubted him. But he —he insulted me. I know lam speaking of your son, but I am speaking too, of the man for whom I risfcfed a dishonoured name, because I loved bin better than anything tfafe world had to offer. No, Lady Darlington, 1 tinow as I speak that my love for Guy will make my life a burden, but I will not forgive him. If I loved him less I should forgive him more easily."

" Now I see your father in you," said Ladj Darlington sadjly. " Poor Guy.:' "I think," said. Violet, with that new bitterness which had come to her with sorrow, " that 1 need pity more than Guy." " Do not be angry with me," said Lady Darlington so sweetly, that Violet cast herself- into her arms and sobbed. " Oh, I am so wretched !"

Wretched indeed she was, but not all Lady Darlington's persuasions could make her yield a step from 'her determination to sever her life from Guy's. She was so gentle with her Brmness that Lady Darlington only despaired the more, and at last rose to take leave of her, extracting a promise first that she, at least, should see more of her sweet little aurse in the',future.

"I shall not hide from you," answered Violet, " and I shall be only too glad to see you always, for I love you, too. Oh, here is father. Do not forget that he knows nothing of Mabel Marsden. Father, this is Lady Darlington," she said ; for her father had entered in search of her, not knowing that anyone was with her.

All Melville Lisle's dormant prid< was aroused in an instant by the name he hnd heard, and Lady Darlington saw him assume his coldest and most repellant manner. Bui she was not to be baulked by that.

" Mr. Lisle and I have met before," she said ; " anxl, I think, understand each other. I hope so at least, for I am here to-day on an errand somewhat different from th< one that took me to him on the previous occasion ; although I had not hoped for this pleasure to-day." The tone was so courteous and conciliating that Mr. Lisle could not be less than courte*yas himself, and he bowed in his stateliest manner. Lady Darlington went on :

" I have been trying to persuade your daughter to add one more favour to the numbers she has already conferred on me. Perhaps ytou did not know, sir, that she saved my life at the risk of her own."

" She had not spoken to me ol it," he said. " Shp. did ; and in those I learned to love her so well that I became anxious to have a closer hold on her. I came to-day to try to induce her to do my son the honour of becoming his wife." " And what was her answer ?" inquired Mr. Lisle so stiffly and with as near an approach to his old man ner that even Violet looked at him in surprise.

" She refused him. And now, I appeal to you, sir saying to you that I believe no man is worthy of her. I beg the honour of the alliance as humbly as once I proudly scorned it. WiH you, sir forgive the ignorance that cmce made me arrogant and lend me your assistant to prevail upon yoiur daughter tc change her mind ?" Melville had listened with surprise to the words of the woman who had once dealt his prwSe such a blow, and he was too much of a gentleman not to respond with the courtesy her humility demanded.

" I must pardon anything in the past, Lady Darlington," he said ; " for I was no less guilty of underrating my daughter ; but after all that has happened, I can >only saj that I should never asttempt to use my influence with my daughter. She shall be free to make her own choice, and I have no fear that she will choose otherwise than well."

"Thank you, papa," said Violet " I love Lady Darlington very dearly but I have told her that waia-t shf asks is impossible."

The tears stole to Lady .PfirVington's eyes ; but she controller! .herself, and embraced Violet, tail*? hi'r ried away with only a low bow -c Mr. Lisle.

The latter looked after h er with i proud look in his ejes, and thei turned to where Violet had sunk up on the sofa weeping. " My 'dear," he said, <■" I havt never questioned you on the mattei of which Lady Darlingtcai '.has jusi spoken, nor do I wish t«o. Her er rand here now, would be a complct' vindication of you, had one beei needed. It was not needed, But have other and more important mat tere to communicate tc* you at thi: moment." " More important matters I" ,Vio let thought. As if there could be any mrVtte more important to her than -tin; ' which he had dismissed wjith a »«-'*"' \ of his hand. " You will hardly guess, my de est,'; he went on with a mixture' of I tom; posity and suppressed sexciterr sent;

She smiled in s?itc of h:r grief. " I think I can guess, papa." " Impossible," he said with an air of surprise. "I have observed your attentions to Lady Westall with so much pleasure that, if —"

" Ahem !" coughed Mr. Lisle with a pleased embarrassment. " I—er—that is—well to be sure, Violet, I will not say that I have been unaware of the manifold attractions of —of Lady Westall—if she will pardon me for mentioning her name in connection—that is—er— but really, I was not making reference to that at [resent, though I will not say that

you do not anticipate me by a very —a very little. I was sure you would approve—though I am not certain that I may find enough favour in her eyes—eh, Violet?"

"I cannot answer for her, papa ; but it would surprise me if she does not think as favourably of you as you do of her. But what was it you wished to tell me ?" " Ah, yes. What would you say if [ told you that the Earl of Granthorpe stood before you ?" " The Earl of Granthorpe ?" " The Earl of Granthorpe, Violet. It is startling, but it is true. I met the family solicitor in the village —he had come down from London to inform me that all the intervening heirs to the title and immense property of Granthorpe were dead and that I was Lord Granthorpe." " Lord Granthorpe !" murmured Violet again.

She was thinking that the Darlingcon estates lay adjoining. " And you are Lady Violet," he said. "It has come late, but is, levertheless, heartily welcome." CHAPTER XXXIII. THE EARL OF GRANTHORPE'S IDEA. It was a long time that Violet sat alone in the music-room struggling to put in their proper place and order the multifarious thoughts that filled her brain. There was so much thai seemed unreal in what had occurred, 2nd it was not easy for her to adjust her ideas ; but at last there came out of the chaos the two startling facts ; Lady Darlington believing her the daughter of an obscure gentleman and knowing her to be a public singer, had besought her to give herself to Guy. She was uow the daughter of one of the wealthiest noblemen in England and the peer in birth and worldly advantages of the proudest title in the realm. Either of these facts would have brought her unmixed happiness only a short time ago, and now neither was potent for even a quiver of pleasure. Guy was as far from her as ever ; for it could not be possible foi her to give to him that perfect love and faith which had been his befon the miserable duy when he had ievealed to her his own unfaith and without Guy her life was vend. She was still sitting there when Lady Westall entered the room and went over to her side. Violet noted that on the face of her friend was a slight cloud, which she seemed an xious to conceal and she wondered at it.

" You have heard the great news?" queried Lady Westall sitting by Violet and taking her hand.

"Yes ; papa told me a few minute! ago. lam happy for his sake, but I regret it for ours ; for I know thai he will wish now to enjoy what all his life has been his dream, but which has seemed the most unattainable thing in the world." " And why should he not enjoy it ?" " V/hy not indeed ! But it will take us from all this peacefulnes; and plunge us headlong into the life which, above all others, I most dislike to contemplate." " Yes, that is true ; but he will be happy." " Shali you not mind it, then?" demanded Violet, in surprise. *' Mind what ?" " Going into the gay world ?" "I go into the gay world ? Violet dear, that could never be. I shall'he left alone here with all this peacefulness that you so much regret." " But you will go with us tc Granthorpe ! "cried Violet, in a sori of alarm. " You surely will not desert us —me, now ?" " Desert you ! No, I will not dc that ; but go into your world I can not. Do you not see what the accident of a few deaths has done for us? You belong at once to the world thai has never admitted me, and for your father's sake you must take your place in it." " But you will go with us," insist ed Violet, '* it must admit you. Then can be no questioning of your righto be there. You are the daughter Df a gentleman and the widow of a nobleman and you have as good ; Htle for the entree into society as I. Besides—" and she altered her vehement manner suddenly for a sweet confident tone —" papa will not let i be otherwise."

Lady Westall flushed a deep red as she caught Violet's meaning, and foi a moment was silent, but presenth looked up in her courageous way anc said frankly : " It might be more modest to pre tend to misunderstand you ; but I d< not misunderstand you at all. \oui father's feeling for me has been su'n ciently unmistakable, and I nec< hardly tell you that mine for him i eciually strong ; but this thing thai has happened will alter all that." " Ah, you misjudge papa, if vol think it will make any difference tc him. It was only a few minutes a go that he spoke in plain terms a bout it." She took, both of LadWestall's hands in hers, and smilec at her in her own affectionate way " You will be my mother still, and shall be very proud of you."

" Don't jest, Violet dear. It is \ thing that can never be. Do you for

thorpe would condone that fault ?'■ Violet had forgotten it, and the mention of it sent consternation tc her hrart.

" Must you tell him ?" she as'/.od pitifully.

" You sec," said Lady Westall, sorrowfully, " you realise as fully as I do the barrier that arises between us. Yes, I should be obliged to tell him my whole story the moment he did me the honour to ask me to be his wife ; ami if I did not, do yon suppose that I could be in the world for one month without some malicious tongue spreading the facts an;: the f.ctions of my story ? It would be cruel to your father not to tell him first, and (mite unworthy of me. What would you do in such a car-?" " I sb.onld do as you intend." said Violet, sadly thinking within her heart that the world had come to be full of sorrow for thv>se who had onee tasted its bitterness. " I had dreaded telling him before this, and more than onee I have reproached myself for my want of complete, frankness at the beginning ; hut [ had hoped it would not stand for so much with him as it must ivuv. And I cannot reproach him for it Well, I am too old to die of a broken heart," she said with an attempt at nirth that smote Violet Keenly, for she knew how strong an affection Lady Westall had for her father. There was a pause, and Violet said, suddenly : "If we go into society I shall be recognised as Mabel Marsden." "It is not probable. I had > nought of that ; but if you consider ! or a moment, what is more unlikely than that anyone would think of looking for the famous singer in the daughter of the Earl of Granthorpe 1 No, you will be safe. I wish you svere as sure of happiness. Violet, dear, are you not wrong in holding out against your own heart ? You love Lord Darlington, he loves you, and there is nothing to interfere with | jour happiness, but your own will." " And his words to me which nothing will efface from my memory. He believed of me the worst thai man can believe of woman." " You do not know how he may have been deceived." *„" I could not have been so deceived in regard to him." " You do not know." "Please say no more," begged Violet miserably. "It is more to me than ever you can believe ; and sometimes it has come over mc like an overwhelming wave that I must submit to my longing and yield ; but I know that if I should, with the memory of that day engraved o'i my heart—the day when I almost gave myself to him, to be rejected with an insult—l should hate him and myself too- Ah, what a wretched world this is ! Why need there be such misery as yours and min« ?" '" Why, indeed," responded Uady Westa.ll. " Violet," she exclaimed, suddenly, " I cannot bear to tell youi father my wretched story. I will not. It seems to me it would kit mc to looli in his face while 1 was telling it, and see there the gathering coolness ami scorn. It will be easier to go away and give him no opportunity to call my story forth. When he is in the excitement of his new life he will hardly think of me." What'could Violet say? To hci there was no possible tragedy in the love of these two older persons. She had no more doubt than Lad> Westall that her father would be shocked out of his love b\ such a revelation as would be made to him particularly now that he had become the Marl of Granthorpe. Even the love <> Lady Westall could not impress her is deeply as would that of a younxer person, though she knew well the depths of her great nature. We all associate youth ami deep abiding )o\\ and perhaps we are right. " What will you do?" Violet asked after a pause. " I will make an errand to London this afternoon, and will not return until your father has left here, as he will as soon as possible, for there will be a great deal for him to attend to before he can make his home at Granthorpe. You must let me know when he has gone." Po she went, and was gone, when later in the day, Mr. Lisle sought Violet, and said to her, with an affectation of indifference that sat. oddlj on him :

" Whore is Lady Westall ? I do not f.nd her anywhere around in ttio CTomifis or in the house ?" " Sh? has gone to London, papa, on pressing business answered Violet, who could not imagine anything more pressing than Lady West-all's errand in London. "Dear mo," murmured Mr. Lisle; " that is too bad indeed. How lorn; did she say she would he absent ?" " She was not certain. Perhaps two or three days." " T7m '" ejaculated ho. hvAin:: extremely puzzled. " Very sudden. wa> it not, Violet, my dear ?" "Yes, papa, sudden and unexpected-''" " I wish I had known. 1 would have supposed she would have let nit know. I must go to London myself this evening, and I could easily h ■>.'••< hastened my departure in order to go with her. T may not see her again for some time. Wear me!'' He was extremely disturbed, but Violet was too much taken up with her own troubles to .give his the consideration it deserved ; and perhap;she would have permitted him to go Without another word of explanation if she bad not chanced to look up and suddenly note how seriously he felt Lady Westall's precipitate retreat. Then her sympathetic natun asserted itself and she felt calle-i; upon to do for the mature lovers what she would somebody had dont for her. (To foe continued.)