VIOLET LISLE; OR, A PEARL BEYOND PRICE.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VI, Issue 467, 22 May 1912, Page 2

VIOLET LISLE; OR, A PEARL BEYOND PRICE.

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By the Author of "All or Nothing," "Two Keys," etc., eta. PART 33. • r CHAPTER XL. THE RECONCILATION. "Is it true ?" remarked Lord Darlington. " They have not deceived me ? I may come to you ?" But even as Guy asked his questions so doubtfully he was advancing towards where Violet stood, with hands extended towards him and before she could make any assuring answer he had interpreted her looks and taken her in his arms. "My darling! my darling!" he said.

" Oh, Guy," she murmured, " can you forgive me ?"

" It is I who need forgiveness," he answered, stroking her cheek fondly. " I did not think you could ever dc so, and even now when I hold you here I am almost doubting my senses. Have you forgiven me, darling ?" " Ah, Guy, do not let us talk ol it. I was mad then, I think. Oh, there were many reasons why I shbuld have been so foolish as to treat you so ; but not one good enough to excuse me. Let us not talk of it now. Tell me how you snew that my good angel had come to my rescue. I really think that I should have become mad, if my heart had not listened to the voice of reason Tell me how you happen tc be here now ?"

"My mother telegraphed for me. I was in Paris, and I knew she would not telegraph for me unless there was hope. It seemed impossible that there could be hope, and 1 would not allow myself to believe it ; but I came without a moment o: delay. I suppose there must have been hope in my heart ; but I die not dare to entertain it. Let me be sure now. Do you love me just as much as before ?" Vialet looked at him out of hei limpid blue eyes and answered softly:

"If you lose a treasure, do yov. love it more or less when you find it again ?" " Was I your treasure ?" he asked "My most precious. Oh Guy, all I did that was so cruel and seernec so heartless was out of my dear love for you. It was all so unwise, Guy but no one could say it was noi loving." " I understand it all now, dear And I did not believe you then. 1 would be stunned into a sort of belief, and then I would remember the clearness of your soul and I could not believe it. But it seemed as ifate was in league against us ; for 1 never could find you at the righi time."

" Perhaps it was a lesson we bott needed," suggested Violet. " That I cannot believe," answered Guy. " I can believe that I deser ved punishment for ever doubting though only for a second, but I cannot believe that you who were sc full of faith and goodness should have been made to suffer."

" Have you seen my father, Guy ?'

" For a few minaites only. He drove over to Darlington Castle tc bring me here." " Do you not love him, even knowing him so little ?" "My mother has told me of the great change in him and I was prepared to like him." " Yes," said Violet, " the change in him is very great, and when I see it I must reproach myself, that I die not bring it about sooner. If I hac been more to him in the early days there would never have been the trouble that came to us ; for it was all through him that we are brought to meet again, and he would have found a way to keep us together."

" Well, then," said Guy, ;' we must think that all our misery has beer for a good end, since it has brought happiness to so many. For now my mother, your father, and Lady Wcstall are happy as well as ourselves, md if we had had our own way at first, we might have been the cause af their unhappiness." " And, after all," said Violet, with a soft sigh of perfect bliss, "of what consequence is the misery that is past, so that we have the happiness in the present, and its prospect foi the future ?"

And what, indeed, did it matter 7 The past is gone and only its effects remain. If the present be a happy one, be thankful for that, and try to extend it as far into the future as you. can. But then, too, philosophy is of little avail in sorrow, and not needed in happiness, so that after all it only remains for one to bear the ills that come bravely and enjoy tc the full all the joy that befalls. It was what all of our friends did. The older lovers, indeed, were less disposed to enjoy their happiness ir solitude than the younger ones svhich was well for Lady Darlington who laughingly said that they musl find room for her somewhere, as she ■nust enjoy her happiness with them Both Guy and Violet would have said an hour before they met that il would take them days to exhaust the subject of the causes that had led tc their separation ; but, in fact, it wa; the topic soonest abandoned ; for, a; 3uy remarked, what was the use o! discussing that when it was tin thing that contained the least happi ness for them ? " There is a matter that is fai nearer my heart," he said to Violel on the second day after their recon cilia tion. " And what is that ?" she had ask-

" When will you be ready to become Lady Darlington ?" " Oh, dear, there is no hurry about that."

" Certainly not," he answered ; " I would not have the least hurry. All I wish is decorous speed." " And what do you call decorous speed ?" " What do you say to next week?" " Why, Guy, it couldn't be—not possibly." " Why not ? Have we not been betrothed long enough ? Over two years. Think of that !" " Yes, but you know we are to be married on the same day with papa and Lady Wcstall, and I am sure they will not be ready." " And I am sure they are just as much in a hurry as we are." "As we are. Why, Guy, it is you who are so impatient," said Violet, with a fine appearance of dignity. " On your honour, now," said Guy, taking her by both hands and making her turn both her eyes up to him, " would you not be willingmind, I only say willing—to be marcicd next week ?" " Well, to please you—" Violet began. " No, I wan't have that," he interrupted. "Ta please yourself." " But I'd rather please you," she answered. " Then you are willing to have it next week ?" " It will be perfectly dreadful." " Why?" " There wouldn't be time for a trousseau for one thing." " And for another?" he insisted. " I yvouldn't wish to be married unless papa was ready." "Then if I can prevail upon him, you will have no further objection?" " Oh, how persistent you are. 1 suppose that it's because you are a man. I remember now that you used to be just so, Yes, you shall have it all your own way." " No," he said, with the delightful inconsistency of a lover, " you shall have it all your own way. If you really prefer we shall not be married for a year." Then there was a struggle to see who should yield to the other and a£ is usually the case in such struggles. the woman was victor. The woman will always be the victor when she essays to force a man to have his own way. " There is one thing I really would wish very much," said Violet, when it was settled that Guy should arrange the wedding-day to suit his own and the convenience of the other pair. " And what is that, my darling ?" " I should like Martin Jenkins—do you remember Martin Jenkins ? —tc marry us. He was so true and devoted to me in the time when I was in most need of a friend, that ] should like him to complete my hap piness." "He was the curate at Penarth?'- " Yes, and was asked to resign from there because he befriended me." "He shall marry us," said Guy, emphatically, " and he shall be put in Sylvestre's place if I can get rid of Mm." " That won't be necessary. Mr. Jenkins has a parish in London where he is doing more good than lit could possibly do in the country." It will be seen by this that Violet had not lost sight, of her good friend. It had not been mentioned because it formed no part of this story ; but one of her first caret had been to discover what had be come of her benefactor.

" He shall be a bishop if he wishes. Your father and I will use all our influence to have Mm promoted as rapidly as possible." " I don't believe he will care for anything that will curtail his usefulness," said Violet, laughing at the notion of simple Martin Jenkins being spoiled by the necessities of a bishopric. " You do not need to worry about his reward. I can tell yot that his is one of those beautiful natures who do good for its owr sake."

" Then he shan't be a bishop," laughed Guy, "" and he shall marry us ; and I for one cannot help thinking that that would be an action that would carry its own reward with it."

i CHAPTER XLI. CONCLUSION.

Martin Jenkins had found a vers undesirable curacy in one of the lowest parts of the city of London and he had taken it, very glad indeed foi the work it offered, although he die not think he would ever like it. But Martin was a true friend of his fellows and he had not been a week in his cusacy, before he found himsell heart and soul'in his labour among the poor wretches whose only place in the church seemed to be for the purpose of drawing upon its trea sury and whose immortal soulssupposing them to have any—hac never entered into the calculations oi the clergymen sent to preside ovei them.

Martin had speedily changed al this, and had begun by devoting hi; salary to a practical charity amoiif them. Then he had opened a modesi little chapel, where the tattered soiled parishioners need not feel ouof place, and there he- had preachee to them in language and of thing: that they could understand.

It was quite unlikely that he coult ever forget Violet—who- could have done that who had once seen her ?- but he had hoped to overcome hi: passian for her, and in time he had And then he had focind a helpmate fit ted to aid him in the work that hat come to be his life, and he was c happy man.

From the first ■ he had Oietermina not to give up his search lor Violet and he never had, but he had don< nothing that would cause Violet paii should she ever discover that he ha< sought for her ; and one day; -be hac

3een made happy by a brief lmt.r :rom her, telling; him that sh ■ was veil and prosperous. After lint !u ;iad waited for the time when he should see her ; and now with ciily r.hnt brotherly longing which he snew would please her. When he wns married she had seat hiva a :>cautifal wedding-gift, shnwin.: Iv'.m :hat she did not Jose sight of him, though she did not wis!) as yet t" be seen by him.

Then one tiny lie sat in his s'v.d :omposlng one of th.-sc simple sermons (hat had made him so 1 e'.ovrd hy his congregation. his wife came to him and told him thnt a jrcnl 1-» nan wished to see him. V.'hcn lie went into the parlour he sa'.v a hinl?ome, distiii£uished-lo !I kin;* man, .vhose features were fa.miliar, and whose name if he had ever knmvn it, lie could not recall. " Mr. Jenkins ?" said the gcnlleaian. " Yes, sir." "My name is Darlington—Lord Darlinpt.on." " Yes, my lord," answered Martin, stiftlj. " I have come to you at the request of Lady Violet Granthorpe to ask you to officiate at the marriage of her father to Lady Westall, and of herself to me." Martin stared for a moment, and then impulsively put out his .hand. " I know you must mean Miss Violet Lisle. It will be the happiest moment of my life, my lord." The two men grasped hands and were friends. Martin could not be satisfied with less than the whole story of Violet's life ; and Guy, knowing Ms friendship for Violet did not hesitate to tell it to him. " And where is the wedding to take place ?" finally asked Martin. "In the little church at Granthorpe. That seems to be the most appropriate place, and Lady Violet says the ceremony will not be complete without you to perform it. The clergyman there understands that there are strong reasons for wishing you to officiate, and has acquiesced with pleasure." " And when is it to be ?" " Ah," sighed Guy, " I had wished it to be next week, but the earl will not consent to that, and it has been fixed for the tenth of next month." » • • * Of course the tenth of the month came even though it seemed so fax off to Guy and then Violet became the Countess of Darlington, ;>nd I any Wcstall became the Countess ol Granthorpe. Need anything wore be sa ; d ? N'eed it be told how in the course of time, there came little ones on the Feene 7 No, it shall be enough to siv that the sorrows of Violet's life were all comprised in the period of what she learned to call her probation, arte that her future was one of sucb pure happiness as seemed to !•£ hers by right of her sweet and tr-ithful nature. 1781. THE EN T D.