ALL OR NOTHING.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VII, Issue 596, 23 August 1913, Page 6

ALL OR NOTHING.

(Copyright)

—4~ A THRILLING ROMANCE

By the Author of «= ''A Bitter Bondage," "Two Keys,'' "Stella," "The Unk'nowE Bridegroom," &c. 3

PART 27. "Go on, Mabel," said Mrs. Morton dreamily. 1171.

"Suppose that one voice seems to you richer, clearer, deeper, more full of harmony than any other music on earth —at the sound of .it your heart beats, your face grows warm, your hands tremble. You are listenins:, mamma ?" "I am listening, Mabel."

"Suppose that when yon are-with one person, the world grows suddenly so fair and bright it dazzles you, hours fly like minutes, the sunshine seems all "old, and your only wish is that all life might be spent so ; supposing the face that haunts you, and the voice you love belong to the same person, mamma —would it be that you loved him ?" "It would, most certainly, Mabel," was the reply. "Then I do not love Sir Edward. Sec, mamma, If I close my eyes now, I cannot remember his face, I cannot recall the tone of his voice. I like him, but if I never saw him again, it would not trouble me —if he went away he would pass unheeded out of my life. That cannot be love."

"■'No," said Evelyn Morton, looking at the beautiful young face, "it is not love, Mabel." "Therefore, it would be wrong to marry bim ?" interrupted Mabel. "It might be that this love would come in after days, when you saw how good and kind he was." "I cannot marrv him," she repeated ; "it may be that I shall never marry ; but I shall always be true to myself, mamma." Mrs. Morton raised the young girl's face so that she could see it plainly.

"Mabel," she said, solemnly, "do not throw away the substance for the shadow. You are very young, and in these little hands of yours you hold now the balance of your life. Shall I tell you whose face haunts you, whose voice makes music in your ear ? It is Leonard Ainsleigh's. Ah, me ! lam answered."

She was answered, indeed. The sweet, smiling face grew as crimson as a damask rose ; the dark eyes drooped ; sweet, shy confusion struggled with love; and Mabel, with a low cry, buied her face in her hands.

"You are not afraid of me, darling ?" said Mrs. Morton. "You like Dr. Ainsleigh better than any one else ?"

The breath of the orange tree bending in the wind was no* sweeter than the voice that whispered :

" Yes." "Does he love you, Mabel ? Has lit ever told you so ?"

She thought a few minutes before she replied. "No ; I do not remember that he ever used just those words." "Has he ever asked you to be his wife, Mabel ?" "No," she replied, after another pause, "not in plain words ; but, mamma, he loves me. His eyes have told me so a thousand times. When he is near, a great, solemn, beautiful calm comes over my life. I feel as though I stand at the gates of Paradise ! You must not laugh, mamma."

"I am not laughing," said Mrs. Morton, with the saddest smile that ever played round woman's lips. "What makes yott so sure he loves you, Mabel ?"

The golden head dropped lower, until the fair, flushed face was hidden. "Because he held me in his arms,

mamma, and kissed my face," said Mabel. "What betrothal could be more solemn than that ? He kissed my face —and it would .seem to me a sacrilege if ever any one else did the same. That kiss, you know, mamma, has bound me to liim for ever and ever —only I cannot tell Sir Edward so."

The mingled .simplicity and poetry of the words amazed Mrs. Morton. True, she had most carefully guarded this, her only child, from even the least knowledge of evil ; but that she should so simply believe this astounding: theory of her own astonished her. She was silent for a few minutes.

"Mabel," she said at last, "you are very young. You know nothing of the world, my darling. Men of honour do not kiss the face of a girl like you unless they earnestly wish to marry. It seems to me Dr. AinsJeigh has said many sweet words to you—has looked at you with very loving eyes—has kissed your facebut he has not asked you to marry him." "Not yet," said the girlish voice. "Why need he yet? We are so happy, mamma. I saw him this afternoon at Mrs. Stanley's. He looked unhappy and sad when I went in ; th«i his face brightened. We did not talk. When I am with him there seems no need for words. Sometimes I think the angels ir Heaven love each other as I lovs him. When it was time to go, I came away—ah, me ! —it was as though a dark veil fell over everything. See, my hand burns here where he held it. Oh, mamma, is that love—such love as you mean ?" "God help you, Mabel, that itlove," said Mrs. Morton, quietly. "Then do not let Sir Edward tease me," pleaded the girl. "But," interrupted Mrs..- Morton, "has this Leonard Ainslejgh, whom you love so-dearly, never even spoken \ii a fulure wherein you-, wcmld be al-

"Never," vras the candid reply. "Perhaps he has nol thought of it. I had not. We a' e ;*o happy. Love never dies : there eoiihi he no future for us, I think —I am sure—without each other. I cannot tell it in words, for words have never told it to me. Mamma, when he looks at me a great light comes in his eyes. His strong hands tremble when he touches mine. (Mi, mamma, let us stand where we are., outside the gates of Tarauise, yet a little longer. Life will never again he so

f-weet.." And Mrs. Morton listened as one i;i a dream. This was the sweet, simple cliilil, Mabel, whom love had taken by the hand had .suddenly transformed into an eloquent, passionate woman —sweet, simple Mabel. Ah, God send her a happier fate than her mother's ! Do not let woman's lot lie heavily on her ! "There is no hope, then, for Sir Edward ?" said Mrs. Morton, after a time. "You must see him for yourself, and tell him so." "I will —if —mamma, if you will promise not to mention Dr. Ainsleigh's name to me. I have told you my secret —you will forget it. When strangers ever utter his name, it goes through my heart with such strange, sweet pain." "I will say no more, Mabel, until Dr. Ainsleigh comes to me, as Sir Edward has done." And even as she said the words a terrible fear came over her and struck her dumb —a fear that it would never be. ***** * She turned sick and faint at the sight of Sir Edward's handsome, ardent face when he came on the morrow. The hand she held out to him was cold, and trembled. Mrs. Morton knew what was in store for him. " Shall I see Miss Morton this morning ?" he asked ; anil then Mrs. Morton told him he would find her in the garden. "Mabel spends but little time in the house during these bright summer days," she said ; and, all unconsciously, the young lover went out to meet his doom. He saw her standing by the little fountain, where purple violets and blue forget-me-nots grew. Mabel had not expected him so early, so that he took her by surprise ; she (lid not hear him or -see him until he was by lier side. Perhaps he read his late in the white, distressed look that overspread her face when sue saw him. Not for the first time that fair morning was a man's heart stabbed by the soft hand of a woman. In vain Sir Edward pleaded ; he wooed her with sweetest and most fervent words ; he laid his heart at her feet; he pleaded as men plead for dear life, Mabel was kind, was gracious, was charming, but she did not love him. "Only try," cried Sir Edward * "see, I will worship you so entirely, Mabel, that you shall not he able to help loving me. You shall be worshipped like a queen ; you shall be loved as woman never was before. Do not send me from you, Mabel, without some little ray of hope. I will work for you as Jacob did for Rachel, twice seven years ; I would wait all my life if only at the end of it you would for one half-hour love me then." It was hard to look into the handsome. ardent face, the bright, pleading, wistful eyes, the trembling, sensitive lips, anil say nay. But Mabel, though gracious, was firm. She made him understand at last that the blue sky above him was not further from his reach. "Then you send me away," he said, sadly, "not because you see any objection to me, but simply 'because you cannot love me ?" "I cannot —I do not," she said, with the cruel candour young girls so often show. "Will you let me be your friend," said Sir Edward, "if I may never be your lover ? Do not send me quite out of your life. I will never mention this again." " Yes." that was quite another matter. Mabel was willing to have such a friend, so kind, so noble. That was much nicer than all this nonsense ab.out love. He would not let her see how mortally she had wounded him. He turned his white face away. It was hard to bear. He had brought a wealth of love with him, and now it was returned on his hands. He asked nothing better from Heaven than the charge of this fair young life, and it was refused to him. "I have failed," he said to Mrs. Morton. "I know you are sorry foi me, but I will bear my pain like a man. She will keep me as a friend, but I may never be her lover. I was not worthy, but only God knows how I loved her." Mrs. Morton's heart ached for many long days after. The sight of his sorrow so forcibly recalled her own. Then the tragedy that was to be played out loomed nearer and nearer as the summer flowers faded and the summer sun set. CHAPTER XLV. Three different sensations ! Three totally distinct, pieces if news ! A most unusual event in Carsbrook, and one that everybody seemed inclined to make the most of. First, the Burro wda.le Bank hai failed, and it was well known thai several Carsbrook people, at trader by the extra per cent., had lost considerably by it : amongst them was .Mrs. Morton. The Carsbrook Bank . belonging to Mr. .Leytoii. never offered more than two and a halt pei cent. The Burrowdale Hank offeree three and a half. Amongst others Mrs. Morton was attracted by t'nir supposed advantage, and had invest, ed all her'savings there. No on< knew the exact amount ; it was sup posed to be several hundred pounds, which site had saved, either as a provision for old age or for her daughter Mabel. The second pieee of new.-; \> as that Dr. Ainsleigh's mother was coming

to visit him, ana would remain two r>r three weeks at. Mrs. Stnn'.eyV. There '.vas a ;.;reat deal t>i he said nil thiff head. Slit' wiij; n baronet's ;lau£;liier : Mix-; I.i-yl on ba.i Ix'-n very particular in tellinc every , nc that, as it aiitit'tl .<>. emisiuernbly io the doctor's impon anee. The ihird sensai'i"U was that Alice's; mauion auni was dead. an'l iitu! leu her one hundred thousand pounds. "A noble fortune," said the moil who .struggled hard to live from day lo day. "Dear Alice was the right person to have money," Mrs. Welford declared, 'for she knew bow. to spend it." " On herself," interrupted another, who was, perhaps, spitefully inclined. Strange to say, these rumours were all correct. The Burrowdale Bank , to the intense surprise of all shareholders and depositors, had come to unutterable grief ; there might he a little saved from the genaral wreck, but it was very doubtful. Mrs. Morton had invested the greater part of her earnings there, and the news was painful to her. " Will it make you unhappy, mamma ?" asked Mabel, looking in dismay at her mother's serious countenance.

Over Mrs. Morton's noble, beautiful face passed til# faintest shadow of a smile. She. who had voluntarily given up thousands per annum, and all claim to a coronet that was justly hers, to be rendered unhappy by the loss of a few hundreds ! "Not unhappy, Mabel. I must •work harder, and the loss will soon be redeemed. I only miss the money for your sake, darling, not for my own." "Your books ought to bring you in a fortune," cried Mabel. "Every one reads them, every one praises them ; yet you, mamma, seem to think nothing of them. Why do you not use your own name ?" Mrs. Morton held up her hand with a gesture that meant silence. "Years ago, Mabel," she said, "we agreed that my mode of life was not to be questioned. If I could make a large fortune by drawing public attention to myself, I would .not do it —1 could not do it.'' "Let me work and help you. I could teach music and drawing." "There is no need, Mabel. While I can write, there will be enough for us to keep up Beecligrove. If I die —ah, my darling, that is the sting ! —what would become of you if I died ? I wish —I do not like to pain you—but I wish you had taken Sir Edward's offer." "Dr. Ainsleigh," announced the neat maid-servant ; anil the next moment Leonard had entered the room. Mrs. Morton saw the flush of delight that turned Mabel's fair face crimson. Leonard came straight up to her, with outstretched hand. "Mrs. Morton," he said, "will you forgive me for this intrusion ? I could not rest until I asked you if this story of your loss is true." He looked so kind, so full of interest and sympathy, his handsome face glowing as he spoke, that Mrs. Morton's heart warmed to him. '''lt is true," she replied, with a smile, "but it will not hurt us." "You will not be obliged to leave Beecligrove ?" he said. "No ; we must curtail a few luxuries—that is all." Then it struck her that she would try hipi. "Mabel wants to teach music and drawing," she said, with a smile, looking keenly in his face the while. She could not help seeing despite his sympathy and kindly interests, how that, face fell at her words. "It is not so bad as that, I hope," he replied. "Is there anything I can ilo for you, Mrs. Morton ? I came at once to place my time and what little skill I possess at your service." She thanked him with gracious dignity, and her heart beat witli a sense of relief. Surely, unless he loved Mabel very dearly, her mother's interest would not be so near or dear to him. Then Dr. Ainsleigh turned to the young girl. Ah, there was no mistake ! She had so firmly refused Sir Edward could not meet, the ga;:e of those eyes. Mabel loved him —a child might have read it in her eyes "Miss Mabel," he said, "I have a pleasure in store —my mother i : coining. to visit me. She will SiC.d a fortnight at Mrs. Stanley's. May I bring her to Becchgrovc ?" Mrs. Morton gave a must cardial invitation ; then Leonard took his leave. He had patients to % visit, and it was already late. Mabel walked with him lio vii the garden. Once more he lingered at the little gate where the laburnums grew —once more, carried away by th. strong love of his heart, he 1.: nt d >..n and kissed the lovely, radiant face. Once more the girl returned to hei mother's side with the very light of heaven shining in her sweet eyes. '•'He loves me," she said to herself ; "he loves me, and I love him." '''Mamma," she said, bending ovei Iter mother, who was seated at hei writing-table, "is he not kind am. good ? See, his first thought v.-as o! you." For an answer Mrs. Morton kissed the beautiful face. She had felt pleased at first : but experience had taught her many bitter les.-ons. Sin read his face eorrectly- -an expression of blank disappoint im-nt cross-d it when she spoke of .Mabel teaching. She could n>d help the impre:-.-itai given to he;- that "lie b'ved Mabel - loved her clearly, but i hat worldly interest would stsTai in the way. and prevent iiim from ever declaring his tow." "i-Je is v. ry kind." she replied, "lint, Mabel. do not make idols--they always turn to clay. My darling. ! wouui not for ail the world make you unhappy ; but if. as you think, lb'. Ain.-leieh lows you. wh\ dei s he no! ;ay so ? Then- is nothing to pn-vent hiui."