CHAPTER XXIV. AN INVITATION ACCEPTED.

Te Aroha News, Volume IV, Issue 184, 25 December 1886, Page 3

CHAPTER XXIV. AN INVITATION ACCEPTED.

" Will you drive with me this afternoon, Margie ?" Arthur asked, when, after she had arranged the contents of her case to suit her, they went back and resumed their seat 3 by the fire. "I have to exercise Uncle Albert's horses every day, and a fellow gets rather lonesome going oft bv himself." * b J Margaret did not reply to him at once, but stooped to pick up a pin from the floor to bide the pudden pallor of her face. Then ahe lifted her eyes with a glance that was strangely bright and penetrating, and said : '"Thanks, 1 think I will, since you are so kind as to aek me, Mamma has an engagement that will keep her at home this afternoon, and the day is beautiful for driving." Wa? her heart at last beginning to respond to the wild passion surging in his own ? " Whore would you like to go ?" he asked, yet not daring to look at her lest she should cqq the joy and triumph in his eyea. " Anywhere you like, it does not matter to me, co that I have the ride," she replied. " By tho way, when did you hear from Mx Forest last ?" " I have heard from him only once ■since he left tho city, and that was yesterday. His letter was not very satisfactory either— merely a business epistle, and mentioned that he should be obliged to be absent some time longer. It waa written from London." " Does— ho know of our trouble here ?" Margaret asked, with downcast eyes and faltering speech. A frown contracted her companion's b*"ow.

" No ; I have not known where to addreaa him until now, so I could not write to him, Doubtless he' would be grieved to learn of Punbar'a mia— fortune, notwithstanding that he was almost an entire stranger to him." Arthur Aspinwall had grown very white while making, the above statement. Waa it because of his hatred for the young man, or because Margaret'a question showed that, no matter what she might do or plan, her loTer was never absent from her thoughts ? He pulled forth hiswatoh impatiently and arose. " I must be off and leave word at the Btable for the carriage to be in readiness for our drive," he said. " I will call for you at two o'clock " Promptly at two a beautiful carriage, to which there were attached a pair of spirited bays, in handsome silver-mounted harness, swept up to the dooi of the Houghton mansion, and two minutes later the fair daughter of the house came forth, looking more beautiful, Arthur thought, as he took his seat beside her, than he had ever seen her before Just ac they were about to start Margaret turned to him, and asked ; "Arthur, will you allow the driver to take U 9 around to Annette's before we go on our irive ? I have a little package that I want to leave there." " Of course I will, Margie," he answered, smiling : " but where does Annette live ?" "Number 84 Rue de Blanc." Why were those eyes of wonderful blue fixed 80 intently upon him as she gave the street and number? he asked himself. " Ah !" he said, •• Kue do Blanc." "Do you know where it is?" she questioned. "I presume the driver does, if I do not. Pierre, do you know where No. 84 Rue de BlanoiS?" l! Guf, monsieur." " Then drive directly there?" " Are you comfortable ?" he continued, bending forward to wrap the robe more cloeoly ab Margaret, though he wns so awkward about it that the driver reached oxer to assist him, while a significant smile wreathed hie lips "Very," she replied. "But you?— you are almost shivering, and you are as white as a ghost." "It is nothing," he answered, impatiently, and turning away from her great, searching eyes. " 1 believe there is an unusual chill in the air to-day/ he added, " but the sun is bright, and we shall soon forget it." They were not long in reaching the Rue de Blanc, and as they turned into it Arthur Aspinwall swept one swift, compreheneive glance down its narrow length. "What a etrange street,' ho exclaimed • "one sido of it is toemitig with life, the other is as dreary and deserted as if there were no people in the world. "Yea. Were you never here before?" Margaret asked. "No." The driver stopped before No. 84. Miss Houghton gave him a email package and neked him to leave it at toe door, ac sho did not wish to get out. He did as he was requested, remounted his box, turned his horses about and began to retrace the way they had come. As they came opposite the narrow alley which had attracted Margaret's attention a few days previous, and from which oho had Been that old man emerge, she leaned forward and remarked : " What a gloomy passage. I wonder where it leads ?" "Pierre, wbere does that alley lead — upon what street?" questioned Arthur of the driver. " Rue Cagtiglione, monsieur." " Rue CastiflUonc !" repeated Margaret, with faltering lipa and a pained, startled look. Louia Dunbar's office was on the Rue CaBtigHone ! " Margie," said Arthur suddenly, "I do not think this is a proper locality for you to requent." "Why not?" ehe asked, regarding~him with chat searching look which of late^had made him &o uncomfortable. " The reason is self-evident," he returned, with a shrug of his shoulders. " It; is certainly very disagreeable here, and, I should say, hardly safe for ladies who wear diamonds, watches, and other fine jewellery." " Oh, I never come alone ; mamma is always with me, and we come in a close cari'iage, -with a driver." A swift pallor swept over the young man's face, the thought, but it was only for an inetant. " Still, it ia a'bad locality," ho persisted. "Well, we shall not be obliged to come much longer, for Annette is getting better, and will soon come back to u«," Margaret replied, and she was confident ahe heard him breathe a sigh of relief at this assurance. They drove peveral miles out, Arthur exerting himself to be social and entertaining, and recovering from his chilliness and pallor almost hn mediately after leaving the Ruo de Blanc, while his spirits rose and he gave himself up entirely to the rare pleasure of having Margaret Houghton all to himself. He was well versed in Paris gossip — hear, ing much at the club that, he frequented — and he reeled off interesting items for her amusement ; deecribing the last new opera and play, while Mai-gaiet listened with such apparent attention that ho fondly imagined himself to be rapidly staining ground with hor, and flattered himself that her heart might, perhaps, after all, be caught on the lebound. " Will you go again with me, Margie?" ho aflked upon thoir return, as ho assisted her to alight, and saw with a thrill of delight how ted her lips had grown and Iho slight beautiful tint that had come into her cheoks from contact with tho keen, pure air. A. swift flash liko the glancing of fire came into ber eyes at his question. " If you repeat the invitation, I do not think I shall refuso," she answered demurely. "Thanks," he said, in a low, eager voice. " The acknowledgments should be reversed, perhaps," she returned; " but the carriage is easy, tho horses superb, and," sweeping a keen look at him " taking everyihinij into consideration, I think the temptation you offer me is too strong to be resisted. " What did she mean by this strange construction and emphasis of her sentence '! He could not) tell. His heart gave a great boand of delight at her words, and then sank in his bosom strangely depressed. The young girl was an enigma to him. " You shall not lack for invitations then," he murmured, clasping close the hand she had given him in alighting, and speaking with a tender cadence. She shivered slightly and withdrew her hand, while every atom of that lovely colour which he had bo admired { faded instantly out of her face ; a sudden mist seemed to dull her eyes, and she caught her breath sharply. Suiely she was a creature of strange moods. "You are cold and tired, I fear," he said, as ho accompanied her up the steps and rang the boll for her. She did not answer, seeming to be preoccupied with some painful thought,

" By the way," he continued, after a moment, " I suppose that unlucky diamond of mine has not come to light yet." One of her gloves, which she had been drawing off while waiting for the door to be opened, dropped upon the marble step at her feet She stooped to pick it up before answering. 44 1 have not heard either mamma or tho housemaid say anything aboub it, although I know that they have searched for it," she said, at length. " Well, I guess T shall have to give it up aa lost," Arthur returned while a shade of anxiety crossed his face. "Yet even if I Bhould nneverv v er ccc it again, it would be some satisfaction go know how I happened to lose it." Margaret was busy with the fastening of her other glove and did not reply. The servant at that morueub answered their ring, and, bidding her good bye, Arthur turned to tho carriage and was driven away, while Margaret went directly to her room, with a firm reßolute tread, a steel like glitter in her lovely eyes. "An ''unlucky' diamond indeed!" she muttered between her white teeth as she chut and locked the door after entering her chamber. (To be Continued.)