CHAPTER XXIX. " AND WHO WILL TAKE CARE OF YOUR WIFE?"

Te Aroha News, Volume IV, Issue 187, 15 January 1887, Page 6

CHAPTER XXIX. " AND WHO WILL TAKE CARE OF YOUR WIFE ?"

All her gracious little dutiea aB hostessshe left weightier matters to the housekeeper—the constant diversions devised by the young people, her own honest efforts to fix her thoughts and attentions on Ncrman and distract them from Kenneth, served to occupy and quiet the mind of the lovely little Countess of Leigh. It waa Keith who suffered most during that visit at the Towers. What agonies did he not endure during the trip they made in a jaunting car ! They went three on each side of that distracting, absurd vehicle, with Leigh aittin^ up by the driver in a high seat in front, and a minute groom, heavily loaded with buttons, clinging on the step behind. They were all well seated at first, Violet seconding her Aunt Ainslie's arrangements, and Violet was the first one placed on the right, and Keith the last on the left, with Anna Ainslie between him and Grace, whilf •> Tom Churchill was happy between Grace and Lady Violet. But, inspired by some evil genius, Leigh must insist on their alighting and all changing place*, till he got Keith between Grace and Violet, and Grace at the head of the left line, and so just behind himself, because, as he calmly explained, •' she was more fun than the rest of them." Whereupon Tom Churchill made himself miserable beside the pink placid Anna, and Keith endured hours of the sweet agony of being crowded next to Violet, who must speak only to him or be silent. In the first place, there on the rest, next his own solid boot, wa3 thaij adorable little foot in a pink silk stocking, and a tiny, buckled slipper, which Violet part of the \ time frantically tried to keep under her pink cambric rufHos, and part of the time forgot and left distractingly visible. Any man must have admired that admirably-moulded little foot. Small aa it waa, it crushed poor Kenneth Keith completely, and put him in a state of aggravated warfare with himEelf for so notably admiring his neighbour's wife. Meanwhile, the neighbour had forgotten all about his wife, and was bandying jests and sarcasm with the de'ightful Grace, and secretly pleased that Tom Churchill, her own true lover, was chewing the cud of discontent in his corner. "I adore a jaunting car," "aid Grace; "it affords variety in a ride. There is an air of quiet grandeur in our driver ; a suggestion of peril in the precaiious position of that little page hanging behind ; a flavour of recklessness in ourselves as we dash along exposed to dust, mud, and puddles, and a certain democratic treedom in the exhibition of our feet " " And an amiable suggestion of high spirits in our horde," said Keith. "I do admire the brute's style of whirling about an an acute corner, and if hs cannot find a corner, he has a fashion of making one by spinning sharp round in the road." "If we find ourselves going: over, let every gentleman look out for a laay. Grace, I'll take care of you," said Leigh. "And pray who will take care of your wife ?" demanded Keith. " I'll leave her to you, you are nearest her," said Leigh. Keith turned quickly, and saw Violet averting her face, a grieved quiver on her pretty lipa, a rush of tears in her eyes She felt still lonely, neglected, and uncherisht-d —this envied possessor of millions. His heart ached for her. And then, in one of those antic turns of the horee, which Keith had mentioned, and that close upon a high cliff, the jaunting car came very near upsetting, '"hung on the ragged edge of despair " for one minute, and forgetting all else, Kenneth clasped his arm about Violet, and she hid her frightened eyes on his shoulder. It was over in a moment, but Keith trembled as he remembered that brief clasp of the beloved girl. A a amends he seemed suddenly distracted with anxiety for Anna, who sat directly behind him, and kept his head twisted, for the rest of the time, into proximity with her auburn braids. When they reached home, Kenneth found it needful to school himself into a calmer mood about the loved and neglected little countess, and shut himself obstinately in the seclusion of his room; a proceeding which, having no visible occasion, made the young man very objectionable to his only parent. The next day the indefatigable Mrs Ainslie had arranged for the young people, an excursion, including a picnic in a supposed Druidical ruin. Anna rode well, and Anna and Keith, Grace and Churchill, Violet and Leigh were to ride, and the elders to go in a landau. Just at the last minute, Leigh proclaimed that " he had a beastly headache and would not go," and so sent his horse back to the stables. Keitb, therefore, was left toescort Violet and Anna. Violet in a dark-blue riding habit, sitting firmly, a beautiful snow-white horbe, her blue saddle elDth embroidered with gold Btars, and ha .clote blue cap, looked'most fascinating. The ride lit up the wild rose colour in her cheeks, and the sallies of Keith's humour filled her sweet eyes with laughter. The five on horseback reached the appointed spot, but ho carriages appeared with their senors, servants, or provisions. Suddenly a great dark cloud came tearing across the sky, and a tremendous crash of thunder woke the echoes. Violet's timid*, nervous Arabian, which being gentle bad been left with the rein simply thrown over a furze bush, while the party made the pilgrimage of the ruins, flung op its slender head, with a shr(ill cry, and darted away,, almost as swift aa the lightning that followed the peal.

Then the rain of that Bummer gußt began to pour down. The five desolate equestrians endeavoured to save themselves by crawling under the shelter of that three legged stone table, called by courtesy a Drudical Altar, where in some fashion they might be Btaeltered. Tom Churchill, with a fine prevision of accidents, had carried a largo soft Mexican .poncho rolled up behind his saddle, and he wrapped this about Grace and Anna, and sat at their feet holding it, while the wicked wiud and rain swirled in upon them, ruining Grace's plumed hat, and reducing her yellow head to a state of detestable wetness. Keith had hie own blue cloth cloak with him, and wanted to put in on Violet, but she shrank sensitively from it, and utterly refused. In a short time, from soaking rain and nervous excitemeut, she was blue and chilled, and he*" teeth began to chatter, while her lip* grew white. " Lord Keith," cried Grace, imperatively •• don't heed Violet's words a second more, or she will die on your hands, with a congestive chill. For pity's sake, look at the child ! Are you afraid to touch her ? Wrap her up, and hold her tight in your arms till .she stops shaking. What are you thinking of ?" Kenneth turned to Violet in sudden terror. How frail, and cold, and exhausted, she looked. Oboying Graced commands, which Tom Churchill seconded, he folded the big plaid round and round Violet's slender, shrinking wet figure, and held her closely in hi? arms, drawing her almost unconscious head to the rest of his breast She wa9 too terrified and exhausted to remonstrate, for she had a constitutional terror of thunderstorms Held closely protected. a he began to grow warmpr, and a faint colour «tole into h»r tace Then the incorrigible Gra<*e, to vai<?o the spirits of the company, bp<? in to «»in«7 : " Bat tbp sweHost I nvmuain, Was Cftddie, w h iom I took ninth my plaiddio, To shield hor f «,' tho r un. She said ilir> daisw-s blush' d r or the ki«-s thst 1 had .a'>'n, I vradnaUunk il ssin Wad our kis* compltin !" The arch, quitnt words ft 1 ! 1 but faintly on Violet's ear Sho win ib= 'bod in hor own thought-*. Oh. if sho oii^'ir. but end the misunderstandings smci 'ni-enes, and loneliness of her lice, "by dying hero in Keith's sheltering :\rmy ! Her hatband"? heart ha 1 never been her?, aud she felt That she couM tuit win it, or ahe dimly understood thi 1 ; it, Ivid wandered away to some otlm objpr < | '«»n harself. If she could only die. th« i Norman could marry for We bt;xt t>mo, porhap3, and some one m'ght m^ke h.m £ood and happy; Kenneth, ihen if -h , vert- dead, could love her ami chrjri-i. Ina memory, and after a whiles ho, t ki, oou.d be happy marryir <r s^uie one tik" liit uloude nymph he said ho hid soen in rho wood. She only ww in Bveivliidy *« w>\ and in hor own w r.y. Bba w >^v ("nil- he placidly content like thf- e:H> Anna; or gay and joy-iiffnsiii-j l<ke the happy Grace, If she could only t ;k > o^o h. ,[r lo\- on Konneth's Sye?, and say : " GonH-by, mv ln^-. ir.wlhy/' and pa^s .iway • But lao -mum. r q ist w.g ovor. The Mm came out, tlui lur.c'h-.vn hour was long gone by, and no?i^ii" of i tl ic L.i.daa party. "Sorne^'finfi ••• i- h'ipp nc<: to thorn," said Grace ;"' hv miibt 14 ) bick JSo doubt we shall pi.jk L.n i.iiur brncs alone tho road." "Bntlh.'iw no "vi v ," --aid Violet. uWo iru-i if- -r • » •i't<'*i«nt days, fair Chetelfano " naui 'aoiJj : ''mv plaid folded shall nvikt a pillo <v . 0., , inr j you vaunt ride behind me on tn^ £. llarit roan." " I'd — ra*h?' ■"' '" o- t ■" - faltered Violet "Mv goo'Jne 5-^5 -^ ' ' Anna, " I wouldn't tor the v oJ'i * b >th our necke -would be broke-. 1 ''" So the pl.»''! vi- '• • -> o Violet rode home with be*- arm^ c'a^i 1 -' about Keith, in 3uch n Tornir "«' mU u r that, f-ho never knew how close wvs 1 «io press-ire of her arm*. By tiigh< the p\>t\ of ihe broken landau came ignoroiniously iio^rc, iti gi^-« hired at 3 country inn. (7't> 6e f oniin^cU.)