CHAPTER XLVII.

Te Aroha News, Volume IV, Issue 191, 12 February 1887, Page 7

CHAPTER XL VII.

"WHY AM I SO HKLPLESS?" Out of her palatial home lied the heroine of the Ainslie millions. Of all the rich garb that filled her many wardrobes and closets, she had only the simple prey silk and little bonnet of Milan braid which she wore, and a change of underclothing in the little embroidered velvet bag in her hand. In that bag also, she had two sets of jewels, and five guineas, while sewed in the bosom of her dress she had bank notes of one hundred pounds. No one of the sleeping household knew the mistress had departed. Flushed with wine and with play at piquet, Lord Leigh was in a heavy slumber ; Kate, in her upper-room, had no notion that her mistress was stirring. Violet, who had scarcely closed her eyes all night, rose before the first streak of dawn, put on the unconspicuous grey silk, the little bonnet with grey ribbons, grey silk gloves, and packed a few necessary articles in the grey velvet bag, worked by Anna Ainslie when the heiress's wedding outfit was preparing. Alone, the young countess hardly knew the streets of London. She made a few turns, and as the May dawn lightened into primrose and pink, she signalled a stray cab, and bade the sleepy driver take her to the King's Cross station. Terrified and tearful, tbe fugitive wife passed the monument of royal conjugal|iove and woe, and alone and da7ed by her unusual surroundings, waited for the early train north. Helen Hope had told her to take a ticket to Bedford, where she herself would join her, and they would go to the village of which she had spoken, a hamlet, she said, called Dee, in Derbyshire, by Derwentwater. The morning was already hot and glaring when Violet alighted at Bedford station. She looked eagerly around *"or Helen, but only strange faces met her bewildered gaze. She was faint from wakeful woe and the early ride. After sitting for an hour in the station, searching every train that arrived, and scanning every passer-by, without seeing her friend, Violet became ho weak and dizzy that she feared she would faint, and going to the refreshment counter, asked to have tea sent to her. Until three o'clock she waited for the treacherous Helen ; then entirely overcome, she asked the old woman who tended the waiting-room to send any lady that might come to look for her to the neareet hotel, and croseing the street, went with faltering steps into the large, barren public-house, and asked for a room. Tbe Fharp, scrutinising, bold look of the head clerk filled her with dismay She could only shake her weary head when hedemanded, "Luggage?" and did not understand the distrust implied in, " Payment in advance, please," as he summoned a waiter, and gave over a key to a room. The room was ac poor as any assigned to her servants'. Nurtured to all delicate things, poor Violet grew fainter than ever at the close, stuffy odour, ar.d looked in dismay at the email pitcher of water and two minute towels, supposed to represent her toilet privileges. When the staring, inquisitive chambermaid left her,ehe washed her bands, took off her dress, let down her hair, and considered with astonishment that she bad neither dreesing-sacque nor morning gown to put on. Then she fell on the hard little bed, with pillows smelling of stale feathers, and thinking of her hideous fate, of her miserable married life, of her ' treacherous friends, of her lost, forgetful love, Kenneth, ehe wept until from utter exhaustion ehe fell asleep. All night long Bhe heard through her uneasy slumbers the thunder of passing trains. The buzzing, hungry flies . which tortured her until twilight returned to haunt her with the blank stare of the early day through the poorly curtained windows. Dazed and heavy from her feverish slumbers, she roused f c find hereelf lyiug, partly dressed, in that strange inhospitable room, It was a new day ; twenty- four hours ehe had been absent from her home ; and Helen, who bad promised to come with her, to take to a refuge, to nurse her as a sister.had not come to her. What had happened? Had Helen deceived her, or was she ill or dead ? Or had she herself mistaken the given directions, taken a wrong railway, and gone to a wrong place? She found her little gold-mounted tablets, and surely there she had written that Helen would meet her at Bedford and go with her to Dee, in Derbyshire. Perhaps she bad made an error, and Helen had said

she would meet her at Dee. Ought she to go alone to Dee ? She felt that she could not apend another day in that hideous, hot, staring, close, wretched hotel. She would go on, on, somewhere, where at least it was silent, cool, fresh. She arose, made the beat toilet that she could, and rang for the maid. Helen had arranged that Violet should call herself Mrs Lester. Against this false name tho honest nature of Violet had revolted, but the stronger will of Heleu had dominated her. She asked the servant to inquire of the clerk, and at the station, if a lady had been to seek for Mrs Lester, " There's been no one, ma'am," said the ghl, returning. "Can you bring ma some breakfast in a private room ?" "Private room for eaten' is ten shillin' extra. }J Violet took ten shillings from her purse, and two shillings for the girl, which promptly made the freckled servant her allj. A moderately good meal was served, end the girl asked if she could do anything more for the lady. " I want to go to a email place called Dee in Derbyshire," said Violet, timidly, "and — I don't know how to get there." "What place is it near?" asked the maid. " I— l don't know," faltered Violot. " Laws bleea us !" said the damsel. | " I have never been there— it is a country [ place where I meant to spend the summer i with a friend, 1 expected she would meet me here. Sho has lived in Dee. And es I have not found her, I fear I misunderstood, and that she has gono on to Dee to meet me, and will be alarmed for me." " (Goodness !" said the maid, eyeing Violet's little ringed hands. "Any one can see that you ain't used to knocking about for yourself like us poor girls ! I'd think nothing of it.' " Tell me just what you would do," eairl Violet. " Why, I'd go to Derby straight, eeein' fts its ehire town to Derby County, and there, of course, they would know where Dee was ; no doubt it s some little place off the railroad, and you get to it, by a fly." " Ob, thank you !" cried Violet. " And would you tell me how to go to Dorby ?" The girl laughed. " I declare, you're no better than a newborn baby to take care of yourself. To get to Derby you look at a time-table, and take the right train." " I haven't any Bmdshaw with me," hesitated Violet. When Bhe had travelled hitherto, a Bradshaws guide had been among her paraphernalia ; and governeeo, or maid, or valet, had duly consulted it, and bought the proper tickets, and takon her where she ought to go. She began to hate herself for her helpleesneea. " If I had been poor, I might have been independent, like that girl, she said, to iioceelf. " Now I cannot even find my own way on a short journey." But the girl had marked the quiver of the lovely lips, the suddon filling of the brown eyes, the coming and going of red and white on the sweet young face, and her heart waa moved, and her sympathies aroused. "Don't fret yourself, there's a dear," she said. " I'll go look out your train, and buy your ticket, and pee you off all right." She went away for a little, and Violet heard her pay in the hall, that she " was going to look out for a young lady as didn't know a mite how to manage for 'erself, but as pretty as a picter, and rich — by her rings." This recalled Violet to the fact that she had on her hands a number of jewels, and at her neck a pin of rubies and diamonds She hastily dropped all these tell-tale ornaments into her satchel, and covered her small white hands with the grey eilk glovee. " There, miss," said the girl, returning. " Let me take you to the etation. There's a train starts soon for Derby. I'll tell the i guard to see to you. You have to change at Cheeter." She handed Violet over to the pleasantfaced guard, received another douceur, which charmed her, and went singing back to her bed-making, while the truant little Countess of Leigh, shut alone in a first-class carriage, sat in trembling terror at tho change at Chester. ( To be Continued. )