CHAPTER XIV.

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 279, 7 July 1888, Page 3

CHAPTER XIV.

TRK PLOT THICK HNS. Skvj-novks and Cavendish Manor, as we have before slated, were contiguous, and were two as tine estates as the country contained. The manor belonged to Lady Drummond for her life-time, and it was her custom to visit the old place once or twice a year. It was therefore quite opportune that Lord Strathspey and his party were going to Sevenoakp, as Lady Cecilia was very anxious to make one of her annual vi&its. She at once caused Sir Vavney, who was a most dutiful and obedient husband, to despatch invitations to their numerous friends, to meet them at the manor ior the shooting: season ; and, at her suggestion, the Earl of Strathspey did the t>ame thing. Accordingly, when they reached the end of their journey, the earl's party found a gay assemblage of friends awaiting them. 'We are going to have a delightful season,' remarked Lady Drummond, and you may thank me for it, my lord ; you and Sir Yarney would have moped here all alone, and popped your solitary guns, if I had not come to your rescue. Men are so absurdly stupid !' My lady showed her white teeth in a, ' Hashing smile, as the earl handed her into a carriage that was to convey her to the manor, and she put out her white, jewelled hand to bid him farewell. ' I shall expect to see a great deal of you at the manor,' she said, adding, with a peculiar look in her eyes, and a taint suggestion of regret in her voice, ' you used to like the manor years ago. ' ' And I like' it yet,' replied the earl, gallantly, • and shall certainly avail myself of your kind invitation. Oi course, you'll not wait to be invited to Sevenoaks, you and Sir Varney.' The pleasant, good-natured, unsuspicious baronet bowed, while his flashing' lady replied : ' Not I, my lord earl ; I always go wheveever I please, and it will certainly please me to come to Sevenoaks. But I've fallen into shocking habits of late ; you know how 1 gallop? Well, I shoot too ! I shoot pheasants, my lord !' „ ; The earl did raise his eyebrows in wellbred surprise, and the gay baroness broke into a ringing laugh. ' ' And I follow the hounds,' she continued, 'and indulge in all manner of masculine pleasures Sir Vavney likebit, ' but you are shocked, my lord.' Sir Vavney smiled indulgently on the bewitching creature who bore his nam.e and

title, and Lord Strathspey - protested " gallantly thatnothing her ladyship-pleased to do could shock him. , - , | c ; y Meanwhile, the countess and her two children, and their two nurses, waited patiently in the Sevenoaks carriage, Colonel Chudleigh and his wife, rand several other friends having driven on ahead. ' , „,.', ' How my Lord Strathspey do admire Lady Drummond,', whispered '.Lela, to Judith, with a peculiar, expression in her black eyes. - Judith gave her a nudge, ' Why don't you hush ?' she said, ' and tend to Lord Angus? He's tearing the trimming from his coat.' But Lela was not to be silenced. ' Only watch him, Judith,' she continued in a loud whisper ; • his very eyes dance as he looks at her. And she be a very lovely woman, my Lady Drummond. What a pity the countess ain't like her.' ' Will you hold your tongue ?' returned Judith, gathering Lady Pearl in her arms, and moving to the other side. ' How savage you are, to be 3ure, ' continued Lela; 'fain no harm I'm saying, I'm sure, and everyone knows it. , The „ coachman was speaking about it last night, and he says that the earl and Lady Drummond used to be lovers, and that ' r , ' Shut up, 1 say !' snapped Judith, her brown eyes fairly blazing, for, glancing over at her mistress, who reclined amid the cushions, she saw that she was as white as death, with a wild and terrified look in her lovely eyes. She had heard the nurse's idle words, if idle they were, and an awful fear thrilled every fibre of her being. What if it were so? She remembered the old report that the earl had once admired Cecilia , Cavendish, and how his father's inexorable edict had forbidden his boyish admiration. What if the old fancy still lived ? In her terrible pre-occupation, she had not noticed her husband or dreamed of such a thing. She watched him now with all her tortured soul in her eyes. He was standing in the afternoon sunlight, his noble head bared, his fine face all aglow with pleasure and admiration, as he looked up and listened to some gay speech Lady Drummond was making. Presently the lady extended her slender hand, and the earl kissed it, bowing profoundly. * Good-bye, Lady Strathspey,' called Lady Cecilia, at that moment, as the earl turned and left her. ' I shall expect you to drive over to the manor every day. The countess nodded andsmiled — oh, such a wan sad smile ! — and made room beside her for her husband. He settled himself down with an air of enjoyment, taking his son from Lela and establishing him on his knee. , ' Now, Sanford, drive like the wind,' he called, 'I'm anxious to see the old place again. Do rouse up a little, Marguerite,' addressing his wi f e, 'and look at Sevenoaks Towers in the setting sunlight ; it is really annoying to have you always moping so. 3 „ The, countess obeyed. She routed up, and' looked at Sevenoaks Tower, and smiled and talked with a strange glitter in her eyes and a hectic bloom on her cheeks, and in her heart, deep in her heart, that poisoned, rankling thorn that the nurse's imprudent words had implanted. The manor gentry were dining at Sevenoaks, a few days after, and, together with the earl's guests, they made a large and brilliant party. All day the men had been popping at the pheasants in the west coppice, while the ladies dozed over French novels in the cool drawing-rooms ; but the clashing of the old tower bell had called them all together, and now in their best array they occupied the great drawing-room that opened into the dining hall. The lon of table, with its spotless damask and glittering glass and silver, was already laid, and through the gorgeous, stained windows streamed the red August sunlight, makingthe swinging chandeliers, and costly goblet", and gilded vases, gleam and glitte*r as if wrought of precious stones. The Countess of Strathspey occupied a sofa at the extreme end of the drawingroom, with Colonel Chudleigh on one hand and Sir Varney Drummond on the other. She was magnificently robed in a blue silk dinner-dresp, elaborately trimmed with old point, and in her ears and at her throat burned the old Strathspey diamonds. Her wondrous golden hair lay over her fair brow in countless little shining curls, and her cheeks glowed like the heart of a blush rose, while her eyes, her lovely sapphire eyes, fairly dazzled one with the splendour of their feverish brightness. Never in all her life had Marguerite, Countess of Strathspey, looked more beautiiul, or felt more wretched. At the other end of the long and magnificent apartment, in an embrasure of one of the stained windows, sat Lady Drummond. She wore a dress of some light gold-hued fabric, that brought out in wondrous perfection all the glorious tint of her Hebelike face, and her black braids and heavy curls wero held in place by thic.k bands of red Indian gold. Cleopatra herself never looked more regal than did my lady Cecilia, sitting beneath the gorgeous glow of the richly-stained glass. Lord Strathspey bent over her chair, his face glowing and animated. She was turning the lea\ es of a landscape folio, talking to the earl in the meantime. ' I'm going to shoot to-morrow, J she said, with an arch smile ; iso you must come to the manor. I'm anxious to disgust you, my lord. I always was a tomboy, you know. Do you remember, Angus— 1 she began ; then, with a blush, and drooping lids — ' my lord, I mean. I beg a thousand pardons. Thinking of the old days made me forget ; but do you remember what rare mornings we used to have, galloping to cover down on Willow Heath ? Ah, me !' Lady Cecilia sighed, and seemed not to hear the earl's earnest assurance that he did remember. Presently she continued, speaking as if half to herself : ' Such rare mornings !' Dear, dear, what a pity we cannot be always young and happy ! This hum-drum married life is very prosy, don't you think so, my lord ?' 'Well, I don't know,' replied" the earl, with a laugn ; ' I have not found mine so very prosy ; but I dare .say you know best, Lady Duunmond.' 'Of course I do,' biting her scarlet lip with vexation, but laughing gayly; 'and apropos of prosiness, we are to have a ball over at ' The Cedars.' Lady Varney drove over yesterday to tell me. The cards go out to-morrow, and it comes off on the twenty-ninth — a real fancy affair — bal masque, you know ! You'll not find any profsiness there, I'll promise you. And now, do guess who's to be .the lion,' she added, innocently, but with a sudden flash, in her Spanish eyes. ' I'm sure I've no idea whatever, unless you mean yourself,' replied the earL ' Myself ! Oh, you r stupid ! ! Meaning myself,'! ehould have said queen ! Who is to be the lion,' l pay ? 'Who, indeed, but Colonel Qilbert Verney, Lady Terney's brother, just Home from ■ India ; , and, begging your pnrdon, my lord — your wife's old loin — a charming man. JSTou ,had better look out for yourself, my lord' earl.' iSomethincr in the insinuation, and in her ringing laugh, irritated Loid Stra'6hspey. He frowned, and bit his lip. „ " '

I 'l -can't see what I have to fear 'f rota Colonel {Gilbert Verney, 1 he replied, coldly. T 'Can't you?' continued the lady, in a teasing tone. 'Lady Strathspey is a charming woman, and old coals are soon rekindled.' The eail almost involuntarily glanced across at his wife. She was a charming w6man, indeed, and more charming, he thought, at that moment, than he had ever seen her before — she who, a day or two ago, had been so languid and listless. What could be the secret of the sudden change ? ' Only look at her now — the countess, I mean !' continued his companion, who had followed his glance. *Is she not glorious ? Such a change ! Down in the Tyrol she was like a ghost. What is the secret, I wonder ? I can scarcely believe her the same person.' ' She's like all the rest of her sex, whimsicaland changeable,' replied the earl. ' I^ot so, my lord,' retorted Ladj' Cecilia, * half in earnest, half in jest; *we women always have motives, especially where our good looks are concerned. Let me read the •riddle for yoa. Colonel Verney calls this evening. The countess herself told me, not an hour ago, that she expected him. Can't you see, my lord ? I warned you to take care !' And again her wicked, teasing laugh rang out. For the life ot him Lord Strathspey could not conceal his vexation. Ho was just blind and simple enough to suffer this arch -enchantress to win her object, which was to rouse his jealousy and suspicien in regard to his wife. These British peers are only human after all, despite their noble blood and high-sounding titles, and' as weak and as full of foibles, a goodly number of them, as the lowest peasant that pays them homage. Angus, Earl of Strathspey, was no exception. Though a good and generous man, and pret f y shrewd, he was notwithouthisfailings. Being the thirteenth eaii of Strathspey Towers, did not make him perfect by any means. He glanced across, a second time, at his wife, in her shimmering lace and diamonds, her face bright with feverish expectation, and a sudden thrill stirred his heart. Was if because this Indian colonel was coming that she had bloomed out so ? He knew the story of Gilbert Verney 's early love for Lady Marguerite of Aukland Oaks. He was only a young guardsman then, and he was very desperate when lie found there wasno hope for him, and talked a good deal about blowing his brains out, but concluded to go with his regiment to India instead. And here he was baok again, a colonel, and a bachelor still. Lord Strathspey gnawed at his moustache, and watched his beautiful countess with covert glances. Poor, blind Angus, he could not see, he could not dream, and there was no friend's tongue to whisper him the truth, that his poor, loving constant wife, stung by cruel jealousy, had thrown off her lethargy, her weakness, her terrible sorroAV, and by an effort almost superhuman, had bloomed out in all the beauty she possessed, hoping to hold his love, her dearest treasure, which she saw, with a woman's quick perception, was slipping from her. Her husband did not dream of this, which Lady Cecilia well enough knew, and her wicked eyes gleamed with triumph as she watched the earl's moody face, and saw that her random anow had struck home. But the clanging of the gjeat dinner-bell brought this little side-play to a close, and the earl and his guests tiled through the glittering rooms, and surrounded the magnificent board, all suavity, too well-bred and self-possessed to betray even a suggestion of the bitter and torturing passions that filled their hearts.