PART III.

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 327, 22 December 1888, Page 5

PART 111.

CHRISTMAS MORNING. — 'ON EARTH PEACE, GOODWILL TOWARD MEN.' The sun is shining' brightly outside as Maggie comes downstairs," very quietly, so as nob to disturb her "mother. She goes softly along the passage to open the back door in order to bring in the milk, which is always left in the safe outside, then she reenters the house and goes straight into the kitchen, thinking to herself — c I will get a cup of tea for mother as well as tor our lodgers. ' 1 Horn !' ' Good gracious ! What's that?" 1 Hem !' ' Again ? What can it be ? She looked in the fire-place, up at the ceiling, behind a chair, in all sorts of impossible places. 'H— hem! Mags.' Then from behind the kitchen door darted a good-looking young man, who seized Maggie in his arms in a perfect burst of snbdued delight. How he got behind that door — whether he came through the keyhole, or down the chimney, or had remained hidden in some impossible corner all night long, is more than I can say. But the fact remains that while Maggie was looking- tor something — not somebody, oh dear, no — in every place where it was quite impossible for anything to be without being plainly seen, this young man burst from behind the kitchen door. c A merry Christmas, Maggie, my darling. Dozens of them — hundreds of them,' he cried, led into poetical exaggeration by the excitement ot his feelings5 Why, Harry, how ever did you get in ?' asked Maggie beaming,'' with happiness, after she had returned his greetings. ' You may well ask. But here I am ; and 1 am going to light the fire for you, and boil the kettle, and have a jolly long day with you. Oh, Mags, my precious girl.' An interlude. After which he went to work ; and it was quite delightful to see how he did it. He knew the exact spot where the coal and wood wexe kept, where the kettle was stowed away ; where the sink was with the tap over it. The way -'he cleared the grate of the ashes, and then laid the fire, and the way in which the fire burned up after he had applied the match, proved that either he must often have done it before, or that he had a wonderful aptitude for domestic matters. The tea was soon made for the new lodgers from Christchurch ; then some more for Mrs Merryfield', which was taken iup by Maggie. And then— oh, how delicious this was ! — two people in the kitchen had a cup each, sitting one on each I side of the table, so that they could look at I each other, and talk at the same time, such peasant talk too, though we are not going to divulge it. At about twelve o'clock Mrs Dormer declared herself ready to begin the fatigues of the day. Husband and wife were to spend the day at a friend's house in Remuera. May looked very charming in a new and becoming dress of some airy and delicate stuff. He greeted her warmly with all the best wishes of the day. ' Do be careful, Herbert, I'm sure you have disarranged my veil, just as I had got it to suit me. What a clumsy fellow you are !' and she turned to the mirror over the mantel- piece to re-arrange the all important bit of gauze. Just then the cab drqve up to the door, and they were soon on their way. The day was bright and warm, but not altogether a pleasant one : for the wind had gone round to the west, and was blowing in gusts, raising the dust which lay thick in the streets, and driving it about in clouds. Along the road went an almost constant stream of vehicles of every description, each one followed by its own attendant train of dust. Some of these traps were filled with a living freight almost to overflowing ; and the old saying ' the more themerrier ' was well justified.j ustified . Talk and laughter went on merrily, and everything spoke of content. Certainly no one asked the opinion of the solitary horse that in many instances drew those heavy loads along the dusty roads; and perhaps it was as well they didn't, for it is clear that the answer would not have added to the enjoyment of the day. Mrs Dormer did not find the drive agreeable, especially when they approached Newmarket, where dust and wind seemed vicing with each other to annoy the innumerable pleasure-seekers, but once over the railway bridge they found themselves in a somewhat calmer and clearer atmosphere. • I shan't be fit to be seen,' she remarked, pettishly, and these were the first consecutive words she had uttered since starting. ' My dear girl, you look ay charming as even you yourself could desire,' he answered, kindly, looking at her with an expression half proud, half sad. ' You think this dress and bonnet really suit me then ?' she asked, in a more cheerful tone. (She would have died rather than confess it, but she knew that his taste was superior to hers, even in matters of female dress. ) ' I have never seen you look better,' he repeated, gazing with kindly admiration at the charming and now animated face ; 1 And the wind, like the sun to the peach, has only added a lovelier bloom to your cheeks, and curled your hair into pretty tendrils.' She gave him a bewitching smile, which. ' his heart endeavoured to'believe was one of affection, and not one of gratified vanity. On arriving at the house they were received in the kindly way Auckland people generally receive their guests, especially friends from a Southern, city. There were other guests on the' verandah, among whom Mr Dormer almostinstantly recognised Jack Carnelian. He made no sign, but his pleasure and cheerfulness died out' with the'sunshine as he stepped on ."to* the well coyered L in ' verandah; and' he entered, as 1 it were, at once upon a mdntal aftd- physical gloom. - Hia friend Bailey , was, thißre.itand they soph. I began a conversation^' 'IMv Bailey bobk'oß-'

servant notice ofhis old schoolfellow's wife. In the middle of lunch he muttered to himself—' Ugh, ugh.t nob' if I know it.' > ' Why, do you^dislike salad-dressing so very much ?' asked Ms* fair neighbour astonished at his rough refusal. • Beg pardon, Miss Campton ; I was thinking of something quite different, but all the same, very,few r people make it to my liking.' , Lunch passed off pleasantly enough ; and after it was over 4 spme,of .the men proposed to make up a yachting- party., ; and no one was more eager, than Mrs Dormer to join it. But after everything .had been arranged, at the ; very, last inopent she drew out ,of it. , .jThere 'was boo ( much wind, she could see white, breakers, slip, did npt^vish to go ; and so, was. an end to it t as far as she was \ Her husband would willingjyj^ave remained behind with her. But how could-he ' npw ? might it not give rise to suspiciqns.that he was afraid to trust her" ? Thai man would think so ; and probably tell her so/as;he,had once before. Curse him. No, he" would go. The last sight that met his gaze was the coarse, handsome face of Carnelian seen over his wife's head. , I Some more people dropped in in the afternoon ; among others, a lady of uncertain age, sour and thin of aspect, who took the only empty chair she could see. ' I tell you, you must come,' said a rather tall gentleman to the lady next to the newcomer. This Jady looked at her neighbour and then recognised her. ' Mrs Dormer ; I did not know you at first. Are you staying long in Auckland ?' 'Bother the woman !' thought Mrs Dormer ; ' a horrid old maid,' but she said aloud: 'How do you do? Miss — JVliss — really I have forgotten your name. I know it is Miss something."" : And Mrs Dormer rolled her eyes and smiled at the ceiling. Some impertinences are hard to resent on the spur of the moment.' ' ' Vyner, Miss' Vyner,', was the snappish reply ; nothing else being forthcoming. ' Vyner, yes, to be sure. Oh, thank you, Miss Vyner. Very foolish of me to forget. Go and fetch me a cup of tea,' — this to the gentleman who was smiling" insolently at the unmarried lady's expense. ' 1 have never met Mr Dormer,' said the visitor, with forced composure, and a decided drawing in of the lips at each pause ; ' but he was pointed out to me yesterday, and I thought he looked fair, and not very tall,' looking -pointedly, at the tall, dark gentleman who had smiled so provokingly and then gone for the tea. ' You are quite right ; Mr Dormer is fair, and he is not very tall. At present he is out boating, or 1 should have had much pleasure in introducing him. He does so like sensible, elderly — of course, I don't mean you are elderly, dear Miss Vyner— but oh, Jack, Miss Vyner took you for Mr Dormer. Wasn't it funny ?' ' Pray pardon the mistake. But I imagined, pray excuse me if 1 am wrong, that only husbands said ' must ' to ladies. ' 'Dear me, did you really? I suppose you have just finished your education at a convent, and are quite fresh to this wicked world ?' This was said too innocently, and the gentleman's ill-concealed laugh added to the sting. ' No, Mrs Dormer, I have seen a great deal of life, and from what t see of matrimony ' — with a significant look at the other — ' all I can say is, Heaven defend me from it. ' ' You are too modest, dear Mis? Vyner ; I am sure you yourself are all-sufficient to keep off the men without invoking the assistance of Heaven.' And, with a sweet smile and a glance that took in the wall over Miss Vyner's head, Mr 3 Dormer deliberately turned her back. 'I think I had the best of that,' she observed, complacently, to her companion. 'By Gad, yes ! The old tabby would have liked to use her claws.' The yachting party were not back in time for dinner, so the test sat down without them. ' The wind is unfavourable for boating up the harbour,' somebody observed for the twentieth time as they went in.