CHAPTER XXIII.

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 355, 30 March 1889, Page 3

CHAPTER XXIII.

*'j\ITJCir ADO ABOUT NOTUIXO.' Just at this moment the two culprits made their appearance, smiling, fresh and unconscious of the storm brewing, with the nightingal6's sweet notes still ringing in their ears, the eoft breath of the night air lingering on their happy faces, and their hearts overflowing with love and peace. One look af/ her mother's angry face suffice" d ; -and then Dulcie steeled herself to bear the worst. ' Where on earth have you been all this time ?' asked ,Mrs Shepperton, in a sharp, querulous voice, eyeing the couple with an indignant air that rendered them both fully alive to the weight of her displeasure. 'We've been nowhere,' said Dulcie, firmly, though she could feel the hot blood ru&bing to her cheeks — ' only in the garden, that is to say. 1 ' Only in the garden ! Are you aware that you have kept me waiting, and that even Mr Denver, kind and good-natured as he is, has particularly noticed your absence ? Come, miss, what have you got to say for yourself?' ' Merely,' returned Dulcie, in a low, steady voice, and with a defiant glance at the gentleman, ' that I am exceedingly obliged to my host for his kindness, and consider it quite on a par with the rest of his conduct. . And since,' scornfully, 'he appears to have noticed my absence, perhaps lie will be good enough to account for it. He can if he chooses.' Mr Denver winced under the contemptuous scrutiny of that clear young glance. ' Miss Dulcie is right,' he said, nervously. ' I did detain her for a few minutes, and you must not be too severe, Mrs Shepperton, if only to oblige me.' But Mt.s Sheppei ton's wrath, onse fairly aroused, was by no means so easily allayed, j ' I would do a great deal in order to oblige you, my dear Mr Denver,' she replied, excitedly. ' But Dulcie has behaved both rudely and ungraciously, and she must apologi&e for her conduct to you without delay.' * Here's a rumpus,' whispered Bob in the girl's ear ; ' but never mind, Dulcie, you leave it, to me. It was my fault making you stay out, and I'll bear the blame.' ' I'm afraid,' he continued aloud, turning towards Mrs Shepperton like a young lion facing the foe, ' that lam the person who ought to apologise ; since I persuaded her to take a tin n with me. We were listening to the nightingale, and foolishly forgot the lateness of the hour.' Dulcie's heart glowed with affectionate pride. She felt at this moment that if she had ever doubted his love, she was sure of it now. Had he but shown the slightest symptom of cowardice, her quick woman's instinct would have detected it at once, and, even although &he might have struggled against the admission of the fact, lie would have fallen immeasurably in her estimation ; but now — when he s theretood looking so strong, and firm, and'inanly — she felt that she would die for his gake. Bui, she would not allow Bob to take all the blame on his own shoulders. That would be horribly mean. ' No,' she said. 'It was my fault, and not yours ; if we are late and have kept my mother waiting, all I can say is that 1 am very sorry.' Dulcie's apology, however — such as it was — produced but little effect on Mrs Shepperton. The fire of her wrath had really been smouldering for many weeks past, and only a very tiny spark was necessary to fan it into a furious blaze. Consequently she turned upon Bob with angry vigour. ' You persuaded her, did you ?' she ciied, in tones of withering saicasm. 'And a pretty person too to lead a silly, ignorant child astray !' A sudden flush crimsoned his countenance. ' I would not willingly lead any one astray,' he said impetuously. ' Such an expression is decidedly strong.' , ' i'ooh, nonsense ! You know just as well as I do that you had no business to keep Dulcie out, in the garden till this time of nieht. You ought to be ashamed of yourself !' But Bob would not yield the eighth of an inch. ' Since it appears to have annoyed you, Mrs ShepperCon, I greatly regret the circumstance ; nevertheless, I neither admit nor yet can perceive any cause for shame.' ' Exactly !' . c he retorted, with a sneer. f We all know that your intellectual faculties are not conspicuous for any great powers of perception.' He reddened through his bronzed skin up to the very roots of his fair hair. He felt that last shalft cruelly : but more than all he felt the unfortunate circumstances which rendered it possible for this narrowminded woman to address him in such a fashion. Had he been rich see would not have dared to speak as she had done. He clenched his teeth together, and the blue veins swelled in his temples as he inwardly vowed that some day — ah, how far off it seemed ! — he would carve his way to fortune. But he realised the indecorum of bandying words in public. Let her have the lastsay if she chose. After all, it did not much matter what she thought as long as Dulcie refused to share her poor opinion ; and that the latter did so he could see by the indignant Hash of her dark eyes and the shifting colour which came and went in her smooth young cheeks. Five minutes like those he and Dulci e had spent together in the garden wer e worth years of ordinary life of eating and drinking and monotonous plodding through long monotonous days. They were too precious not to be paid for handsomely He cast one reassuring glance at the girl, bowed silently to ,Mrs Shepperton, and then crossed over to where Mrs Mornington was sitting, unconscious of any contretemps having taken place. ' Come, mother,' he said, ' it's time we were oft" ; the carriage is waiting- - • Whereupon he shook hands formally with his host, whispered a farewell word in Dulcie's eat 1 , and, marched out of the room like a young hero. 'We must be going too, mamma,' Ethel said, 'else we shall tire our friends out,' shooting a coquetish glance at Lord Pushing ton, who stood close at hand. ' That would be impossible,' said Mr Denver, offering his arm to Mrs Shepperton. ' Onene vor can havo too, much of a good thing. Don't you think so, Pushinglon, I old man V

' Pushington, old man,' thus* appealed to agreed vivaciously. " ' , • ' Good-night !' said Mr Denver, shaking hands with his guests. Dulcie was the last to enter the carriage, and when he held out his hand to her she affected* not to see it, vouchsafing no reply to his farewell salutations: " 'Won't you even sjjeah to me?' 'he whispered hurriedly. ' 'Not 'just'one word to say that I am forgiven, and that 'bygones shall be bygones ?' ' ' She looked him straight in the fade, while the clear moon showed acontemptuous curl on her upper lip, and uttered one indignant/ monosyllabic • No.' Then the door was shut, to, the faithful Bridle whipped up his old fat mare, and' in' another moment the carriage rolled slowly away. There was silence for a space within' its narrow precincts, the oppressive, ominous silence, which portends a coming storm. Mrs Shepperton sat bolt upright, and said peremptorily': ' Dulcie, listen to me. I do not like to say Loo much in Mr Denver's presence, but once for all I tell' you that I won'b allow this sort of behaviour to go on a day longer. Dulcie trembled. She knew so well what was coming. • What sort of behaviour ?' she asked, evasively. ' Why, the sort of behaviour which is making you a downright fool, and which, I regret to say, was noticed bv no less l a peison than Mr Denver, who I could see was quite shocked by the impropriety of your conduct ' 'Mr Denver,' interrupted fche girl, vehemently, ' had better attend to his own conduct before taking upon himself to criticize that of other people.' ' Well, I never !' Mrs Shepperfcon exclaimed. ' Was there ever such impertinence ? Why, Ido believe you are the most impudent and bare-faced girl in the whole of creation. Fancy you daring to set up your opinions against those of a person like Mr Denver !' ' I never said I set up my opinions against Mr Denver's,' returned the girl, sturdily. ' What I did say was that I disapproved of his, and so I do.' ' ' And are Bob Mornington's so very superior, may I ask V ' Yes. Infinitely superior. ' And do you propose spending your life with this infinitely superior personage ?' inquired Mrs Shepperton, now trembling with passion in every limb. ■ ' Do you intend mating your superior ideas with his superior ideas, and existing on your "joint superiority ?' Dulcie remained silent, but her very silence irritated Mrs Shepperton. ' ' Because if so,' she continued, 'I tell you to your face that' as long as I exercise the least control or authority over you I shall do everything in my power fco prevent so foolish, wicked, and suicidal a marriage. ' Therefore, now you are warned.' ' A pretty warning,' said the girl, bitterly. 'Ycu would call it a foolish, wicked and suicidal marriage to marry a man like Bob, who is a thorough gentleman in every thought and feeling, who is upright and honourable, and who, in spite of his poverty would care for a woman as she should be cared for through life, and make her happy ; but you would vot call it a foolish, wicked, and suicidal marriage if I were to many Mr Denver, who ran away with somebody else's wife, who was divorced by his own, who nearly broke the poor creature's heart, who is selfish and bad to the very core, and who has nothing, absolutely nothing, to recommend him but his money.' Mrs Shepperton stared aghast. ' You are a fool, Dulcie ! A perfect fool !' ' Very possibly. But I'd rather be a fool than a knave.' ' You are thinking of Bob Mornineton again — I know you aie !' ciied Mrs Shepperton, furiously. ' Well, and what if I ■am ? It's nothing to anybody who or what I think about. Thank goodness ! one's thoughts are one's property, and the brain cannot be robbed of its internal secrets.' ' Can't it miss ? We shall see. It is possible, when thoughts are foolish, to direct and control them.' * Yes, but never to stifle them,' said the girl, fearlessly. ' Thought is the best and greatest gift given us by God, and no one — not even a mother — can succeed in killing it utterly.' 4 Fiddle-de-dee, child ! I can see your head is already filled with the idiotic romantic notions which require driving out. Now, do try and be sensible, and look matters fairly in the face. Here's Bob Mornington with not a sixpence in the world and no income wherewith to keep a wife, Supposing 1 smiled on your courtship to-morrow, would not the legs of mutton and the bread be equally far off? Theiefore 1 say that I will allow no flirtations between you. They must be put a stop to at once, and from this day forth 1 give strict and positive orders no more meetings, walkings, fishings, or ridings, shall take place alone. There ! is that clear enough, or do you pretend not to understand my commands ?' Alas ! Dulcie understood them well enough. She understood that the very prohibition she had so studiously sought to avoid incurring had come at last, and that it meant on her part either unqualified submission or open rebellion. Sheforesaw that, in a very short time, Bob might be leaving for months, perhaps years, and all the farewells vouchsafed to her would consist of a cold good-bye accompanied by a few little conventional platitudes delivered before a numerous audience. She choked at the thought. Never in her life before had she felt like this — felt as if she could knowingly oppose her mother's injunctions, lose all affection for her own kith and kin, every wish to see them and be near them, solely for the sake of one person, who was rapidly becoming dearer to her than any other human being in the world The time had gone by for obedience. Submission, duty, even common-sense, seemed swept away before the uncontrollable power of love, and she was powerless to resist the strong dictates of her heart. They carried everything before them, as a* rushing stream carries all opposing substances on its turgid bosom. And when she laid her head down on the pillow that night the briet sweet joy of those few happy minutes spent in the garden had departed, and she tossed and tumbled from 'side to s ; de, crying till her moist eyes ached piteously. In £his first great crisis of her life, distracted between a tender conscience -which whispered ■ the sin of openly defying her mother — and a growing passion which placed every consideration save Bob's love in the background, she fervently prayed to God for guidance.

1. {To be continued.) „

In Norway the telegraph poles are preserved from decay by boring an inch hole ■in the wood about 2ft from the ground, arid filling the orifice with crystals "of copper sulphate (Milestone), afterwards plugging the' hole with wood. Tho crystals gradually 1 ' melt and permeate tho wood, so that it : turns a greenish colour,