CHAPTER LI.

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 369, 18 May 1889, Page 3

CHAPTER LI.

MINE ENEMY'S BOG. A few minutes later they were rolling along in the direction of Park Lane, close to which fashionable locality Lady Pushington resided, and before long, joining a queue of carnages, came to a .standstill, the whole street in front of them being blocked up with various vehicles, at sight of which Mr Denver expressed his unqualified satisfaction. 4Ha ! ha !' he exclaimed, after a prolonged stoppage, during which they had progressed at the rate of an inch a minute. 1 It is evidently going to be a tremendously swell affair. For my part, I think nothing of a party where you can drive straight up to the door. The whole of London seem going to Lady Pushington's to-night. She's a deuced clever woman, that. Aren't you very glad now, Dulcie,' appealing to his wife, in high good humour, ' that I made you* come ?' Dulcie was too honest to answer this' interrogation in the affirmative. She therefore contented herself with mumbling somethirg inaudible. It was a great relief when two linkmen flashed their lanterns in her face, and the carriage pulled up under a striped linen awning. Whereupon they unpacked and entered a brilliantly - illumined hall lined with powdered lacqueys. It took quite five minutes to struggle up the staircase, at the top of which a pompous individual, blessed with a truly stentorian voice, roared out their names, pronouncing them as they had never been pronounced before ; whilst Lady Pushington, holding out a twelve-buttoned gloved hand, favoured them to a hurried shako of hospitable (?) reception. 4 Delighted to see you,' bhe murmured, without an atom of gladness in either voice or countenance. 'But would you be so good as to move on, or else the doorway i will get blocked up.' I And then some fresh guests were announced, and the trio became engulfed in a I steady stream of human beings, Mr Denver and his two companions were borne by slow degrees to the drawing-room, from whence proceeded a strong odour of flaring candles and a buzz of many voice?, interrupted by the occasional sound of shrill, accentuated laughter. As for" the atmosphere, it was simply stifling. But the old fat dowagers with their broad expanse of shoulder, creased necks, double chins, and huge mottled arms, seemed utterly impervious, or else completely inured, to this condition of things. There they stood in scores, jammed together in perspiring proximity, energetically fluttering their fans, pouncing upon a man or a fresh acquaintance as a hawk pounces down upon a field mouse, gossiping, ogling, whispering and chattering. Then a sudden hush fell upon the assembled company, as a passage was formed through the room to make way for the guests of the evening ; whilst poor Lady Pushington, after tirst welcoming them at the foot of the staircase, nearly lost her balance, and tumbled over backwards as she curtseyed low to the exalted personages who now appeared. The ladies all ducked in concert, struggling to obtain a front position and an approving glance from the royal eye. Naturally Mr Denver and Ethel were nob behindhand in such demonstrations of loyalty ; but Dulcies seizing this opportunity to obtain a seat, sank down thankfully into the nearest one she could appropriate. The heat and noise combined made her feel like to faint ; she grew hot and cold by turns, the room danced before her eyes, and for a few seconds she sab there on the verge of swooning outright. Before long, however, she was recalled to a sense of the situation by hearing a voice close by her side say : 4My dear ! I call it positively disgraceful. Everyone is talking About the way he behaves. ' 4 He? Who do you mean f askeda fluty treble, in return. ' Why, Mr Denver, of course. I tell you the way he and his aister-in-law flirt is really quite disgusting. And there's that poor dear little wife, who is worth a dozen of the other girl, and who', to my mmcl, is far prettier and better-mannered, loft out in the cold, whilst these two go flaunting about together. I'm not a person very easily shocked, as you know, but I declare it makes me downright angry, more especially as Mrs Denver herself seems utterly ignorant of their proceedings.' ' Poor thing ! And they do cay she is expecting a baby into the bargain.'

1 Yes, quite true. I know it for a facfcj though it is not publicly given out.' ' Well ! I pity Mrs Denver from the bottom of my heart. She looks so delicate, and seems so terribly unhappy. People will have it that she was made to marry Mr Denver against her will.' Dulcie had heard enough, and more than enough. She could sit still and listen to this conversation no longer. Her first impulse was to reveal her- identity, her next — to get up and walk away. The mere thought of being compassionated in this manner by strangers of whom she knew , nothing was gall and wormwood to her pride. With head* erect, flushing cheeks, and sparkling eyes, she forced a way bh rough the crowd, in that moment forgetful of every bodily or physical sensation. The spirit of de6ance had entered into her. She would brook no pity from such as these. They should be shown, tb,at she was nob quite the meek insignificant creature they imagined, and could, at any rate, hold her own in society. Several gentlemen advanced towards her, aVid, with a smile on her lips, and ice at her heart, she began to laugh, chatter and jest like the most brilliant coquette, with the result that she soon found herself the centre of an admiring circie. Never had she been so gay, so witty, or so spirituelle. Even the masculine Royalty solicited an introduction, appearing quite fascinated by this new beauty ; and Mr Denver, when -finally he bethought him of looking after hia wife, was fairly astonished. The pale, meek, submissive Dulcie had vanished, and in her place stood a lovely triumphant woman. JTor .the first time since their marriage he honestly felt proud of his wife. . According to his ideas, what she xoas did not signify one jot compared with what other people thought of her. Her intrinsic worth was regulated by the opinion of the outside world. 1 Time passed on, and Dulcie became the acknowledged belle of Lady Pushington's reception. Her success was undoubted, for even that exclusive lady, the Duchess of Blue-blood, requested to-be introduced, and expressed a gracious hope that Mr and Mrs Denver would honour her forthcoming ball with their presence. In short, Dulcie's triumph was complete ; but she could not enjoy it, and despised herself thoroughly for the part she had acted. Directly they re-entered the carriage all the light died from her face, the glow faded from her cheeks, and, with a swift reaction, a sudden loathing of such artificial excitement, the salt tears welled up into her eyes. ' Well, that was something like a party !' exclaimed Mr, Denver, ecstatically, 'and I must compliment you Dulcie on having got on so splendidly. " What do you think of the affair V 1 It reminded me of a butcher's or — to use a homely Scotch ' expression — a; flesher's shop,' she responded, with grim humour. ' A flesher's shop ! What an extraordinary simile !' • Do you think so ? The necks and arms of some of those portly dowagers were a sight calculated to inspire the profoundest disgust, quite apart from any question of decency.' - . •You can't expect the &ear and yellow leaf to compare with the green,' answered Mr Denver, complacently ; tor Dulcie at the present moment stood high in his good books. 'I think,' she said gravely, 'that one,could make out a capital list of prices to suit the present market, which would read something as follows :—: — ' Prime, home-bred shoulders, 9d to 9£d according to size ; necks, 9d ; scrag end, 7id ; fore-arms, fat and juicy, very choice, 8d ; heads from Is 6d to 2s 4d each ; brains, very scarce, hardly procurable, and must be ordered beforehand ; tongues, a penny each, being a glut on the market ; hearts, .no longer obtainable, owing to the diseate of the organ. There !' she concluded, with mock jocularity, ' don't you consider my list a tolerably correct one ?' •I think you're a little idiot !' he responded, ill-pleased at a jest he failed to relish. Dulcie subsided into silence ; but by .the time they reached home Mr Denver's equanimity was restored, and he followed his wife up to her room in order to hear a detailed account of each sentence that had fallen from the exalted personage's lip. ' Accept my sincere congratulations,' he said, smilingly. * You have appeared in quite a new light this evening, and surprised everybody, even me. Upon my word, I did not know you had it in you to be so bright and amusing.' His praise fell upon stony ground, and merely irritated its recipient. ' Have you ever taken the trouble to find out what was or was not in me '! Has it ever entered your head to try and discover my most innermost thoughts ?' ' Oh, that's bosh ! Life's too short to spend one's time burrowing beneath unat-tractive-looking surfaces.' ' Precisely,' she replied, raising her eyes to his with quiet scorn. ' And that, presumably, is the reason why outside folk are good enough to pity me.' ' Pity you Vhe echoed. ' Why on earth, of all women in the world, should you be singled out as an object ot pity?' ' I should have thought your own conscience could have answ ered that question better than I can.' , 'What the devil are you driving at ?' he said, beginning to pace angrily up and down the room. ' Have you any complaint to make ? It so, let me hear it at once.' Probably nine women out of ten, when asked such a question, would have rushed into their grievances with an injudicious, though pardonable, frankness ; but Dulcie knowing well the character of the man with whom she had to deal, did nothing of the Bort. It was quite enough for her that ho should make love to Ethel. No apology could alter the fact, and therefore ehe resolved that, unless she received greater provocation than at present, words of reproach should not pass her lips. , She had a curious inward feeling that to upbraid was only to reduce herself to thair level. ' ' Come,' he repeated sternly, ' have you any complaints to make 'C ' No. Complaints between you and me are unavailing.' The answer was very clear and decided j but instead of allaying it only served to increase his curiosity, which had already been aroused by her first speech. He felt certain that something must have hap* pened to render his wife so scornful and defiant, and determined On finding out what that something was. • • You alluded to people pitying you just now. What da you mean by saying such a thing?, I insist upon an immediate explanation.' 'Am I to be held accountable for all the petty gossip, backbiting, tittle-tattle which goes on in that society you so much admire? Night after night 1 have been dragged about from party to party, and" I am sick of them — sick oi the emptiness, the hollownees, the frivolty, the insincerity and the worldliness of the whole thing.' Mr Denver made several hasty strides up and down the room before he could think of any suitable reply to this utterly astounding speech. At last he uttered the one word • Rubbish !' in an exceedingly irate voice.

At thab instant little Nipper (who usually slept on a mat outride his mistress's room), moused by the sound of voices, uncurled him-u'lf from flic rug on which he had been lying, and after giving one or two short, uneasy barks, came pattering in at the door. Unfortunately, in so (loin a, he ran foul of Mr Denver's legs, causing that gentleman to execute a sudden which ve>y neaily made him 'all headlong to the ground. Now Mr Denver was. in his cus- ' tomary post-prandial condition, and the irritation he felc against his wife at once found vent upon the dog. 'Get out, yon confounded brute!' he ejaculated peevishly, accompanying the exclamation by a vicious kick. ' What the devil are you doing here ?' The toe of Ills e\ fining shoe ciught Nipper just under the jaw with great violcnrc, and sent him rolling away on the flo'ir. The doy crave oue sharp howl and then lay perfectly still save for a few convulsive struggles. Dulcie ruined and faced her husband, with every limb quivering from indignation. ' How dare j 7 ou kick Nipper?' she said, in a low \oice tierce with smothered passion. 'Pooh ! dare, indeed ! 1 shall kick the beastly little wretch just as much as ever I choose, and just as often as he is fool enough to get in my way.' She made no reply. A sudden dread hai seized her. and she threw herself down by the dog 5 <-idc. ' Nipper, Nippor !' she cicd, ' what's the matter with you? Why don't you get up and bite him ?' Dut Nipper lay there quii"e still, si\'i"£ no signs of life, while his four piettv white legs were st» etched out perfectly straight, in a horribly suirgesthe manner. She telt his heart : it, had cea-ecl to beat. She touched hi 5 ; flank ; if no oncer heaved. With a dangerous Hunt ulittennw- in her eyes, such a* he had never seen b l ere before, she rose and confronted her husband, 'You have killed him,' she ciied, passionatel}\ ' His neck is broken, and he i* dead.' * So much the better,' he replied, with a brutal laugh. | ' You h ive always hated Nipper on account of Bob !' she continued, vcJiement'y. 'You took him away fro>n me when w e 1 were married, and now you have killed him I outright. Do yo'i cdl it manly to vent, a low personal jealousy on a poor little inoffensive dog?' 'Hue you taken leaieof vnur senses?" he cried, whilst his face turned white with passion. At any other time he might have awed her into suhmi-sion, as lie had t-o cften done before, but not now, when her whole beiny tin sled with aversion and unufteiable disdain. He had iost his power, and had aroused a fierce an 1 mutinous spirit. ' No,' she said, clasping her hinds together m dry-e\ed misery. 'I am not m«ul. I only svi«h to God thacT «ere. My life would then be compar itively easy to bear.' ' What nonsense it i-", making *nch a fuss about nothing, Dulcie,' he rejoined, Imlf angrily. ha'f-penicently. 'You must know that I never intend d to kill vnur doc. though I doh't mind confessing his deatih is no particulai lo^s. ' ' You may th nk -o, I don't.' And then without another wnrd. she cook up Nipner's body in her arms, and sweeping past him liUe a tragedy queen, went up=taiis to a hit/her -toiev, where she locked herself in one of tlie spare bed-ronms. A fierce battle lagcd within her, rendering sleep impossible. It seenud as if once aeain a terrible crisis had arrived, and she must now decide on some fresh course » faction. Since she had become Hennis Den\ ci's wire she had hone^tlv striven to do her be-t, and now failure stared her in the fico. She could not tret on with him ; while day by day it was a-* if some foul, pestilential stieam were destroying all her moral atmosphere, poisoning every innoecnt and child-like belief. And during the silent hours of dawn, when a faint light began to streak the horizon, an idea presented itself to her mind, agrainst which she had hitherto struggled with partial success, but which now, on a sudden, assumed an overmastering ascendancy.