For Honour's Sake.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXVIII, Issue 7954, 1 February 1906, Page 2

For Honour's Sake.

By Bertha M. Clay. Author of " Wife in Name Only," " Wedded and Ptirled," "Dora Thome," " A Queen Among Women," " A True Magdalene," etc., etc,,

•CHAPTER XVlll.—Continued. She was not likely to value it any the more uow; she valued it far less; it was such a mere matter of course! And, then, there was always that sense of being "trotted, out" to give ber a feeling of disgust even with herself.

But to night she forgot that; she had other thoughts. Instinctively her byes sought for the tall figure of Esric Stewart. Ho was not hereyet. Mrs Davouant remarked to her aside: "The Stewarts have not arrived. I dnre say they'll be rather latG. Trust her to time hor entrance for the .greatest effect." And then Claude was carried off by some one, and presently the Marquis of Dultield was introduced to her. He was quite two inches shorter than she was, but be was passably good-looking and pleasant euoaeh to talk to.

The damsels "of high degree" gazed enviously at the newcomer, who seemed to be usurping the marquis' atteuticn; but they need not have been jealous. Claude would have laughed at the Idea of her wanting to captivate her present ca\alier. She wished it had been possible to refuse him a dance. How ridiculous to dance with a man shorter than yourself!"How late Captain Stewart and his wife are!" remarked Mrs Millington to Claude, while the girl was resting "after a dauce. "I hope nothing has happened to prevent them from coming."

(To be Continued)

"Wouldn't Captain Stewart have sent a meseage in that case?" suggested Claude. She had already been asking herself, with a strange sense of dull disappointment, "Are they"-which meant "he"—"not coming." "Of course he would," said Mrs Millington. "I never knew Captain Stewart to forget a courtesy. On, it'B probably only Pauline's delay in dressing; it takes her hours, 1 fancy," said the old lady laughing. "There they are, Ido believe," and aho rose to go and receive the new arrivals.

Yes, Claade knew they had arrived a second or two before Mrs Millington spoke, and her heart leaped up with a quick, wild throb; and gray obanged to hue. Oh, that stunld marquis! Why would he come and" bother her? She did not want to talk to anyone just now; she would much rather be alone! But she had, something more than a mere ouriosity to see Captain Stewart's wife, and tried to catch a glimpse of her through the intervening crowds. There she was! Ah, what a lovely woman! No wonder the men gathered round her; and with what'an air of simply ' receiving her own she accepted their adulation!

"Do you admire her?" asked the marquis, following his companion's gaze. ' "Everyone must," said Claude. "She is very beautiful." "Indeed she ie!" looking covertly at the young face beside him, with an infinite variety of expression; "but you know, Miss .Verner, she has only one face."

"Well, the Indians say, 'Two-face gal make bad squaw,'" returned Claude, purposely misunderstanding him.

"Ab, you know what I mean, " said he, laughing. "I mean one expression."

"Is that a drawback, in masculine estimation?" asked Claude, who did not want to say anything against Captain Stewart's wife. "In mine, at any rate. I see tLey are forming for the quadrille., I must find my partner; but here comes Captain Stewart to take my place, leavyhim!" He bowed, and moved away, and Claude looked up with a beating heart and a soft smile on her lips as Stewart came up and dropped into the vacant chai". "I am cruelly late!" he said, clasping her hand in his with a close, strong, almost passionate clasp: and his eyes swept rapidly over face and form, expressing admiration, but something deeper too—which, veiled though it' was, yet startled her, stirred within her that vague, bewildered sense, half joy, half fear, that defies analysis or translation into words. "Have you been here long," he added. "About an hour and a half, I think," said Claude. "Mrs Millington began to think you were not coming." A curious smile flitted over the man's lips. "I should be sure to come," he said, quietly. "I" not "we" 1 And the tone and manner! Claude could not fail to understand his meaning; only ho might have said as muoh to any pretty woman, she thought; bat she did feel that he would have said it in just the same way? "You haven't given away my waltzes, have you?" he sodded. "Ob, no! Will you mark them now?" handing him her programme.

"It is very good of you. I don't deserve that you should have kept them—though it was not my fault being late. 1 wonder if you take over two hours to dress?"

"Oh no," said Claude, laugbiug. "Barely one." "And yet the result is perfection I Forgive my saying so; your gown is a picture, you know." "1 am glad you like it," said the girl, colouring with the intense pleasure his adEiration'gave her.

"Are you?" said Stewart, and .stopped, checking other words that trembled ou his lios. How hia heart throbbed, that he had power to call that soft colour to her oheek that light into her ey<&! ("My wife wants to 1 now you," lie added, controlling hiaiself; "will you let me introduce you to her when this quadrille is over?" ' "I should be so pleased," said Caude. >■-.,■ •"■•',■ "I looked for Mrs Davehant, but she is in some other room, perhaps. I shall find her presently. You dance the next?" "With the Marquis of Duffleld."

"A nice little fellow, and the catoh of the season," said Stewart. '•ls that a kind hint, Captain Stewart, for rue?" quizzically. "A coronet and some eighty thousand pounds per annum are not to bo despised, you know." The uirl's quick look, wistful, auestiouing, half pained, too, was almost more than he could bear.

"i'ou don't think," he said, bending down and speaking hurriedly, "that, 1 really misjudged you so? I was only jesting, you know that". "Yes, yes; but still you might oiab Von have known me such a little while, you see." "Such a little while," Stewart began impulsively, and caught his breath, silently.

"Well, yes," he added, quietly, after that paus<\ "if you go only by time, so I have; but it doesn't seem to mo as if it was a little while. Ah! tney have finished now, and Pauline is sitting over on the other side. Some one has just introduced Mrs Davenant. Come."

Tbey rose, and he drew Claude's hand on his arm, and led her across to where his wife sat, with two or three men hovering about her.