THE LADY IN BLACK.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXX, Issue 8407, 23 April 1907, Page 2

THE LADY IN BLACK.

By FLORENCE WiiSDEH. u\iithor of *'Au Iji/'i iiioits Frtnul." "J Terrible Family,' "For I,ore of J nek,"' "'The House on flic :VVf./v.7f, ? " f.'u.,

CHAPTER IJl.—Continued

Rudolph tried not to let his smile grow too broad for politeness. "You are an odd girl," he said, at last. "Or is it another insult, to tell you so?" ' 1 Mabin shook her head, h "If it's an insult/' she said, "it's one that I'm used to.'' '•One is almost a? much afraid «•;' sayirg anything complimentary to you as of giving you what you call insults " he began cautiously. "Otherwise, I would teil you that I like 'odd' people, people who don't always say and do the right thing, that i 3." "Then you ought to appreciate me," retorted Mabin quickly. "For everybody says I always dw and say the wrong thing." "I do appreciate you." Mabin laughed and blushed. "I only said that in fun," she said awkwardly. "Well, I said what ,I did in earnest." "Mrs Dale will be wondering what has become of us," said Mabin. She was not at all anxious to go in; but the pleasure she felt in this talk with Rudolph had grown rather alarming to her reserve. She began to fear that she would spoil it all by one of her far-famed blunders of speech. And so she chose to cut short the enjoyment while it could remain a recollection of unalloyed delight. Rudolph, on his side, was in no hurry to go in; although he took a step obediently toward the portico. From a feeling of perversity which she could not have accounted for Mabin chose to talk about Mrs Dale as they went toward the house. "I have been longing to see her every since my accident," she said. "But although I have been always hovering about the place, wishing she would come out, to-day is the very first time I have caught sight of her." "That is exactly my own experience," said Rudolph. "She seems to have given up driving about the place, and to have shut herself up in this dreary old house just like a nun." "Oh!" said Mabin, feeling quite relieved to hear that he had not, as she had supposed, been in the society of the beautiful widow constantly since the day of the accident. "Yes," he went on. "I was passing by only half an hour ago, when I glanced up at the windows, and Mrs Dale stoped me to ask if I had heard how you were. And then she asked me in, saying she felt lonely. Andso should I, so would any one, in that mouldy old house all alone." "Poor lady! I am.so sorry for her!" said Mabin. Rudolph looked at her quickly. "Do you feel like that about her, too?" said he earnestly. "All the other people one meets are either jealous of her beauty, or envious of her handsome turn out, or angry with her for riot wanting to make their acquaintance." "I am very sorry for her," answered the girl.gravely. "I feel certain that she has had sothe very great sorrow " "Why, yes, her husband's death," suggested Rudolph. "Oh, yes, that, of course," assented Mabin, surprised to find that the universal doubts whether Mrs Dale really was a widow had infected her also. "But something even more than that, I should think. I have an idea that theire is something tragic in her story, if one only knew it." Rudolph said nothing to this,but he looked at his companion with a quick glance of surprise, as if he himself shared her opinion, and was astonished to find it echoed. They were under the portico now, and as their footsteps sounded on the stone, they saw through the open door into the dark hall, and heard Mrs Dale's soft voice calling to them. "It trtkes ever so much longer to get a thing done than to do it oneself!" she exclaimed brightly, with a sigh, as she came out of the room •on the left, and invited them to go in. "I could have brought Miss Rose in in half the time, even if she had fought to get away. Did she fight?" went on Mrs Dale, with arch innocence. They were in the room by this time, and Mabin coming in out of the glare of the sun, stood for a tew seconds without seeing anything. Then her hands were gently taken, and she found herself pushed into a low chair "Bring her some strawberries, Mr Bonnington," said Mrs Dale. "By the way, I may as well remark that I ■don't intend to call you Mr Bonnington very long. I shall drop into plain very soon, if only to give ,a freah shock to the neighbourhood, to which I am Shocker-in-ordinary." "The sooner the better. I can't •understand anybody's being Mr Bonnington but. my father. Now, he looks equal to the dignity, while I don't. I always feel that there is a syllable too many for me, and that people despise me in consequence." Mabin, who had recovered the use of her eyes, felt rather envious. The quick give and take of light talk like thi3 was so different from the solemn conversations carried on at home, where her father laid down the law and everybody else agreed with him, that she felt this levity, while pleasing and amusing, to be something which would have caused the good folk at home to look askance, "And how have you been,'child, since that unhappy day when I saw you last" And Mrs Dale came to thejnext chair, and showered sugar on the strawberries. "Oh, I've been getting on all right, but it is tiresome not to be able to

without those things. And it hiifi madf me in everybody's way," signed iVbtbin. " How i* that?" "I'.i. u could have let the house, to jr:> ,-LU(u;i'.i, as he wanted to, w!the ac.ckttNiC happened. Only J Well (<■.' ir-'ved then. And now that i could go. be has lost the home he had heard of at Geneva, and one which he could have novv is too small Tor a.-;„ So lhal I u:el I am in the way .•gain/' "Do yoa mean?" asked Mrs .Dale quite eagerly, "that they could go if they could only dispose of you?" "Yes. There is one room short." Little Mrs Dale sprang up, and the colour in her cheeks grew paler. "Do you think," she asked, after a moment's pause, "that your parents would allow you to stay with me? If you would come," she finished, with a plaintive a note of entreaty on the last words. "Oh, I am sure they woulJ, and I am sure I vcould," cried Mabin, with undisguised delight. And then, quite suddenly, the face of the black-robed lady grew ashygray, and she sank down into her chair trembling from head to foot. "No. I—-I mustn't ask you," she .said hoarsely. And there was a silence, during which both her young hearers cast down their eyes, feeling that they dared not look at her. It was Mabin who spoke first. Putting her hand between the two white hands of Mrs Dale, she said gently: . "Is it you are lonely you want me to come?" She did venture to look up then, startled by the shiver which convulsed Mrs Dale as she spoke. And in her b:ue eyes she saw a look of terror which she never forgot. "Lonely! Oh, child, you will never know how lonely!" burst from her pale lips. "Then I will come," said Mabin. I should like to come." There was another silence. Mrs Dale had evidently to put strong constraint upon herself to check an outfcui'st of emotional gratitude. Rudolph, moved himself by the little scene, was looking out of the window. The lady in black presently spoke again, very gravely: "Ijdon't think you will be very much bored, dear, and you will be doing a great kindness to a fellow creature. And yet—l hardly like—l don't feel that I ought " "But I feel that I must and shall," said Mabin brightly. "You don't know how beautiful it would be for me to feel that at last, for a little while, I shouldn't be in the way." And the overgrown girl, who was snubbed at home, had tears in her eyes at the remembrance of the kind touch which she had felt omthe day of her accident. Mrs Dale was too much moved to say much more, but it was agreed between the ladies that the suggestion should be formally made by the tenant of "The Towers" to the heads of the household at "Stone House" without delay, that Mabin should stay with her new friend during the absence abroad of the rest of the Rose family. Mabin did not notice, while they talked, that Rudolph remained not only silent but somewhat constrained; but it was not Until she took her leave of Mrs Dale, and he followed her out, that the young girl attached any importance to his reserve. Once out of hearing of Mrs Dale, who stood on the stone steps to bid them good-bye, Rudolph asked her abruptly: "Do you think they'll let you come?" "Oh, yes, they'll only be too glad trt get rid of me. Why do you ask in that tone?" "Well, there is something I think I ought to tell you. if you are thinking of staying with Mrs Dale." "Well, what is it?" "It is that she is being watched." ' "Watched!" "Yes, by a stranger, a man whom I have never seen in the place before. He hovers about this place, keeping out of range of possible eyes in the house, at all hours of the day, and even of the night." "But how do you know this?" The words slipped out of her mouth and it was not till she saw Rudolph redden that she saw that she was too inquisitive. "I am sure of what I say, anyhow," said he quietly. Mabin looked thoughtful. "I don't care!"she said, at last. "I thought you wouldn't." "And I shan't tell anybody anything about it." "I was sure you wouldn't." (To be Continued).