A SENSATIONAL CASE.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 9166, 14 August 1908, Page 2

A SENSATIONAL CASE.

CHAPTER IX.—Continued. i Netelka walked across the room to her glass. Sne saw a pale, almost haggard face, out of which a pair of hungry black eyes stared at her curiously. She snatched up a handkerchief and rubbed her white cheeks until the friction brought back some of the hue of life to them. Then she went down-stairs. In the hall, reclining against the oaken balustrade, stood Mr Moseley. The light from the coloured lantern above him fell upon hiin, making a grotesque pattern upon his white shirt-front. Netelka thought that his face, with its Ion?, hooked nose, looked like a hideous gargoyle. She was quite sure of it as soon as he smiled. "Ah, Mrs Hilliard," he exclaimed, with effusive amiability, throwing away his cigarette as soon as was within a few steps of him, "this is kind. I hope I have not disturbed you. You looked tired. lam very angry with Linley, very angry," he went on in the same breath. Netelka could not bear this Jman, and commiseration from him seemed to her an insult. She answered coldly: "He was right. My husband was quite right. I have no business to interfere with the amusement of your guests, Mr Moseley." "My guests! Oh, no, not mine. You and Linley are my tenants," he hastily answered. "I am only here as a guest, like the rest. If I thought! you looked upon me as anything else, I would not come at all." Netelka scarcely repressed a contemptuous smile. "Very well, Mr Moseley, we will say 'my guests' if you like. I have I no right to interfere with the amuse-1 ments of my husband's guests, who I are mine also. If I disapprove of j them, my only course ia to go away." • Then she saw that the Jew's face I coul d wear an expression much uglier , than hi 3 smile. ' "You would go away—turn your l husband out of his home!" ' Netelka shrugged hei shoulders. | "He hasn't ahown much appreciation of the home as yet. He has been ! hsre four days in three weeks!" "That was not his fault—you know j that Mrs Hilliard. He has had busi- j ness to attend t.) in town—with the \ insurance companies, for one thing, j But we need not argue about lhat. Ask him whether he wishes you to go away?" > The words were a rriennce, Netelka knew. Before she could make any i reply, however, Mr Moseley's tone suddenly changed, and became almost servile in its obsequiousness: "Now, my dear Mrs Hilliard, why | are we talking as if we were on the i verge of a quarrel, when what II wanted to see you for was to thank | you very heartily for having just got me out of a most unpleasant position." Netelka could not forbear a gla nee of astonishment as he went on: "It was that young Waller who insisted on playing baccarat to-night. I could easily have dissuaded the other two chaps, but Waller is pigheaded, and is not opposed so easily. If you hadn't put your foot down, he would never have left the card-table until some time on Monday morning; you see, I know him." "Then you might have known better than to, bring him here," retorted Netelka, quickly. "That was Linley's doings; it was, I give you my word. He took a fancy to the young fellow and invited him, and then the invitation to Waller's two chums followed as a matter of course. Tlat's the whole story. I hadn't even time to warn you. But if I'd only known what a courageous stand yoa would make, I should have done my best to get Linley ti invite Waller c'own h;rj before to-day." Perhaps Netelka looked rather incredulous. At any rate, Mr Mosaley went on, with more emphasis thtn before: "I tell you I should have done my best to get Waller to come here before," he repealed, gently moving his hand to catch the effect of the lamplight on his diamond ilg. "1 must tell you that 1 am greatly interested in that young man, interested in more ways than one. Now he is ruining himself by his pession for gambling, and nobody has yet been able to check him in it. He is losing his health as well as his money over the card-table —you can see for yourself that he looks as it he were in consumption already. A few more years of the same pace would finish him If you can keep him away from the cards —and I'm sure that a lady of .your fascination can do so if she choose—you'll be the salvation of him, body and soul." Netelka listened attentively. She wa-J rather touched by Mr Moseley'.; story, but at the same time she doubted whether he was disinterested enough for her to believe his dtatcmerits implicitly. He seumud in earnest, certainly; but she wa:s too sceptical tu answer him in the same tone. "'You should got his, friends, hin rcl.'.tiuria to look after him," uhe said rather shortly. "You can scarcely huvrf brought aim down herj with the expeetjition that 1 should do so." Mr Moseley wa* nut quite &ure whether he had offended her or not, At any rate, he felt that extreme' humility wad his best -plan. '•'Don't bo angry, pray. Don't let ire turn you ngninsr, the poor fellow. I th ught you would like to know that you might use ycur feminine influence for good upon a fellow cre;iture, that was nil. If I have seemed obtrusive or presumptuous, I be:;; you tj forgive mo, and to forget what 1 Inve said." He retreated a step, with an obsequious bow, as if unwilling to detain ha* any longer. But, after a little

By FLORENCE WARDEN. .Author of " The Laily in Black," "An Infamous Fraud," "For Love of Jack," "\ Terrible Family," "The House on the Marsh," etc. eic.

hesitation Netelka detained him by a gesture. "I want to ask you a que3tion, Mr Moseley." He had rushed back to her side with great nimbleness, and was leering at her affectionately over the banisters. "A thousand if you like. To obey you is an honour, Mrs Milliard." gj "I won't test your patience so far. I have heard of the reputation this house had eighteen months ago, Mr Moseley. Is it to have the same again?" For just the third part of a second Mr Moseley looked as if, in a better light, he might have blushed. Then he said serenely: "My dear Mrs Hilliard. it was just to avoid such a danger that I asked you and your husband to do me the favour to stay here. That is the truth —I give you my word. I was glad, very glad, to be able to oblige him by offering him a home when he did not know where to go. But I won't deny that I had that other selfish motive. You see, a house without a lady in it is not a home. Now, I'm a bachelor, and I have no intention of marrying. I find that all the nicest ladies," and he looked at her with an expreusion which was meant to be very complimentary, "are married already. When 1 used to come down here, therefore, it was always just a bachelor-party, and there was no one to keep the young fellows in order, so they get a little out of hand, don't you see? Your presence has changed all that. The refining influence of your sex " Netelka took up his speech and finished it for him. "Did not prevent your servant from putting out the baccarat-table in the drawing-room," she 3aid dryly. "He will know better another time," returned Mr Moseley imperturbably. "Of course, if you really mean what you say, since my husband is satisfied for us to stay here, I am ready to remain with him," said Netelka slowly and thoughtfully, and making no pretense of being grateful or Mr Moseley's hospitality. "But I tell you frankly, that if your friends want to make this a gambling-house, or if Link'y's 'friends do, for that matter, I shall go back to town and stay with my own relations." Harrington Moseley listened in an attitude of deeply respectful attention. But Netelku " could not help thinking that he bent his head so very low, not out of pure civility, but with the wish to hide from her the malicious smile on his face. "You are very suspicious, Mrs Hilliard, I see. But you will soon see that you do me and your husband, too, the cruslest injustice." "I hope so," said Netelka curtly as she turned and went up stairs again. She heard no voices in the draw-ing-room, and she was afraid that if she wei.t straight into that apartment Harrington Moseley would follow her, and that she would have to endure his society for an indefinite time. But as soon as she reached the top of the staircase she began to v/onder what had become of the rest of the party; whether they had yet left the dining-room, and, if so, where they had gone to. She had heard Moseley return to the dining-room; so, knowing herself to be now safe from a further tete-a- f tete with him, she went down the stairs again and stole very softly into the drawing-room. (To be continued.)