HER SILENCE JUSTIFIED.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 3203, 1 June 1909, Page 2

HER SILENCE JUSTIFIED.

CHAPTER XVll.—Continued. Miss Braysby's shriil tones drowned Lady Marcia's efforts to make herself heard; and, with the affected lisp she believed to be sweetly girlish, she extended two of her long, thin, clawlike fingers. "What a pleasure it is to greet one's friends! But what have you done with dear Mr Stuart? I am afraid he though he offended me the .other day when we differed in opinion, ar.d does not like to come while he is out of favour. Oh, pray assure him that we never bear malice —do we. Ambra? My disposition is almost too forgiving. I know I ought to be firmer sometimes, but how can I alter my nature?" She was standing on tip-toe while she talked, in order to peep over Laurence's shoulder at the tall girl with the bundle at her feet, who sat looking curiously from one to the other. "We have missed you dreadfully!" cried the more jovial voice of JLady Marcia. "We have bored instead of amusing each other. I believe we were nearly asleep when Miss' Neville started up, declaring she heard your step in the hall. Have you had a pleasant journey?" Laurence made a wry face. "If you knew what I have gone through! The greatest kindness you can do a wayworn traveller is to help him to forget in your society all he has suffered since he left it." ,1 "But where is the child?" demanded Lady Marcia; "the little daughter we to pet and spoil for you? Is this she, nurse?" "Unfortunately for me,'' responded Laurence, crimsoning to the temples in spite of his efforts ,to appear at ease; "unfortunately the lapse of time has been great enough to transform the infant into the overgrown girl whom I have the honour of presenting to you. Come here, Lois. If you can win for yourself the friendship of these ladies you will be a very fortunate individual." "Tney needn't gape at me as if I were a wild beast!" iried Lois hysterically. She had divined from Miss Braysby's uplifted hands and Lady Marcia's recoil the shock her appearance was giving them, and resented it accordingly. "1 went into Hampshire for a daughter and found a savage!" whispered Laurence. "Pity me, for the disappointment is terrible!" "Good eracious!" all Lady Marcia could find to say, while Miss Braysby, slipping her arm inf his, affected to tremble nervously and shield herself behind his manly form "Why does she look so at me?" demanded the gushing spinster. "I am afraid you have said something about me that has made her jealous! How shall I appease her?—how convince her of the warm interest I take in everything that pertains to you!" Ambra, like the others, had been so astonished at sight of Lois as to be incapable of moving or speaking; but as soun as she heard Laurence's exclamation of distress she conquered her dismay and glided toward the pouting, frowning cause of it. "Let me be the first to welcome you. I a<n Ambra Neville your grandfather's ward, and you and I must be good friends. Will you come to my room? I dare say you are tired?" "I'm fit to drop—and that hungry you can't think!" responded Lois, as she dragged herself to her feet. "I haven't eaten since the morning." "Poor child!" exclaimed Lady Marcia, who could sympathize with her on such a point as this. "You must be starving! How inconsiderate gentlemen always a v e! Pray touch the bell, Miss Braysby, and ask them to send up a tray to Miss Neville's dressing room— some cold chicken ar.d coffee directly, and anything else cook has ready." "Oh! don't let the old lady take all that trouble about me!" cried Lois, appealing to Ambra, whom she was following upstairs. "A bit of bread and cheese and a drink of water will do me very well till the morning." "What rustic simplicity !—how irresistibly fuimy!" giggled Lollie Braysby; then, catching sight of Laurence's flushed face she added rapidly, "But how delightful to moid this unformed nature into shapi —to make her all that you could wish her to be! Oh! that you would delegate the delightful task to your poor friend Lollie!" a "Do what you like with her; I shall be only too glad to resign her to anyone who will be troubled with suchj an onerous charge," was the reply; and, unable to endure his vexation any longer, Laurence shutj himself in his father's study, to be seen no more that night. Lois found it more difficult to bear the quietly kind attentions of the graceful young creature hovering about her than the sharp speeches of her father. There was a lump in her throat that threatened her with suffocation or hysterics every time she attemped to speak, so that she confined her acknowledgements of Ambra's goodness to grumpy nods and monosyllables. She swallowed some coffee hastily, but could not; eat, although Miss Neville sat down beside her to carve the dainties morsels of chicken and put them on her place. She was awed and oppressed by the graciousnees of Ambra's manner, the shimmer of

BY HENRIETTA B. EUTHVEN. Author of "His Second Love," " Corydon's Infatuation," " Daring Doia," " An Unlucky Legacy," Etc., Etc. ,

( her creamy satin robe, the sparkling | rings on her slender hands, the perfumed atmosphere of the elegantly furnished boudoir. "In her eagerness to atone for the emotions of surprise and disgust with which Laurence's daughter had inspired her,. Miss Neville was overwhelming poor, bewildered Lois with attentions, and did not see that every moment she grew paler. It was nurse May who came to the rescue. She had herself brought in the tray and been a silent observer of all that was passing, and now interfered. "This poor child is too tired to be grateful to you just now; let me put her to bed. To-morrow she will be more reconciled to her new home." Half reluctant, half relieved—anxious to prove to Laurence that this discovery had not lessened her affection for him, yet feeling herself quite al a loss what to say to the all, awkward gir! glowering at her so oddly—Ambra assented, and let nurse May lead Lois away to : the .pretty chamber prepared by General Haydon's orders for his granddaughter. "My boots aren't fit to tread on such a carpet!" gasped Lois, pausing on the threshold. "Take them off, and I'll bring you some slippers; and if you are as shrewd as I iancy you can be when you choose, here's a bit of advice for you: Learn to hold your tongue. Get that lesson perfect, and the rest will be easy." Nurse May disappeared as soon as she had spoken, coming back in a few moments, to see that her charge wanted for nothing; and, having advised her to undress quickly, she bad her a civil good night. But as soon as she was alone the girl slid down in a heap beside the bed, too stupid, too weary to stir again till long after midnight. Resting her head against the snowy coverlet, she closed her aching eyes, and thought of granny—rough, harsh, Granny Wakely—with an unutterable longing to be with her once more. Sometimes she let her gaze wander dreamily from the pictured walls to the toilet-table, with all its elegant appendages; and once she raised herself to compare the downy couch, its laced pillows and silken draperies, with her truckle bed, rough blankets and patchwork quilt at granny's, but only to fall back into her former position. 1 TO BE CONTINUED.]