The Storyteller.

Waikato Argus, Volume V, Issue 330, 20 August 1898, Page 5 (Supplement)

The Storyteller.

UNDER A STRANGE MASK. BY FRANK BARRETT. CHAPTER IX.— ADVENTURES ARE FOR THE ADVENTUROUS. (Continued). • Half-past three,' said Redlands to himself, looking at his watch as the keeper opened the gates of Dalegrove Court to let him through. ' I shall just have time to knock off this precious interview, and get back to the school by her usual time.' He passed the gate, and quitting the drive, cantered over the turf in the direction of the Court. Following the sweep of the drive, as he rounded a bank of rhododendrons, he caught sight of a figure before him that set his heart bounding. It was she—the girl he had been thinking of night and day for a fortnight or more, whom he had been seeking in vain the last three mornings and evenings. She did not hear him coming over the grass until ho was close behind her, and then, as she looked up quickly, he was struck with the pallor of her cheek, the care in her face and deep eyes. He sprang from his horse and turned to her with out-stretched hand; in that moment the colour had come back to her face, and all the pain gone from her eye. 1 Oh, I am so glad to have found you again ¥he cried. ' I have been wandering about like a miser looking for lost treasure since we last parted.' ' I have not been able to do my ordinary work in the school. There have been other things to occupy me'—she paused. He had been waiting for that pause. 'You are not Miss Jigger, are you ¥ he asked. That made her laugh ; and, shaking her head, she inquired—- ' Why should you think so ¥ ' Because old Keene would have it there was no teacher at the school but Miss Jigger.' ' When did he tell you that V she said.

1 This afternoon. I went over to ask him.'

'That wasn't impertinent curiosity was it 1 she asked archly ; for her spirits had risen like the silver in a thermometer under the glow of a summer sun since he had been beside her.

' Spare rae,' he said, and added earnestly, • It was want of thought, not want of heart, that led me into that blunder. I knew when it was too late to overtake you why you left me so—why there wa3 that accent of disoppointment in your voice. It was that luckless simile that set you wrong, I know the construction you put on what I said.l—l want to tell you all. and undeceive you in the matter.' He looked round. They were close to the Court, and someone was looking from a window. It was not the place to make an offer of marriage, quite. ' I want to say a great deal to you ; where are you going.' 1 1 am going to the house.' 'So am I. I've got to see old Sylvester, and tell him I can't sell my land—thanks to you. I'll knock that off in a couple of minutes. Will you meet me when you have settled your affair there X (' I suppose,' h» thought, she has to render up an account to that precious Miss Sylvester. That's why she has put on a bonnet instead of her little hat; but it suits her dear little face just as well.') ' Will you meet rae at the school unless I overtake you on your way V ' Yes,' she answered; * I will go up to the school unless we meet before.'

'How kind you are!' ho said looking fondly into her face as they took hands, ' Kind V she murmured.

' Yes, kind,' he replied pressing her hand. ' That's the word ; and if you could only see your face in *tbe glass just now, you'd own it was the right one?' Then he flung the reins over his horse's neck, and ran up the steps of the Court, while she passed out of sight by the side walk. 'Hateful!' he growled, as he knocked viciously at the door. 'To think she should have to go round to the servant's door simply because Bhe's a teacher ! Never mind, you dear little soul. One of these days, you shall march into the house by this door, and show all the world that you are equal to Miss Sylvester or any one else. By-the-by, I don't know her name yet!' Then ho asked -for Mr Sylvester. ' Mr Sylvester won't see any one in the afternoon sir, gen'ly ; but if I send up your card p'raps he'll come down. Redlands reflected. The old man evidently went to sleep in the afternoon, ife might think it worth while to*get up. That would take time, and all the while she would bo waiting at the school. An idea struck him.

' Can 1 see Mis 3 Sylvester V he asked.

' Oh, yes, sir : Miss Sylvester sees any one who calls. If you'll step this way, I'll take your card.' Bedlands followed the servant, and was left in the great receptionroom.

• Just the kind of room I should expect to mee' that lady in,' thought he ; 'pretentious, dull, and abominable, Couldn't be more appropriate, Dare say she won't be pleased to lose the chance of getting my estate ; may cut up rough. Don't mind if she does.' With these reflections he looked out of the window, rather enjoying the prospect of having a spar with Miss Sylvester, till ho heard a door open and close ; then he turned about. Looking into the obscurity, after gazing into the light, he could only at first discern a slight figure at the otlier end of the room, but it struck him at once that if this was Miss Sylvester she was not such an imposing figure in a room as in the chancel stall. He advanced, but the next moment he stopped in astonishment; the lady before him was the one he had quitted outside a minute or two ago. • ' Can it be you V he exclaimed, ' Certainly it is,' she answered. ' You asked to sec Miss Sylvester.' 1 You—you Miss Sylvester ?' was all he could gasp —yet with an accent of keen hope. 'Why should I not be Miss Sylvester !'she asked quietly smiling at his surprise. ' I thought that showy woman in the chancel was Miss Sylvester ; I had no idea you, who took such a humble place—■ ' Chat shows that it u something worth while to enquire the name of the one who sings. Had you asked me at any time, I should have told you that my name was Marian Sylvester.'

"' Marian !' he repeated softly, thinking it was the sweetest name ho had ever uttered—Marian !'

4 Sylvester,' she added. ' Oh !' he cried, taking her hand, Met me tell you now what 1 intended to tell you when we met again. I meant to ask you to change that name for mine—even though it was Jigger, and all was as Keene said about that dirty sweetstuff shop and old Jigqer. ' Oh, Marian!' he pursued, his voice trembling with deeper feeling, ' I can't live without you. You have lifted me out of despair, and given me life nnd hope, But you must not stop there, for without hope my life is worth nothing, you have made me what I am, you may make me yet a better man ; but you must not let me go back to what I was, Marian dear,' drawing her to him. 'You have shown uip the road to happiness ; will you be my fellow traveller to the end Y She bent her head, and shut her eyes that her ears might drink in all these sweet words the better; as he gently raised her face she opened her dark eyes, and looking up into his through the%ew of love that had fallen upon them, she murmured—

1 Yes, dear, to the end.'

CHArTEU X. —A STRANGE OLD MAX.

As I had promised Iledlands I went over to Soecliff the next morning, and straight to the Court. There I found Miss Sylvester in her neat morning dress, decorating her rooms with fresh flowers from the conservatory. She was in remarkably high spirits, and, setting down the sprays she was arranging, gave me both hands, and held up her cheek to be kissed —for, as I have said, we were real friends, and only stood upon ceremony in our business relations. I attributed the brightness of her eyes, the glow on her cheek, her general gaiety, to the influenco of her grandfather, knowing nothing then of what had happened the preceeding evening ; but when, after our greeting, I inquired about the old man, her countenance fell, and I saw that the source of her happiness was not in his society. So dropping into a chair, I opened the question I had come about, as a good way of changing what was clearly an unpleasant subject. ' My dear young lady,' said I, ' I've come to talk to you about that poor young B-edlands.' 1 Have you V said she, turning t° pick up her flowers, but without much concern in his tone. 1 les. His success over this mining business seems to have turned his head ; and I am sorry to say it looks as if he were going to make a fool of himself.'

1 Why, how's that ?' she asked cheerfully, still bending her brightening face over the flowers. '"Well, it seems he's smitten with this new teacher you have up at the school, At first 1 thought it was old Jigger; but he swears it isn't she.'

1 Does he really, really, really love her V she cried, in a crescendo of emphasis. «Oh ! he's mad—raving mad—about her, as you may imagine when I tell you that he declares he will marry her, and that actually, before he knows her name or anything about her.'

Are you quite sure he doesn't know her name V she asked archly, yet not daring to look me in the the face, lest I should see the pitfall she was leading me into. 'As sure as I sit here. ' Why he came over to Coneyford expressly to find out, through me, what her name is. To humour him, I promised to inquire, but in his real interest chiefly I came here to see if you and I couldn't prevent his making such a mistake.' 1 But is it a mistake if he really; really lovca her V she asked.

' Assuredly it is. and an awful irremediable mistake. Why, he's a peer of the realm ¥ 1 1 don't see what difference that makes —except that it must increase her love to think he has sunk all consideration of rank for the sake of his love and her.'

' You astonish me, my dear,' said I, after a gasp—' you who see how his infatuation must perish, and regret mingle with the last remnants of love, and that love in time become no more than a duty, when with ln's growing fortune, rich friends gather about, him. and twit him with having made a mesalliance —snub his wife, perhaps ?—though, as for that, she probably deserves snubbing—most likely she's a wheedling little hnssey.' ' But suppose his wife was not to be snubbed ; suppose she could show descent as good as his, and possessed a fortune enough at least for her own wants and needs V • Oh, that would be another matter, of course—if !' I laid a very strong and disagreeable stress on that 'if ,' and then I added contemptuously : ' Whoever heard of a girl of decent condition and means teaching in a little out-of-the-way village?' ' Did you ever hear,' said she quickly, ' that the teacher who took the singing class in that school every afternoon was Miss Sylvester? and have you any reason to doubt that her condition and means are—decent ?

' Why, good gracious me !' cried I, springing from my chair, ' you don't mean to tell me he's in love with you ?' 'He tells me so surprising as it may seem to you,' said she mischievously ; ' but after what you've said about my wheedling propensities I cannot expect to astonish you by adding that I have consented to be his wife.'

' A pretty scrape you've led me into, you little puss ¥ said I, as she burst into laughter; and then I laughed heartily too, and never have I enjoyed a laugh at other's expense more than I now enjoyed laughing at my own. Then I kissed her. and made a little speech felicitating her and her lover from the bottom of my heart.

' Well, said I, when this was over and she had wiped a tear of happiness from her eyes, ' I've made an old fool of myself to be sure. But I was right in one hit, and that was at your poverty, for literally speaking, you haven't a farthing you can call your own. However, that shall be arranged at once ; and it's a good job your grandfathar is here now that I can tickle him about the settlement that ought to have been made on you long ago.' 4 I have been thinking, of that,' said she seriously, ' and I should like you to speak to him upon the subject while you are here. Hark ! He is coming downstairs now.' 1 Then just you introduce me to him, and get out of the room as quickly as you can,' said I.

{To be continued.)