THE STORY-TELLER.

Waikato Times, Volume XL, Issue 888, 2 March 1878, Page 3

THE STORY-TELLER.

WlFii IN iSziiVlE ONLY. Bif the author of • Dora 'I hoknk * ON idKH WR. IMNG MORK," *• tkDIMU'I; BY LoVJt," ' A WOMAN 1 VI ak 1 Ac, Ac. (Continued from our issue of the 23 rd inst.) CHAPTER Vm. The efiVct of the dress was striking) and Philippa herself had never looked more lovely. There was a flush of rose color on her face, a light m her ejes. II ever woman's face told a story, hers did — if evei love softened, made more tender and pure any face on *»arth, it was hers. Alter ber toilet was complete, she stood for a few minutes looking m her mirror. The fall, stately figure, m the glorious dress, wat perfect ; the face, framed m shining masses of dark hair, was perfect, too. * If I can but win one word from him !' she thought. ( If 1 can bu rtmind him of those childish days when he used to call me his little wife!' She no sooner made her appearance m the ball-room than, as was usual, she was surrounded by a little court of admirers — the Duke of Mornton first amongst them. They little guessed that they owed ber complacent reception ot their compliments to the fact that she was not even attending to them, but, with her whole soul m her eyes, was watching for Lord A rleigh's arrival. The .Duke even flattered himself that he whs making ->ome progress, because, at sowe chance word from biro, the bfamiful face flushed a de« p erin son. How was lie to know that Lord Arleigh had, at that momint, entered the room The lattir could not hilp feeling pleased F.ud flattered at the way m which Phi lippa received him. He was but moral* and lie could no' jbflp seeing the dark eyes bhine, the eearlet lips tremble, the whole face uoften. Presently, she placed her • and on his arm, and walked away wirh him. • I was growing impatient, Norpgaa/ she said ; and then, reniemfcering jbp» criticisms on the wooing .of women, she hastened to add— 'impatient £t the want of novelty - }

it seems to me that* m London ball* rooms, all the men talk m the same fashion/

L >rd Arleigh laughed. « What are they to do, Phillippa ? he asked. 'They have each oue the same duties to perform —to please their partners and amuse themselves. You would not have a 4 hapless lordiing ' talk about science or metaphysics while he danced, woudyoul' INo ; but they might find some intelligent remarks to make. You talk well, Normac, and listening to you makes me impatient with others.' ' You are very kind/ he said, aud he took the preity tablets from her hand.

* Why, you hare saved every waliz for me, Phillippa i I shall expect to have a dozen duels on my hands before inoruing.' 'This is my favorite,' she said, as the music of the irresistible 'Biue Danube ' tilled the room

Then it seemed that they floated avray into auother sphere. Jim arm was round her, his eyes smiling Uovvn into hers. With youth, beauty, music, and love, there was nothing wanting 10 complete the cnarm.

Wheu it was over, he asked hef if sue would rest.

• iNo/ said Phillippa ; ' I heard ihe pii«) ing of a fountain m the leruery, and I should like to go there/

Ttiey went through the magnificent buit of rooms, aud ihen through the conservatory imo the dim, beau ■ . if ul fernery, where th.< lamps glowed ike star*, and the cool, rippiing water fell with a musicai rhythm into the deep basin below. The) could bear the distant sound of music iroui the ball room. It was v time when love, if it lay m a man's breast, would spring into sweet and sudden life.

' If he loves me,' she said to her self, ' he wiil tell me so nuw/

' I like tbis better thau the ball 100 m, iS' or. 1 an/ she said/

*By the way. you have not told me if you like my dress ?' she added, mxious to bring htm to the one subject she had a. heart. 'Do you remember that, when we were chiluen, JSorinau, you used lo cnticisi uiy dress V

' Did 1 1 It was very rude of me. i I sliouid not venture to criticise anything so marvellous now. It l* « .vomierlul dress, Pniilippa ; iv tin lght it iookb like moonbeams, iv ne shade like snow. Do you sup- . ; ..use I should ever have the couragt. o criticise anything so beautiful." ' Do you really like it, Not man, without flattery t ■ ' 1 never flatter, Philippa, no oven m jest; you should know Ulut.' • I have never heard you flattei ,' she acknowledged; ' I took pains •vitu my toiiet, Norman, to please. ■ «v, a< d if it does so I urn well ooutem.' 'Thire is another waltz,' said i.oru Arleigh ; • we will go back to tie buil-rooui.' ' i\iake him love me !' she said to ,ierßelf, with bitter disdain, "1 .night as well wish for one of tht: tars aH for his love— -it seems just •as iar off.' Loid Areigh did not go to Beechgrove as he had intended. Ie found 00 many olu friends and .0 m<tny engagements m London iiat he was not inclined to leave •t. Then, 100, he began to notict :uany little things which made hinj eel uncomfortable. He began to perceive that people cout.idwre.l him •v some kiud oi way as belonging o Miss L'Esi range \ no matter how many surrounded her, when he entered a room they were seen ont. b» one to disappear until he was lef; ilone by her side. At fiist he relieved this to be accidental ; .fter a time he knew that it must be purposely done. Miss L'fistrange too appeared to see and hear only him. If anyone wanted to win a gracious smile from her lovely lips, he had but to make way for L rd Arleigh ; if any oue wanted a kind woid, or a kind glance from the beautiful eyes, he had but to praise Lord Arleigh. People soon perceived all this. The ast to discover it was Lord Arleigb himself. It dawned but slowly upon him. He began to perceive aiso that Philippa, after a fashion of her own, appiopriated him. She lodked upon it as a settled arrangement that be should ride with her every day— that every day he mstu either lunch or dine with them — that he must be her escort to theatre and ball. If he at times pleaded other engagements, she would look at him with an air of childlike wonder, and say— | ' They cannot have so great a claim on you as I have, Norman V Then he was disconcerted, and knew not what to answer ;it was true that there was no one with so great a claim — it senned to have been banded down from his mother to him>

His eyes were still further opened one day when a large And fashion ' al»le crowd had gathered at Lady Dalton's garden-party. Philippa was, as heretofore, the belle, looking more than usually lovely m a light gossamer die s of white and pink. he was surrounded by admirers. Lord Arlvigh stood with a group of gentlemen under a great spreading beech-tree. ' How beautiful she is, that Miss L'Estrange!' said one— Sir AlfreJ Maniiida c. « I can .believe m the siege of Troy when 1 look at her ; and I think it is just as well for mankind that such lovely women are rare.' 'If ever there was a human

moth/ observed another, ' it is that unfortunate Duke of Mornton. I have seen some desperate, cases m my time, but none so desperate as his.'

Lord Arleigh laughed. They were all intimate friends.

* The Duke of Mornton is a great friend of mine, he said. M can only hope that he may be saved from the ultimate fate of & moth, and that Miss L'Estrange will take pity ou him.'

He could not help seeing that the three gentlemen looked up with.au expression of utter wonder. < Do you mean/ added Sir Alfred, ' that you hope Miss L'fistrange will many the Duke !'

VI do not think she could do better/ replied Lord Arleigh. ' You are the last man m London [ should have to hear say «ay so,' said Sir Alfred, quietly. 4Am 1 ? Pi ay, may I ask why ?' ' Yes, if you will acquit me of all iitentionitl rudeness m my reply. 1 repeat that yon are the last man m London whom I should have expected to hear such a remark, for the simple reason that every one relieves that you are going to mat rj jViiss L'Estrango yourself.' Lurd Arieigh's face flushed hotly. ♦ iheti * every one,' as you put it. air Alfred, takes a great liberty — an unauthorised liberty — with tht name of a very charming lady. Miss L* Estrange and myself wen much togethtr wheu children — our mothers were distantly related — and at, the present time we are — excel.ent friends/

'I am sorry/ returned Sir Alfred, 'if I have said anything to auno\ you. 1 thought the fact was a* « vident as the sun at noonday; very one m London believes it/ ''1 lieu people take an unwarrantable liberty with the lady's name/ said Lord Arleigh.

domo one cisc remarked, with a .slightly impertinenc drawl, that ue did not believe Miss L* Estrange would consider it a liberty. A flash from Load Arieigh's dark eyes silenced him. ■■''

A few n mutes afterwards Lord arleigh found the Duchess ol Aytouu aud Philippa seated underueath a large acacia-tree. Captain tiresham, a great favourite m the Luudou world, was by PhiJipa's adv . Thf Duchess, with a charming gesture of invitation, maae room tor Lord Arleigh by her side. £h>: gullaut Captain, did not often fiu an opportunity of making love to itie belle of the season. JStrn thai, ue had found it; he was determineu to lose it — not. for fifty Lord Arleighg. So, while the Duchess to the new comer, he relentlessly pursued his convention with Miss L'Estrange.

; There was but one music m the world for her, and that was the music of Lord Arleigh's voice. Nothing Could ever drown thai tor ner. i'he baud was playing/ the Captain talking, the Duchess conversing, m her gay and animated fashion , but, above all, clearly and distinctly, Pbillippa beard every word that fell from Lord Arleigh's iip-, although he did not know it. He believed that ahe was, as she seemed to be, listening to the Captain. ' I have heard pleasing news concerning you, ' ord Arleigh,' said the Duchess. 'Permit me to congratulate you. 1 4 Pray, what is it % I really do not know of anything particularly interesting concerning myself,' he n marked — * nothing, I am sure, hat calls for congratulation ' 'You are modest/ said the Duchess; 'but I have certainly heard, and on good authority too, that you are about to be married.' ' I can only say that I was not m the least aware of it, he rejoined. The Duchess raised her parosol, and looked keenly at him. * Pray pardon me,' she continued ; 'do not think that it is from mere curiosity that I ask the question. la there really no truth m the report ?' * None whatever,* he replied. ' I have no more idea of being married than I have of sailing this moment for the Cape. 'It is strange, 1 ' said the Duchess, musingly; 'I had the information on such good authority too.' ' There can be no better authority on the subject,' said Lord Arleigh, laughingly, ' than myself.' 'No, 1 admit that. Well, a* the ice is broken, Lord Arleigh, and wo are old friends, I may ask, why do you not marry ?' 'Simply because of marriage, and of love that ends m marriage, I have not thought.' he answered, lightly. 'It is time for you to begin,' observed the Duchess ; my own impression is that a man does no good m the world until he is married. And then she added, ' I suppose you have an ideal of womanhood r Lord Arleigh's face flushed. ' Yes, 1 he acknowledged, ' I have an ideal of my own, derived irom poetry I have read, from pictures I have seen — ai* ideal of perfect grace, lovelinens, and purity. When I meet that ideal, I shall meet my fate.' ' Then you have nevor yet seen the woman you would like to marry ?' pursued the Dushesß. ' No,' he answered, quite seriously — strange to say, although I have seen some of the fairest and noblest types of womanhood, I have not yet met with my ideal.' They were disturbed by a sudden movement — the flowers that Phillippa held m her hand had fallen to * to the ground.*

"Swtome" writes v fellow. >— Of the ninety-wren papers published ia New Zealand ninety-five hare written some* thing about the Pope. Of these ninetyfire, ninety-three have commenced with these words:—" His Holiness Pope Piua IX. the 257 th Roman , Pontiff , and 266 th successor of St. Peter, Is a member ef the noble family of Ferretti, named Giovatul Maria Mastai Ferretti, and was born at Sinigaglia, May 13th, 1792"— 8ut still more strange of the ninety-three, *inetyonehavefeacb written a column of Papal obituary notice m precisely the name words, a Todinoidenoe bo remarkable that I do not think it can be paralleled m the history of journalism from the time of Moses to the present hour. But strangest of all, upon turning to a work called "Men of the Time," I find the editor of that useful work of reference has employed the same words and haa expressed the same sentiments as those to be found ia the ninety-one newspapers already mentioned. ' It surprises me quite as much as when I once played euchre with a man m a steam boat running fram Coromandel to Auokland that every deal he made with his own hands he held the two bowers and the ace. 3ome time afterwards I was told how this was done. Then I was no more surprifledVthan I now am that ninety-one experienced journalists should have used the same words m relating the death of Pope Pius IX. It was inspiration, and nothing more.

Osxan Pasha's Su»bbm>bii.--A correspondent at Plevna telegraphs the following concerning Osman Pasha's reception by the Russians :— "The Grand Duke Nicholas rode up to Osman's carriage, and for Borne seconds the two chiefs gaeed into each other's faces, without the utterance of a word. The Grand Bake stretched oat his hand, and shook hands with Oaman Pasha heartily, and said—' l compliment you on your defence of „f leyua. It is one of the most splendid military features m history.' Osman amiled sadly, rose painfully to his feet m spite of his wound, and said something which I could not hear. He then reseated himself. The Russian officers all cried •Bravo,' bravo,' repeatedly, and all saluted respectfully* There was not one among them who did not gaze on the hero of Plevna with the greatest admiration and sympathy. Prince Claries, of Koumania, who had arrived, rode up, and repeated unwittingly almost every word of the Grand Duke, and likewise shook hands with Osman, who again rose and bowed, this time m grim silence. Osman Pasha wore a loose cloak, with no apparent mark on it to designate rank, and a red fez. He is a large strongly built man, the lower part of his face covered with a short black beard without a streak of grey. He has a large Roman nose and black eyes. •Itis a grand face,' exclaimed Colonel Gailiurd, the French mUlitary attache. ' I was almost afraid of teeing him lent my expectation should be disappointed, but he more than fulfilled my ideas.' 'It is the face of a great military chieftain,' said young Skobeloff . 'I am glad I haye seen him. Osman Ghazi he is, and Osmau the Victorious he will remain m spite of his surrender/ "