CHAPTER XIII.

Waikato Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2045, 15 August 1885, Page 5 (Supplement)

CHAPTER XIII.

A PROUD FAMILT. Thb Countess of Waldrove sat alone in her beautiful morning-room — a room suoh as one seldom sees out of a dream or a picture. The hangings were all of superb amber sattn and white lace; a few rare crimson flowers, in beautiful jardiniers ; a beautiful copy of the Venus de Milo, standing between curtains of amber brocade ; a few pieturei, each one a gem ; a lovely face by Grenze, & Madonna by Raphael, a landscape by Claude, and one or two water-colors that the countess had finished most exquisitely herself; gems of art, exquisite pieces of Dresden ebina, a rare Wedgewood, beautiful little carringa in ivory, were icattered over the tables ; books in rare and beautiful bindings. The Countess Lucia, Lady Waldrove, reclined on a oouoh of amber satin, toying negligently with a liUle King Charles spaniel that lay on r. oushion by her side — the very picture of elegance and luxury ; the atmosphere eeamed filled with it ; one oonld not imagine vulgav oares presuming to enter here. Lidy WM-lrove was a ttvH, eiotdy brunette. She had been exceedingly handsome in her youth ; even now she was considered ona of the finest-looking women in the peerage. L»dy Waklrove wore a morn-in?-dress of white mu«lin, with maize-colored ribbons ; on her luxuriant hair she wore a morning-cap of rich Valeneie-nnes lace ; a cup of chocolate stood on » silver tray by her side. Bat tbe oountpjs bad little thought for her ohocoUte ; she was thinking of, to her, the mo^t imp-nrtant perpon in the whole world — Vivian, Loid Carsdale, heir of Rosenenth. The door of thn morning-room opened slowl/, and a. young girl entered, tall and (hrb, a<? were all the Carsdalep. The countess had a supreme contempt for fair people; to her idea, fiir cor.plexiona and w-sk minds always went together. Lndy Linda, the eldest of the Ladiei Cirsdale, cautiously, almo«t timidly, entered her mother's presence. Pijoplo, bs a rul^, were very fearful of disturbing her ladyship's repose. She looked up quickly. "In tb«t you, Lind%? Come in; I w*s just s u nding for you." Lidy Liq&v went up to her mother, and bendir.g pruof-fiill?, she kissed tbe white, j-welle'i hatid=? that hy on the little King Charle* d g. U was poldotn that Lady W.vlnrove'ft daughters, unasked, limed their mother's face. " Cro^'l-iriorning, dear mamma," said Lady Linda. " JJow i* Floss ?" To love Lady Waldrova was also to love hor dog Fln?3 ; the one could not he l»ked without the othrr. •' My dear Linda, I am not quite satisfied ov«r Floss — he haa refused his chicken thia morning. List night I font the most tender piece of lamb cutlet, but he turned away from it. Smithaon says he eats too much, but Flos? is too reined for that." The girl brint down and stroked the dog's silken ears. " I thinlr, mamma, that perhnps a little exerci^ would reslnre your peo. 3'jall I take him out in tin grounds? " Lady Waldrove looked quite interested. " You M^e very p.miable, Linda," she said. " I should be quite pleased ; but that ia not what I wanted you for. Smith=>on tells me your brother Vivian came home quits late last nis»ht, and I want to ccc him. Will you tell him so?" The girl's face flashed with pleasure. "I am so glad, mamma — it seems so loag since Vivian was hero. I will go at onoe." If Lord Caradalo had a prHferenoa for one Bister, it was certainly for Lady Linda. He always said that if his mother's ttain'ng had left any nature in cither of them, it was certainly in Linda. Lad> Gertrude moved, spoke, thought, and smiled by rule. No matter what he or anyone else said, they were both of them charming, elegant, high-bred, amiable f^irlq — excessively worldly, but that was the result of their training. They did think of another world sometimes, for Lady Waldrove was always religious in the country — in town there was no time for it. Of courie the one grand ultimatum was that the Ladies Carsdale should marry well; there seemed every prospeot of it. Lady Gertrude had attracted the attention of Lord Riwdon, than whom no more promising peer ever lived. He had not, as the countess pompously phrased it, "declared himself," but she felt quite sure that, sooner or later, he intended to propose for her daughter. The Ladies Garsdale were not precisely beautiful; as their brother always said, they were " thoroughbred." They were both tall, with fine dark eyes, and dark hair, riohly colored faces, with very beautiful mouths. They were very elegant and acoomplished, very proud, believing almost implicitly, aa their paints *aid, that the world was made for the WUdroves. Neither of them could have loved or married an inferior in station. The Lady Gertrude permitted herself to like Lord Rawdon beoauae he was a most eligible match. The countess had a nearer and dearer hope Btill. That season in town the Duke of Claverdon had requested an introduction to the Lady Linda, and had seemed very muoh taken with her. He had danced, flirted, sung, rode, and driven with her ; but the expeoted proposal had not followed. Now, to see Lady Linda Duoheas of Olaverdon was the wish nearest to her mother's heart; that was one reason why she wanted to see her son. She thought that he could, with better grace than herself, ask the duke to Roseneath. "She would make a charming duchess," thought Lady Waldrove, as she watched her daughter. " I hope Vivian will be able to suggest something." She did not profess to be a very fond mother; she seldom went into raptures over her children ; but her heart beat fast and her face flushed when her handsome, lordly ion entered the room. If she really loved anything on earth, it was Vivian ; she idolized him ; all her hope and ambition were centred on him ; she thought him the post hsndiome, the most olever, the most gifted of human beings ; as for his future, her hopes over it were boundless as the deep sea. She looked round tho world of women with dream y eyes ; who was there good enough for him?—•princes royal, perhaps, but few others. There \n<4 just one girl in England whom she thought beautiful enough, good enough, and rich enough, to be her son's wife, and that was the lovely young Lady Ethel Pierpont,

only daughter and hsiress oJ E ul P.upnut, of Mount Pleasant and Falmonth Park. That wm the match which, from oveiy p-irt of view, would have exactly ouited her ; bu f tho was too wise to mention it. The Lidy Bihel had but just reached her sixteenth year ; ihera wai no hurry. The greeting between mother and son wa9 moat kindly. He kis3ed hia motbri'j f-iee without invitation, th=n pat dewn on the amW couoh by her iide, taking the King Charles on his knee. " Floss grows too stout, rnothar," he said, laughingly. The countess sank back on the amber satin couch with a languid smile ; she wa<3 slways so unutterably happy wbon her eon was near. " I have thought you long in coining, I Vivian," she said in b«r sweet low voice. " I have been quite irnp&lloai to ccc you." II Very gentle itapatienoc, mother," he replied, laughinply. " And what hua kepi; yon away from me so long, my dear boy ? " she asked. 11 1 have bsen to Franca and Switzerland, mother," he replird. Then he suddenly grew grave with a fcprrible ftiavuy, for it flushpd across him what he liai done ! II«, the heir at this sncieif howe, the sou ot this royul woman, had mdr ried a dancing- isastGr'a dMi>>htci' ! Is fli Jwt across him v^th a ko^aneg^ of rc^ivi ur d pain that fri^litjoed him. At thft* mom; nc the contrast bctA7oo»i bi.nself and Alie«, husband and wife ; the contra-** bet^vepn the two homes, Oseil-siresfc and It maoath Abb*y ; the tontrast between hii fatoer, tbepet-r, and her father, the danchiß-ma^tur— sfrnck him with a sharp, koen foar. What had he dons ? "' What could thfiQ bo in common between two suoh homes ? Bssutiful as ph« wft", oonld he ever bring Aiiia to this sUtply, l.\" tbty mother of hm, and pay, «« This \e ir>y wife? " He eoaU ima^i'rie th« cairn scern, the uaepoken oontcmi;!; in hia mothers cyeß as he did 60. Then ha roused him-:el!— -it was Tor honor's sake ; raen dipd for bosor, ho had only lived. A r.u'JdeD idea ocouri-ed lo him — he would ask hH mother what she fh<y>jrV, cf a jnrftUel c^«e ; thfin he should uisl>;.->\vnd better how to tull her when the timacMiriU. lucy talked fin-afaw sr-i-iutes on indifferent subjects ; tlvu Le f&ul : " I hoard a vuy ?trani?c atory the pther .lay, mnther. f can pi vj- jiano names — it waa confidential, you un hot'sml." " My dfai* Vivian, na'uog seldom interest me." •, Unless they i-ave tiiJsp," ho replied, laughingly. " Bat haar the etory, mother ; I thought it eU'ar.g-\ A gentleman — I oan answer /or it thai; he was ". gentleman — invita3 I a young girl to go out with him for a day's holiday " " How shooUog 1 " oried her ladysbin, with acorn. " Pray do not say ' gentleman,' Vivian ; no gentloman colddoeuoh » thing." "Pray listen, mother. He did U— thtrewaa some roaaon given ; 1 forget what exactly. She wivn unhappy, and it waa to give her one day 1 ? happints?." " Vory imprudeal," Giid her ladyship, indi^roulrly. " Yep, it was imprudent. Well, the ond of the day's pleasure was, they were too late for the return train, and the girl, living with Btriot relatives, would have beau ruiucd for Wq had he not sacrificed himself and married her, " And what ?" cried her ladyship. " Married her," replied Lord Oaradale — " married her, to aavo her from blame and reproach." " How utterly absurd, Vivian 1 Pray do not repeat BU'jh a etory ; people will think you mad for retailing it. Miud ! Floss doea not like her ears pulled." " Then you do not see anything grand or heroic in suoh a marriage ?" be asked. " Grand 1 heroic I I hardly understand how J you can talk suoh nonsense. Common sense la better than heroism, and there is no com . mon sense in that." " No, there is not. But what should you think of the man who did it, mother ?" " Think ?" said the Countess Waldrove. " I am not addicted to haneh words, but iv this e»ae I musk pay the man wan a "imp'eton for hU pains. But never mind that foolish story, Vivian ; I want to consult you about the Doko of Claverdon. I think you could ask birn down for a week." "Why do you want him here?" a?kcd Vivian. " My dear boy, what are you thinking of 1 What a question!— fancied I told you he hhfA Linda." He looked up with a smile. " So my Linda is to be a dnchtss — Duohess of Claverdon. She will huvs a good husband if she marries the dnke." " Yea," baid the countegs ; and you must not forget that if the duke marries Linda he will have a good wife." Lord Oarsdftle was struck (igain ; they ware children of one mother, Linda and himuelf ; she was to marry a duke, and he had married the daughter of a dancing master. " Of course," said the countess, with proud humility. " I know that the duke is a grand parti. I should like him to come while you are at home, Vivian ; and we must have everything nice for bim." "Yes," agreed Vivian, adding to himself: " This would be the worst time in the world to tell my mother the truth ; even the duke might be frightened away if the knew about the dancing- master. I must wait." And wait he did.