CHAPTER XXVIII.

Waikato Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2063, 26 September 1885, Page 5 (Supplement)

CHAPTER XXVIII.

TO WIN A HUSBAND'S HEAET. Aliar: Blood listening, her heart beating so fast that its rapid pulsations made hex tremble ; her lips paled, her eyes opened wide with a wistful look that was in itself all pain. Wonderful words were being spoken near her. A« usual, she was spending tho evening with Madame Roubart and Mrs. Howard. Madame was slightly anxiout, and her faithful follower was desirous of knowing why. Then madame told her. She was so well known, and had so large a connection, that ladies who wanted governesses and companions often asked her to choose for them. One had done ho now— no Icps a person than tho Gountcsß Waldrove of Roaeneath, who wanted some young lady to live with her as a companion. Mrs. Howard listened eympathizingly, as she always did. "A. companion!" she said. -'Why, I thought the Countess of Waldrove had an unmarried daughter. " So sho has," replied madame, who knew the peerage by heart ; " Lady Linda married the Duko of Claverdon ; Lady Gertrude is not married yet." " Her beauty must be on the wane," said Mrs. Howard. " No, not at all; on tho contrary, I think her far better looking now than she was at the age of eighteen. You see what Lady Waldrovt gay a; Ladj Gtitrude ■ptndi so

i inn 1 1 iir u. i 1i 1 .Mtlt thn Duchess of (J ivi-itl j-i i irtt nae u ulmost alone; fihe wftiili an ani.uhlp, wtll biml jjirl to write her loittit), n.sd to htr, walk and drive with her— in shoit, I Hh«iild imagine, talce a daughter's plaew " " That can Boon be done," said Mrs. Howard. "Not q lite so 800n — she is rather partieulfti. Slid wants a lady; ohe could not endure any ono bat a lady — rtflned, welled ueated, maately a lady, you understand. I re-iily know no one who could undertake the pllrtl." "Lady Waldro^c has but one son, I believe," haid Mrs. Howard, thoughtfully. " No, only one ; and he is abroad somewhere with hie regiment — at Gibraltar, I believe. Lord Vivian Caredale is generally considered one of the handsomest men in England." Alico waß so near them that the sound of her huibunrl's name made her grow pale and tremble. What; wou!d they have said had they known that tho beautiful girl with the sad, <uvoel f>ice was Lady Carsdalo? " Handrfomo is as handsome does," said Mrs. Howard. " I was quite under the impression that he was a great ilirt, if not worse." How her fnc«> flushed as sho listened — how she longed to defend him — to turn round and tell thoca who spote co lightly of him that, far frrru being a flirt, he had married her, rather than that she should lose one iota of her fair fanip, or that, she should Buffer from the imprudence of having taken & day's holiday with him. Her face flushed, her eye- shone brightly, her whole manner exprtaaed the most contemptuous and bitter defiance. Hur thero wai no need to speak — it wa-< madamo who took up tho cudgels for him. " You are mistaken," she said; "you are evidently confounding Lord (Jarsdale with some of the other wild young heirs. I have never hoard a word against him in all my life. I think he la exceptionally good." Then madame pnned in wonder, for Alice had seized her hand and kissed it in a rapture of affection. " What is the matter, ray dear child?" inquired raadame, who never even dreamed of the real state of the case— " what is the matter?" " Nothing ; but I thought you looked so nice," sal \ Alice, hardly knowing how to get out cif the dilf mma. Midiune laughed. " If you undertake to embrace every one vt hn looks nice in that r,\pluroii« fashion you will have quite enough to do, Mies Derwent. You forpet all my lespons about selfre. trai'U." Ahoa laaghed also, though ehe was trembling wi'h excitement and impatience. A sinMeri hope, a "udden i'Jra had occuircd lo her that Mho mij'ht popnbly bo the one who could undertake the nituuhon— companion to the Counttfls of Wrtldrove — to her husband's mother ; t l io Hoa made her tremble, the bea-itiful face j;rew white with emotion ; onee — twice .<he tried to npeak, but the effort wb* usokss— sho could not. Oh, if thiscould bu'i be — if hhn could seoure this poHt ion — if she cnu d but se" her hu^band'fl mother, his niater t hirf horne — if she could but win their liking and their love it would be all plain sailing for her after .yard ; he would return to find her the vi.lued inmate of his own horne — his mother dependent en her for a hundred littlo I services, his father attached to her, his siitcrrf almost intimate with her; what a rnaivellous change it would be, and he muM be pleased at it, because it would show him how dearly she loved him after all. She was literally fajnt with the excitement of the thought. If it could only be. She •would give half her life if this might happen ; she would have offered all she bad for this one ohance of winning her husband's heart. Then she heard madamo say : " I shall be really grieved if I cannot oblige Lady Waldrove ; she always speak 3 so well for m«, and is so pood in recommending my esfabhshment. I should like to please her ; it will not be easy, I fear. What do you gay, Miss Derwent?" she added, in wonder, us the girl's beautiful faoo came before her. " Speak louder, my dear child, I am so tired, at night that I seldom hear well." " I was asking you, madame, if you would grant me a very great favor," she said — " if you would permit me to apply for this situation at Lady Waldrove's ? " Both ladies looked at her in silent wonder ; then madame spoke. "You, Miss Derwent?" she said— youl Why, I thought you wore looking forward to something very different." " Dear madame," said the girl, softly, «' you are always so kind, and I should like it bo much." "But I thought," said madame, "that you had some yery definite hopes of going, at some time, into quite a high sphere of life." "So I have, madame ; I cannot explain ; but I should be so grateful if you would do this for me, even if I only remained for a year. I have reasons of my own that I cannot explain. Oh, madame, if you could do it?" " You would certainly be the very best person for the situation," said Mrs. Howard— " the very best." " But," said madame, " in rooommending you I lose ono of my best pupils." " Dear madame," she oried, eagerly, " that need not bo ; I can make some arrangement — let me still continue, after a fashion, to be your pupil." Which speech madame rightly interpreted to mean that she would most gladly continue her payment of two hundred per annum if madame would help her gain her heart's desire. "We will talk it over," said' madame ; and they did so, the result of whioh conversation was that on receipt of two hundred pounds from Alice madame would furnish her with all needful testimonials as to ability, character, refinement, <£c, and that she should do her best to seoure her the situation. Mrs. Howard wondered muoh over it ; the girl, she thought to herself, must have some strange under-current in her life— she trm«t have some strange, settled design in wanting to go to this house. Yet, that the dppipn was in any way oonneoted with the family them. selves never even ooourred to her. Alioo was almost beside herself with joy; she could not realiie that she had really gained her heait'a desire — she oould not realise the wonder that this great dash of sunlight was indeed hern. She settled it all with madame— she told her frankly that she did not wish those at home to know what she was doing— they would not understand it, nor would they like it ; bo madame promised to receive all her letters and forward them to her, and not to let any one know that she was engaged as companion to Lady Waldrovo of Eoseneath. Madame promised on the day following to write to the countess and tell her that she had found the most suitable porson it was possible to find. Then Alice, happier, more elate, more exoited than she had ever been in her life before, withdrew, leaving the two ladies alone. Madame looked pleased and contented— she had done an excellent day's work; she had secured some one with whom she felt quite sure that the countess would be delighted; besides whioh she had secured the school fee for one year at least of the samo person. When they were quite alone Mrs. Howard looked at the lady prinaipal. " Do you think you have decided wisely ? " ■he aiked ; and madame anßwend ;

" Ye-i. Thtre is a mjstt-ry about Mhs Derwent; I ssa it as well an you ; but I will engage that it is no discredit to her. She is a lady by nature, if not by birth, and over that lam not quite decided. I Am sure that she will prove a credit to me." " I hope you are not mistaken, 1 ' said Mrs. Howard, gr&vely. "To me there is something inyaterious in the whole affair. I have a presentiment, too, that we shall some time or other understand Miss Derwent's motive, and that we shall not like it." " My dear Mrs. Howard," laughed madame, " if we ooncerned ourselves in that way, looking so far ahead for the result of every event, I am afraid that we should have little peaoe in life. I can see a comfortable kind of business matter before me, and I shall settle it." When madame spoke in that tone Mrs. Howard knew quite well all further objections were quite useleie. She said no more, and the matter was settled. On the day following madame wrote to the countess, saying that she had a young lady whom she oould highly recommend, staying now in the house with her, and that she ooald only say she seemed to have been made for the situation. The countess was delighted ; i she said there would be no need for her to go to town, as she could trust to madame's knowledge of the world, and if she would see that the young lady was at Rosoneath by the middle of May that would do, as they did not intend going to London at all that year. "You have good news for me?" said Alice, when madame entered the room, letter in hand. " You have good news ; I oan see by your face. lamtogo to Itoseneath." " Yes," replied madame. " Lady Waldrove is much pleased over it." Then she stopped to wonder at the halfdivine light that came over Alice Derwent'i beau&iful face.