CHAPTER XLI.

Waikato Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2075, 24 October 1885, Page 5 (Supplement)

CHAPTER XLI.

AN KMBARIUSKrNG SITUATION. Ailie had not much tlifliculty in getting back to her room., Bho wan astonished to find how long Bho b"ad been plwcnt; the stars were (shining when she went out, now there w»3 something very like the first grey tint of dawn in the skicH. Another thing that etartlcd her wae, tho door of her room was opon, and nho remeinlmied distinctly having closed it. Whether isho had not fastened the look, 01 whether Bomcone had entered it, sho oould not nay. She looked around ; there w.is no trace of any Btranf>e presence. She l'stened intently, but she could hear no sound. " Sorely no ono has bsen hero," she thought ; "if so " Bat the condcqnenccs wore something of which ehc oould not and would not think.

It cunld not bj possible. Wno v>ouhi be about the house at this tnuo of m,.'ht, or, rather, morning? She tiied to reao«ure herself, but the fright had been tornble ; lior lips were white and dumb, her limbs trembled, her strength seemed to have failed her. Then ehe tried to reassure heraelf— to say to henolf that it waa all a nervous fr.ght. She listened again and again ; there wus still no sound ; then her courage returned. It must havo been that she left the flooc unfastenod. She listened for half an hour, then, all bsing silent, came to the conclusion that she had been mistaken. But there was no sleep for h.jr and no rest. It seemed to her that h^r brain would ne\er cease throbbing or her nerves thrilling wifh subdued excitement. It wss all so wonderful and so strange that Lord Carsdale, the son and heir of this famous peer— that he should be her husband — that they should belivin;; iv the same house, yet farther apart than though they were strangers— that she (should have talked to him— have told him how she loved him — have told him oi this deep, passionate love of hers which she had kept =*o entirely secret from him. Yet the heavens had not fallen ; she waa still living, oven after that. How strange and terrible it would be to her to be always near him, yet to he a stranger to him. Then she wandered off into a thousand soft, sweet fancies — he had growu so much handsomer, thi3 gallant young lordlin^; tha boyish beauty of his faca had charged, he had prown bronzed, manly. ' He look-, like a king," she (hought ; "he is the handsomest and the noblest mar in the world." Her heart beat as she remembered how he had spoken to her. All in time— in time. L°t the summer sun rise and set, let the leaves grow preen and fall a few times, and by that tune ho would 10/o —he must love her. She would try to win him as no woman hid ever tried to win a man bofore; but Bho must be cautious, prudent, careful. She looked np at the blue pkiss where the first crimson dawn of morning shone, find she cried out with a great cry th»t God, who clothed the lilies and fed the little birds, would tako care of her and give her the one gift she craved — her husband's love. Then she laid her fair head on the pillow and tried to sleep, but sleep would not come to her— would not be wooed. Every moment she was going over and over again every word of that interview, every incident, every change in his face, in his voica — there oould be no rest for her. She owned to herself that phe had seen surprise, wonder, bewilderment, but not love ; she owned to herself that hn first emotion on seeing her was one of annoy-ince, ; but all thc-t would be ended, and he would love her in time. It was uqelpsq to lie there with the lovely summer sun shining round her, the song of the birds filling the air ; she would go out again and see if the cool, uweet wind would still the fever that ran hot in her veina. She dressed and went out again, through the cool shade of green woods this time, and the soft light, the sweet music, the perf uma of the flowers, did what her own thoughts could not do— quieted her. The brenkfa«t bell was ringing when she re-entered the Abbey. She hastened to Lady Waldrove's room, but tne countess had gone to h?r morning-room, where Ailie followed her. " I have not slept well," said my hdy, languidly. "I cannot tell why; I am not quite raypelf. I shall ie"t here iv thia room ; and, Miss De^wont, you can read to me ; if you read me to sleep bo much tha better." Lady Waldrovo locked well enough, but Ailie knew that even her faacies wpre ssrious matters. The maid wag despatched to say that Lady Waldro've would be pleased to see Lady Ethel in her morning room, also to ask Lord Oarsdaje if ho would join the countess. No one saw or cared that the fair face of Ailie Derwent flashed hot crimson a1?a 1 ? she heard. She looked very beautiful that morning ; the countess hud expressed a hplf wi°h that --he would wear gray dresses always ; she did not like to see her in anything else ; and, as the matter was one of perfeot indifference to Ailie, she complied obediently enough. For the morning she wdre a plain high dress of pome pretty grey material, in the evening n richer dress of gray silk, with her favonta silver fringe. If Lady Waldrove had purpoaoly chosen a style that sho thought suitable for the enhancing of Ailie's beauty, she could have selected nothing better than the soft, pearly gray — the soft folds that showed every graceful line and curve of that beautiful figure, the subdued tint that placed in such glorious contrast the lovely pearly coloring of the fane and the snowy whiteness of the neck. Ailie had been tired from want of sleep, but the morning air had given to her the moat delicate and dainty bloom. Lady Waldrovo lay in h^r most picturesque and languid attitude ; the twin dogs had evidently resolved upon making the most of a fine day — they had placed themselves in different attitudes of comfort ; and Ailio sat patiently with a volume of Mra. Mary J. Holmes', waiting the countesa' pleasure. It was quite suddenly that the door opened, and Lord Caisdale entered. Tho light that came through the rose-colored blinds was bo subdued he did not at first see Ailie. lie went up to hia mother and kissed her, then started as be saw the golden head and fair face at her aide. Lady Waldrove saw him start and mistook the ca,u Be. " You know my companion, Misq Dor went ?" she said, carelessly. " You need not stand upon ceremony. Do not leave the room, Mihs Derwent. 1 want you to get this pattern right for me, if you can." Ailie took up tho intricato pieco of fancy work and went over to the window. She heard the countess say, in a low voice, to her son : " You need never stand upon any kind of coremony with her. Khe'a very good, and all that kind of thing. She scema to know her place. I can always talk before her, and that is one great advantage." Lord Carddule made uo reply. Indeed, his lady-mother gave him no ohance, for nhe cried, suddenly : "Vivian, what tima did you go to your room last night ? It waa your fault that I had such a bad night. I lay awake listening for you until after two. What are you blushing for ? Why, Vivian, I havo never soon you blush before-." Ho laughed awkwardly, but from the silent figure at the window camo uo sound. " I must be ashamed of myself for keeping you awftko, mother," he stammered. "It must hate been after two when you did find your way in. Where were you all that time?" " In the grounds," ho ropliod. " The night was so fine and tho moon so clear. It is long Bince I have Eeon mich a night in England." " Humph ;" faid my lady. •• Your love for natuic has wondeifully increased if it prompts you to sit Irom twelve to threo watching the light of tho moon. Ah 1 how careless you are, Vivian — you have broken my fan." The delicate ivory handle had snapped in two as his clasp had tightened around il, " Miss Durwent, do coino, my dear, and sco if you can do anything with tluti. It in my favorite fan, too." She would have given anything to have excused herself. It seemed to her impossible that she should go near her husband ; but no one ever disobeyed Lady Waldrove. Sho oame over to thorn, and as she half stooped

to lind one Vwi ni gavo lni thn olbnr I Their hands toucbed, their eyes nvH. He drew back with a half embarrassed bow ; eht» grew crimson and turned away. L*dy Waldrovo yave a half kind of sigh at thnir stupidity. Why need people in such thoroughly distinct anddiftaient classes be embarrassed with each other? "Do try, my dear, if yon can have it repaired ?" said the countess, languidly. "It is the first time I have known Lord Carsdale awkward." He bent clown to kiss his mother's hand, longing to get away ; it wes so awkward being in the same room with Ailie, yet unable to speak to her ; it was a most stupidly f Alse position for her to have placed him in. She must have read his thoughts, or gue^d them from the darkening of his face, for she turned abruptly away to resume her work. " You shall have the most elpgant fan in London, mother. I will go to town for the expresa purpose of choosing one for you," he said; but she looked at him in her plaintive, languid fashion. " It is not bo much the fan, my'dear Vivian. Wuat troubles vie is that you should be awk ward. A gentleman should be able to hold a rose-leaf without crushing it. I have buoh a grpat dread of an awkward man." H •: laughed ; his mother's pathos always amu3ed him ; then he rose from his peat — it was unendurable 1 , this kind of thing. " You are not eurely dreaming of going ViViin?' said tho counter, sharply. "1 thought jou would sit with me this morning and toll mo about— about Gibraltar, i£ you have no other news. You do not know how I have bribed you to stay." " I nnei no bribing to stay with you, muther," h^ replied, qaickly. ' Lady Waldrove laughed. " y. ill I have bribed you. I have sent for Lady Ethel." There wa<3 one moment of embarrassed silence, during which husband and wife again look at each other. " That will not bribe me mother," he said ; " but if you wish me to stay I will." Then, with his uiual Bunny hnmor, he made himself agreeable to her — told hor absurd anecdotes of military life at Gibraltar; he played with the dogs, decided that Castor had more than ordinary intelligence ; and in the raiddt of his efforts to please his fine ladymother, the door opened again, and Lady Ethel entered tho room.