CHAPTER III.

Waikato Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2245, 27 November 1886, Page 1 (Supplement)

CHAPTER 111.

Christmas passed. Godfrey spent his with his friends at Chorley. Mr. Fenton was married now, and his wife, a blight pleasant woman took kindly to her husband's old College companion. Springtime had come, and the season was at its height. Godfrey bad written a book which was pronounced quite a success. In fact it was the book of the season, and its author's name was on everybody's tongue. He found himself inundated with invitations to parties musical, boating, and otherwise. He used to laugh and say it was his book that was asked out, not himself. He refused most of these invitations, in fact he never accepted any, unless he could be quite sure of meeting some old frieud difficult to be got at it any other way, for these affairs bored him more than he cared to confess. One morning at the end of May, a card came for him from a Lady Kennedy, who lived in a big house at Kensington. It was an invitation to a musical party. Godfrey loved music, but when the very best may be had for a shilling, was it worth while going all this distance for sounds which certainly were not always harmonious ? Besides, this Lady Kennedy was a notorious lion hunter and roaring was not at all in Godfrey's way. He sat thus pondering pen in hand, when he suddenly remembered that a charming: old travelling companion of his, a Dr. Carden, was also an old friend of these Kennedys, and when in town was always to be found at their "At Homes." Godfrey longed to meet him again and talk over old times. He was not sure whether he had returned to England. Never mind, he would chance it: So the invitation was accepted after all. The evening arrived, and Godfrey, making his way up the crowded staircase, was cordially greeted by his hostess. At last, to his great joy, he descried his friend. They were mutually'g'ad to meet and stationing themselves behind a standing arrangement of flowers where they cou'd observe without being observed, they entered into a long and interesting conversation. After a while, Dr. Carden asked his friend if he had seen a programme of the music. Receiving a reply in the negative he gave Godfrey his, at the same time telling him the fourth thing was about to begin. "A Signor Potrecini," said he, "will now favour us with a fantasia of his own composing. He is one of Miladi's lions. She little guesses that in the bosom of his family he goes by the name of Potts ; it would take the gilt off the gingerbread, wouldn't it?" And the doctor chuckled, for this weakness of Lady Kennedy's was a source of no little.amusement to her husband's old friend. 11 Look at him, Hume," he went on, "he is on his way to the piano. His Italian make up isn't bad." Godfrey, looking between the flowers at the Signor, saw a tall thin man with long lank black hair, a hooked nose and a sallow clean shaven face. He seated himself at the piano and began " clawing the ivory," as Dr. Carden expressed it. The fantasia was rather long, and very forted all through, so much so, indeed, that when it came suddenly to an end, many people who had been talking at the top of their voices to make themselves heard, stopped in the middle of a sentence with their mouths wide open. The effect, as Dr Carden observed, was curious, similar to that caused by a galvanic shock. However the jaws gradually collapsed, and then a few faint "Bravos" were audible. The Signor was heard complaining later on that " the English are so cold and unenthusiastic, one must go to one's own country to be fully appreciated." " There !" exclaimed Dr. Carden, " I'm thankful that's over. I shall wait for the song next down on the programme then I'm off to the card room, where I advise you to follow me. Whist is much more in my line than fashionable music." Godfrey, looking at the paper in his hand, read "The Lost Chord." Miss Sybil Wargrave. "Ah !" continued his friend, " that girl had a voice worth listening to, and I flatter myself I know a good voice when I hear one. I heard her sing the other night at Lady Bruces ' At Home,' and was much struck with \t. Look, here she comes." And Dr. Carden put up his eyeglass. Godfrey, gazing in the same direction, saw a gill staiuliny near the piano, with a sheet of music in her hand. She was tall, with a welll'ounded, graceful figure ; her vollset head wai crowned with braids of chestnut hair, her large, dark eyes were glow ing with suppressed emotion. She was simply but elegantly dressed in black velvet, delicate old lace on the squnre cut bodice and elbow sleeves. In her ears sparkled diamonds like dewdrops. Round her soft white throat was a slender chain, from which depended a diamond Maltese cross. These, with a spray of white azaleas and ferns, wore her sole ornaments, and, standing there among her gay surroundings, she looked like a lily in a garden of roses. One glance had sufficed. Godfrey knew now that "Brownie 11 and Sybil Wargrave were one aad the same ! But bow much j brighter and happier did she look than \ when he had last seen her? What magician's wand had wrought this wondrous change. The prelude was over. Soon the room was filling with the strains of the sweetest of modem songs. Rising aud falling, the tones of that rich contralto voice seemed to fill all the recesses of Godfrey's heart and I brain. It ceased. There was a dead pause, and then "Brava ! Brava !" and murmurs of admiration were heard on all sides. The girl gracefully bowed her acknowledgements, and when Godfrey — whose attention had been momentarily engaged by Dr. Cardeu— looked up, she was gone ! He rose abruptly from his seat, and, with a hasty farewell to his nstonisherl Friend, made his way out from behind hi* flowery barrier, determined, if he could | help it, the fair songstress should not

escape him quite so easily this time. He was uot allowed, however, to pursue his carear unmolested. A young lady whom he slightly knew came up to him with outstretched hind and a gushing smile. " Oh, Mr Hume," she said, " I must thank you for writing such a sweet book; it is iv illy quite too charming. Do you know I sat up nearly all one night to finish it. Do tell me what really became of " But Godfrey, muttering thanks, and what sounded something like an apology, moved on, wondering how much she had understood of what she had read ! The young lady toll }\pv mother that night, " She had always considered authors delightful darlings, but that now she knew them to be grumpy beir*." Lady Kennedy was stationed near the door as Godtrey went to make his udieux. 11 Yes, charmiugly sunsr, was it not ?" she replied, in answer to mhiio remarks of his. " Mi-*s Wargrave is quite the ra<re this seasou, everyone trie* to get her ; but she will never give an encore, aud makes a point of leaving when her song is over, otherwise I should have been delighted to comply with your request for an introduction. These eccentricities are tiresome, but one is obliged to put up with them, you know." Godfrey smiled as he bade his hostess good night. She tried to pursuade him to stay longer. "So many people had asked to be introduced to him. Where had he been hiding himself" But he was deaf to all her entreaties He must be content, he thought, to be called "eccentric" too. Lady Kennedy had perforce to let him go. As he went off, she turned to a group of people near her. 'Lady Blanche,' she said to a tall, pale, limplooking girl, 'did you notice the man who lias just been talking to me 1 That was Mr Hume, the author of that wonderful book "Light in Darkness." Splendid creature, is he not ?' Several eyeglasses were instantly brought to bear upon Godfrey's retreating form, and Lady Blanche, who was considered intellectual and poetical by her friends and admirers, was heard to murmur something; about 'genius and Promethean fires ;" but whether the remark was suggested by the pose of the head, the breadth of the shoulders, or the wave of the back hair, it was difficult to determine. So the lion was unconsciously made to roar a little after all, and Lady Kennedy was satisfied. Godfrey went ou his way down the staircase. To his great joy, he saw a cloaked and hooded figure — which he knew to be Sybil's — standing in the hall. She had evidently been making some request of the footman, for as Godfrey drew near he heard the footman say, "Sorry, miss, I can't oblige you, but I've really as much as I can do to attend to Miladi's guest*." Godfrey put the insolent fellow haughtily aside, and going up to the girl, a>>kc<l her if he could get her what she wanted. She turned at the sound of his voice, a deep blush overspreading her face as she looked at hi n. With drooping eyes she said, 'I was asking the footman to fetch me a cab. My old nurse has not come for me as she promised. I fear she must be ill, for she has never failed me before.' Godfrey, silently offeiing her his arm, motioned to the m-in to open the door, which he did with rather a shamefaced expression. A cab happened to be passing. Godfrey hailed it, and a 9 he put Miss Wargrave into it and asked the address, he craved p2rmission to call the next day in order to assure himself of her safe anival at home, murmured something 1 whi-'h sounded like an absent. '" f>, D a lainere-crescent, Bayswater," was ahouted to the man, aud the cab drove off. Godfrey stood on the pavement watching it out of sight. He had known from the look on the do.vnoast, blu&hing face, that >lip h.id recognised him this time, and had not, t-eempd horry.