“AN EVIL ANGEL”

Waikato Times, Volume 122, Issue 20496, 12 May 1938, Page 14

“AN EVIL ANGEL”

An Exciting Mystery Story.

(By JOHN MIDDLEMASS.)

CHAPTER IX. — ; Continued., “For mercy’s sake do not speak of | it —Do not put Into words the recollection of a night that I can never forget. Oh Emma, if you knew how miserable I am you would not persecute me.” ”1 persecute you?” That is, the last thing I am thinking of doing. We both want upholding—let us be firm and stick together.” "We might if he remained absent.” \ “Pooh! besides I daresay he will never sep me. I am only the foreign : Countess* maid." "How came you to take service with : her? Who is she? What is she? | A mistress like any other. When : one is penniless as I am, one must ■ take service." j Must. so. As you see I too have , taken service. ’’ "And not found a bad rpsting place either. Just you keep it. Miss Nina, ' i and let me help you to rearrange your j things in the wardrobe and drawers-

( This confusion looks like scandal if j you like." j "And you will stand by me—you | will not speak out?" j "WhaJ have I got to say—if he is j silent my voice is the last to be heard. ' He might get my out of a good place, j After all. I have as much to fear from him as you have.” But Nina shook her head. She had j risen from the box, and had now sunk I into an arm chair, from the depths jof which she was silently watching J Emma, as she (’established order, and put Nina’s daintinesses away in their places, as though it. were not the first time she had handled them. Busy though she was, as she walked about, the room she occasionally looked out of the window on the scene below, which for colour and brightness had much attraction. "See!" she said at last. "Come and look." Nina raised herself languidly. Ostende en fete even in the fair sunshine could not interest her. What she saw did. however, awaken interest. Mare Cooper and. the Comtesse ' Feodore! Nina Fonblanque t.ook in the situation. but she did not utter a sound. Shp did not wish to give her friend away by shewing any surprise. It was Emma who spoke.

"The first lady T have ever seen Madame la Comtesse lake up with, hut there, gold draws to gold. She hates poor folk.*' "You IdT her?” Nina asked in as indifferent a tone as she knew how to assume. "Ye-e-es." long drawn out. "She is quiet and well conducted, and I must say she is generous." "French ?” "Half French." & "What is the other half?" "She would be a Eurasian if the French half was English," and Emma laughed. "A mulatto?” "Xot quite. but. a good deal of dark colour. I believe her father was a Frenchman, and who her mother was —we will not enquire—Any way she has the gold—has travelled a lot. and speaks English well, vaitli only a little foreign accent." "You can't have been with her very . long." "Only sincp the New Year, when she came 1o Paris. She has a lovely house there close to the Parc Monceau." "And receives?" "Well, she has not been in Paris long enough to know many people, but those she does know are quite chic. She is very particular." "A good acquaintance for Marie Cooper ?" "Quite. 1 should think she is higher up the ladder than Miss Cooper —.iudging from the look nf the old lady." and Emma laughed. Cosmopolitan that she was. she was a thoroughly good .judge of people and their social status. Nina, however, was loyal. She answered briskly, "Mrs Cooper is not half a bad sort, if only she would not believe in mnens. They are so dreary and keep one always on the look out for the dreadful." "Particularly when one is overweighted as you are." Nina shivered and stared longingly at her box. She had given in to Emma’s insistance that she should stay, but- she nevertheless felt a keen desire to go away. That by so doing she would leave her troubles behind she was very doubtful.

The two new acquaintances who had been strolling together in front of the hotel now came in. and Emma said she must go to the Comtesse, who would perhaps ask for her. As she went down the stairs there was a very crafty look on the pleasant face. Emma l.ane was a woman who Mas by no means trustworthy, being easily bought by the highest* bidder, and this Nina knew full well, but she believed that, in this instance Fear would have far more weight with the money loving Emma than mere gold, and perhaps she was right. That they both of them were terribly afraid of Hamilton Browne, there Mas little doubt, though as far as Nina was concerned it Mas by no means apparent by bis behaviour that lie was brooding over sinister intentionsThe room had only just been cleared uo in Line, and Emma Lane's skirt had scarcely disappeared from the doorway. M'hen Marie linnnpr ramp

I bounding in from the opposite door, j Mlii eli communicated with her room, j Marie, lull of youlli and jov and j spirits, as she had been wont to be i before she had met Lord Yesey. and j blighted the life of the man Mho* loved ! her more dearly than his omit pros- • peefs. i Thoughtless, impressionable Marie, { in the new acqua i.fance she had so ardently coveted and so whimsically i made every other hope or fear was ' set on one side. j "Never, never in all the world beI fore bad she come across anyone so | bewitchinglv charming as Comtesse j Feodore. Such manners, so quiet, so i reposeful, so sympathetic, and with j Just the wee-est. sweetest little ac--1 cent speaks English as well as you jor I. Is it not delightful that she j speaks English, if she had only talked j French what should I have done?" j "Done without an acquaintance that ! "ill probably only bring disaster, j However did you get to know her Marie? I saw you walking with her. and came to ask Nina what it meant." Of course the dire foreboder was Mrs Cooper, who had followed Marie into the room: Nina did not speak, but her heart echoed Mrs Cooper’s distrust. Marie, however. Mas not checked. She threw her arms round her mother's neck and kissed her boisterously.

"Next to being a Countess oneself it is nice to have a Countess for a friend." "She’s black.” said Mrs Cooper with vulgar bluntness. "Oh Mother, how can you say so! She has the most beautiful olive tinted skin. I wish mine was like it." "Can infatuation further go 1” exclaimed Nina laughing, though she scarcely felt cheery. "Then you agree with mother?" said Marie rounding on her. "I neither agree nor disagree, since I do not know the lady, but temperance In the enthusiasm bestowed on a new acquaintance is always advisable. "You never like any of my friends. You hate Mr Hamilton Browne and now I suppose you are going to be disagreeable to the Comtesse. She already thinks you are very odd- That little scream you gave, and the expression on your face when you saw me talking to her maid last night bewildered her, and she asked if you are nice." Nina did not answer, she turned deadly white, bul Mrs Cooper said: "I hope the mischief 1 foresee in your acquaintance with this dark woman does not mean a separation from Nina.” "Nina —nonsense —nothing can separate me from Nina.” cried Marie, her mood changing as moods with her so quickly did. It. was now Nina's turn to he effusively kissed. That the. coming of Comtesse Feodore would change the current of their lives it- did not. however, require Mrs -Cooper’s keen scent for prognostics to discover. It could not do otherwise than create change, and no one felt it more decidedly than did Gervase A’Court and Hamilton Browne, when in the Kursaal on the evening of their arrival they were introduced to the lady, and found she had already taken Marie under her sheltering Ming. The two men. however, took a totally different view from Mrs Cooper. They saw advantage In the new acquaintance, while she Mas ready to proclaim from the house-tops the absolute disadvantage, friendliness with this "darkey" must entail. Which of them was right only the Issues of circumstances would prove. (To be continued)