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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Herald, 1909-06-04, Page 3e• b. if rp to 'tr a "Well," said the marchioness, a little sharply, "it doesn't matter about the old atones; but if there is to be a new one, I don't care to be mixed up in it. We have been used as sponsors for the girt, and I am going to know more about it. 1 wonder. if Aubrey is here to -day." 1'11 inquire,'" said the marquis. "If he is, bring him to me," said Lady Romley. "It will be useless for you to have any words with hire over such a .matter. Re can't abuse me. Anyhow, 1 won't be a party to any such thing.?' Erna would have been hotly indignant if she could have known how Lord .Au- brey's bonuty to her was being con- •strued by the woman who had grown -old in the ways of the wicked world. The marquis, on his part, merely shrugged his shoulders, and went to the Duke of Roseboro. "Are you expecting Aubrey to -day?" he asked. "He's here. I saw hint not five min- utes ago. There he is now. Handsome fellow, isn't he? . He ought to settle down now, Romley-eh?" Bowley remembered that the duke had a marriageable daughter, and gravely .assented; though he shrugged his shoul- ders as he picked his way across to where Lord Aubrey stood, surrounded by an admiring group of maids and mat- rons. "What a power there is in the reputa- tion for wickedness!" lie muttered. "They are afraid to trust their daugh- ters with him, but any one of them would thank heaven with great fervor if he would ask for the hand of her Aubrey looked up and recognized him. He courteously edged. away from those about him and extended his hand to Lord Romley. "I am delighted to see you, marquis," he said, cordially. He knew that the marquis had always been a staunch friend in the days when calumny was making him its mark. "I have been in- tending to hunt you out." "Glad to see you back in civilization," maid the marquis, studying his young 'kinsman's face wonderingly. "If you had put it off much longer we should have begun looking for another incum- bent of Aubrey. Come over and see the marchioness. She wishes to talk with you about that ward of yours." "Ward of nine- repeated the earl, with a surprised air. '':hen, with sad- den recollection: "Oh, yes—Erna March. Ilas she been up to some new prank?" "Neu pre ltlµ .).Because she is such a child, you\, , e e" said the marquis, quizzically. "Yes hoidenish sort of creature. Very lough,. and with a great deal 1 ,Hese. I ,take considerable interest in lrer�r "No tlottbt," said the marquis,. dryly. "But here is the marchioness, who will he pleased to discuss the matter with you. Here is the earl, my dear." "Delighted' t� see you, marchioness," said the OSA'OSA'"What is this the mar- quis tells me about your interest in Erna March? Have you ever seen her?" The marchioness returned his greeting -cordially; for she was woman enough yet to admire him for his looks and his wickedness, even though she pro- posed to stand between him and the commission of any more. She looked at him with a smile. "Have I ever seen her?" she repeated. "Yes, I have seen her, and I have be- come sufficiently interested in her to send for you to tell me the nature of your interest in her. Remember, you have,given ine the right by asking the use of our name to place her in school" There was no mistaking the nature of Lady Romley's remark, and the earl made no pretense of doing so. His face flubbed ,for a moment, and then his lip curled With a sort of weary scorn. "xes, you bave the right," he said. was solicited by her aunt, some time ago, to provide for Erna, on the ground that she was a Cecil, and that I was the richest of the Cecils. I provided for ner, not knowing anything, or caring ca anything about her. I me home and met her one day. I had a few minutes' conversation with her, discovered her to be a hoiden, with promise of some- thing better if she could be removed from the care of her injudicious aunt. I removed her by having her put in some sehool--I don't evn know what school—and have never sen her since." "may 1 ask what you intend doily; for her when she comes out of school?" I thought I saw in her, I would endear - inquired the marchioness, dryly. "It depends entirely upon circum- stances. If she lives up to the promise or to provide for her in some way suit- able to a member of the Cecil family, 1 am interested in her." "Will you kindly look 'over there, Aubrey," said the marchioness, nodding in the direction of the place were Erna sat, surrounded by a throe of eager men. "What do you see there?" "A crowd of men surrounding some woman, eager for smile or a glance. It is a beautiful woman, no doubt." "You are good at guessing, Aubrey," said the marchioness. "But I wish you to see the face of that beauty. I pro- mise you there is nothing else like it in the realm. Step over there and you can see. Can you see it now?" "Erna March?" cried the earl, and it seemed to the observant eyes of the marchioness that he changed color. l"Yes, Irma March," she said sharply. ""A9. Cecil, Lord Aubrey, and therefore ,one 1 have a right to watch over." CHAPTER XV. Lord Aubrey stood watching Erna for several seconds after the remark of Lady Rowley that because Erna was a Cecil she had a right to watch over her. Presently he turned toward the march- ioness and said, slowly: "I suppose it is not merely the privi- lege, but the duty of one Cecil to watch over another. For some years I have not merely exercised my privilege, but done my duty toward that particular Cecil." "I understand you," retorted Lady Romley, quickly. "You would imply that since we have done nothing for her in times past, we have no.:right to interfere now. That may seem right, but it is not right: Protection is due the child, and is one's especial 4rivi- lege "Let us be more explicit," said the earl, in that curt way which made him so formidable to many. "From whom, or from what, .does Erna need protec- tion?" Lady Romley was not to be frighten- ed from her purpose by a grim look or a sharp word. "Every young woman," she -replied, readily, "needs protection, first of all from herself, and a young man is not fitted for the office of doing it." "That is an evasion, Lady RomIey," he said. "No," she answered, sharply, "it is only a preface? I was going to say- that after protection against herself, she needed protection against meu—all men, generally, and particularly against any man who is in the position to claim her gratitude." "And who is better suited to the of- fice of protector than the kinsman who has provided for her in her early life?" he asked, restraining a desire to say score cutting thing to the marchioness. "An elderly kinsman, with no charms of person, or place, or fortune, and, above all, one who is a sedate married ..can," she replied. "She already bas an elderly kinswo- man to fill the place, who has none of the charms you deprecate," said the earl dryly. "You have already called her an in- judicious person, from whom you thoughe it best to separate this girl. Come, Rupert! You and I were always the best of friends in former days. Why are you so obstinate in this. You ought to see that there is but one way in which you can act the role of protector to a young and beautiful girl like this Erna —by marrying her. Have you any notion of making her the Countess of Aubrey." "I never dreamed of such a thing," he hastily answered. "Then do you wish to ruin the poor obild ae the outset of her, reer." "Ruin: heti Why 'should you say that?" he demanded, half angrily. "Shall 1 be frank with you, Aubrey?", "13y all means," he ironically replied. "I can stand it. My experience tells me that frankness is usually a cloak for something particularly agreeable, What is it2" "You know I don't wish to be disagree- able, Rupert," she said; "but your ob- stinate ireistence on a thing which is unheard of, forces me to speak plainly, and I shall do so. Rightly or wrongly, you have the reputation of a man who values his own name very little, but values a woman's less. "Infamous!" cried the early, hoarsely. "Yes," said the old lady, Madly, "it is infamous; and no one knows better than you that both Romley and I have always denied the justice of the repu- tation which you permitted to be sad- dled on you. But there is the reputation, not altered for the better by the wild rumors that came to us from the Ty- rol." IIe turned a ghastly white, and de- manded, in a low, inttnse tone: "What were those rumors?" "Too vague to be defined," she ans- wered. "Only there was something of a beautiful woman, something of two men killed, one by poison. Then you disap- peared, and for years, almost no one but your agent had any notion of whether you were alive or dead." "Great Heaven!" he groaned, "and was I suspected of that foul crime." ""1 won't say that I doubt if any- body believed it; but it made a fitting climax to the story that had driven you abroad, and it was repeated simply as any good story wonlcl be. Forgive me for speaking of it, but you forced me." He remained a few seconds plunged in deep and painful thought; then shrugged his shoulders, and said in his customary cart tone: "My guardianship' does not seem to have injured Erna as vet" He did not himself comprehend why he was so obstinate in this matter. "Are you sure that it is known. Was it not yourself who asked tis to act as sponsors for her, giving yourself rea- son that your name was not much of an addition to a girl's list of qualifications for entrance into a high -clans school?" The earl remembered that he had written that, being at the time under the spur of Mrs. IIudstone's bitter words to him. He remained silent, and Lady Romley thinking to push an advantage gained, went on: "It is perfectly clear, Aubrey, that, for the girl's sake, you should not as- sume the role of protector, even if yon intend to marry her. I don't suppose von can be thinking of that. She is hard- ly the one to be selected as the Count- ess of Aubrey, though, if properly man- aged, she will certainly wilt a high place C O R N $ CURED iN 24 1100118 You can painlessly remove any eons, either bard, soft or bleeding, by applying Putnam's Corn itxtraotor. It never buns, leaves no sear, contains no acids ; is harmless because composed only of healing gurus and balms. Fifty years in 25e, botttles Refuse substtttutes. all druggists PUTNAM'S PAINLESS CORN EXTRACTOR for herself. With her bdauty it is cer- tain.' The early smiled bitterly, ''I understand your meaning better than I do your logic," he said. "You say she is hardly the one to be the Countess of Aubrey, arid I. fully agree with you. I certainly 1144 net dreamed of such a thing. But you go on• to say that she eaes win a high ,,place for herself by her beaisty; by *Isiah I under- stand you to mean that she will be sought after by 'some deerepid old wretch, who wilk barter his money and title for her youth and beauty. To me that seems.horriblcG,and'I will not con- sent to it" "What other future is; there for a young girl who is at once ambitious, beautiful and poor?" The earl's lip curled. "T can at least place her beyond the neelsfity of selling herself 'to the high- est bidder," he said. "I have her good in mind; I am interested in her, and I distinctly refuse to see your view of the case. She shall remain under my protec- tion, which will certainly afford her a brighter prospect than ,that which you offer. The eyes of Lady Romley snapped with resentment and indignation. "1 shall not alter ry views in regard to her," she said; "and it is your own fault if you find yourself opposed by me. 1, too, have her interests at heart, and I shall do my utmost to protect her; the more so that I airnondi, satisfied that you can have no good motive in persist- ing. The earl bowed and silently moved away from the irate old lady, giving her all the satisfaction there might be in having the last word., Be did not un- derstand the reason for his persistance, but he told himself that if he had 'been approached in another way lie would have made no opposition. He told him- self that it was a point of honor with him now, to provide for Erna in a way consonant with the possibilities open to one who had Ce it blood in her veins. Yes, he had not had it in mind before, but now that his attention had been called to it, lie would show that malici- ous old woman that lie could be equal to his opportunities. Erna should have a settlement which would make her a de- sirable bride for any nobleman in Eng- land, and she should choose a fittting mate. "I was just looking fur you, Aubrey." It was the Duke of Roseboro who spoke, "Permit me to present you to my daugh- ter. Violet, tiie Earl of Aubrey." Poor Violet bowed, but hardly dared look up into the eyes of the roan of whom she had heard such strange things said. She wished from the bottom of her heart that she could think of some way of esi'apiur not rea4'=c k, nor., girl! *Ind 'her fathef:'2lad rtpsi1 ..^cher home from school for the express•• pur- pose of meeting the earl. "A charming day fora lawn party," said the earl, pitying the shy girl, but comprehending the motive of the duke. "Very," answered Lady Violet, with sudden inspiration. "Would you not like to speak to Erna March? Did you know she was here?" "Erna March!" he repeated, a curios- ity springing up in his mind to know something about her from his compan- ion. "How did you know that I knew her?" "Aren't you a kinsman?" inquired Lady Violet, in surprise. "1 certainly ant," he replied; "but how did you know it?" "She betrayed it one day," answered Lady Violet. innocently. "Betrayed it?' repeated the earl, won- deringly. "Was it a secret, then?" "No, no," said Lady Violet, quickly. "That is," she went on, in sudden confu- sion, as she recalled the circumstances that led to the betrayal of the relation- ship, "I don't think it was. She had never spoken of it before, and has not since." "1 suppose," said the earl, piteously, "she was surprised into speaking of it. Is that what you mean?".. ' "Ye -es," replied Violet, wishing some- thing would happen to help her out of the dilemma she had gotten herself in- to. "I am afrahn" said the earl, "that. judging from your manner, she did not speak very highly of me. I remember that the last time she and I met, 1 gave her offense.' "Ob," exclaimed Violet, eagerly, "it was not that way nt nil. She defended you—I mean site spoke in Praise of you." "In praise of me?" repeated the earl. "I wonder how she could do that, when I know she was very angry with are" at don't know anything about that," said Lady Violet. glad to be getting away from the da.neernus portion of the topic; "but she said site had seen you do something very brave. But she diff not say what it was, and we did not ask her, You know there is something in Erna that prevents one from presuming very far, She is my most intimate friend, but I would not ask her a thing about it. What diel you do?" "fit would seem that I atm less formid- able than she is," laughed the Earl. "I believe I climbed up a cliff, which seemed a very difficult thing to her. You. know how girls exaggerate," "I don't think Erna ,does," replied Lady Violet loyally. "She is impetuous, I know; but that is a different thing. Why, we never know what she can do, excepting that she seems to be able to do everything. Why, I ahnost believe that if she were called on to repeat a whole chapter out of some Greek poet, she would be able to do it. Did you ever hear her recite?" "Never," replied the earl, languidly, amused by this schoolgirl rhapsody. "1 suppose it is something super -excellent, thouh:' "You are laughing at me," said Lady Violetg, good-naturedly; "but you won't if you have an opportunity to hear her. Mamma is going to try to persuade her to recite something this evening." "like all great artists, she is difficult to persuade, I suppose," he said, ironi- cally. "1 don't know about that," replied Lady Violet; "but I do know that if she does not wish to do a thing, no power on earth can make her. And if she does wish to do it she will. She rules us at school, but we love her. Don't you wish to go to see her?" "By all moans. By the way, does your paragon add innsic to her accomplish- ments?" "I don't know. She is taking lessons in vocal music, I know; but I don't know anything more. 1 am sure, though, that if she sings, she will sing well. Are you fond of music—singing?" "Very," he replied, and in truth it was a passion with him. "That is why I asked. I think I could pass through a recitation; but I ani sure a song would be more than I could bear." "How sarcastic you are! But you needn't be afraid to listen to Erna. I am sure you will be surprised if you hear her recite. Isn't it wonderful," she went on, as they came to the outskirts of which Erna was the centre, "how she can entertain then all? 1 should be frightened out of my wits. Isn't she beautiful? grave you ever seen Lady 'Gertrude Moreharn?" "I never have had that pleasure." "She is a blonde beauty; and she is beautiful, too; but she can't compare with Erna. She said she had .net you," added Lady Violet, with as much malice as there was in her disposition. "Did she? Olr, yes, I ask her pardon. 1 did meet here at the Marquis of Beck- ington's. And I remember now that I heard her sing. She has a magnificent voice. Yes, she is very beautiful?' "Not as beautiful as Erna, do you think?" asked. Lady Violet, jealously. "Look at her now, and listen to her!" He had been looking and listening, and it seemed to him that a change bad come o•rer the hoiden of Aubrey cliffs. Ea had noticed her exquisite beauty Hien; but it had been, ,sirnlal#y' to xeeog- u:xe •its wanderfttl4r.ccomise. It 'blamed. irrei-as if the premise had bog. be- wilderingly irrifilled. As for the voice, it had thrilled him strangely the .ino- ment its soft, mellow tones had fallen on his ear. It surely had not been like that at Aubrey. CHAPTER :tvr. It often happens with a man like Au- brey—strong and self-contained— that he is extremely sensitive to music in auy of its forms, but especially music in the human voice. Ile had for the moment forgotten Lady Gertrude, but had recalled her at once, because she had made a lasting impression on him with her singing, which was not the dreadful sort: of the ordinary schoolgirl. Her voice had had such an effect on him that he had mentally determined to see her again. Since there must be a countess for Aubrey, why not such a one? But he hacl not- dwelt on her per- sonality, and that was,why he had not remembered her by name at once, And just as her voice had attracted him, so, as he listened to Erna's voice is merry talk. be was fascinated. IIe thought he had never heard such another voice it conv nor: ion. He pushed his way through the circle with Lady Violet by his side, and pre- sented himself with the quiet smile of an old acquaintance before Erna. "Erna," he said, "I have come to renew an old acquaintance." She looked up with a wondering, in- quiring air, as if she had some difficulty in recalling him: Then carne a swift look of recognition, followed by an ex- pression of cold hauteur. "Lord Aubrey!" she saki, icily, and turned froth hire to the gentleman she had been talking with, and resumed the conversation where it had been inter- rupted. (To be continued.) 4 Chinese Scholar on Marriage, Sir Robert 1:Iart, speaking of mar- riage: and death etatoms in the Far East. 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