HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Herald, 1909-06-04, Page 3e•
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"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
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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. Sells a story of a great Chinese
;ch'.-;ar and high official who said that
our foreign way of letting the young
people fall in love and choose and the
Chinese way of first marrying and
then making acquaintance reminded
hint of two kettles of water; the first
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O 'n
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