The Brussels Post, 1926-5-5, Page 7THE BRUSSELS POST
,Love, he 'yrant.
"Ah, yos. They were leading a
life of the lowest dissipation. But
let us think the best. They may be
married; 1 can •find that out, I dare-
say—"
No, no," she saki, quickly, with
a little shudder. "You shall not take
any further trouble; you—you have
•done enough."
"Not enough! Can I ever do
enough to win a word of praise from
you?" he murmured, "And yet do
you remember your promise, yotir
half -promise, that—that when 1 re-
turned—? Esther, I have come
• ack."
"And I have not forgotten," she
'd, with a sudden impulse born of
agony of shame caused by the
$ he had brought; and she held,
er hand.
low cry of exultation escaped
but he checked it as he raised
and to his lips and murmured
me.
tad won!
CHAPTER XXXIV.
There is no sweeter time in a .girl's
life than the hours which immediate-
ly follow the plightiii of her troth
to the man she loves; but to Esther,
her engagement to Selby Layton
brought neither sweetness nor hap-
piness, to say nothing of that rapture
hich only the woman who loves, and
who is betrothed to the object of her
eve can know. A kind of apathy,
e apathy of the fatalist, 1011 upon
r; it almost seemed as if the news
Jack Gordon's treachery and base-
s which Selby Layton had
ught, had deadened her sense of
ling and had rendered her indif-
ent as to her future.
hough she had promised to be
by Layton's wife, her manner was
ittle less reserved, scarcely less cold
than it had been before; indeed, so
self-possessed, so free from the usual
embarassment was she, that he had
not ventured upon the caress which
at such a time is generally offered
and received with such infinite joy.
Esther communicated the fact of
her engagement to Miss Worcester
in such a business -like way, in terms
and a manner so devoid of sentiment
as to cause that lady, who was of a
sentimental nature, to gaze at her
with astonishment.
"Of course, my dear Esther, I am
delighted," she said; "and I cannot
say that I am surprised; for Mr. Lay-
ton—I suppose one must get accus-
tomed to calling him Selby; it will
seem strange at first, but no doubt I
shall get used to it, especially as it
is rather a pretty name, don't you
think?—no, I'm not surprised; for 1
he is a most charming man, so polish- 1
ed and accomplished, and with such ,
a lovely voice. I said, when first I
saw him, that I thought hirn an ad-
rnirable and most taking man."
"Did you, aunt? I don't rememz
ber," said Esther, taking up her
book and looking at ib rather list-
lessly.
"Yes," continued Miss Worcester;
"and it is so nice knowing all about ;
him, isn't it?"
Esther raised her eyes from the
book which she was not reading.
"Do we know all about him?" she
-said; for as her aunt had inade the
remark it occurred to Esther how
little they really knee of her affianc-
ed's past.
"Well, I mean that he belongs to
the family, that he is a Vancourt;
and it is nice to know that."
Esther could not help smiling. In
Miss Worcester's opinion the fact of
belonging, however remotely, tp the
great Vaneourt family was a. creden-
tial of all the virtues and respectabil-
ities.
"But, my dear. Esther, how calm
—or --not to say cool, you seem! I
suppose you have known your mind,
have foreseen the engagement, for
some time past? • I always thought
that young girls were • always in a
flutter at such an important, such a,
thrilling moment' in their lives; but
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you it there as calmy and cooly as
1 if you had just told me you had en-
gaged a new coachman,"
1 "It's an important step enough, no
doubt," said Esther; "but r have not
experienced any thrills as yet, Per -
hsps they may come later," she add-
ed, as if she were half ashamed of
her inappropriate self-possession and
frigidity; but as she spoke she knew
that such thrills would not be envolc-
ed by any love of hers for Selby Lay_
ton,
She remembered .too well the elec-
tric current that had rushed through
every vein, every fibre of her being
as Jack Gordon had taken her in his
arms and pressed his hot lips to hers,
to hope that any other inert could by
word or caress ever so move her.
"I always said that you were a
strange girl, my dear Esther." re-
marked Mies Worcester; "and 1 am
more than ever convinced of the fact.
Well, perhaps it is better in these
emotional days to seem insensible
rather than to be too demonstrative;
but of this I am perfectly certain,
that Mr. Layton—I really must try
and call him Selby!—is truly and pas-
sionately in love with you."
"I daresay," said Esther, with a
coolness which staggered the old
lady; "or why should he want to mar-
ry me?"
"Well, my dear," responded Miss
Worcester, who was not a little
shocked; "you must remember that
you are an heiress, that you are the
mistress of Vancourt Towers—"
—"And that Mr. Layton may be
marrying me for my money," said
Esther, with a slight shrug. "I
thought men were too wise, nowa-
days, in the light of our modern phil-
osophy, to perpetrate such a stupid
act, and so deprive themselves of all
chance of happiness. But don't let.,
us discuss my engagement, aunt; le(
ue accept it as an accomplished fact,
and with as little fuss as possible."
Miss Worcester gazed over her
spectacles at the beautiful face, with
its white brows drawn in a slight
frown, and murmured:
"Yes, you are a strange girl, my
dear." Then, after a pause, she add-
ed: "I suppose under the circumstan-
ces Mr. Layton—dear me, I'm. afraid
it will be weeks before I can remem-
ber to call him Selby!—oug4 not to
stay at the Towers."
"Oh, would it be a breach of pro-
priety?" said Esther, quietly. "I
suppose that is why he is gong to
stay at the Famworths', who have
asked him to pay thene! a visit."
"Lady Fanworth was so delighted
with his singing," said Miss Worces-
ter. , "How delightful, my dear Es-
ther, to have a husband with such a
lovely voice'!"
"Yes," assented Esther, absently;
but with such a lack of enthusiasm
that Miss Worcester againstared at
her, but this time speechlessly.
At this moment a servant announc-
ed Mr. Floss, and Esther rose and
went to the library.
Once or twice, since her acceptance
of Selby Layton, she had felt she
ought, that it was her duty to tell
him of her discovery of the tin box
and its strange contents; and certain-
ly, if she had loved him in the vei7
least, she would have been compelled
to toll him, and would gladly have
obeyed the impulse; but as she cer-
tainly did, not love Selby Layton, she
had no. great difficulty in persuading
herself that the secret not being en-
tirely hers, mght well be kept from
her fiance; at any rate, that she
might coneult Mr. Floss, the lawyer,
before telling Selby Layton of her
curious find.
Mention has once or twice been
made of Mr. Floss. He was an old
gentleman, who, notwithstanding his
age, his white hair and much lined
and wrinkled face, was still in pos-
session of all hie faculties and legal
acuteness. He was one of ,the law-
yers of the old school, devoted to the
interests of his clients; but a man of
an independent mind, which reveal-
ed itself in an abruptness of manner,
and a candor of which were some -
tines startling and disconcerting.
His father and grandfather before
him had been the solicitors to the
estate, and this Mr. Floss was the
only man, perhaps, who had *enjoyed
the confidence of the late Sir Rich-
ard.
Mr. Floss had been very kind to
Esther, and, when inducting her to
the Wealthy lands and money which
Sir Richard hatiso strangely and un-,
expectedy left her, saved her from
much trouble and vexation of sph•it;
and Esther, though she pretended to
be frightened by his sharp, brusque
manner and grimly gruff voice, was
grateful to hilt and liked him. And
liked him none the less because be -
calla° he .Itaci bride Old her that he
should infinitely have preferred that
the intrdered nephew should have
IF" -
ed and Inherited the estate, instead
a getting Motel/ killed in Australis.
and leaving it to pass to a young
and inexperienced girl,
"Good -morning, Mr. Fleas," said
Esther, holding out her hand, which
he took and bent over with old-fash
toned courtesy, "It is a shame to
trouble you, who, I know, are always
so busy; but I wanted to tell you
something."
Now, the lawyer had already heard
of the engagement of his girl -client
to Mr, Selby Layton—such news
spreads fast and runs far in such a
place iiii Vancourt—and as his
shrewd, sharp eyes rested on her
face he was rather surprised—but
surprised was not the word, for noth-
ing ever surprised Mr. Floss—not to
see the maidenly blush which he had
expected.
"Ali," he said, "perhaps I have
heard the rumor already. And so,
in this ease, rumor does not lie? My
leas. Miss Vancourt, I offer you my
best and most sincere wishes for your
future happiness; and I trust that
the man of your choice may be, I
will not say worthy, but sensible, and
appreciative of the great fortune
which Heaven has sent him."
Esther blushed now, but the color
passed from her face at once as she
said, without the least confusion:
"Oh, thank you; you are speaking
of my engagement to Mr. Selby Lay-
ton? Thank you very much! But I
wrote to ask you th be kind enough
to come to me about other business."
Mr. Floss shot a keen glance at
the beautiful face; and it struck him
I.hat Miss Vancouft was taking the
"business" of her engagement very
coolly.
"Oh! Anything the matter? Have
you been speculating and losing your
money? That's what most of you
women do when you have more than
you know what to do with."
Esther smiled.
"On the contrary, I nave been
finding seine," she said; and she pro
ceeded to tell him how she had found
the trensure-trove under the hearth-
stone. The old man listened, his chin
in his hand, his keen, worldly-wise
eyes fixed on her from under their
beetling brows, but said nothing un-
til she had finished; then re remark-
ed: •
"You appear to me to be a very
lucky young lady, Miss Vaneourt.
Where is this tin? I should like to
see it."
"I locked it up in my safe," she
said; "I will go and fetch it"
While she was gone Mr. Floss sat
and pondered, not over her discovery
but the strange way in which she
had accepted his congratulation.
"Don't believe she cares a brass
farthing for the fellow," he said.
"Now, why the devil is she marry-
ing him, That's the worst of WOM-
on; especially when their young and
pretty: you can count upon anything
else in Nature; but not on a girl,
she'll always do the unexpected, and
baffle the greatest philosopher alive."
Esther returned with the tin and
placed it on the table, and Mr. Floss
examined it and its contents closely
and carefully.
"Humph!" he said at last. "A
very nice little find. I congratulate
you; it will help to pay the expenses
of the honeymoon."
Esther blushed slightly and smiled
but it was not a very mirthful smile.
"But it doesn't belong to me, sure-
ly?" she said.
Mr. Floss shrugged his shoulders.
"To whom else does k belonsa
then?" she said.
"To the person who put it there."
"Exactly. But who was that per-
son? By the way, who has been liv-
ing in that cottage lately? It has
been empty for some time, I know."
Esther tried to speak indifferently,
."Mr. Martin's foreman, Mr. Gor-
don."
"Ah, yes!" said Mr. Floss; "I re-
member him. A very pleasant young
fellow; good looking, handstene, in
fact; very pleasant young fellow
too."
Esther leant back in her easy -
chair, her ftngers toying with a pap-
er -knife; she examined it cleselY
while he was speaking, and fought
hard to keep the color from her face
the color which had not risen to it
at the mention of Selby Layton.
"By the wdy," continued IVIr.
Floss, "I heard he had gone. Is that
so?"
"Yes," replied Esther.
"Humph, yes. Not the sort of
thing to talk about: heard some gos-
sip about a girl: old Transom's
dati-
ghter. Left suddenly you say? Well,
I suppose, Miss Vancourt, that this
find of yours belongs to Mr. Gordon,
The box has nob been long under the
hearth -stone; arid, what's more the
notes have been only recently issued;
here are the dates; that's conclusive.
I don't see his name in the pocket.'
book; and the man's name in this
certificate is not that which he bore
here. You had• no character with
him, I think, had you? And kneW
nothing emit him?"
Esther shook her head, A feeling
of humiliation attacked her; and yet
it did not conquer all along the line.
Let suspiciehs groWto quickly as
they Might, it seemed that her belief
DO YOU THINK
:you Could Do Better
Than—
THE PROFESSOR,
THE YOUNG LAWYER,
THE DETEcurrvEs_
And All the Others
Who Are Trying To
Solve the Mystery
Th
ed Lamp.
TRY IT AND SEE!
By
Mary
Roberts
Rinehart
"THE POST"
IN THE NEAR
FUTURE
in Jack Gordon could not be com-
pletely overtivown.
"Quite so," said Mr. Fioss, "for
some reason or other this young fel-
low who called himself Jack Gordon,
but whose name is probably"—he
glanced at the certificate—"Adolphus
Robinson, had some reason for hid-
ing these notes and ths pocket -book
and its contents, which forni evidence
of his identity. I suppose he did not
come by these notes honestly!'
Esther's brow came together, and
the blood rushed to her face.
"I do not know why you should say
that," she said, quickly. "He may
not have cared to carry them about
with him—may have put them there
and forgotten them—"
She bit her Hp as Mr. Floss smiled
grimly at the feebleness of her last
theory.
"Men don't stick a hundred pounds
worth of notes under a hearthstone
and forget them, my clear Miss Van -
court," he said "No, I am afraid
that good-looking and gentlemanly
young fellow was a rogue. What is
Mr. Layton's theory?"
Esther looked down.
"I have not told Mr. Layton any-
thing about it," she said.
Mr. Floss showed his surprise
at such reticence by raising hs shag-
gy brows.
"Oh!" he said, drily. "But, after
all, I think your silencewas very
wise. There is a little mystery here;
and the less one talks about a mys-
tery until one has solved it and it has
ceased to become a mystery, the bet-
ter. Unlike the majority of your
sex, my dear young lady, you appear
to be able to hold your tongue—a
precious quality in any woman, an in-
valuable one in a wife. I will take
these things and see if I can trace
the notes; meanwhile, perhaps you
won't mind continuing that extreme-
ly difficult operation?"
"What operation?" asked Esther.
"Holding your tongue, iny dear
Miss Vancourt," said Mr. Floss. "And
now respecting this engagement. I
cia under the impresston that Mr.
Layton is not a wealthy man. An I
right?"
"He is not a rich man," said Es-
ther.
"Quite so; then he will not be able
to make, on his part, the usual mar-
riage settlement. You will, of course,
have the whole of your property set-
tled in the usual way?"
"Is that necessary?" asked Esther.
The old man looked at her, not an-
grily, but with the peculiarly grim
smile which not only silcinced, but
struck awe into many a client.
"I know nothing 'about its being
necessary, my dear Miss Vancourt,"
lie said "But I do know that it will
be. done; and I am sure that Mr. Sel-
by Layton would be the first to sug-
gest such a settlement. Now, don't
try and argue. You've. shown Yoim-
self up till now a most reasonable
young lady. You leave this matter
entirely to Floss St Floss, Mies Van -
court; and, if I may say so without
egotism, you will have no reason to
regret having done so,"
Esther laughed.
"/ am quite sure you will do what-
ever you please without any consent
of mine, IVft. Floss," she said.
"I am quite sure 1 shall, iny dear
young lady," he assented. "The fact
of it is, I and those before hie have
been so accustomed to advising the
heads of your house and guiding their
fortunes that we have come to regard
otirselves as the guardian angels of
Vancourt Towers. Sometimes you
have given its trouble—the lankily, 1
Mean --but you generally eoine round
to our way 81 thinking; and in this
instance it behooves us to gitard
your interecits—"/
lie stopped stiddenty, for the cloo
had opened, and Selby Layton stood
just on the threshold. At sight of
Mr. Floss Ile started slightly, and
there came to his lips the peculiar
little twiot whieh he had never suc-
ceeded in mastering. The old law-
yer's keen, hawk -like eyes fixed
themselves on Layton's face, and ut
the same time as he,seemed to hold
Selby Layton's gazeialie dropped his
large and old-fashioned gilk handker-
chief ovar the tin box.
"I beg your pardon," said Layton,
in his soft voice and with his most in-
gratiating smile, "I thought you
were alone, Esther,"
"This is Mr. Floss," said Esther,
with the repressed manner in which
shc now addressed Layton.
His smile grew sleeker, and he held
out Ms hand with a charming air of
frankness,
"I know Mr. Floss, by repute, at
any rate," he said.
Mr. Floss inclined his head rather
shortly, said is few civil things in his
abrupt, laconic fashion, declined Es-
ther's invitation to lunch, and took
his departure. As he was crossing
the hall he stopped, and said:
"Ah, by the way, I had almost for-
gotten! Fulford has been worrying
me about the Hawk's Pool, Miss Van -
court. It seems that this new -fang -
led Parish Council, pining for some-
thing to do, has conceived an idea
that the pool is unhealthy. They say
that the medical officer has traced a
case of scarlet fever, or typhoid, or
something of that kind, to the nox-
ious vapors rising from the stagnant
water; and Mr. Fulford tells me that
Council are going to serve us with
a notice to have it drained, or some-
thing of the kind— What's that?"
"That" was the noise of falling
china. A superb vase, which, a mom-
ent before—indeed, a century before
—had stood upon a pedestal near
the stairs, lay shattered at the bass
of the pillar, and Mr. Selby Layton
stood, the picture of dismay and re-
gret, regarding the destruction he
had wrought.
"I am so very sorry!" he said. "I
turned rather quickly, and my sleeve
caught the vase. It is dreadfully
clumsy of me, and I can't tell you
how much I regret it."
He was evidently very much cut
up by the accident, for his face was
quite white as he knelt, wit the us -
ual futile object of picking up the
pieces; 00 evidently distressed that
Esther tried to laugh off. his remorse.
"Pray don't worry about it," she
said. "1 wonder it has not been brok-
en yours ago. 1 have nearly knock-
ed it oil ita perch half a dozen
times."
"It is the Etruscan vase," said Mr.
Floss, "and unique; but 1 have no
doubt it can be mended so as to seem
quite whole. They tell nie there's
a wonderful cement which will piece
even broken hearts together. My
little pony carriage is only at the
end of the drive, Mr. Layton; pray
don't troubli• to accompany me."
As the old man went down the av-
enue, leaning slightly On 11;..s stick,
for he drank the lawyer's wine—
port, ancl, in consequence, had the
lawyer's complaint—gout, his shaga'Y
brows worked up and down, and be
.inuttered to himself:
"So that's to be the new master of
Vancourt. Humph! Don't like him:
good-looking and pleasant -mannered,
but there's something about his face,
about the lips, I think— Now, why
did he start when he saw me? There's
nothing very terrible in an old man
sitting quietly in a chair. Don't like
nervous young men who start. Got
a barley -sugar voice, too; a voice
just like that young fellow who stole
the office petty cash. And how did
he come to knock over that vase?—
Sir Richard gave fifteen hundred
pounds for that piece of crockery—
Mr. Layton wasn't standing near it
a moment before—doesn't seem to
be an awkward kind of man, rather
the reverse. Humph! Wonder why
that sweet and pretty girl is gong to
marry him: didn't look and talk as
if she cared much for him. At any
rate, we'll tie the property up pretty
securely. What was I saying when
that vase tumbled down? Something
about the Hawk's Peel, wasn't I?
Confound the inan! I can't get him
out of my head."
CHAPTER XXXV.
WEDNESDAY, MAY 5th, 1P213.
Egther, speaking less ecddly than us-
ual; for his distress was evident 'arid
iso great that she pitied him. "It is
really of no consequeneeok yea, •
I believe that the vase was costly'and
rare, not to say unique, but there
are so many eostly end rare, riot to
say unique, t.lings about the place
that one gets rather weary of them
and is almost inclined to feel reliev-
ed when one of them gets smashed.
(To Ile Continued),
When Mr. Floss had gone, Selby
turned to Esther with renewed ex-
preesions of regret and self-reproach
for his "clumsiness;" he was still
very white, and there was a drawn
look about his lips, as if he were
quite upset by the accident.
"Pray don't say any more," said
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THE BRUSSELS POST