Show r. r BANNER SERIAL FICTION FICTION- She Painted Her Be Face FaceA I A A- t J oR of fate eov O Dornford ad Yale M Gy DOR irIe RD YATES CHAPTER C APTER VIII VIII Continued 17 17 Who was George Eliot Ellot asked the duchess His lordships lordship's pet spaniel your Grace replied Bertram So 50 he was mouthed the Count To think Id I'd forgotten to So what was said the Duchess Her victim clawed at the ilie cloth The dog madam The The The- Sl George Eliot was a n female said the Uie Duchess And then What became of ot her Brief What J became of ot Rudolfs Rudolf's pet spaniel that never would let her master out of her sight I shall always remember that moment that held so much and shall always see the three faces of those concerned Old Harrys Harry's keen and relentless seemed cut out of paint painted t ed cd stone the Counts Count's was a 3 mask of ot otI I wet gray with lines that gave the Impression of ot having been drawn with blue chalk and Bertrams Bertram's was tense and bloodless the bloodless the face of ot ofa ofa a n man who is waiting to hear some monstrous suspicion smothered at birth Twice the Count tried to answer and twice he failed At the third attempt attempt- Madam he croaked I have told you that tha t my memory memory- memory What became of ot George Eliot steward r His lordship shot her your Grace because she was going blind Himself His favorite dog He would let no one else do it your Grace And no one except his lordship knows where she lies The Duchess returned to the Count remember it now Somehow the man made answer I remember that I shot her myself Old Harry lunged In that case you can tell ten me meher her color v The silence which succeeded this challenge dragged at the nerves i and I was really quite thankful when i Virgil in desperation put In his oar Madam you are dealing with which my uncle has fought t et t. t Kd jd id Harry raised her eyebrows That explanation is one which I Iam Iam am not prepared to accept Ill I'll t tell teH tell you why Its It's too easy Theres There's something very wrong here here and and c Im Im I'm very glad that I came came She turned to survey the oarsman Why are you here Madam M dam said Virgil this was my fathers father's home I I know that better than you I cask ask you why you were here I have no other home madam r I Indeed said Old Harry Where Is Is your our father now I. I My Iy father said Virgil is dead When did he die At At least lensi ten years ago madam In that case hes he's been resurrect resurrected ed before this time I must get Into touch ouch with w U him I know he was vas liv- liv ipg ig in London a year ago The Count of ot Brief Briet leaned for tor forward for for- fori i ward t Madam he gasped this is IsI I very painful to me me Then it shouldn't be said Old Harry Mistakes have been made P 1 before now and Im I'm not n t at all aU our brother wasn't an inno inno- innocent cent man man 1 Virgil whipped Into the breach Before the Count could reply In that case madam mad m theres there's only one thing to be done May I have have my fathers father's f address 1 Im afraid said Old Harry Barry your filial affection must w it Ill I'll deal d al with this matter myself And Andy y when I have talked with your fa- fa father father r ther Ill I'll let you know 1 expect exp ct he too too has fought to forget torget the past But But he may have been less been less suc sue successful I However well we'll very soon know Ill I'll write to my agent tonight She returned return d to the Count who head was shaking a little lillie as that that m a very old man He will ask your brother two questions and 0 send his answers to me The first will be this this What What was George El El- Ellot's lots lot's color The Count rose half from his chair i Madam I protest Protest all an you like said Old Harry Whelp Is not Whelp for gothing and I was waS' a friend of ot your fathers father's before you were born But what can that prove cried the Count If U he tells you George Eliot's color what can an that prove Isis Ills voice rose into a scream and he smacked the cloth That can prove nothing madam nothing at atall all except all except that he can remember what I have contrived to forget and with that he he sank back breathing hard with the air of a akman aman aman kman man who knows he has made rhade rh de a a mis mis- ake tike and yet ml t needs go on on be be- aule he cannot Quite Quile so so Id d the Duchess Quite te so Bue But nl e second question sill be muc much l arder than that that- Where Is Geor burled buried She Sheet et ct et her ber arm f the table and andro r ro ipe pg lea her I to her It 1 r b i 1 t y he answers that I think that that will prove something and prove it up to the hilt hiltI I glanced at the Count The man was sitting up straight and was staring directly before him but not at me It was plain that his eyes saw nothing that eyes can see see that Apprehension possessed him body and souL And this I think was natural for the Duchess had hit very hard She had publicly forced the cupboard In which his skeleton stood and had hung the sword of ot vengeance over his head And this after 22 years The Count seemed to take hold of himself a shiver ran through his limbs and a hand went out to his wine and then he was glancing about him as ns though to take up his place But the look on his face was haunted and he might have been 20 years older than when he sat down In a silence which nobody cared tl h t L i iN N 4 t Ze St i io o What Was George Eliot's Color I to break some dessert was served Then Old Harry spoke in German John Herrick relieve the ten ten- sion You know how to tell a good tale Madam said Herrick com command command command mand me He put a hand to his head A few minutes ago the con con- conversation conversation turned upon remembrance a a precious faculty By that my story shall hang Here I should say that Herricks Herrick's story was heard by every soul In that room for the Duchess had taken her spoon yet did not begin to eat cat and while we we at table sat waiting for her to begin the sere servants servants ants had nothing to do because the course had been served There was once an English vic vie vicar ar art a very v ry forgetful man Nov all of ot ofus otus ofus us sometimes forget I forgot my pistol on Friday afternoon But he was much worse than that He would set forth to keep an engage engage- engagement engagement ment and while he was on his way forget why he had h d gone out He would frequently enter a shop and ere cre he was served forget torget what he came in to buy And sometimes In winter when the heaven was dark and he was rising early as parsons do he forgot he was getting up but supposed he was going to bed took off the clothes which he had that moment put on and then retired as though it were night not and-not day But with it all aU he was so gentle and charming and had a nature so sosweet sosweet sosweet sweet that his flock forgave his fail fall failing failing ing with ready hearts he smiled at his errors and said It was Parsons way Well one beautiful summer morning he could could not resist the call of the countryside and after af er his early breakfast bre he set out afoot to prove the lively beauty he loved so sowell sowell sowell well and draw from it a sermon such as no books books could give For Forthe Forthe Forthe the following day was Sunday As though upon air he Ite roamed for mile upon mile mlle Of Ot course he for for- forgot forgot got all else and of ot such was his communion that he forgot all time In fact it Ii was past two o'clock and he had covered the best part of ot 15 miles when he climbed a stile slUe in ina a hedgerow to find a man In the ther read r ad with a watch in his hand And the man was watching a chauffeur changing a tire tire tire-or or rather trying to change it it for the car had de detachable de- de detachable rims and because of the heat beat of the day the metal had ex expanded ex- ex expanded and the rim had seized on onto onto onto to the wheel I At once the Vicar perceived the i state stat of the case The man man who was wearing full fuU dress was clearly due at some function for which he feared to be late the chauffeur was needing assistance to pull off oft the rim but the other dared not not give it because of j is clothes clo hes Without Wll out so 1 much as as a a word Vie the h Vicar Vic r went 1 Wl on his knees Flu Jo the u not toad not to to but io to add his tr C tc tb t a elloW 4 J n or o tw before their d en life l e i t k 1 h 1 r t ryr rim gave g way The rest of ot course was easy but the Vicar con con- continued to help till tin the work was done Then at last he straightened his back to find the other beside him silk hat in hand Sir said the man I 1 never can thank you enough And since you have done me a service which I can never repay I beg you will do me the honor to be bc my guest I am to be married this day at half half- past two and I should not now be happy If you were not there My very good friend said the Vicar inspecting his state you know very well that I am am not fit to appear That was true he was not even wearing clerical dress II Whose fault Is that said the theother theother other and ushered him into his hiscar hiscar car car Now though for the moment he did not know where he was so soon soon as they moved the Vicar got his bearings only to find that they were approaching the village of which he was priest At the sight of ot the distant spire spire his memory sud sud- suddenly denly stirred Dear dear dear he cried Id Td for tor gotten I shant shan't be able to come You must set me down at that vil vil- lage lager Ive I've got a wedding myself At that village cried the oth oth- er err But that Is where Im I'm to be married married married-in in ten minutes' minutes time The Vicar smiled his rare smile Make it twenty my friend he said gently You must give me time to change So they brought one another to church the church the priest and the groom for had they not n t met as they did neither the one nor the other could have arrived There was a n moments moment's silence Then the Duchess of Whelp shook her head Too good to be true she said as Ill I'll lay the Count will agree Madam said the Count I am with you And who ever heard of ot ofa ota a a- a God In heaven h aven cried Herrick and started up to his feet His eyes eyes were upon the Count and the Count was w staring back with the eyes of a beast at bay So for a long moment What then said Old Harry sharply Herrick put a hand hancl to his head But hes he's denied It he cried and looked dazedly round r und And I was there there there-at at the wedding I saw them arrive What of that said the Duch Duch- ess He His eyes again fast on the Count Count- I By heaven said Herrick dont don't believe that he was And yet the bridegrooms bridegroom's name was Rudolf of Brief Two hours had gone by and Win Winter Winter ter was telling his tale talc This In Herricks Herrick's room the middle room of ot the tower This had not been a bedroom the week before but now it was changed The first thing I knew sir a servant come running in In to say his lordship had fainted and his valet was wanted at once Well that told me you were off and very soon after Bertram the Steward comes in In as white as a sheet He asks the older servants to come to his room an when he was gone a foot foot- footman footman man begins to talk I couldn't get all he said but I made out her Grace an an Mr Herrick ad put it across the Count Theres There's a chauffeur chauffeur there speaks some English and so I got on to him the trouble I says anyone done An then he starts off got this much clear sir that that there was another brother an he was a a. twin that er Grace and Mr Herrick keeps on n referring to tobun him bun that his lordship keeps getting caught out because he dont don't seem to see sec that they're mixing him up with his brother in all nIl they say But they cant can't understand why his lordship is so much upset Why cant can't he see they keep asking Why dont don't he tell them they're mix mix- In him up with his twin Of course the Stewards Steward's got it you It-you you ought to have seen his face An Mr Parish has rammed a point or two home But they all know theres there's something wrong an an they all think her Grace has come here to put it right It seems she said something like that And they've got Mr Herricks Herrick's story about the forgetful priest but they think that when he said Rudolf he must have meant Ferdinand Oh Oh give me strength said Her Her- Herrick Herrick rick and threw up his hands If I may say so sir you avent no call to complain They've got the truth in their hands but except for the Steward they're holding it upside down i And what vh t will win happen happen- said Herrick U if 11 ever they turn it round Shocked to death sir said Win Win- Winter Winter ter if you ask me I think they'll walk out on him sir from bottom to top They're a very proud ouse ouse proud lot An another thing thing thing-In in their eyes her Grace cant can't do no wrong There was a little silence It was clear that we had won the first round and won it well It was also clear that Old Harry was going for a knockout because the pace she had set could not possibly last last last- for one thing only her threat to pro pro- produce produce produce duce poor Gering was one which she could not fulfill And again it was clear that Old Harrys Harry's judgment was good because 3 a win on points would be useless to us The Count of ot Brief had to be floored or floored or be made to throw in the toweL veL If he contrived to stand up for forthe forthe forthe the first few rounds the man was safe I could not lose sight of ot one thing And that was that he had a n second who knew no law Indeed this was how I saw it it- it that the Duchess of Whelp was fight fight- fighting fightIng ing the Count of ot Brief because the fall tall of of the Count would set Elizabeth up but Virgil was fighting his cousin cousin in because If U he brought her down the fall tall of the Count would not mat mat- matter matter ter because he Percy Virgil- Virgil would then be bc bound to succeed TO BE CONTINUED |