Show yr bobbs merriu co SYNOPSIS at ill years of ae admiral ir peter Hawks a nephew elchard glyn fell deeply in love at first slight with lady arabella stormont who spurned his attentions the lad an orphan was given a berth as arnld on the ajax by his uncle giles vernon nephew of bar thomaa vernon became tha boy a pal they attended a theater inhere a nephew saw lady arabella ernon met philip over ton next in 1 ne for sir thomas vernon s estate they started a duel which ana interrupted emon overton and hawk thaw nephew found themselves attracted by pretty lady arabella the ajax in battle defeated french warships in the mediterranean bichard got 2000 prize money lie was called home by I 1 ody as he was about to blow in hla earnings with vernon at a party glyn discovered that lady arabella was a poor but per gambler lie talked much with her sister daphne CHAPTER V continued my infatuation for lady arabella continued I 1 can no say she ever showed roe the least mark of favor but that she did to no one except overton and I 1 soon knew what everybody n the town knew that she was desperately smitten with him and would have bestowed herself and her fortune upon him at any moment it he would but accept it As tor giles ver non she showed him what no other woman ever did a coolness at first that deepened into something like ac alve hatred she knew he stood be tween oberton and the to the vernon estates and that was enough to make her dislike him she often re marked upon his want of good looks and she was the only woman I 1 ever knew to do it yet allea was undeniably hard featured and except a good figure biad nothing in his person to recommend him I 1 bad thought that pride would have kept giles from pay ing court to a so inimical to hm but pride was the excuse he gave or still pursuing her he declared he had never w never been flouted bi a woman ani that ladi arabella should yet come at bis call this I 1 believed at the time to be mere brazar do he w enchanted as by her that was the truth and could no more leae her than the moth can leave the candle I 1 saw much in those days chiefly because I 1 could see so little ot lady arabella who led a life ot sin gular independence little restrained by the authority ot lady hawkshaw and none at all by sir peter daphne was fond of books and commonly went about with one under her arm I 1 too was inclined to be bookish and so there was something in common be tween us she was keener of wit than any one in that bouse and I 1 soon learned to take delight in her conver ration tn lady marabellas Ara bellas absence my love for the lady arabella was I 1 admit the fond fancy of a boy while G cs vernon a was the mad tion of a man giles was much with ns at that time and I 1 acknowledge I 1 had great benefit from the spending of bis prize money or rather I 1 should sa much enjoy he laid it out right royally anaed the price ot nothing and tor the time he was in london tooted it with the best of them hla lineage and his to sir thomas vernon gae him entrance anywhere and his wit and courage madof his place secure shortly after we arrived sir thomas vernon also arrived at his house in grosvenor Gro avenor square we were bound to meet him for giles went much into gay society as I 1 did in the train of etuy hawkshaw the first time athla occurred was a drum at her grace of Au chestera where all of london was assembled eyen overton who was rarely seen in drawing rooms was there giles of course was there her grace bad fallen in love with him as women usually did the first time she met him i it was a great house tar play and when we arched we the whole suite of splendid apartments on the lower floor prepared for cards there was the usual crush and clamor of a fine london party and I 1 being young and unsophisticated en joyed it as did daphne iiames were bawled out at the head of the stairs but could not be distinguished over the roar of voices I 1 happened to be near the door with alle lady arabella being near by when beard the name of sir thomas vernon shouted out as he entered he was a man ox middle size and was between 40 ai d 60 years of age he might ha e been handsome but the ravages of an ovll nature and a broken on were plainly visible in his count cnance I 1 observed that as he stood about him before making big levolia to the duch wa of auchester r i one spoke to him or admed to recognize him F rT Jt is this only brought a sardonic grin tt his countenance ho advanced and ft as civilly though not cordially re by her graces at that moment giles approached and spoke to her and the change in the great lady E manner showed the favor in which she held him sir thomas scowled upon giles but bowed slightly and dies returned the look by a steady glance and this stinging remark good evening sir thomas you look very Is your health as desper ate as I 1 heard it was two years ago A titter went around at this and giles moved off smiling sir thomas was unpopular there could be no doubt about that presently sir thomas caught sight of lady arabella and as usual he was instantly struck by her exquisite beauty lie succeeded in being pre dented to her and I 1 noted that she received him with affability about midnight tm company brou up and our party made a move to go but lady arabella announced that she had been invited by her grace ol 01 auchester to stay the night and she wished to do so neither sir nor lady hawkshaw perfectly ap proved but lady arabella carried hei point with the assistance ot the duchess at the last moment her grace a fine woman approached me and said confidentially mr wynne glyn I 1 mean will you not remain and share a game with a chilco collection of players I 1 was flattered at belna asked and besl deSt I 1 wanted to see how those great london ladles acted at play so I 1 accepted but it was an other thing to get away from lads hawkshaw however I 1 managed tc elude her by giving a shilling to a footman who shoved me into a closet and then went and told lady hawkshaw I 1 had gono home in a aich alth a gentleman who had becq taken ill and bad left word for them to go without me this fled her and she and sir peter and daphne went away with the crowd there were left about 20 persons who after a little supper and general espres alons of relief at the departure of the other guests sat down to play at one in the morning there was a cabinet minister also a political parson two peers of the realm several officers of the guards giles vernon and your it was lady marabellas Ara bellas satin petti coat humble servant the ladies were mostly old lady arabella was the youngest of them all but all very great in rank 1 had wanted to see london ladles play and I 1 saw them jack with alg greasy cards in the forecastle laying his months wages was a child to them and how they watched one an other and quarreled and fought no one among them clayed so eager ly as lady arabella and very badly as usual so that sho managed to lose all her money sha was ever a bad player with all for pla her last guinea went and then determined not to be balked she rose and said laughing I 1 have on a new white satin petti coat with lace that cost three guineas the yard it Is very fit for waistcoats no gentleman will be so ungallant as to refuse my petticoat as a stake of course they all applauded and lady arabella retiring behind a screen emerged with her satin petti coat how it shone and shimmered in her hand and in five minutes ehe had lost it to giles vernon there was much laughter but giles gravely folding it up laid it aside and when we departed in the gny light ot dawn he carried it his arm As for me I 1 had lost all the money I 1 had with me and had given my I 1 0 U tor next day lady arabella was dropped in berkeley square by her grace of auchester it was in the afternoon and I 1 was sitting in the chinese room with lady hawkshaw and daphne when lady arabella appeared well decky ehe said a very of mode of addressing me how do you stand your losses at play and as I 1 am i sinner she plumped out the whole story ot my play to lady hawkshaw and daphne As an officer and a gentleman I 1 scorned to retaliate by telling of abo white eaten petticoat dut vengeance was at band just as she had finished when lady hawk shaw was swelling with rage like a toad before opening her main bat on me and daphnes fair eyes were full 0 contempt for me we heard a commotion outside none of us could keep from going to the window and the sight we saw threw lady arabella into a perfect tempest of angry tears A fife and drum were advancing up the street playing with great vigor iho old tune known as petticoats U kiwy yi wy loose behind them marched with ho deepest gravity a couple of ma ines bearing aloft on their muskets i glittering shimmering thing that fluttered whately in the air it was lady marabellas Ara bellas satin petticoat and halting before the door the drummer with a great flourish pounded the knocker on the porters responding the two marines handed the petticoat in with ceremony to him directing him to convey it to the lady arabella stormont with the compliments ot aleut giles vernon of bis majesty s service this the man did and was torn to pieces by her tor doing so though in what way he bad of ended I 1 know not to this day it was a trifling thing and made laughter tor us all including lady hawkshaw except arabella she seemed to hate giles with a more virulent hatred after that and tried very hard to induce Lady Hawkshaw to forbid him the bouse which however lady hawk shaw refused to do neither giles nor I 1 had by any means forgotten our appointment to meet capt overton on the field of honor and as the time approached for the meeting giles sent a very civil note to overton asking him to name a gentleman who would see me to ar range the preliminaries tor I 1 would never hae forgiven giles had be chosen any one else everlon responded spon ded naming our first lieutenant mr buxton ho happened to be in london then and was an acquaintance of his I 1 believe overtones Ov ertons object in asking mr buxton to act for him was the hope that the affair might be arranged tor from what I 1 had heard of the deeply religious turn overton had taken I 1 concluded the meeting was somewhat against hla conscience but the indignity of a blow in the face to an could not be easily wiped out without an ex change of shots my principal was much disgusted when mr buxton was named 1 I know how it will be dicky he growled you will sit like a great aby with your mouth open imagining the tavern parlor to be ther cock pit ot the ajax mr buxton will talk to you in his quarter deck voice and you will be BO frightened that you will agree to use at 40 paces provided mr buxton proposes it this I 1 indignantly denied and swore I 1 would meet mr buxton as man to man nevertheless when we were sitting at the table in mr lodgings I 1 did iery much as giles had predicted I 1 forgot several things that I 1 had wished to say and said several things I 1 wished I 1 had forgotten mr buxton did not let me forget however that he had been my first lieutenant and I 1 was but a midshipman lie called ray principal a hotheaded jackanapes before my very face adding but tor him I 1 should have been first on the deck to all this I 1 made but a feeble protest and finally it was arranged that the meeting should fake place at a spot very near richmond at eight 0 clock on the morning of june 29 faben the date was set and the ar range ments made I 1 began to feel very much frightened hot so giles there was tor be a great ball at AI macks on the night of the and giles announced that he was going it was a very special occasion for him because the trenchard whom he still called the dolne sylvia and professed to admire as much as ever was to go tha night she was then the tage and had a carriage diamonds and a fine establishment yet I 1 believe her conduct to have been irreproachable she had long been consumed alti a desire to go to Al macks but up to that time no actress had ever yet enjoyed the privilege it seemed grotesque enough that a young midshipman of no more consequence than giles vernon should succeed in carrai ing this through but such was actual ly the case and giles accomplished it by that singular power he possessed by which no woman could say him na he worked with much art upon those great ladles her grace of au chester and lady conyngham and got them pledged to it of course the most violent opposition was devel aped but giles who had a perfect knowledge of th feminine heart managed to inspire these two ladles with the wish to exercise their sovereignty over almack s by doing what was never done before having led them into the fight they had no thought of running away and the result was in numerable heart burnings and jealous les and meanwhile a card for trenchard TO CONTINUED |