Evening star., 1907-10-13
CHAPTER XIV.
Diana Hears News.

n seemed as II the night would never
end If had been vain, and deserved
to be punished for my vanity. then I was
well punished now; l felt so ashamed and
Inundated.
II must have been long after 1 when /
went to bed. yet I was thankful when
dawn came and gave me an excuse to get
up After l had had cold bath. how
ever. felt better. and cup of steaming
hot coffee afterward did me good. I was
all dressed when Morton, Aunt Llian's 3
maid. knocked at my door to ask II
were up. and II she could help me do my
hair. Her ladyship" sent me her love
and hoped had rested nicely. She would
be pleased to hear that l was looking
well.
Looking well, I was glad to know that
though ii surprised me. I stared at my
self in the glass. and wondered that so
many hours of misery had made so little
impression my face. / was rather
palcr than usual. perhaps. but my cheeks
were family pink and my lips red. | sup
pose while one is young one can suffer
good deal and ones face tells no secret.
We were to make very early start to
examine the wonderful motor-Car which
Lord Robert West had advised Aunt LII
TO buy. Afterward she and Lisa and
had planned to do little shopping. be-
cause IL would seem waste of time to
be in Paris and bring nothing away from
the shops. But when / tapped at Lisa's
door tdreading, yet wishing to have our
first greeting over) 1t appeared that she
had bad headache and did not want to
go with us to see the rajah's automobile.
While / was with her Aunt Lii came in,
looking very bright and handsome.
She was $50 sorry for Lisa, and not at
all sorry for me thow little she guessedo.
and before taking me away with her
promised to come back after il was set
I.iS
was well enough by that time for the
shopping expedition.
The automobile really was a "magnifi
cent animal as Aunt LII said. and it
took her just two minutes. after eXamin-
ing II from bonnet to tOol-bOxes. to make
up her mind that she could not be happy
without IL. 1t was sixty horsepower and
of "A world renowned make, but that was
detail. Any car could be powerful and
well made; every car should be or you
would not pay for 1t: but she had never
seen one before with such heavenly little
arrangements for luggage and lunch; while
as for the gold toilet things. in pale gray
suede case. they were beyond words. and
she must have them-the motor. also. of
course. since IL went with them.
so that was decided. and she and l
drove back to the hotel. while the two
which Lord Bob was an honorary mem
Der
If possible all formallties were to be got
through with the aiahs agent and the
car paid for At = o'clock. when We We're
to meet the men at the Ritz for luncheon
they were to let us know whether every
thing had been successfully arranged. and
II So, Aunt Lii wanted the party TO motor
to Calais in her new automobile instead
of going by train. Lord Bob would drive,
but he meant to hire chauffeur recon-
mcnded by the club, so that he would
not have to stop behind and see 10 getting
the car across the channel in cargo boat
Aunt Lii was very much excited over
this idea as she always is over anything
ntN4 nd ytFa hnr mi. Il YlulH
terested. she WAS too much occupied to
notice.
Lisa was looking miserab,y i'll when
went back to her at the hotel. but
Aunt Iii didn't notice that either. She
is always nice to Lisa, but she doesn't like
her; and II is only when you really care
for people that you observe changes in
them, when you are busy thinking of your
own affairs.
advised Lisa to rest in her own room.
instead of shopping. as she would have
the long motor run later in the day and
night Journey; but she was dressed and
seemed to want to go out. She had things
to do. she said. and though she didn't buy
anything when she was with US. while we
were at q miliner's i'm the Rue de III Paix
choosing hats for Aunt Lii she disappeared
on some errand of her own. and only
the shop. Whatever it was that she had
been doing. II had interested her and
walked her out of herself. for her eyes
looked brighter and she had spots of color
Aunt lii found so much to do. and was
sure We could easily carry So many things
In the motor-car. that it was a rush to
meet Uncle Eric and Lord Bob at the Ritz
by : o'clock. But we did manage it, or
nearly. We were not more than ten min
utes late which was wonderful for Aunt
ILL and the short time that we'd kept
them waiting wasn't enough to account
for the solemnty of the two mems faces
as they came forward to meet US.
Something's gone wrong about the
cart! exclaimed Aunt Lii.
'No. the cars all right said Lord Bob.
I've got you a chauffeur too. and
Then what has happened? You both
look like thunder clouds or wet blankets,
or something disagreeable. 1t surely can't
be because you're SO hungry that you're
cross about q few minutes"
Have you seen a newspaper tOdaY?'
asked Uncle Eric.
"A newspaper? I should think not. in
deed. we've had too many important
things TO do to waste time on tri1es. Why.
has the government gone out?'
"Ivor Dundas has got into a mess here.
Uncle Eric answered, looking very much
worried-so much worried that l thought
he must care even more about 1vor than
I had fancied
"Of course It's the most awful rot" said
Lord Bob. but he's accused OF murder"