The Morris County chronicle., 1907-10-08
CHAPTER II.
Playing With Fire.

AA6hte Will It's anu AA1OOAl1G3A
seemed to him dream-like and un-
real. 1t was all very pleasant while
it lasted, but in a few days he would
quit Paris, and probably never see
Lambert or that wonderfully charm.
ing daughter of his again. What
would be the destiny of such WON
an so placed? Not happiness, he
feared. If she were all she seemed
Yet how devoted that queer fish Lam
bert was to her So far as he could
take care of her he would; but what
perceptions could he have of what
was right and suitable for delicate
sensitive girl.
With a vague curiosity, arising
from very mixed motives, he directed
his steps to the hotel where Mr.. and
Lady Frances Deering lodged, and
found that lady at tea with her SON
a pale, delicate, deformed boy-and
a gentleman of middle height, with
frank, sun-burnt face, and GER
tain easy looseness about his we'll
made clother.
"You are just in time for tea, Mr.
Glynn," said Lady Frances, in a soft
but monotonous voice. DO you
know my cousin. Captain Verner?"
Yes, the gentlemen had met before,
and they exchanged few civil words.
Is this your first visit to Paris?'
asked Glynn, kindly, as he drew his
chair beside The sofa on which the
boy was lying.
Eyes, the very first"
"And how do you like it?"
"Oh, so much! 1t is SO beautiful
and bright. l should like to stay
here always"
''Bertie is so much better and
stronger since we came here, which
partly accounts for his wish to stay"
said his mother, with slight sigh.
Why are you hurrying away to
London?" asked Werner. There is
nothing to call Deering back, as he
has lost his seat"
He is not happy out of club-land,
I suppose said Lady Frances, sit
ting down beside her son. II must
say am very sorry he lost the cleo
ton. He deserved better at the
hands of the Denham men, but 1t was
the radical mining people that turned
him out.
do you leave soon?" asked Glynn.
"On Thursday; suppose you will
not come back quite so soon? You
are fond of Paris, think?"
My movements are rather uncer-
tain; may go on to Berlin"
The entrance of Deering interrupt
ed him.
How do, Glynn? You still here,
Verner?" He took no notice of Lady
Frances or his son.
eyes, want to see the review to-
morrow, and will start by the Lyons
train at night" said Werner, on an
apologetic tone.
Travers Deering was tall, but not
so tall as Glynn, more conventionally
distinguished looking, with regular
aristocratic features, steel-gray eyes
and nut-brown hair and mustaches
He was, on the whole, popular man
and bestowed a great deal of care
fully veiled cultivation on his popu-
larity. He was considered rather the
type of proud, manly English coun-
try gentleman of a fairly clean life
though no saint, and a little martyr
ized by being tied to so cold and i'm
penetrable wife. Servants and in
significant people of that description
whispered that the steel-gray eyes
could flash with baleful fire, and thai
Lady Frances had grown colder ant
stiller since the deformity and deli
cacy of her only child had become
perceptible and hopeless; while Mr.
Deering never stayed at Denhan
alone with her.
Glynn was conscious of an unac
countable sense of relief when Deer
ing expressed a desire to quit Paris
even sooner than he had at first in
tended.
1t was absurd to imagine that an,
evil could arise out of mere passing
admiration; it could be nothing more
for handsome stranger. Yet tn,
expression of .Deering's eyes, the un
easiness, wonder, fire, all com
mingled, which had so impressed
him, flashed back viyidly across hi
memory with undiminished disturb
ing force. But Deering was talking
II have been round Count de lie
tours stables this morning. Hay
you seen them. Glynn? They ar
worth visit. His studgroom am
head men are all English. I am yer.
much inclined to back his chestnut
Barbecue, for the Derby. He's
splendid horse, only. of course,
isn't always blood or breeding tina
wins There were couple of Amer
leans looking through the stables a
the same time, who seemed deucedl
wide awake, and inclined to bac
both Par-le-Duc and filly, EtoiI
d'Auvergne. about which am not 5
sure. / have met one of them, Van
dervoort, in London. 10 you knoy
him?"
Glynn said he thought he did. TIL
talk became, for a few minutes, Q
the turf, turfy. And while it went o
the boy rose, and, followed by hi
mother, who covered his retreat
noiselessly left the room. Glynr
looking at Deering at this moment
caught an expression Of malignan
dislike in his eyes toward his dc
formed son, or his wife, or botl
which surprised and revolted hin
1t was instantaneous, and he contir