The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1907-09-11
CHAPTER II.
Playing With Fire.

night, Will us luuSlS oAO iAoohiiOA1
seemed to him dream-like and un'
real. 1t vas 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. Wha'
would be the destiny of such a WON
IN 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 a 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
q pale, delicate, deformed boy-and
q gentleman of middle height, with
a frank, sun-burnt face, and a GER
tain easy looseness about his we'll
made clothes.
"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 a few civil words.
us this your first visit to PARISH
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. I should like to stay
here always"
BERTHE is so much better and
stronger since we came here, which
partly accounts for his wish to stay"
said his mother, with a 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 c%lub-land,
I suppose" said Lady Frances, sit
ting down beside her son. Il must
say I am very sorry he lost the cleo
ton. He deserved better at the
hands of the Denham men, but it was
the radical mining people that turned
him out"
do you leave soon?" asked Glynn.
"On Thursday; I suppose you will
not come back quite so soon? You
are fond of Paris, I Think"
MY movements are rather uncer-
tain; I 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, I want to see the review to-
morrow, and will start by the Lyons
train at night" said Werner, on an
apologize 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, a popular man,
and bestowed a great deal of care
fully yelled cultivation on his popu-
larity. He was considered rather the
type of a proud, manly English coun-
try gentleman of a fairly clean life,
though no saint, and a little martyr
lied by being tied to so cold and i'm
penetrable a wife. Servants and in
significant people of that description
whispered that the steel-gray eyes
could flash with baleful fire, and that
Lady Frances had grown colder and
stiller since the deformity and deli
cacy of her only child had become
i%perceptible and hopeless; while Mr..
Deering never stayed at Denham
alone with her.
Glynn was conscious of an unac-
countable sense of relief when Deer
ing expressed a desire to quit Paris
eySn sooner than he had at first in
tended.
: 1t was absurd to imagine that any
evil could arise out of a mere passing
admiration; it could be nothing more,
for a handsome stranger. Yet the
expression of behring's eyes, the I'm
e~asiness, wonder, fire, all COM
mingled, which had so impressed
him, flashed back wildly across his
memory with undiminished disturb
ing force. But Deering vas talking.
Il have been round Count de Lee
tours stables this morning. Have
you seen them, Glynn? They are
worth a visit. His studgroom and
head men are all English. am YER;
much inclined to back his chestnut,
Barbecue, for the Derby. He's d
splendid horse, only, of course, it
isn't always blood or breeding that
wins. There were a couple of Amer,
leans looking through the stables at
the same time. who seemed deucedly
wide awake, and inclined to back
both Barbecue and a filly. Etoile
d'Auvergne, about which [ am not sc
sure. I have met one Of them, Van.
dervoort, in London. Do you know
him."
Glynu said he thought he did. Tht
talk became. for a few minutes. o.
the turf. turfy. And while it went OF
the boy rose, and. followed by hi!
mother. who covered his retreat
noiselessly left the 0 Glynn
looking at Deering at this moment
caught an expression of malignant
dislike in his eyes toward his de
formed son. or his wife. Or both
which surprised and reyolted him
1t was instantaneous. and he contin
ued to talk lightly and pleasantly