Evening star., 1914-07-05

dances LOT 1lla1 MI. Troy, Sllc HkcS llllll
to sit and fan her, and pay pretty compli-
ments. Now | am going to leave you to do
that, as Daura refuses to repeat her exhi-
bition for my benefit l shall run back, and
see if Alastair is ready to give up his old
bridge, and show me new kind of solitaire
he has learned
Laughing, she skipped away, giving the
door a playful little slam as she went out.
TROY, however, was of no mind to con-
tinue tete-a-tete from which all charm
had fled. He walked toward the door, in
tending ostentatiously to open it for Daura;
but she ran ahead to stand in front of it,
facing him.
a know what you Think she said. "But
it isn't true"
"How do you expect me to know what
you mean?" Troy asked. "But don't want
to know; so please don't trouble to explain.
You've taken too much trouble for me al
ready Doesn't it seem to you that we'd
better go now? You'll be wanted in the
drawing room, l expect. As for me, per-
haps may as well take look at Conway
before give myself up to the ghosts of the
Breton room I've rather neglected my
duty, in more senses than one. In case the
ghosts do get me, III make sure there's been
no change in the invalid's condition"
AS he said this he stared at her with mar
rowed eyes, He had lost all faith in her
word now, and meant to see for himself
tonight that George was not shamming! Or
perhaps it had occurred to him that Conway
had been spirited out of the castle.
All the blood in Dauras body seemed
rushing to her head. She remembered her
instructions to DR.. Macdonald. The after
noon dose of morphine, given twice day
to his patient, had been omitted, in order
that Daura might come to some understand
ing with Conway that night when the house
hold was asleep. By this time George must
be conscious enough to know what was going
on around him. No doubt he would be feel
ing heavy and i'll, after a four days course
of drugs, too i'll maybe to guard himself in
case of sudden danger.
"Have you any objection to make to my
proposal, Lady Daura?" Troy inquired,
when she stood speechless, gazing up at him
as if fascinated.
She prayed for an inspiration, but none
came; and she dared not object, lest the
mans suspicious should turn to certainty.
All she could do was to try and delay him,
try to pacify and win him back again if she
could. But the task was ten times more
formidable than it had ever been.
T HAVE no objection" she said @You
1 have the right to 60 and see George when
you like. But your suggestion to go now
can mean only one thing: that you believe
have deceived you. So do ask you first
to hear me defend myself. My cousin Vane
Erskine is angry with me for something l
said to her, and knew she meant to take
some revenge. We were never very good
friends there are several reasons just
now which make her dislike me more than
ever. She chose this way to hurt me; but,
though she can be rather cruel, even she
wouldn't have done what she did, l think,
if she could have guessed what dreadful
suspicion she would raise in your mind. In
justice to me, remember how came to your
door the first night, and warned you about
the ghost stories. l offered to do my best
putting you up somewhere else; but you
only laughed And next morning l was
honestly frightened-you must have seen
that"
"If you were frightened, it shows that yoa
believed the stories; though you pretended
not to. l don't say you hadn't moment of
repentance, and l don't say either that it
wouldn't be natural enough for you to want
me out of the way at any price. l can't
blame you for that" Troy said, with a
judicial coldness that discouraged her more
than his first fierce disgust.
a understand she cried. what you