Evening star., 1924-04-19
Mistress Wilding
By Rafael Sabatini
Author of "Scaramouche," Captain Blood" etc
Copyright. Company
CONTINUED from Yesterdays star.)
CHAPTER TX.

| CHAPTER TX.
| Mr. Trenchard's Counterstroke.
| Now, however much II might sat
! isfy Mr.. Wilding to have Ruth's word
| for IL that so long as he left her In
| peace neither he nor the cause had
| any betrayal to fear from her, Mr..
| Trenchard was of very different
mind.
ne fumed and swore and worked
| himself into very passion ICONS,
| manv he cried, "it would mean utter
ruin to you If that letter reached
| whitehall"
II realize it, but my mind is easy.
| have her promise"
"A womans promiser' snorted
! Trenchard. and proceeded with great
| circumstance of expletives to damn
everything that daggled a petticoat."
Your fears are idle" Wilding as
sured him. What she says she will
do"
And her brother" quoth Trench
ard. Have you bethought you of that
canary. bird? He'll know the letters
whereabouts. He has cause to fear
| you more than ever now. Are you
| sure he'll not be making use OF 1t to
| lay you by the heels?"
Mr. Wilding smiled upon the fury
provoked ny Trenchards concern and
love for him. She has promised" he
said with an insistent faith that was
fuel to Trenchard's anger, "and / can
depend upon her word"
L,
THE thing that plaques me most"
said Wilding, ignoring the remark:
''is that we are kept in ignorance OF
| the letters contents at time when
we most long for news. Not doubt
| but it would have enabled us to set
our minds at ease on the score OF
! these foolish rumors."
| "Aye--or else confirmed them" said
pessimistic. Trenchard. He wagged
| his head, "They say the duke has put
| to sea already"
Folly" Wilding protested.
whitehall thinks otherwise. What
! of the troops at Taunton"
More folly"
wv ELL would you had that let
! ter"
| AT least" said Wilding, II have
the superscription, and we know from
| Shenke that no name was mentioned
| in the letter itself"
There's evidence enough without
! it," Trenchard reminded him, and fell
soon after into an abstraction, turn
| ing over in his mind notion with
which he had suddenly been inspired.
| That notion kept Trenchard secretly
occupied for couple of days, but in
the end he succeeded in perfecting it.
Now il befell that toward dusk one
| evening early in the week Richard
! Westmacott went abroad alone, as
was commonly his habit, his goal be-
ing the Saracen's Head, where he and
| Sir Rowland spent many night over
| wine and cardS-to Sir Rowland s
moderate profit, for he had not played
the pigeon in town so long without
having acquired sufficient knowledge
10 enable him to play the rook in the
| country. AS Westmacott was passing
up the High street a black shadow
from the door OF the Bell Inn, and out
through the doorway lurched MT.
Trenchard a thought unsteadily to
hurtle SO violently against Richard
/ haf In hrn ha faT n 10
clay pipe he was carrying. Now,
Richard was not to know that Mr.
Trenchard-having informed himself
of Mr.. Westmacott's evening habits
| had been waiting for the past half
hour in that doorway hoping that Mr..
| Westmacott would not depart this
evening from his usual custom. An
other thing that MIR. Westmacott was
| not to know-considering his youth
was the singular histrionic ability
which this old rake had displayed in
! those younger days of his when he
! had been a player, and the further
circumstance that he had excelled in
those parts in which ebriety was to
be counterfeited. Indeed, we have "
on the word of no less an authority
on theatrical matters than Mr.. Pepys
that Mr. Nicholas Trenchard's appear
ance as Pistol in Henry w. in the
| year of the blessed restoration was
the talk alike Of town and court.
Mr.. Trenchard steadied himself
from the impact. and, swearing q
round and awful EIizabethan oath,
accused the other Of being drunk,
then struck an attitude to demand
with turbulence, Would ye take the
wall o me, sir?"
Richard hastened to make himself
known to this turbulent roysterer,
who straightway forgot his grievance
to take Westmacott affectionately by
the hand and overwhelm him with
apologies. And that done, Trench
ard = who affected the condition
protest almost in tears how profound
was his love for Richard, and insist
fhe+ fhc boy return with him to the
Bell Inn, that they might pledge each
ot"eT.
Richard. himself sober, was con-
temptuouS of Trenchard so obviously
obfuscated. At first il was his i'm
pulse TO excuse himself, as possibly
Blake might be already waiting for
him; but on second thoughts. remen-
bering that Trenchard was Mr.. Wild
ing's most intimate famulus, II oc-
Cured to him that by little crafty
questioning he might succeed in
the matter of that letter-for from
his sister he had failed to get salts
faction.
So he permitted himself to be led
indoors to a table by the window
which stood vacant. There were at
the time dozen guests or so in the
common room. Trenchard bawled for
wine and brandy, and for all that he
babbled in an irresponsible, foolish
manner of all things that were OF
| of pumping could elicit from him
any such information as Richard
sought. Perforce young Westmacott
must remain: plying him with more
his turn-to the end that he might
| not waste the occasion.
An hour later found Richard much
the worse for wear, and Trenchard
his purpose. forgot that Blake waited
| for him at the Saracen's Head. And
| now Trenchard seemed to be pulling
himself together.
II want to talk to you, Richard,
said he, and although thick, there
was in his voice a certain impressive
| quality that had been absent hith-
erto. %"S rumor current" He low
| cred his voice to whisper almost,
| and leaning across took his compan-
noisily, then began again. '"S rumor
affect ,d."
Richard started, and his mind
| bird to escape the meshes of the wine,
| to the end that he might convincingly
defend himself from such an imputa-
tion-so dangerously true.
| '"S lie" he gasped.
| Trenchard shut one eye and owl
ishly surveyed his companion with
| the other. They say" he added,
that you're for forsaking dukes
| party"
. "ViIlainousn Richard protested
It'll sIi, throat of any man It says so. '
And draining the pewter at his elbow
ne smashed it down on the table to
| emphasize his seriousness.
Trenchard replenished it with the
utmost promptness, then sat back In
his tall chair and pulled moment
| at the fresh pipe with which he had
| equipped himself.
| "T think I espy,'" he quoted pres
emily. virtue and ,valor crouche6