A Heart-Song of To-day Part 4

"Can you doubt it? you have conquered."

"You will think me impatient, dear, but I want you to take my name at once."

"At once! and still, have your own way, my lord. I, like yourself, have only myself to please."

"At last, I shall feel settled, Kate; the dear old place will again ring with happy voices, old friends will be there," and he whispered low and tenderly, "In time, I trust, an heir will prattle at our knees, how happy would my dear mother be could she see our union consummated, my life arranged for."----

"This Lady Esmondet, Colonel, is she a very old friend?"

"Very; and I am one of those men who must lean on some woman; I fear at times I have tried her patience severely."

"What kind of woman is she?"

"Well, I can scarcely describe her; how do you mean, dear. In personal appearance? no, for you have seen her?"

"Yes, we have met; I mean in other ways, saint or sinner?"

"Neither; a happy medium, quite the woman of the world though; exclusive in her choice of friends, but true as steel when she does care for one, gentle, kind and sympathetic."

"How is it she has not repeated the experiment matrimonial?"

"Well, I do not know; with me she invariably changed the subject, and I did not press it, for I fancied she loved her husband so well she had no heart left for another."

"'Tis all very well to love a husband, Colonel, but to be faithful to his corpse is unnatural, while men with beating hearts are above ground."

"True, and now about our own plans, how soon may I claim you, dearest, say this day week?"

It was just her wish, she would be nearer Trevalyon, while Delrose would be effectually shut out unless he consented to a friendly alliance, when he could aid her in forever separating the man she loved from the fascinating Miss Vernon.

"Is not a week from to-day too awfully soon, Colonel?"

"Not a day, dear; everyone is leaving town, we can take our trip together."

"When he will, he will; you may have your way, but I have a will too, my lord, which you will find out some day" she said with a hearty laugh, "for the present it is that we, during the week, say to-morrow, take a run down to Surrey and your place. I can then see what changes I shall make, and everything can be in readiness for us by November."

"Delightful! how I wish Lady Esmondet and my niece, Vaura Vernon, were here to come with us."

In spite of herself a cloud came to Kate's brow, and she said carelessly--

"Oh, I don't know, this trip is just as well taken by ourselves."

"Anything you please, dear; they are far away at all events," but he sighed as he spoke.

"Your niece should marry, Colonel, my step-daughter shall; it is a great bore to have young ladies to settle in life."

"Vaura will have London at her feet next season; heiresses all go, so will Miss Tompkins, and for her own sake, I do not doubt."

"Now that you have given me the idea of making up a party to run down to Surrey, I rather like it. There are the little strawberry blondes, Mrs. Meltonbury with her sister, Mrs. Marchmont, my step-daughter, Sir Peter Tedril (who goes down to "Richmondglen," to-morrow at all events), your friend Captain Trevalyon, and mine Sir Tilton Everly; we would be as gay as crickets. How do you like us?"

"A pleasant party; but, as I should like to make sure, if possible, of Trevalyon, I fear I must leave you at once for the club, as after luncheon he drives out to Richmond with some friends to dinner."

"Yes, yes, make sure of him; there, that will do, you men are all alike in your taste for affectionate good-byes."

And in a last caress, her heart beats as it has not done to-day, for her idol may be with her to-morrow.

"You have not told me, my wife, what train it would be most agreeable for you to take."

"Oh! any that will suit Captain Trevalyon" she said, hurriedly, "I mean you and he, I leave it to you, only be quick, else you may miss him."

"If I were a jealous man, your eagerness," he said merrily--

"But you are not, and you know, I only do it for your sake, you are such friends."

"Thank you, dear, and he is so fond of the Hall, And as you have not seen him lately you can wish him _bon voyage_ as he leaves sooner than we do, but I forget, you must have seen him last night to give him your welcome message for myself."

"Yes, at the Delamer's for one minute; I hoped to see you there, for your doleful face haunted me since morning, so I just had time to bid him say to you 'come,' which we know was a romance."

"What a kind little wife I am winning; Trevalyon deserves that I should deny myself by leaving you too soon, for the content he brought me in your message, especially as he is feeling cut up about having missed seeing Lady Esmondet and my niece yesterday afternoon and evening."

"Just so, we must pet him and make sure of him; dine with me to-night at eight, the rest of the party will be here, you can then state your arrangements; ta, ta."

Seeing from the window the tall, soldier-like figure safe down the steps and making rapid strides through the square, she throws herself on to a lounging chair, with both her hands pressed to her side, says whisperingly--

"These heart throbs are all for you, my idol; oh, that he will be in time. How stupidly tame he is, but you will be the elixir of life to me; I shall be a Haughton of Haughton, and you shall be there, and I shall keep you out of matrimony, and my life will be all bliss."

"Luncheon is served, ma'am."

CHAPTER V.

MADAME SHUFFLES THE CARDS.

The following morning the weather perfect, with not a cloud in the sky, the party, after her own heart and all accepting, while dining at Eaton square, the previous night, in a robe _a la derniere mode_, Mrs.

Tompkins is content and in her gayest spirits; two large hampers containing choice wines and dishes to tempt the palate of an epicure had been sent down by earliest train in case the cellar and larder at Haughton should fail.

"For Heaven, save me from a hungry man," she had said in the ear of the strawberry blondes; "I don't want to see him before breakfast; after dinner, I love them."

At the station were Colonel Haughton with Captain Trevalyon, the former less calm than usual with just a pleasant touch of excitement and eagerness about him in the having won the wealthy Mrs. Tompkins for wife; he must wed gold, and so with his aristocratic name, belongings and air _distingue_ as bait, the angler had caught the biggest catch of the season. Captain Trevalyon's handsome face is lit up with pleasure, his mesmeric blue eyes now smiling, would draw the heart from a sphinx; for the friends have been congratulating each other over the coming opening of Haughton Hall, over the intense pleasure of again being under the same roof daily with Lady Esmondet and Vaura, with their charming knowledge of human nature, causing a great charity and pleasant cynicism with no malice in it of the shams and pet weaknesses of society.

"Take my word for it, Trevalyon, there is nothing to equal Vaura in the kingdom. I wish you had been at Park Lane the night before last."

"Don't name it, Haughton, I have been quarrelling with fate ever since; promise me that the next time you see an opening to my joining them you will let me know."

"That you are in earnest your face tells me; though ten years my junior, you loved my darling as a child as much as I, and I promise.

But eyes right, old fellow, here comes the carriage and the green and gold livery of my bride-elect; attention is the word."