Mildred Keith - Complete 7 Book Collection. Finley Martha

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СКАЧАТЬ you are a sad flatterer," she returned with a simper.

      "No, no! pardon the contradiction, Miss Juliet, but de truth is nefer flattery."

      "A penny for your thoughts, Miss Keith," said a voice at Mildred's side.

      "Ah, good evening, Mr. Landreth," she answered turning toward the speaker. "You are welcome to them gratis. I am wondering where I have seen Miss Marsden's admirer before to-night, or if it is only a resemblance, real or fancied, to some one else that I see in him."

      "I cannot tell, indeed," he said, furtively watching the man for a moment, "but there is something in his face that would make me sorry to see him ingratiating himself with a lady friend of mine."

      "Excuse me, but I must ask you to move, as we are going to dance and want this sofa behind you, put out of the way," said Reba, coming up to them with two servants.

      "Certainly," Mildred said, taking Mr. Landreth's offered arm.

      They passed down the room and out into the conservatory beyond.

      "Are you engaged for the first set?" he asked.

      "No; nor for any other," she answered with a smile. "I do not dance, Mr. Landreth."

      "It is not too late to begin," he remarked persuasively.

      "No, it is too soon."

      "You don't think it wrong?" he queried as in surprise, "here in your home as it were? It's different, is it not, from attending a ball?"

      "Yes; but I might grow so fond of it as to want to go to balls. I think it safest for me to avoid the temptation."

      Sets were forming as they returned to the drawing-room, and Miss Worth, who had been sent for, to play the piano, was just entering by another door.

      She had kept apart from the guests, spending almost all her time in her own room; so that Mildred had seen very little of her for some days past.

      She noticed on the instant of her entrance, that she was looking pale and worn; then that her pallor suddenly increased to ghastliness, as on stepping in, she came face to face with Juliet and the Count in the nearest set, standing side by side.

      He, too, started slightly and turned pale for a moment as his eyes met those of the governess; but neither spoke and pushing hastily past him she sat down at the instrument.

      She felt herself reeling in her seat and thought she should fall to the floor; everything seemed to be turning round: but conquering her emotion by a great effort, she ran her fingers over the keys and dashed off into a lively dancing tune.

      Her head was in a whirl, a mist swam before her eyes so that she could not see the notes, but her fingers flew so fast that the dancers were soon panting for breath in their efforts to keep pace with the music.

      "Not so fast! not so fast!" called several voices, but though for an instant she slackened her speed, the next she was rattling on as before.

      Set after set had been danced, Juliet and the count taking part in them all, and now he led her panting to a seat.

      "I like not zose tunes so well as some other," he remarked. "May I claim ze privilege to speak to ze player zat she choose something else, and not play quite so rapid?"

      "Oh yes, certainly," smiled Juliet sweetly.

      Miss Worth was turning over her music in search of a waltz some one had called for, when a voice spoke at her side; a voice that made her start and shiver, though she did not look round.

      "Your execution was von leetle bit too rapid for us," it said in an ordinary tone, then in a whisper, the lips close to her ear, "Meet me half an hour after the company disperses; behind the clump of evergreens at the foot of the avenue."

      "Yes," she answered, almost under her breath, and without so much as turning her head.

      She saw as in a nightmare, a white hand, too large to be a woman's, with a solitaire diamond sparkling on the fourth finger, busied among the sheets of music before her, then it vanished, her strained ear catching the faint echo of the retreating step.

      She kept her eyes on her notes, her fingers wandering mechanically over the keys, calling forth low, soft strains of music, while the dancers passed out into the refreshment room. She kept it up unceasingly until they returned; then changed to a waltz in obedience to directions, as couples began taking their places on the floor. How long it lasted she did not know, it seemed an age of suffering to her before she found herself again alone in the solitude of her own room.

      As she entered the clock on the mantel struck two. She glanced at it and sank into a chair by the fire.

      "Half an hour," she sighed, shivering and crouching over the blaze. "What an age to wait; and yet I'm afraid not long enough to let them all get to bed and asleep. What if I should be seen!"

      She dropped her face into her hands with a low groan. It was some minutes before she lifted it again for another glance at the clock; a wan, weary, haggard face, full of dread and distress, but with no tears in the burning eyes.

      Slowly the moments dragged themselves along till at last the minute hand pointed to the half hour, when she rose, wrapped herself in a large dark shawl, putting it over her head listened at her door for a moment, to make sure that all was quiet, then glided softly down the stairs, let herself out at a back door, and creeping along close to the wall of the house, then in the shadow of the trees that lined the avenue, gained at length the clump of evergreens at its farther end.

      A biting north wind swept the hard, frozen ground, and rustled the dry leaves at her feet, as she stood leaning against a tree in an intensely listening attitude. It seemed to pierce to her very vitals, and shuddering and trembling with the cold, and nervous dread, she drew the shawl more closely about her, while straining her eyes through the gloom to catch a glimpse of him whom she had come to meet; for there was no light save that shining in the winter sky.

      She had waited but a moment, when a stealthy step drew near, and a tall form wrapped in a cloak, stood before her.

      "Here first?" he said in a cautious whisper.

      "Yes," she answered, in the same low key, and with a sudden catching of her breath, "Oh, why are you here?"

      "For my own advantage," he answered half defiantly, "and," in a threatening tone, "you'd better have a care how you betray me."

      "I have no desire to do so," she returned, with a weary sigh, "but you must go, and at once; you will ruin me if you stay; you must see that."

      "Pooh. I see no such thing. And must is a word you have no right to use to me. Keep your mouth shut, and all will go well."

      "What is your object in coming here?"

      "Plain enough, I should think," he answered with a sneer.

      "You are deceiving that silly girl, and intend to marry her, simply for her money?"

      "Exactly. Who needs money more than I?"

      "And how long will it take you to squander it?"

      "Depends upon how much there is," he returned with a sardonic laugh.

      "And СКАЧАТЬ