His Chief's Wife

Chapter I Sunrise

in far Brazil ! The magnificent orb rises imperiously upward from behind the distant hills. A minute before, and all had been dark in the land where dawn and twilight are unknown. Now the amber streaks blush into a rosy pink, the sky deepens into a crimson flame that spreads and intensifies, till the whole heavens glow with a burning lustre, — one dense uniform orange-red, from east to west. Till this moment, absolute silence had reigned over the earth ; now a soft wind begins to rustle mysteriously through the woods, and away in the distance the mountains stand out sharp and clear, their rugged, weird shapes glorified into B ethereal beauty by a veil of shifting, quivering light from the blood-red sky. The two prettiest girls in Petropolis, clad in their riding-habits, watched the sun rise, standing on the creeper-entwined verandah.

The fair one was the daughter of the British Minister at the Court of Brazil, and the other her intimate friend and ally, the daughter of Sir Richard Dundas, first Secretary to the Legation. The Imperial family, Court, and whole Corps Diplo matique were settled here in Petropolis, that lovely hill-resort and suburb of Rio Janeiro, for the hot season. There was a considerable amount of gaiety and entertaining going on, but the two young girls looked perfectly fresh and lovely, in spite of a well-enjoyed ball the night before, and no breakfast to-day, as yet. " How glorious it is ! " the dark one sighed. " May, why, why do I not get up every morning of my life to see the sun rise ? " " Because, dear, you are so much too lazy, as a general rule, and this little spurt of energy is only good for one morning ! . . .

Well, now we have seen it, and can brag of having done so, what shall we do with ourselves till it is time to ride ? It is hardly six yet, and papa did not order the horses till a quarter to seven. The Secretaries are never up to time, you know; they are sure to keep us waiting half-an-hour." " Who are coming to ride with us to-day, then?" inquired Hilda Dundas. May raised her blue eyes to her friend's face and laughed. " Never fear, dear ; the ' One ' — the ' Only One ' is bound to come ; can you tell me one single morning in this last month that he has missed ? " " I only wish my ' Only One ' were here to accompany me in our ride to-day ! " she con tinued, throwing herself back into a rocking chair, and picking a leaf of the creeper to pieces. " But there is no such luck for me ! Instead of being here, the poor dear fellow is working himself to death, at Cambridge, trying to take his degree ; which is, no doubt, you know, a most horribly stiff examination.

It must be so, for Rilly said in his last letter, that it is quite unusual for a young man to take it the first time he tries, so I am not to be at all surprised if he fails. I have no doubt he is making himself quite ill with hard work, while I am here eating my heart out with anxiety ! " Hilda glanced at her friend, and laughed softly. " It is all very well for you to laugh," exclaimed May sharply. " Your love affair goes smoothly enough; it is only mine which continually goes wrong. It is nonsense to talk of people being too young to marry; as if youth were not the time for happiness. And yet the old Duke shakes his head and says, ' Oh no ! Rillingthorpe must at least take his degree before binding himself to an engagement.' And mamma smiles sweetly, and presses his hand, and replies, ' How wise you are, my dear Duke; Rillingthorpe is far too young to marry, and I am sure my sweet May cannot possibly, at her tender age, know her own mind on such a solemn and important step as matri mony.' As if the widest stretch of imagination could call seventeen and a half a tender age! or as if it is not better for every man to be married by three-and-twenty!

I sometimes wonder, Hilda, if one's parents can ever have been young, or can have known what it is to be in love ; really desperately in love, as I am. All I can say is, that if they ever have been so, by the time they have grown-up children of their own, they seem to forget that history may possibly repeat itself." " My dear May," replied the other, "you know very well that both your people and Lord Rillingthorpe's have been quite sensible. It is only when you get up early, and before you have had your early breakfast, that you have these wild notions. Come ! drink your coffee, and eat your bananas, and you will soon be as reasonable as the rest of the world. Why," continued she, pouring out the coffee that had just been placed by the servant on a little table near, "to hear you talk, silly girl, one would think that you were broken-hearted ; you, May Trelawnay, who are always laughing ; you who are always ready for any fun that may turn up, and enjoy life, and the goods that the gods pro vide, as much as any girl I know !

Don't be such a humbug!" " Because I may be blessed with good spirits, that is no reason why I should not have my black moods, in company with other people," retorted Miss Trelawnay. "And you may preach to me for ever, Hilda ; but don't flatter yourself that you will prevent me from thinking that Rillingthorpe and I are very badly treated in being kept apart, just after we had discovered that we were made for each other." A voice from behind her took her up. " So those are your sentiments, May, are they ? You think that you have been badly treated ; you consider yourself a deeply injured person, do you"?" The next moment the British Ambas sador, in his riding-breeches, appeared from the door of the drawing-room that opened on to the verandah. " Let me tell you, my daughter, that a verandah is not the safest place in the world for a young lady's confidences, and advise you to choose another spot the next time you are criticizing your parents' conduct."

" Oh, papa ! did you really overhear what I said ? " exclaimed May, putting her arms round her father's neck. " Don't scold me, please, there's a dear father ; you have no notion how I long to see Rillingthorpe sometimes. I have fits of it, you know ; and although I am sure that you and the Duke don't mean to be unkind, still it is very hard that we should be kept apart as we are." " You and Rillingthorpe," said Mr. Trelawnay, with ministerial gravity, "are nothing more nor less than a couple of children. What can either of you know of the solemnity or importance of marriage ? You must remember that Rilling thorpe is heir to a noble name and large estates ; and such being the case, his father and I think alike, that he should see something of the world and of life — that he should travel and knock about a bit — before settling down, with a little scatter-brain like yourself as a wife.

How could a boy of little more than two-and-twenty under stand the art of looking after a spoilt child like yourself? Answer me that, May ! " " Rillingthorpe has looked after me, and taken care of me, ever since I was a little girl of four and he a boy of ten," retorted May ; "so I consider that if any one is equal to that very arduous duty, he is." So saying Miss Trelawnay stalked majestically into the wide, brilliant-hued garden, and only condescended to reappear when the horses were brought round from the stables. Almost simultaneously with the appearance of the horses, two men on horseback were seen wending their way up the long drive. " Wonders will never cease," exclaimed May, whose pretty face once more beamed with smiles ; "Mr. Neville and Count von Demlichoff are actually, for once in their lives, punctual to an appointment!

Allow me to congratulate you, Mr. Neville," she continued, laughing, as the young man dismounted. "Do you know that it is a quarter to seven to the very minute ?" "Good-morning, Miss Trelawnay. Yes, you see, neither von Demlichoff nor I have forgotten that scolding you gave us last time. If I had been one second late, I should have been afraid to show my face. Let me mount you." Mr. Hugh Neville, younger son of a Cam bridgeshire squire, was the second Secretary of the British Legation in Brazil. A good-looking young Englishman of the Saxon type, with fair curly hair, fresh complexion, and bright blue eyes shining with intelligence, he possessed that air of general benevolence which accompanies his type. He was not rich ; having nothing but the small pay of a second Secretary of Legation, and an allowance of five hundred a year, from his father.

But on this sum he managed to get along very comfortably, for he was not extravagant, and he had no one but himself to think of. He was looked upon as a man likely to succeed in the service, for he possessed many of the attributes that lead to success. He was well read, and being blessed with a good memory, could retain with accuracy ivhat he read. Coupled with his very fair intellectual qualities, he had a most charming manner, which made him popular with men and women alike. As he stood now, with his face turned upwards, and his eyes brimming over with laughter at Miss Trelawnay's latest joke, he did not look like a man who had ever had a care in his life. And yet, but seven years ago, Hugh Neville had received a blow that had crushed him, for the time being, both morally and physically.

He was still an attache when he first met and loved Maud Rollohoff, the only daughter ofthe Russian Minister to the Court of Sweden. He had adored this beautiful creature, half Russian, half American, with all the passion of a first love. They were engaged for some months, and he had every reason to fancy his love returned. No shadow of doubt as to her truth and constancy crossed his mind ; and when she threw him over, which she did within a few weeks of the date fixed for their marriage, for a wealthier and higher placed diplomatist at the same post, it seemed a little doubtful, whether Hugh Neville had not decided to set out upon that unprofitable and disastrous journey commonly known as "go ing to the dogs." He even contemplated putting an end to himself and his miseries by means of a bullet; so utterly wretched and hopeless was he.

But that black mood passed ; and for a time he threw himself into a life of dissipation. Perhaps it was the thoughts of his dead mother, whom he had loved devotedly; — perhaps it was his innate purity of nature which recalled Hugh, before he had plunged too deeply into the mire. For a short time he was given to making cynical remarks on women generally — because he had been maltreated by one in particular; he took more wine than was good for him ; he affected fast society. Finally, with a burning sense of shame and self-reproach, he asked for a change of post, and from thenceforth he took to wiser courses, and walked on solid earth. At Berlin, where he remained till he was removed to Brazil on pro motion, he was essentially popular, being looked upon, both by his colleagues and society in general, as a downright good fellow; cheerful and sociable; with plenty of brains to boot.

Time— that healer of all ills— had mended his broken heart ; and even as the joining process proceeded, all taste for cynical phrases, for an extra amount of alcohol, and for inferior society left him ; and when at length Hugh Neville took his passage from Southampton to Rio de Janeiro, he was as healthy-minded, contented a youth, as if Maud Rollohoff had never existed. Hugh was naturally of a domestic and sociable disposition, and having but little work at Petropolis, beyond the mere copying of dis patches and an occasional financial report, to occupy his mind, he needs must sill it once again, with the pleasant occupation of falling in love. It is so intensely delightful to be moved by sensations vivid and unusual; to let the mind dwell luxuriantly on one face, which gives rise in itself, to dreams of countless hopes, of glowing possibilities !

Oh ! those morning rides, the tennis, those long confidential talks, and better than all, the occasional waltz, with beautiful, sweet, and clever Hilda Dundas. The Palace of Love is easily constructed from such materials as these, and Hugh did not linger long over his share of the building. He made no attempt to resist the fate which he knew well was surely overtaking him. Why indeed should he be blind to the glance of these soft eyes, or stop his ears against the music of that sweet voice ? Miss Trelawnay is at last settled firmly in her saddle; and there is Miss Dundas, gathering up her reins prior to the start ; and there is her Majesty's Minister, warning his wayward daughter against trotting her mare over the stony roads, and telling her to follow him, instead of his having to follow her; and there is Mr. Hugh Neville looking very big on his small and scraggy roan; and last — but not least, certainly in his own eyes — is Monsieur le Comte von Demlichoff, the Austrian Charge d'Affaires.

Monsieur von Demlichoff was not an ordinary young man — I say "young" man advisedly, as from his position in the service it was improbable that he could be old, or even middle aged. He was one of those old-young-men, whose numbers have of late years so grown and multiplied, and whose outward appearance is ex tremely baffling, to those possessed of inquiring minds. Von Demlichoff was not in the habit of informing people of the date of his birth ; and some had been known to announce the fact that he was not yet thirty, while others as positively declared that he would never see forty-eight again. But the fact was, nobody knew, and it might have been supposed that nobody cared. But Petropolis was a small place, and there was at times a melancholy dearth of subjects on which to converse ; and when everything else was exhausted, it was strange how often the conversation would veer round to Otto von Demlichoff's age.

His hair was rather grey, and very spare about the temples ; his eyes were a steely blue ; small, but clever, and very penetrating and clear ; his mouth was large, and unadorned by a moustache ; while two deep-cut lines, running down each side of it, did not improve its beauty, or the youthful ness of his appearance. His chin was square and powerful ; and he was tall and gracefully built. Certainly Count von Demlichoff was a very puzzling sort of person; and it was not to be surprised at, that people should differ as to his age, or, for the matter of that, on any other point concerning him or his disposition ; for his character, like his personal appearance, was made up of contradictions. One day he would look as old as Methuselah, and would behave like a frisky youth just let loose from the leading strings ; then at another time, when his face would wear a bland and cherubic expression, the ponderousness and dignity of his manners would turn one's mind in the direction of bishops, or aldermen, or the patriarchs of the Old Testament.

People, even very intelligent people, never quite succeeded in understanding Count von Demlichoff; this did not, however, prevent them from pretending to do so, and it was amusing and curious to notice how very opposite were the opinions expressed. Some would say, " You know, my dear sir, that man is a fellow of extraordinary ability — he'll make his mark in the world, take my word for it ! " Others, in no way wanting in natural perception, would assert, "That von Demlichoff is a confounded fool"; while the generality of his acquaintancescontented themselves by touching their foreheads, and declaring that Otto von Demlichoff was a charming fellow, but peculiar "a little touched here, you know." He shocked Miss Dundas one day by calmly assuring her he believed in neither God, man, nor devil ; neither did he believe in a future world ; neither did he believe in— well— all the things that poor Hilda had faith in, and had been taught to hold most sacred and most dear.

"Why does he go to Mass then?" inquired the downright May to whom Hilda had repeated this conversation. " He is a most constant attendant at St. Marie's on fete days, as well as on Sundays ; and I cannot help observing how very devout he seems." "True," replied Hilda; "I will ask him why he attends his church if he does not believe in a God." But she never did ask von Demlichoff this question, for she had an objection to theological discussions, especially if they had to be held with a young man whom she could not under stand, and whom at the bottom of her heart she rather disliked than otherwise. Count von Demlichoff affected to despise women, yet no one was seen more frequently in their society, nor treated them outwardly, whatever might be his opinion of them, with greater courtesy or respect.

On one occasion, when he had been railing against the sex in general for over an hour, a young and sensitive English colleague exclaimed, " Hang it all, von Demlichoff — don't go on like that, as if there wasn't such a thing in the world as a pure woman. For God's sake — man— remember that you have, or had, a mother ! " " Indeed ! " replied von Demlichoff with a sneer, and fixing his steely eye upon the boy. " Thank you, Douglas, for the information just imparted to me. You appear to know a vast deal more about me than I happen to know about myself; I am really grateful to you for these details." " What the dickens did von Demlichoff mean by that?" asked young Douglas later on of a friend. " By Jove ! " replied the friend, " you managed to put your foot into it nicely! Why, I thought all the world knew von Demlichoff's peculiar and unfortunate antecedents.

When he hinted just now that he had no mother, he, so to speak, announced a fact, for she was no less a person than Rosalie Descourt, a famous courtesan of the time of the Empire. Von Demlichoff was rescued from this lady's clutches, when he was a child, and was brought up by the gentleman who undertook to call himself the child's father and gave him his name. Under these circumstances he had the good fortune never to know his charming mother, but that does not make him the less bitter when he thinks of her." " I never knew this story before," replied the attache ; " it explains much that was puzzling about von Demlichoff. I wonder," he added musingly, " if he has ever been in love?" c

Chapter II

" ALAS ! my time of glory and independence will soon be a thing of the past," remarked Count von Demlichoff to May. He and Mr. Neville were riding on in front with her : Miss Dundas and the British Minister brought up the rear. " Why ? " inquired May. "Is your Government sending out a Minister ?" "Yes, Count Willenheft is just named. I received a telegram last night, saying he was to sail by the Thames, so he will be here now in less than three weeks." " And is he married ? and if so, do you know if his wife accompanies him ? " inquired May with interest. " Yes, the Countess is coming. She is half Russian, half American. I do not know her, but I have heard she is young — much younger iS than her husband, and a very beautiful and charming woman." Hugh Neville's unconcerned face changed a good deal as he listened to von Demlichoff's apparently commonplace remarks ; he even uttered an exclamation, and lingering behind, let the other two pass on in front of him.

Seven years had come and gone since Count ess Willenheft, nee Maud Rollohoff, had written Hugh Neville his letter of dismissal ; and now she — whom he had devoutly hoped never to see again — was about to reappear — in Petropolis, of all places in the world ! His thoughts went back to that cold-blooded epistle of hers. He had received it but a few days after his arrival in England, having obtained leave for the ex press purpose of making the final arrangements connected with his marriage. The parting with his fiana'e had been a loving and a lingering one ; they had been engaged for a blissful six months, and before he left her, he had fastened round her throat the pearl necklace she was to wear as his gift, upon her wedding-day. He had gathered from her cautiously-worded letter, full of empty platitudes, that those few days of absence from his side had been all-sufficient to open her eyes to the fact "that she did not love him completely enough to be his wife'.' Evidently she had reserved this fund of love for his elderly colleague, Count Willenheft, to whom she was joined in marriage, a month to the day from her parting with Hugh Neville.

Never since his lover's leave-taking with Maud Rollohoff had Neville set eyes on Countess Willenheft. He had heard of her from time to time; for a woman in her position, so beautiful and charming, could not but be well known in the diplomatic world. It had occurred to him that he might meet her again — in fact, he had often pictured to himself this probable encounter at some crowded fete or reception in Paris or London, where nothing would be easier than to bow and pass on. But the possibilities of a meeting here, at Petropolis, where the circumstances of life would throw them constantly, if not daily together, had never once troubled his mind. Hugh Neville was a brave man ; but the prospect of this first meeting with his old love — a meeting which would be the forerunner of many another — caused a cold sweat to stand upon his forehead ; and for the moment he honestly wished himself, and for the matter of that Maud Willenheft too, at the bottom of Rio Bay.

" One would have thought the world large enough to hold us both, without our running up against each other in this abominable way ! " thought he, as he drew rein, and waited for his chief and Miss Dundas, who were trying to catch him up. " What a ghastly fate it is, that decrees that she and I should cross each other's path again, and at this period of my life, of all others ! However, it is a certain comfort to know, that if I find this meeting a misfortune, she will find it a still greater one. Truly, Countess Willenheft's feelings, the first time she finds herself in the presence of the poor fool who once believed in her so blindly, are not to be envied !" His eyes rested on Miss Dundas, as she care fully guided her pony up the steep mountain path, and as he looked at her and caught the pretty unaffected smile which she flung at him, his spirit grew calmer, and a resolution formed in his mind.

That smile of Hilda's had a double effect upon him — not only did it restore his mind to its usual placid state of equanimity, but it decided him at the very first opportunity to know his fate from Hilda's lips, for once and for all. " Maud's arrival makes this doubly necessary," he thought. " I must no longer remain in this state of uncertainty ; the time has come to speak ! " " Are you people never coming on ? " shouted May suddenly to those behind. " You are terribly slow to-day. I'm off, on a gallop up the Campos Hill ; who'll follow ? " And before her father could utter a word of remonstrance, May gave a switch to her pony, and fast vanished into the distance. En couraged by her example, the others followed ; for though uphill, a soft piece of ground is not to be despised in a country where half-a-mile of turf is a luxury unknown.

The girls dearly loved those canters — a love which was not shared by the British Minister, who was short of breath, and no light weight. He let the others pass on out of sight, and came along at his own pace, which was a respectable and steady jog. As he trotted slowly on, he rumin ated over the scene which had taken place with his child that morning. He felt slightly ruffled and put out. He was an extremely kind and indulgent father, and it caused him genuine pain to refuse any request of his daughter's. He began to wonder if he, and her mother, and the old Duke, were not really somewhat hard upon the children. He did not like his daughter to think he could be unkind to her, and perhaps, for all he knew, she worried more over that foolish boy than he or her mother had any notion of. After all, he thought, he had no objection whatsoever to the young man — he had known him all his life, and had always found him a straightforward, manly young fellow; not particularly intelligent — no, certainly not a genius, but then he hadn't got to work for his living, and he supposed he was as clever as most young men of the present day, to whom the using of their brains is not a necessity.

At any rate May seemed satisfied enough with his intellectual qualities ; and as for himself, he certainly had no ambition to have a genius as a son-in-law. Still, he should prefer his taking his degree: never mind about honours. If he succeeded in doing that this year, he would write to the Duke, who always fell in with his ideas, and suggest Rillingthorpe coming out to Brazil, to pay them a visit. Then if he saw that the children continued attached to each other, why, perhaps — but only perhaps — he would give his consent to the marriage taking place sooner than he had originally thought possible. But before taking any steps in the matter, his wife must be consulted. Mr. Trelawnay's cogitations generally con cluded in this wise.

Chapter III

" HILDA, you look sweet ! " exclaimed May the next evening, when Miss Dundas and her father entered the drawing-room of the English Legation. " By the bye, I have never seen that yellow satin before. Oh, dear ! what would I not give to be five-foot-eight-and-a-half, and to be able to hold my head as you do ! But it is no use wishing, so come along into the blue drawing-room, and be introduced to our new French colleague, Monsieur Le Martin. Madame Le Martin is rather a terror. Come and see her." The party at the Legation that evening was not a very large one : sixteen at the most ; but they were mostly colleagues, or people who knew each other well, meeting as they did every day ; so the evening passed pleasantly enough: indeed, it was an unheard-of thing for a dinner, or any other function, at the English Legation, to be anything but a success.

After dinner, the coffee was served on the verandah, for it was a hot night, and while some of the men wandered off to smoke their cigars, others remained standing round the ladies of the party. Hugh Neville was one of these who purposely lingered behind. He drew near to where Hilda was sitting a little apart, on a low deck-chair. "Are you not chilly, Miss Dundas?" he asked softly. " Don't you think it would be far plea santer in the garden ? Will you take a little turn with me ? " What was there in the wording of this simple question that should have the effect of turning Hilda's usually pale cheek rosy red ? Often before had Hugh requested her company for "a little turn" in this the Legation garden, which was famous for its beauty and seclusion. Many a time had they paced together its wide alleys, or sat beneath the orange-trees, or lin gered among the different-hued azaleas and the camellias of virgin white, watching the giant butterflies and the brilliant-hued humming-birds, flitting in blissful idleness from bush to bush.

Sometimes others were there — May lolling in her hammock half-asleep ; or Mr. Trelawnay reading the latest Times over his pipe ; or Mrs. Trelawnay busy over the manufacture of ugly, uncouth little garments intended as a covering for the babe of some poor emigrant. But just as often they were alone, and the hours thus passed together were very happy ones. When weary of the garden they would wander up the mountain, at the back of the Legation — Hugh with his butterfly -net, and Hilda with her sketch-book. But, somehow, neither butterfly-net nor sketch-book were brought into requisition ; and the hot sun glinted through the tangled vegetation, and would light up the vivid green of a clump of young bananas, and the soft breeze would rustle through the feathery bamboos, bending their delicate stems backwards and forwards, causing a harmony of sound, restful and seductive, to the two young people that lingered beneath their shade.