A Modern Delilah

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VOL. BY VERE CLAVERING " 'Tis a powerful ses : they were too strong for the first, the strongest, and the wisest man that was : they must needs be strong, when one hair of a woman can draw more than a hundred yoke of oxen." — Howell: Familiar Letters. IN THREE VOLUMES. VOL. III. LONDON : HURST AND BLACKETT, LIMITED, 13, GREAT MARLBOROUGH STREET. 18SS. All Rights Reserved. CONTENTS OF THE THIRD VOLUME. CHAPTER PAGE I. At the ' Hotel Exmouth ' 1 II. Alone 20 III. Reggy Trevor and Wilton Dine Together . 26 IV. At Bay 37 V. Seeking Rest 53 VI. In which we Realise an old Adage ... 65 VII. Reggy Trevor Examines the ' Nautilus ' . .78 VIII. Harold Wilton speaks somewhat Plainly . 90 IX. Mrs. Lester pats a Visit or Condolence . . 10-1 X. Check-mate 113 XI. Southampton Water 130 XH. A Run to Scilly and some Observations . . 142 XIII.

Mrs. Lester Capitulates 151 XIV. Mr. Rey-Peater ' Confesses ' . . . .157 XV. Such a real good Fellow 166 XVI. Outward Bound 172 XVII. Corfu at Last 181 XVIII. Among the Pigs VI CONTENTS. XIX. Christmas Morning 204 XX. What Goody Price Foretold to Violet . 215 XXI. Trophies of the Chase 223 XXII. In the Hands of the Philistines . . . 237 XXIII. How Clytie Lester Confided to Zoe the Virtue of the Amulet .... 249 XXIV. What Followed 266 XXV. Between Hope and Fear .... 280 XXVI. Bertie Ray's Errand 291 XXVH. Violet finds a Picture, likewise a Telegram 301 XXVIH. Tears and Smiles with a Sudden Resolve . 310 XXIX. At Last 319 Conclusion

Chapter I. At The

'HOTEL EXMOCJTH.' ' Say what remains when hope is fled.' We must now see how affairs were progressing at Algiers. Walter Trevor seemed to get stronger every day ; even the faithful Truscott grew hopeful. As for Reggy, he naturally was delighted to see the change in his brother ; but he was worried to death by his doubts concerning Clytie Lester. First of all, Lady Tressilliane's allusion to the restaurant business annoyed him, though he took no notice of that when he answered her letter. Then he received a guarded letter from Harold Wilton, saying he would try to ascertaia what he wished, but feared there was little doubt on the subject. As for Clytie, she wrote just the same as ever, and as affectionately ; but then he knew she was quite equal to that, whatever her real feelings were, so long as it suited her own ends.

Never since his departure had she in the slightest VOL. III. B alluded again to the fact that she considered he was bound by his promise if she applied to him. No, not a word of all this now ; and if, as he more than sus pected, all this story he had heard was true, then her conduct was easily explained. Of course he felt he had no right to suppose she was more likely to come to harm with Sir Harry Lorimer than with himself, but, all the same, he very often felt uncomfortable, and would think any termination to the suspense he suffered better than his present state of doubt. He knew and felt that he had no real claim on this woman but the claim of their mutual affection for each other, and the simple fact that she seemed to look to him, almost as if it was her right, for every thing that rendered her life more worth living.

Her husband was nothing to her beyond the empty name, but, all the same, Clytie Lester had no intention of forfeiting the right to that name. No, he had no real claim, no legal tie bound them. Ah, if it were only so, he pictured to himself, how different it would all be; how contented, how happy could he have made her life ! So ran his thoughts day after day, and even her letters, written with praiseworthy punctuality, failed to comfort him ; for, though there was no perceptible change in them, they somehow lacked the true ring, and questions he asked were accidentally (or pur posely) but invariably left unanswered. In the mid dle of all this came the news that Lancelot had won the ' Grand National,' and that served to cheer him up for a few days. Great rejoicing took place at the ' Hotel Exmouth,' and many a champagne cork flew in the old horse's honour.

Old George Cox had got Captain Merivale, the famous gentleman-jock who rode the horse, to send a telegram to Algiers the instant the race was over ; while he undertook the more simple task of wiring to Lorton, and his message to the rector, who had asked for early news, was characteristic of him — short, sharp, and to the point — and consisted of but these words, ' Sir, we have won.' Captain Trevor had left the management entirely in old George Cox's hands, merely securing his friend, Captain Merivale's services before he left England ; as, though he might have got a good professional, he preferred trusting Lancelot to the former, because he would have opportunities (as he lived in the next county to Lorton) of riding the horse beforehand occasionally, and he had a great opinion of Captain Merivale's hands and head in a race like the ' Liver pool.' In due course a short epistle arrived from George, and a longer one from Captain Merivale, which, as it gives an account of the race, had better perhaps be submitted word for word for the reader's benefit : ' My dear Trevor, ' A few lines to congratulate you on the victory of your grand old horse, achieved at last with out much difficulty, and to thank you for the pleas antest ride I have ever had almost.

I say at last, because, at the canal turn, I doubted if he had quite speed enough, though well in front, to get him home before a horse of Landmark's stamp, who was going well, too, at that point — all fencing over and only B five furlongs and two hurdles to be done. However, to commence at the beginning. We always held a good place, as Cox assured me the horse was fit to run for his life (and he looked it) and would stay every yard of the way ; so, with ten-stone-eleven on him only, 1 kept them moving after the first mile and-a-half had been covered and we had settled down a bit. Lancelot never put a foot wrong. What a grand fencer he is, to be sure. Well, about two miles from home, as I saw Mariner, Chieftain, and Landmark sticking to Apathy, who was making the running at only a fair pace, and, as I knew any of the three had the legs of me in a close finish, I chanced it.

Finding the old horse going like a lion, I let him go to the front, a real cracker ; so much so, that the favourite, Chieftain, went a real burster at the next fence but one, while Apathy shut up altogether next field, and neither Mariner nor Landmark seemed to be able to go the pace and jump comfortably. You see, I was bound to get first run, up the flat with Lancelot, and trust to his staying home. At the canal turn I was afraid Mariner and Landmark (the rest were nearly a hundred yards behind me) would catch me, as, once on the race-course, they came with a wet sail ; but the old horse stuck to it, and, half-way up the straight, I felt pretty safe, he was going so well. Once over the last hurdle I sat down on him for the first time, and shook him up, but never touched him with the spur, and he ran as game as a pebble and got home a clear two-lengths from Mariner, who beat Landmark about the same, I should say, from what I was told by Aldis, who rode him.

You have a grand horse in Lancelot, and the gamest in England. ' I am pleased to hear your brother is so much better ; please remember me kindly to him. Mr. Gal ton was very kind in looking after me when I went over now and then during the last fortnight to ride Lancelot. Once more, with every congratulation, ' Believe me, ' Sincerely yours, 'Hugh Merivale.' ' He is a grand old horse,' ejaculated Reggy, as he folded up the foregoing letter ; ' I wish I could have seen him run. However, it is all over and done with, that is one comfort. I wonder if Walter will come for a sail this morning ; I don't altogether like the look of the weather, all the same.' Calling to his brother out of the window, to where he sat in the garden sunning himself, as to what he would bke to do, and, receiving an answer to the the effect that he wrould like to go for a cruise, Reggy gave the necessary orders, and soon after wards they drove down to the quay, and, the boat being all ready, proceeded to slip from their moor ings and reach along the coast, intending to make a long day of it.

All went well till after lunch, and the day was as fine and warm as could be wished. Walter Trevor seemed thoroughly to enjoy his sail, and to be better than Reggy had seen him for some time, and was chatting and laughing away in his old manner. All of a sudden, however, the native boatman called Captain Trevor's attention to some low, dark clouds that were creeping up to windward of them, exclaim ing, in broken English, ' Storm come, much rain ; best be home.' Knowing that the man was usually pretty right about the weather, Reggy, after a moment's consulta tion with Walter, and another look at the threaten ing clouds which grew blacker certainly as they advanced, put the boat about, and, easing off the sheets, prepared to make the best of their way back. But they had stood along the coast for some miles, and were a considerable distance from home.

Never theless, with a fair wind, if it held as it was, they would soon run it off, and the squall might pass over after all. By some mistake the waterproof coat Walter always took with him on these occasions in case of accident had been left behind, and, consequently, if heavy rain came on there was nothing but a small spare sail to protect them from it. For himself Reggy did not care, but with Walter it was different, and he inwardly blamed himself for not seeing the coat put in the boat. Sure enough, in about ten minutes, one of those sudden changes of weather which occur so rapidly in the Mediterranean and Adriatic Seas took place. The wind fell light, then blew in gusts, turned chilly, and chopped all round the compass, never blowing for two minutes in the same direction. 'Confound the wind,' muttered Reggy, as he hauled the sheets flat aft again and luffed the boat all he could ; the wind having drawn right ahead of them, after five minutes ago being well on the quarter ; ' I wish it would blow one way or the other.' ' I think we are in for it, Rex,' shortly observed Walter ; ' that's rain, unless I am much mistaken, in that cloud coming up behind us, and wind too.

Ah ! I thought so,' he continued, as one or two heavy drops began to fall, and a line of black water behind them came nearer and nearer, while the sort of hiss ing sound of the approaching wind could be plainly heard. In five minutes the whole fury of the storm burst upon them, but luckily almost from right aft, and, having taken the precaution to get the boat under snug canvas, she flew along, tearing and snorting through the fast-rising sea like a huge porpoise. The rain fell in torrents, and the slight covering Walter had in the shape of the sail was little or no protection. Very soon he was like the rest of the crew, wet to the skin and chilled to the bone by the cold wind which had commenced blowing as soon as it had settled down into blowing from any one quar ter in particular. After running before it and heading straight for their destination for upwards of an hour-and-a-half, they ran into the bay and brought up.

The boat was half full of water, Waiter half dead with cold. The rain had ceased some time before, but the wind was piercingly cold, and Reggy had not a drop of anything in the boat except a little claret, which was not much use towards keeping his brother from catching cold. He bitterly regretted he had not thought of bringing brandy with him ; but they had experienced such lovely warm weather that they had grown rather careless in their precautionary arrange ments of late. Before Walter could be got to the hotel his teeth began to chatter with cold, and there was very little doubt that he had got a violent chill. The doctor was sent for at once, and Walter got to bed without a moment's loss of time, and hot brandy-and-water and other remedies applied, but nothing seemed to warm him. The doctor shook his head when he arrived, and told Captain Trevor very plainly that he could not answer for the consequences, though, of course, it was too soon to prognosticate evil already. ' Still,' he remarked, ' to a constitution already en feebled by a long illness such as your brother was slowly recovering from, this shock may be fatal, for I doubt his having strength to withstand it.

How ever, 1 will look in again at night, you may depend, and send to me if any change should occur in the meanwhile.' Before night, Walter Trevor was in a raging fever, and eventually grew quite delirious. It took all Reggy's and Truscot's time to keep replacing the bed-clothes as fast as he tossed them off. The whole night Reggy never left his brother for above a few minutes at a time, and it was only in the early morn ing when Walter seemed inclined to sleep, and was certainly quieter, that Reggy went to his own room to try to get a little sleep himself, so that he could go back and relieve Truscot later on. It was on the second day after the boat expedition before Reggy Trevor bethought him of some letters which had come by the mail the night before, and which he had laid on one side at the time and forgotten.

But now, as his brother lay perfectly quiet, and Truscot was watching by his bed-side, he thought he would take a turn in the garden for a quarter-of-an-hour, and see what they contained. One from Mrs. Lester, affectionate as usual ; one from Violet, detailing all the rejoicings at Lorton in honour of Lancelot; a few unimportant ones from other people ; and then, last of all, a letter forwarded from his club with a handwriting he certainly did not recognise. On opening it, he found a letter en closed in apparently half a sheet of blank paper, and at first he could not make head nor tail of it, for the letter ran as follows : ' Thursday. ' Dearest, ' Impossible for me to come this afternoon ; will do so to-morrow. I hope you got safely home last Tuesday. Send me a line to say if you will take me to a theatre to-morrow night ; if so, I will get places.

Ask Mrs. N. ' Yours ever, 'H.' Reggy turned this extraordinary epistle over, and twisted it about in his hand, but could not make out what on earth it was, till, happening to look at the half-sheet which had been wrapped round it, and which lay neglected on the seat beside him, he read the words written by Clare, 'I found this in Mrs. Lester's pocket . . . .' > Then in one moment the truth flashed upon him. Clare, dismissed, had, in revenge, betrayed her mistress, and this letter was from Sir Harry to Mrs. Lester, of course, and in reference to some evening spent together, no doubt. At last the bitter truth came home to him. Since then she had written to him in loving, affectionate terms, full of sympathy for his enforced exile, full of hopes for his return. ' My God !' he cried, as he buried his face in his hands, ' in addition to poor Walter's illness, this is more than I can bear.' The days crept on apace.

There was no great change to be noted in the sick man, but he certainly did not pick up strength, and at last the doctor called Reggy on one side, and told him that, if there were no signs of improvement, and his brother did not rally from the intense lassitude and want of power from which he suffered, the worst might be expected. Still Reggy could not believe that his brother was so dangerously ill as all that, and tried to convince himself that the doctor must be mistaken. Walter seldom talked much now, and would lie for hours sometimes without speaking a word ; and, if asked if he was in any pain, would merely say, ' No, oh, no ; only so tired, and yet I never seem to wish to sleep, only to be quiet.' At last, after a very bad and restless night, the doctor, when he came, was obliged to administer strong restoratives and stimulants, for his patient's pulse was almost nil, and the action of the heart also very feeble.

Towards mid-day he rallied percepti bly, and sent for Reggy, in the hopes of being able to say what he had long wanted to break to his brother while he had strength. Walter Trevor lay propped up with pillows, pale and worn with illness, but his face had not altered much, except that it was almost colourless, but for two bright patches on each cheekbone that showed in contrast to the rest of his skin, which was almost white ; while a ray of warmth was imparted to the scene by the light shed from the afternoon sun, which streamed in through the win dow on the two or three vases of brilliant flowers which stood about, and which Walter Trevor loved to have near him. He raised his head as Reggy entered the room, and said, in a low voice, ' Is that you, Rex ? Come and sit down ; I want to try to talk to you, old boy, before it is too late ; for, Rex, it is no good telling me the contrary, I know and feel my time is nearly come.

Don't grieve so, old boy, don't,' (as Reggy, in spite of his efforts to restrain his feelings, allowed the tears to roll slowly down his face, as he bowed his head over his brother's hand, which he held, utterly unable to speak from emotion), ' but try to listen to what I am going to say. Of course Lorton and everything I have is left to you, and I know you will look after the old place and the old people. You come into it, as I did, Rex, without debt of any kind. If I had lived, I always meant to carry out the mother's wish of building fresh schools, which, you know, she had set her heart upon. Would you mind if I asked you to carry that wish out? and, Rex, you will take what is left of me home to dear old Lorton ? I could not bear to be left behind, so far from you all. My will I made long ago, just after mother's death.

You will find a copy in my despatch-box. Beyond a few legacies — which won't hamper you much — I have left all to you. And now, Rex, as you and I are so soon, I feel, to part for good and all, you won't be vexed with me at something I am going to say to you? We have fallen out perhaps now and then, but we have always been the best of friends all our lives really, and I know you will for my sake try to think over what I ask you. I am no saint, Rex, God knows, and never set up for one, and, though I have seldom, if ever, spoken to you before on the matter, there is one subject I want to try to say a word about before we part. I allude to your connection with a certain person — who shall be nameless. I have known it all along, Rex, but it was no business of mine, and I felt I could not speak to you, but now it is different, old boy ; and you will listen, I know.

Such a liaison as yours can bring nothing but misery and disgrace, Rex, in the long run. Don't drag the old name into the mire for mere passion's sake. Remember, if she deceives others, she will some day surely deceive you, and how will it be with you then ? Now, I have seen for a long, long time what you have utterly shut your eyes to, and that is the feeling with which Violet Galton regards you ; and now I am going to tell you a secret. I almost made up my mind once to ask her to be my wife — so noble a girl do I think her — but I saw, luckily in time, that she had no love to waste on me ; that it was you she loved — you who were spending all your time at another's feet. But, Rex, one is shadow, the other substance, believe me. Though I know well not one word or sign will ever escape Violet, yet sure I am that is her secret trouble, and mother as good as told me I was right.

I shall soon be gone now, Rex, and no one left to lecture you then ; you are the last of the old stock, except Madge. Don't let the good old line pass away altogether, or sully its good name by any act of yours. I know in your heart you care more for Violet than you think ; and, if you had never come under the baneful influence of that other, all might have been different. Will you try, for my sake, to give up this infatuation, and lead a nobler, better life, remembering it was almost my last request ? For who knows, perhaps, at some time not far distant, you may honestly be in a position to ask the girl — who I know loves you — to be your wife without a single fear of anyone or any thing coming between you again in all your lives, feeling that your love for her is as strong and true as you will some day realize hers is for you.' Here Walter paused for a time from sheer ex haustion, but motioning to give him some of the stimulant by his side he was soon able to resume. ' I shall never be able now, Rex, to repay you enough for all your care of me.' (And here Reggy Trevor in a broken voice said, ' Oh, why did I take you out that day, it was all my fault, I shall never forgive myself.') ' You must not say that,' returned Walter, gently, ' you could not foresee all that happened, Rex, and perhaps, after all, it is better thus.

I do not think I should ever have got really strong again, and you know I could not have borne to be an invalid all my life. I have often thought you would reign better at Lorton than I should. I think for some reason they all liked you best. I feel more than the actual knowledge that my end has come, the fact of my dying away from friends and home in a foreign country, but, thank God, I shall have you with me. You will tell the old rector I did not forget him, and he will find that the old silver tankard of mine he always coveted is left to him ; and now, Rex, I have nearly got through all I had to say, old boy, and I feel very tired. Send Truscot to me, you will keep him if he wishes, for my sake ; he has been so good and atten tive, and come and see me by-and-by again.' So Reggy, with a few reassuring words that he would carry out his brother's wishes in every respect, but at the same time trying to take a more hopeful view of things, although he knew he did not feel it him self, took his departure, installing Truscot in his place, and went for a short stroll for the sake of a breath of fresh air.

But his heart was too full to find relief in anything, and he soon returned to the house again, so as to be near at hand if his brother wranted him. To think that he had been so utterly blind to Violet Galton's affection for him, and to feel that he actually stood in the way of his brother's happiness by having won the girl's heart from her, and then flung it on one side like an old glove, was indeed gall and wormwood to him ; though he had never meant to make her care for him in that way. Yet, as he recalled the many scenes in the days gone by, his con science smote him sorely all the same, and as he thought of that afternoon at Mrs. Perrie's, when AT THE 'HOTEL EX MO UTH.' 15 Violet behaved so strangely, he exclaimed aloud at last, ' Of course, now I understand it all, what must she have thought of me.' But what about her for whom he had neglected to gather this dainty flower that he had trodden, as it were, under foot.

What of her ? the woman whom he had so idolized, and, for whom, when blinded by passion, had nearly forgotten all laws human and divine. If what he held in his hand, if this letter (and he could not doubt it) was genuine, where was this Avoman's value now ? Had she not made use of him, deceived him, treated him as a mere toy to be cast aside when tired of, while he had given her all the passionate devo tion of a strong, loving heart. Should he not hate her, should he not forget her very existence from this time forward ? Ah ! what mercy, he thought, if he could forget, as the face of the woman he had loved so well, if so unwisely, rose up before his mind's eye in all her beauty — beauty exaggerated by imagination and long absence, both of which tended to recall her to his memory in even a more attractive form than she really was.

To think of the long days to come without her, days to be passed without one passing glimpse even of the face he loved to gaze upon, days of loneliness and pain ! Then came the subtle voice whispering false hope to his heart, that perhaps it was some hideous error, some frightful dream after all. But no, it could not be. He recognized too well the hand that had penned those lines. But what for him who had day by day, hour by hour, done his best to take from him all he held so dear, his . . . His ! how his ? And the words died away on his lips as he thought. ' What right had I to call this woman mine, what right have I to blame this man for doing what I myself have done ? Did I not try and steal this woman's love from her husband, just as she has now been beguiled from me ? My God, yes, he is, after all, no worse than I,' he thought. ' And this was the man she so often told me was but a friend, and hardly that.' His brother's words had made a deeper impression in his heart than even Walter could have hoped for, and, fresh from the bedside where those dying wishes had been spoken, he could not fail to be affected by them.

Was not this the very end his brother spoke of? deception — misery, and perhaps disgrace. And was not this perhaps the very moment for him to break his chains, banish this passion from his daily life ; blot out this woman, so fair and yet so false, from out his thoughts, and try to live that better, nobler life which he who lay with the hand of death perhaps almost ' touching him, beckoning him to come,' had prayed him to try to lead for his sake. Would he not strive for the sake of that brother, that dearly-loved companion of his old childish, boyish days, his play mate in many a game, and later on in life his adviser and his friend, who not so long before had come to his aid when he was in dire need of help, and had asked no questions. Yes, he would try, he would for once and all break this chain off his neck, and do his brother's bidding.