False Pretences

Front matter

Digby's Popular Novel Series Crown %vo_ handsome cloth, price 2/6 per Vol. Each Book contains 320//., and is pi inted oji superior paper from new type. THE MYSTERY OF CLEMENT DUNRAVEN. By JEAN MIDDLEMASS. Author of "A Girl in a Thousand," &c. [Third Edition. A HIDDEN CHAIN. By DORA RUSSELL. Author of "The Other Bond," " Footprints in the Snow," &c. [Third Edition. DR. JANET OF HARLEY STREET. By Dr. ARABELLA KENEALY. Author of " Some Men are such Gentlemen," &c. [Sixth Edition with Portrait. THE JOLLY ROGER. By,HUME NISBET. Author of " Her Loving Slave," " Bail Up," &c. With Illustrations by the Author. [Fifth Edition. *** Other Works in same Series in due course. DIGBY, LONG & Co., London. BY ANNIE THOMAS (MRS. PENDER CDDL1P) Author of "Denis Donne,''' "Played Out" " Thai Other Woman," "A Girl's folly" &c, &c. LONDON DIGBY, LONG & CO., PUBLISHERS 18 BOUVERIE STREET, FLEET STREET, E.C. CONTENTS

"Phil! I am so Happy!" - - - -

Chapter I. Pussy Purrs

" There's nothing in it. I know Le Marchant right through ; a better fellow doesn't live. And as for Mrs. Manners ! if there is a more perfect woman on God's earth, I should like to know her. Moreover, if there were anything in it, we'll have no scandal spoken at Dunkellin." The emphasis laid on the last four words sounded ominously in the ears of the woman to whom they were addressed, for she meant to marry the speaker, Philip Rolt. " But look here, Mr. Rolt," she persisted playfully, " you know how fond I am of dear Nell, but how do /- A you account for those nocturnal strolls in Dunkellin Chase ? " " I don't attempt to account for anything. I never nocturnally stroll in the Chase myself. Perhaps you do?" He spoke with such an utter absence of un pleasant significance in his tone that Mrs. Colraine, though she blushed angrily, felt she had no right to feel or show resentment.

" Captain Le Marchant is delightfully dangerous, and dangerously delightful," she said, with rather a strange laugh ; " but I can assure you, honestly assure you, Mr. Rolt, he has never tried to tempt me to sport in the shade of Dunkellin Chase." Rolt rose from his seat at the rustic table on which the shooting luncheon was spread. He was the owner of the preserves the party had been shooting through that morning, and of the pic turesque old Elizabethan house upon which they looked down across the lake. Mrs. Colraine be longed to the house-party, and altogether he was master of the situation. So he spared her, though she did not deserve it. As he passed her in going out of the summer-house, he said, in the low, Ianguid voice that was habitual to him unless he was very deeply moved : " Mrs. Manners is your ' dearest friend,' I think I have heard you say ?

Poor woman ! " She sauntered out after him, and as the two got out of ear and eye-shot of the lingerers at the luncheon-table, she asked, in a piqued tone : " Why pity her for that ? I am a splendid partisan I assure you, Mr. Rolt, and even if there is anything wrong between Captain Le Marchant and dear little Nell, I shall stand by her to the bitter end." Philip Rolt swung round and stepped away from her impatiently. " Come along, you fellows," he sang out ; " it will be rough walking after the birds, so the ladies will leave us now." " And you don't seem a bit sorry for the necessity," Mrs. Colraine murmured in her most dulcet tones. " Do you know I would much rather plod through the turnips and see some real sport with the birds than stand by and see the wholesale slaughter of pheasants at a battue such as we had this morning.

Besides, don't you think I had better stay about here to save appearances for dear little silly Nell ? It will be better for Mr. Manners to find us both missing than for me to be at home and his wife astray when he comes down by-and bye." There was a ring of sharp vindictiveness in her accents, and her rather dull greyish-blue eyes twinkled ominously. "Thank God!" Rolt said to himself as he looked at her, " here comes Le Marchant alone." "Late, old boy," Rolt sang out cheerily; "luncheon's cleared off, and I've nothing but a whiskey and soda and a biscuit to give you. What has kept you ? " "Missed the confounded train," Captain Le Mar chant explained vexedly ; "just like my luck. The cabby struck the curb and we came to grief, just as I got to Victoria." " I wonder if Mrs. Manners' cab struck the curb and she came to grief, too ; she was coming by the same train as the one you missed, Captain Le Marchant, and she has not arrived yet ?

" Mrs, Colraine asked, with her best air of sincerity. And the fine, handsome, stalwart soldier whom she addressed flushed slightly as he answered : " I really can't tell you what delayed Mrs. Manners, but she happened to come by the train I eventually caught, and we travelled down together." " I will go down to the house and find her at once. Has she enjoyed these two days in town, Captain Le Marchant? Did she persuade Mr. Manners to take her to ' The Second Mrs. Tanqueray ' last night ? She meant to try. I think he is very foolish to refuse to let her go alone or with a nice escort when he can't take her himself ; it shows such unreasonable suspicion. Don't you think so ? " The woman who spoke was a clever actress on the stage of real life. At the shortest notice she could be either the sternly unprejudiced " wise young judge," or the pathetically yielding, sym pathetic friend.

Her present role was the latter, and Captain Le Marchant took the false present ment for the reality. " It is rough on her," he said heartily. " I had a couple of stalls last night, and I did all I could to get her to let me take her, as Manners was at a heavy city dinner, but she wouldn't do it." "Come along, Le Marchant," Philip Rolt called out with the well-intentioned design of separat ing Le Marchant from Mrs. Manners' specious little friend. But before Captain Le Marchant could leave her, Mrs. Colraine found time to say : "Poor dear dutiful darling that she is! I hope you didn't selfishly go to see Mrs. Tanqueray and leave poor little Nell to a dull evening." No, I stayed with her." Till Mr. Manners came home, I suppose?" " Not quite — those city dinners are such ghastly long affairs, you know."

Then he went off to join the other men, and Mrs. Colraine walked back alone to the house, smiling. " What can she see in that big bcoby, Le Mar chant ? " she soliloquised, as she walked along. " He is too poor to make her presents, and he is in capable of appreciating her cleverness and fascination. All he cares for is her pretty figure, ' points,' and dress. Yet, for his sake, she is dancing on the edge of a precipice. I declare, she deserves to have a fall for her rashness, and / am the only person who seems to see that she is rash." As she neared the house, her face, which had been pale and clouded since leaving the shooting party, cleared up, and became slightly flushed and animated. She was going to give herself the pleasure presently of giving her dearest friend a verbal stab or two, and the prospect of doing this cheered her wonderfully.

This was her first visit to Dunkellin House, but she had not the slightest intention of allowing it to be her last. She had been a widow for five years. At first her freedom had been very pleasant to her in spite of her somewhat straitened means ; but for the last three or four years she had been desperately anxious to go into matrimonial bond age again, provided the bonds were well gilt. Philip Rolt met her views in nearly every way. He had a good old name, a fine old place, an in come that was quite equal to the needs and demands of his position, and was good-looking, good - principled, and good - tempered into the bargain. She marked him for her own the first time they met. She angled for an invitation, and thought her efforts had been crowned with success when she got it. And then to her morti fication she found that she owed it to the inter vention of her dearest friend, Mrs. Manners, and the deeper mortification still of finding that same dearest friend was Mr. Rolt's ideal of perfect charm ing womanhood.

As she went into the house this day, her eyes travelled appraisingly round the oak panelled and raftered hall, which was substantially decorated with heavily carved chairs and buffets on which old silver bowls and goblets gleamed cheerfully. She pictured the improvements she would make, the characteristic and harmonious novelties she would introduce for the purpose of heightening the effects *>f the handsome heavy style which predominated throughout the house. Her spirits rose as she stepped up the wide, low stairs and made her way to the door of the chief guest-chamber. It had occurred to her that if she could get Mrs. Manners into her power ever so slightly, the latter might be coerced into becoming a formidable ally in the battle Mrs. Colraine proposed waging against Philip Rolt's bachelor freedom.

A gentle knock at the door, a prompt request that she would " come in," and the friends met in as fervent an embrace as if they had been parted for two years instead of two days. " How well you look, and what a pretty frock, Nell ; someone's favourite colour, I see. Oh, you silly child!" Mrs. Manners freed herself from the friendly embrace, and answered the friendly words. " I am a silly woman, doubtless. I'm no longer a child any more than you are yourself, Laura ; but where does the folly come in, in my having a blue dress ? " " Well, if you like to openly flatter the man by wearing his favourite colour, you must 'gang yere ain gait,' my dear. He tells me your husband pre ferred a heavy feed in the city to giving you the pleasure of seeing ' The Second Mrs. Tanqueray,' and that he stayed to console you."

"Did Captain Le Marchant say that?" Mrs. Manners asked quickly. "Not in so many words, but he implied it." "Oh! he implied it, did he?" Mrs. Manners said with a smile, returning to her occupation of arranging her toilet paraphernalia on the dressing table. "Tell me your news. What has happened since I went away ? " " Very little, with the exception of the arrival of an aunt and cousin of our host's." " Oh, the Barons ! I am glad they are here. Mrs. Baron is a dear woman, and Trixy was a charming child when I saw her last." " They evidently mean business," Mrs. Colraine said disapprovingly; "Mrs. Baron be-mothers him and the girl be-cousins him to an extent that would reveal their intentions to him if he were less of an amiable mole than he is." Mrs. Manners ceased from her dressing-table operations, and turned round to her friend with the question : " What is it, Laura ?

You seem out of joint with your surroundings. You had nothing but good words for Philip Rolt when I left, and now you call him a blind mole. How has he offended vou ? ' " I am not offended, only hurt. Until these Barons came Mr. Rolt was devoted to me; old Miss Rolt saw it, and my belief is that she feared I should be asked to supersede her as mistress of the house. I feel sure that it was she who sent for these Barons ; she is one of those pig-headed old souls who would rather cousins intermarried and bred disease and insanity than that a stranger should have a share in the property." " You know the old proverb, ' You may take a horse to the water, but you can't make him drink.' A hundred women may be thrown at Philip Rolt's head, but unless he feels inclined to keep one, he will throw them all back again.

I am sure you are mistaken about Miss Rolt's desires in re Trixy Baron, she knows her nephew too well. Have the others come back ? Shall we go down and see if there is any tea going ? " She opened the door as she spoke and they passed out together, Mrs. Colraine with her arm wound very affectionately round Nell Manners' waist. They made a handsome pair as they came slowly down the wide oak staircase into the hall, where a substantial country-house five-o'clock tea was being prepared. Mrs. Colraine, fair, blue-eyed, with warm auburn hair, a ripe, round, splendidly moulded figure, and a general air of strength, power, and self-assertiveness. Mrs. Manners with hair and eyes of so dark a brown that it was only when the sun shone on them, bringing out warm golden tints in both, that casual observers realised they were not black.

Her skin, too, had a distinctly olive tone about it, and this, together with the exquisite grace and suppleness of her almost matchless figure, seemed to speak of there being Southern blood in her veins. Her hands, feet, and ankles were unique from their smallness and slimness. Altogether she was a distinguished looking woman, one on whom every man's eyes lit with pleasure, though she was not a beauty. An old lady who was sitting in a well-cushioned arm-chair close by the fire which burnt on the dogs, held her hands out warmly to Mrs. Manners as she stepped from the shadows at the foot of the staircase into the circle of light thrown by the glowing logs. " Dear Nell, welcome back," she said warmly ; " but where is the other deserter ? " " He joined the shooting party," Nell explained. " But ! — surely Mr. Manners never goes out with the guns ? — What has brought on this attack of sporting feeling ?

" Miss Rolt asked laughingly. And then a tinge of crimson crept up to Mrs. Manners' olive skin as she answered : " I thought you were speaking of Captain Le Marchant, it was he who came down with me, not my husband." "Oh! did he," Miss Rolt said indifferently, but Laura Colraine whispered into her dearest friend's ear: " You goose, how you give yourself away ! "

Chapter II. Trixy

" MEANS TO KNOW ! " Trixy Baron had not been at her cousin's house since she was a child of ten, and he a young man of twenty-two. On that occasion she had been quite the child of the house, and taken pretty child ish liberties with her position and her cousin. Since those days, for no reason that she knew of, they had been very strangely separated from Philip Rolt. He had been her mother's favourite nephew, and it puzzled Trixy that for, at least, ten years — her mother had never voluntarily mentioned Philip's name. Now they were guests in his house again, and she was twenty-two, and determined to get at the bottom of things. She was a handsome, high-spirited, resolute young lady who came to this determination. One who, TRIXY " MEANS TO KNOW 1 " 15 without being a revolting daughter, or aspiring to be either a " soul " or a " new woman," had no in tention of being treated as a child, now that she had put away childish things, and left childhood's years behind her.

Twelve years ago he had been like an elder brother to her, and a very loved son to her mother. Then for no reason that had ever been assigned to her, her mother seemed to relegate him to the limbo of forgotten things, and Trixy never heard his name mentioned, not even when old Miss Rolt, her aunt, who kept house for Philip, came to stay with them. At last, suddenly, and without any preparation or explanation, Mrs. Baron told her daughter that she had accepted an invitation to Dunkellin, adding: " And the joy it will be to me to see my dear boy Philip again, no one can tell." " Why haven't you seen him before then, mother ? " Trixy asked. " My dear Trixy, it has been through no fault of mine, rest assured of that." " Then it has been Philip's fault ? " " You were never a prying, curious child, Trixy ; I hope you are not going to develop idle curiosity now."

" I am not idly curious, but I want to know," Trixy persisted. " You will not know from me," Mrs. Baron said, with the stately obstinacy which she assumed at times under the name of firmness. " And again I beg that you will not develop idle curiosity about a matter which does not concern you." " I think it does concern me, as I am to be taken to his house again after his being tabooed to me for twelve years, so I don't consider myself idly curious, but I mean to know." This was all that had passed between the mother and daughter before going to Dunkellin. But on the night of their arrival, after spending a happy time with her cousin Philip in the drawing-room, where he had listened with affectionate interest to her narration of what she had been doing since they parted, Trixy broached the subject again.

"Mother," she began, coming into Mrs. Baron's bedroom in a foamily frilled white dressing-gown, and her warm, dark chestnut hair rolling over her shoulders, " wasn't that sweet Mrs. Manners living TRIXY " MEANS TO KNOW ! " 17 somewhere near here when we were staying here the last time ? " " She was. Oh ! Trixy dear, do hold your candle straight ; it's guttering down over my dressing- D case. " Never mind my candle or your dressing-case, dear mam, only just tell me. Didn't Mrs. Manners live somewhere near here when we were staying here the last time ? " "What an inquisitorial person you're becoming, Trixy ! What does it matter to you where Mrs. Manners lived twelve years ago ? " " But, did she live near here then ? " " I believe she did," Mrs. Baron cried in a sudden little burst of vexation.

" Had she anything to do with the estrangement between Philip and you, mother ? " " I like her very much, indeed ; if I didn't, I should not be here now. She is a very charming woman. Your Aunt Rolt can't say too much in her praise." "But had she anything to do with your quarrel with Philip, mother?" " I never quarrelled with Philip. We drifted B apart through circumstances. I am tired, dear. I really can't go into the case. Go to bed and dream of long, happy days to come at Dunkellin." " I will ; only tell me this : Was Mrs. Manners in the case ? " " I was prejudiced and foolish and mistaken," Mrs. Baron said hurriedly. " All I can tell you is that I am delighted, yes, delighted, to meet her here now, and I hope that she and you will be very good friends. How good-looking dear Philip has grown.

What a fine fellow he is, and what a perfect host." " He is ; and I think he has got a perfect party together," Trixy said heartily. " I like them all, even that rather heavy Mr. Manners, who told long stories at dinner, and left out all the points. I felt as if I were playing in a competition game of ' find the joke ' all the time, and I could have slain that Mrs. Colraine for leading him on to make a tedious bore of himself." "Then all Philip's guests don't find favour in your sight ; evidently you don't like Mrs. Col raine ?" " Not much. Good-night, mother. I hope I shall TRIXY "MEANS TO KNOW ! " 19 take all the right turnings and land myself safely in my own room. Oh, I forgot to tell you. Philip is going to give up shooting to-morrow in order to take me for a ride through dear old Dunkellin Chase."

" Thank God ! " Mrs. Baron thought, but she only said to her daughter : " That is very kind of him, that is, indeed, trying to make his little sister of old times feel at home and of consequence here." " I'm not his sister, and mother doesn't wish him to consider me one. I wonder what it is about Mrs. Manners," Trixy thought as she rapidly trod the intricate way to her own room. It seemed all plain sailing until she came to a point from whence two corridors diverged, one to the right, the other to the left. She had gone to her mother's room under the guidance of old Miss Rolt's maid, and had neglected to take notes of her way. Now the whole household had gone to bed, and she stood in doubt, laughing at her own dilemma, and thinking what a good story she would make of it for the breakfast-table the next morning.

No ; the whole household had not retired to rest. Through the chinks of an unlatched door the sound of two voices in earnest conversation fell upon her ears. She did not catch the words, nor did she listen to them, but before she could make up her mind as to whether she would turn away or hurry on, a man's voice in accents of utter despondency reached her, though his meaning did not. She turned to rush away before Captain Le Marchant — for it was his voice, she knew — could say more, but before she got out of ear-shot, being obliged to walk warily, she heard Mrs. Manners say : " Rely upon me, / will win Philip's forgiveness for—" Trixy heard no more, and a moment or two later she was in her own room, wondering in some alarm and confusion "what it all meant," and more determined than ever " to get to the bottom of things."

She was young, therefore the painful discovery she had made of Mrs. Manners' secret meeting with Captain Le Marchant in the dead of night did not keep her awake very long, and she was one of the first to appear at the breakfast-table TRIXY " MEANS TO KNOW ! " 21 the next morning. Mrs. Baron was always late, and Miss Rolt was always early ; therefore, as Philip and his other guests were all engaged in making arrangements for the sporting disposition of the day, Trixy had her aunt very much to herself. " Mrs. Manners is hardly altered at all, auntie," she began, looking at the other end of the table where the lady in question was sitting between her host and Captain Le Marchant. " Since when, dear ? You never met her before, did you ? " " I remember seeing her somewhere about when I was here twelve years ago," Trixy said firmly, looking Miss Rolt full in the face.

" Do you indeed ? What a memory you have, child. Ah ! a good memory is one of the many blessings of youth." " I can't remember her as Mrs. Manners," Trixy went on ; " perhaps I never heard her name, or perhaps I have forgotten it. But her face, and her shape, and her lovely smile, and her bewitching voice ! I remembered them all the moment she came into the room last night." " You're not eating anything, Trixy. I know Philip is going to take you for a long ride to-day, and you ought to take a good breakfast to sustain yourself. Try this marmalade ; the Dunkellin marmalade is celebrated. " Thanks, auntie. Why did mother and Philip cut each other for so many years ? " " They never did. Philip has never swerved in his love and regard for your mother — " " Then why did mother keep away from him, and never mention him, or let me speak about him ?

" " Your mother made a foolish mistake," Miss Rolt said nervously. " Pray don't speak of it now, Trixy. Mrs. Colraine, let me give you another cup of coffee, and try the marmalade. I have just been telling my niece that the Dunkellin marmalade is considered to be unrivalled." " Aunt Mary made that diversion because she thought Mrs. Colraine was listening, and so she was," the girl thought, and unconsciously her eyes took a contemptuous expression as they met Mrs. Colraine's for a moment. " Is it a long time since you have been here, TRIXY " MEANS TO KNOW ! " 23 Miss Baron ? " Mrs. Colraine asked with a directness that disarmed Trixy's suspicions for a while. " A long time indeed, twelve years," Trixy replied. " Really ! What a change you must see in everything and everybody. That is supposing you remember what anything and anybody was like twelve years ago."

" I remember perfectly. My cousin Philip is the only person I find changed. Aunt Mary and Mrs. Manners are exactly the same." "Did you see Mrs. Manners here twelve years ago ? " Mrs. Colraine asked eagerly. She had fre quently tried to find out how long her dearest friend had known Mr. Rolt, but somehow or other she had never been able to ascertain the date of the formation of that friendship which seemed so dear to him. " I saw her, but not here," Trixy replied stiffly, resenting Mrs. Colraine's inquisitiveness, and re garding it with distrust for no reason that she could assign even to herself. Mrs. Colraine marked the girl's manner, and made an effort to conciliate her. " I am glad you don't think her altered, though twelve years at her age is a trying time. Dear Nell ! I am so devotedly fond of her that it de lights me to hear people say she is as charming as ever."

" Does it ? " Trixy said curtly. " Indeed it does. She was a very fascinating girl, and I think her an even more fascinating woman." " Do you ? " ' Yes. That slight touch of sadness in her face when it is in repose is pathetically fascinating to the last degree, I think." " Her face isn't often in repose ; its mobility is its chief charm to me," Trixy said authoritatively. " She's like a summer day in the South," the girl went on admiringly, as she looked at Mrs. Manners and saw the latter flashing a splendid smile at Philip Rolt, who was looking at her with the look a fervent-natured man does bestow sometimes in an unguarded moment upon the woman who con centrates in herself all that he deems most desir able and most adorable in woman. TRIXY "MEANS TO KNOW ! " 25 "Oh, you fool! Oh, you dear, confiding fool!"

Trixy could not help thinking, " she is making you think she is all for you now, but she had an assignation with Captain Le Marchant last night, and she's only pleasing you to play his game. But how charming she is ! and how much better I like her than I do this strict, just piece of hard propriety, Mrs. Colraine." " How very late Mr. Manners is this morning," Mrs. Colraine cut in just at this moment. " It's one of his pleasing infirmities to be punctual at meals. Nell, dear." she cried, sending her cool, precise accents steadily down the length of the table into the ears of the woman she addressed. " Nell, dear, I was just saying how late Mr. Manners is this morning." " And what of that ? " Mrs. Manners asked quickly ; " he never interferes with domestic ar rangements. Miss Rolt," she went on, addressing the mistress of the house emphatically, " im portant business letters always obliterate thoughts of breakfast from his mind.

He has probably had some this morning. If you will give me a cup of coffee I will take it and a bit of dry toast to him ; that will be all the breakfast he will want." She rose, crossed the room, and stood waiting between Miss Rolt and Trixy Baron for the cup of coffee. She was speaking to the latter, telling her of a pretty riding-road beyond Dunkellin Chase, where there was a very good bit of cantering ground on the grass, when one of the servants came in hurriedly, and, after a brief glance round the room, came up to Mrs. Manners, saying : "Beg pardon, mum but a lady has called to see you ; she won't give her name, but I put her into the library where Mr. Manners is sitting, and he seems surprised and faint-like," the man added confusedly. A dead silence had fallen on the whole party, and every word this man uttered was distinctly audible to everyone in the room.