No. 27.-THIRD SERIES. SATURDAY, JULY 6, 1889. BROWNIE'S PLOT. A SERIAL STORY. By the Author of "Lucy Carter." CHAPTER IX, MRS. OLIVER, THE Olivers had lived at Middleton a little more than a year; nothing definite was known to their discredit, yet not a single member of Mrs. Oliver's own sex had ever called upon her. Nobody could deny her beauty; and, if a husband or a brother were missing, it saved trouble to seek for him in her direction. So that the married women declared she was "really not respectable," whilst the married men (or some of them) wished that their own immaculate spouses were in some ways more like her. The name of Captain Oliver's former regiment was a well-kept secret; a few of the wilder bachelor spirits spent an occa sional evening at his house, as report said, to leave it with their heads full and their pockets empty. To declare anybody an outcast was to win Clement Northcott's sympathy for him at once; yet it was not without certain qualms of conscience that he set out upon his walk to the Nook on Tuesday evening. The house was on the outskirts of the town, not very far from the Rectory; a small villa, almost a shooting-box, built of stone quarried in the neighbourhood, with a paddock and stable adjoining. The furniture was scanty and inferior; but hunting-whips, walking-sticks, and conveniences for smokers abounded, whilst Mrs. Oliver herself was the only object of beauty the house contained. "I am so sorry," she said, as she greeted Clement, "but my husband has just wired PRICE TWOPENCE. to say he cannot reach home until halfpast nine. Do you think you can exist in my society until then?" Although he was the only guest, she had dressed herself elaborately to receive him; and Clement, more accustomed to the society of his own sex, was not sorry when the tête-à-tête dinner was nearly over. "Don't you think I am the most amiable creature in the world?" she asked, when the servant had left the room, "I am sure I ought to be hugely offended with you." "I hope I have done nothing very heinous," he answered absently, for his thoughts had wandered as far as Eastwood. "That only aggravates the offence," she laughed. "Here am I, entitled to your whole attention, yet half the time I am wasting my words of wisdom upon you, your thoughts are running-upon whom shall I say?" "I am awfully sorry-really I beg your pardon," he stammered. "Oh, pray don't let me frighten you only don't flatter yourself you can deceive me. We only put up with that kind of thing from our liege lords, and then our blindness is half assumed. So you really admire that style of face! You see I am not offering to leave you, but I don't mean to deprive you of your privileges for all that. Captain Oliver will not be long now. Come into the conservatory, and you may have a cigar if you like." He followed her into a small glass box built out from the drawing-room, and full to suffocation of strongly-scented flowers, when she insisted that he should light a cigar. "Mr. Northcott," she said, as she stood in the doorway, leaning against its side with one arm above her head, whilst the VOL. II.-THIRD SERIES. X 27 27 other toyed with a rose at her breast, "that dark cousin of yours has a will of her own. She will rule you with a rod of iron some day." "I should like to take the risk," he replied, beginning to feel more at home. "There is a confession of faith, and not in me! Well, there isn't a single trace of jealousy in my composition. It is well for my peace of mind it is so. You shall make me your confidante. Is it a bargain? Come up here as often as you like, and I will promise to listen to a catalogue of her virtues. It will do you good, poor fellow, and me also. I have often longed to cheer you a little during the last month. You go about looking so desolate, and you used to be such a happy-looking boy. Oh! don't look so cross; you are a boy after all, you know, and I-I am old enough to be your mother." This reference to Brownie seemed to Clement almost to hallow his visit. Did not Dr. Faust and Mephistopheles discuss the nature and attributes of the Deity? Not that Mrs. Oliver had any recognised Mephistophelian motives at this time. For the moment, her only wish was to please Clement. She desired companionship, and that of her own sex being for some inscrutable reason denied to her, she sought refuge with the other, which, she would frankly admit, was infinitely to be preferred. The conversation was interrupted by the entrance of Captain Oliver. "Very sorry, Northcott," he began; 'couldn't help it, 'pon my honour. I hope Mrs. Oliver hasn't bored you. What are you boxed up here for? You can just as well smoke in the drawing-room. We don't mind it." No greeting whatever passed between the husband and wife, who might have been separated but five minutes instead of five days. Everything about Captain Oliver was subdued and unpronounced, except the strong odour of cigars, which always accompanied him. His features were wellformed, they were as neatly put together as his clothes, and as little striking. He was neither tall nor short, fat nor thin, fair nor dark; his drawling voice was slowest when he was most excited. Resisting all Mrs. Oliver's entreaties to partake of food, he demanded brandy-andsodawater, and before he had been half-anhour in the house, suggested a game of écarté. "I am good for anything you like," said Clement, "only Mrs. Oliver-" Always prefers to read," was the answer. "Belle," he continued to his wife, "you look tired; don't sit up longer than you like. Northcott will excuse you." She took up a book with so weary an air, that it was hard to believe she was the same woman who had entertained Clement earlier in the evening. "Dear me !" she exclaimed, presently; "it is eleven o'clock! How long does it take you to walk home, Mr. Northcott?" "I don't think there is much damage done," said Clement, rising to take his leave on receiving the hint. "You must not think of running away yet," was Oliver's 's very slow answer. Why don't you take a pitch here for to-night? Our spare room is at your service, and I can drive you into Middleton to-morrow morning." Mrs. Oliver did not second the invitation, but, judging by the cordiality she had displayed before her husband's arrival, Clement could not think his presence would be unwelcome; so, although he had no wish to continue the game-his pockets having been nearly empty to begin withhe adopted Captain Oliver's proposal. Mrs. Oliver was the first to appear in the breakfast - room the next morning, Captain Oliver arriving next. But, although she looked bewitching in her white robe, he made no attempt to salute her. "You treated me scurvily last night," he said, by way of beginning the new day. "It is such folly," she answered. "You leave me alone in this desert of a place, and when you do come down, you do all you can to prevent me from making my way.' "So you wished to make use of the young fool yourself, did you? Do you think he is likely to blab to every one he meets that he lost a hundred to me last night? For that matter nobody would listen to him. People will no more look at him than they will at you." "What is the use of playing with him? If he does lose-and of course you take good care of that-if he does lose he can't pay." "Don't you think he can write his own name as well as his father's?" sneered Oliver. "I wish I had a hat full of his bills. His step-mother will never let him want, you take your oath. Look here, Belle, you tried to interfere with me last night. Let us have no more of that; it |