Please wait. Contacting image service... loading

Article text

CHAPTER XI.
Bryan had telephoned through fo Breck
ley Park to announce that he would be
down by the car in time for luncheon. He
took.no lucenee with him because he bad
not the slightest intention of remaining.
He was only going to pay. a visit of con
ventional homage to an old woman.
It was a fairly long drive through the
country, and when he was nearing the
grounds of Breckley Park the car was stop
ped by a girl who had evidently been walk
ing on the high road, waiting for him.
Antoinette nodded her greeting and wav
ed her hand as s!ie brought the car to a
standstill, but she stopped Bryan getting
out.
'No,' she said, '111 get in. I shan't go
up to the house with you, but I felt I must
see you. Thank God you've come, my dear
young, man! I really don't know what
would have. happened if you hadn't!'
Bryan laughed at this.
'I think you are taking too strong a view
of things,' he said.
'Oh, you wait,' Tonny answered. 'When
you have .seen gran and talked to her then
you'll understand things, I imagine, a good
deal better than I could possibly hope to
explain. She expects you to stay, you know.'
But you haven't brought any luggage, I
see.'
'Oh. no,' I'm going back this afternoon,
Bryan said quietly. 'I have only come
down because I know that she is an old
woman, arid I am a young man, and I ought
to be behave rather civilly. I don't par
ticularly want to come and stay here,' he
added.
At which Tony laughed a cynical.laugh.
'Wise child!' she said.
The car was standing still, and then with
a glance at her wrist watch Antoinette
said:
'I suppose we had better go on, it is
getting near the time for luncheon, I'll tell
the chauffeur.' She put her words into ac
tion and then she added: 'Gran will be all
ready for you. I quite expect she will come
out into the ball to receive you, which is
only wf hat she does for very exalted people,
like royalties and so on.'
'Look here!' said Bryan a little sharply.
'You are pulling my leg, I know. If you
say much more like this you'll get the wind
up for me!'
She put out her hand.
'No,' she said, 'that's not to be your
game. You've got to go on in the way you
nave been* going. . You haven't the slight
est idea what a lot of things you can do
if you ? only let gran wake up to the
fact that there is somebody in the world
who isn't afraid of her!'
'Well,' but she gets on with you?' said
Bryan, glancing at the girl with a smile.
'Oh, ' gran knows me through and
through. And I'm really terrified of her!
I do . occasionally have a spurt of courage,
but it never lasts. And it's different with
me, I am dependent on gran. You are
independent. You are the head of the
house. You can do what you jolly well
please. I can't, unless I want to be
sent away in disgrace and cut off from
everything. Look here, Cousin Bryan,
I've got something to ask you,' Tony
said, changing the subject sharply.
'There's a girl living at Breckley Park,
she's some kind of connection of the
family. I really don't know what— a dis
tant cousin, sixth or seventh, I imagine!
Her name is Frances Hylton. She's a
sneak, and a spy, and a cat, and a toad.
I hate her!' ?
Bryan was laughing.
'Well, that's a nice description,' he Baid,
'but what am I to do about this young
woman ?'
'Keep her in her place,' 6aid Tony. 'I
know what she is; she'll make up to you
just on purpose to do me in in some way.
And really you and I must be friends.
After all, I'm the only one in this family
who has met you before. That counts,
doesn't it? And then I like you, and
you have got to like me. You've got to
stand by me, you've got to take my part.
I'm always in hot water,' the girt added,
and she said it rather moodily.
Then she rapped sharply on the glass
behind the chauffeur, and signalled him
to. stop.
'I'm going to get out here. It'll never
do for me to arrive in this car with you.
Oh, heavens, what a row there would beJ
I shall slip back to the house by a short
cut, and we'll meet at luncheon.'
'1 wish you were coming with me,' said
Bryan. 'It's all very well to tell me to be
very firm, strong, and violent, but I have
a queer sort of uncomfortable feeling that
I am going to be frightened.'
As she got out of the car, Tony, said:
'I'm. a thought-reader, and I know what
you are capable of doing. You are going
to put gran in her proper place. Ta-ta.'
She disappeared up a path close at hand,
and he saw her running briskly until she
had turned a corner and was lost to sight.
(T» be Continue*.)
$