Chapter Ix. A Maltese Orange

I E UT. CURZON awoke late on the morning1 after the ball He had slept at the hotel, and must return to d u t y on board sliip in a few hours. He hutnincd a strain of the "Swallow" waltz as he dressed, and partook of brealcfast His spirits were light, althotigïi tlie weatner was glooray, heavy rain f ailen f rom midnig-ht to dawn. The treakfastdispatched, he consulted his watch. He need not seek the port and the waiting gig for another hour and a half. Mueli may be accomplished in one hour and a half. He srniled with a senso of boyisn exhiiaration ai ine prospect of a country walk, and rapidly made his way through the town. A yellow placard on a vvall made him pause to read afresh the announcement oí the debut of the new singer, Signorina Giulia Melita, in the "Barber of Seviile." "ïhe very thing!" he exelaimed aloud. A few paces further on he met Capt Blake, carrymg an enormous uouquet of fresh roses, which he was about to leave, witli his card, at the door of the young prima donna. "I am quite gone on the little Yankee sincethe cotillion of last niglit," he explained, with a sentimental expression. "She can hold her own in international chafi: by the hour, you know." Lieut. Curzon glanced at the shops. No! He would not re place the fan broken by tiie grand duke in the quadrille. A curiousaud inexplicable phase Df obstinaiïy withheld him. He bought B, packaire of sweets instead, and took the direclion of the Watch Tower. The girl Dolores was the central object of lis thoughts, the inental star vvhence diverged all rays of trivial svents add evanescent emotions. !She had entered in and taken possession of bis heart and soul. The thraldom was sweet to him, and he made no eö'ort to resist the spell, Lovely, radiant, caressin Dolores! He still feit the lig-ht pressure of her supple, youngbody on his arm as they jircled around the ball-room together ;n the mazes of the Swa.low waltz. His senses we re not yet free of the intoxication of the previous eveninp. For the rest. he was eatrer to behold aer again, to remiad her in athousand indirect ways of his own right of orecedence of other men in her esteem, md yet his mood was tranquil, even secure. The rain feil in sudden showers on Ws cap and shoulders, the wind swept ioward him in boistrous gusts from time to time, and he was wholly inlifferent to both. The sea was rouffhened by tossing surges, and of a eaden tint, the sky was gray, while .he countryside had assumed the j .ow hues of wet roads and drenohed jardeas. The scène was ugly, and ven dispiriting, robbed of sunlight md a blue heaven, but the heart of Ihe young officer rejoiced. He stepped llong brisldy and hummed the Swal,ow waltz. Had Dolores slept soundly if ter that dream of di-eams, dancing at a real ball? Would slie be g-lad to see him? How would the oíd man receive him? The near future unfolded bef ore him clearly, as he rashly imagincd, composed oL stolen interviews, engagemerits for the next day on shore, letters, and all the idle aml delicióos dalliance oí a leve aiïair with a charming and innocent young girl, whose darle eyes had opened wido with astonishment when lie entered the parden trate, wlthher grandfaüier íor tlie flrst time. He was prepared to develop a thirst lor arehasoiogry, auu stock his eabin with lieadless idols, and terra-cotta jugs, if necessary, in order to f urttier propitiate Jacob Dealtry, and establisb. a footiag of intimacy in the house. These medil ations trought the yonngman to the garden door in qaestion. He rapped on the panel. There was no sound of movement within the enclqsure. He repeated the knocking-, for their was no bell on the premises. Florio uttered a shrillbark in the interior of the tovver. The. visitor waited with a smile on his lip, and eager expectation m lus eye. uoiuret. nmst have heard the snmmons. and would hasten to open the gate, accompanied by her f aithful dog. Lieut. Curzon íelt a sentiment of affection for the little animal awaken in his breast íor announcing so promptly his arrival. No light footstep approacned tne boundary and the succeeding stilltipss seemed to denote complete tion. The sanguine covmtenance of the young man lengthened. Apprehension seizod him. His sensibilities being highly wroupht by a new and absorbing liie interest, and therefore prone to svift extremes, a fear of some accident or misfortune smote him. He pushed the sunken door vigorous iy , acu bome mihu vouiw tion of fasteninfr yielded to the blow. Then he etitered the enclosure and gazed about Mm. The aspect of melancholy desertion of the YV'atoh Tower struck him forcibly, and recurred to bis mind on a subsequent occasion. The grey sky lowered above the structure, f orming a fitting background for the dilapidated masonry, which was furrowed and stained by the storros of many years. The very e-arden, borrowinfr a sombre shadow from the temper of the day, appeared unusually unkempt and dishevelled. Moisture husg on the tendrills of vines, acd dvippsd from the twig-s of the trees, lüce human tears. The water in the f ountain was stagnant, opaque, and of a greenish-yellow hue. "Vvhat a dreary hole!" thought the intruder, with involuntary repugnance. How htd Dolores thriven amidstsueh surrounding? Unconsciously he made comparisoii netween the malden and a cactus fiower, 'blooming' ín non, scarlet tints amicist the gnarled and spiked branches of a planton the wall as he traversed tlie narrow pai.li to the door. He tried to open the portal, and j Florio again barked shrilly in the halL The dour was locked. He knocked and shook tho knob of the handle. A window was slowly opened above, .and the hea'3 of Dolores thrust íorth. Her hair was in disorder, clniging in j Httle curls abctit lier foreliead and temples, a ml her eyes heavy. She yawned with the aspect of rosy . tentinent of a baby. She uttered a drowsy exclamation, resembling a coo, on recognizirg the visitor. 'Good morning," said the officer j removing1 his cap, and -k a pace, the better to devourher w. - his ffaze. "Good morning" replied Dolores, stifling a second yawn. 'Lazy girl!" he eiclaimed, laughing. "You have been asleep. You are not yet awake. " "1 was so Eleepy af ter breakfast," slie admitted, smiling. "What is the matter with Florio? Do you not find grandpapa in the garden?" "Ko. The entire place sesms to be deserted. " "Perhaps he has gone to the town while I was asleep. Wait, and I will come down stairs. " tshe passed her hands over her small head to smooth the tangled hair, and withdrew from the casement lhe aext moment she returned with a little, mutinous grimace of vexation. "My door is fastened," she exolainecl. "Fastened?" he repeated, in surprise. "Do you mean to say you are a pris011 er in your ehamber" Dolores nodded. "Grandpapa is often Hke that I can aever find the key, and yet he locks siy door on the other side at nig-ht. If I ask the reason, he is very ang-ry." "Perhaps he fears you may fly vway," Arthur Curzon suggested. "Oh, no! I have do place to fly to," ihe answered, with unconscious jathos. "Then he suspects that some lover tvill carry you off, true Corsair ■ lashion." Dolores dimpled into smiles, and ested her arms on the ledge of the tvindow. 'There's no danger of grandpapa's osing me like that," she said ly. "The Corsairs do not want me, either." "Oh, Dolores! if I were a Corsair, I would carry you off in my arms to ir.y ship, and we would sail away to tue Happy Islands. " "ïhe Happy Islands," slie echoed, half-dreamily. "Our Knight would not perniit it, for he g-uards the Tower." 'Your Knig-ht? My dear girl, who on earth are you talking about now?" She i-aised her flnger with a warning gesture. "Our Knight of Malta, Have you not seen his portrait on the wall?" Oh!" said the young man, relieved. "And, you know, the grand duke spoke to me in Spanish, and I could understand him verywell, although I seemed to have forgotten all," she continued in a tone of confidence. "What did he talk about?" interposcd the lieutenant, with a slight frovvn. "About Spain, the churches, the pictures, and the ladies " "Ah' the ladies," with a sarcastic emphasis. "Then I knew that the kni?ht spoke to me in Spanish in my dream," said the g-irl. "You see. he must have been one of the Spanish knighta" The sailor sig-hed. "Am I not even to shake hands with. you this morning-, dear Dolores?" he demanded, tenderly. "I could climb up to you with the aid of a rope or a "hftTip.h. " "Or I could jump to the ground," supplemented Dolores, merrily. 'We might have made a turn of the Swallow waltz together around the garden," he said, regretfully. "Yes." How pretty she was up there in the window, just beyond reach, and how tantilizing! "I have broue-ht you some sweets. Can you catch the package? Well done, little girl! That is not all. How would you like to go to the opera on Thursday night, when a new singer ia to make her debut?" "Oh!" exclaimed Dolores, while the color in her cheek ebbed and flowed rapidly. She had caught the package of sweets, but paused before j unfolding the paper. The good i ar.fi of the fairv tales had surely turned to the earth. Supreme dehght of her imagination! To be present at , the debut of the Signorina Giulia Melita seemed the very summit of happiness to the girl at the moment "Grandpa wül not like it," she j added, with a sigh. "He shalllnce it," said Lieut Curzon, resolutely. "I will order the idols of the twelve children of the san of him, with or without heads." "How good you are!" Dolores sighed again, and opened the paper, which contamed an almona , confection, more or less tough of texture, and iiisipid ia flavor, and closely related to the Medioeval honey paste, ] the toronï of Cremona, aud the turon, fabrieated ín the half-Moorish town of Alicante from Saracenic recipes, to be eaten with the Christmas turkey at BarcelloDa. "It must be Dice to be a singer, and wear lovely dresses, and have Mr. Brown's pockets full of fresa gloves," mused Dolores, nibbling the delicacy with sharp, white teeth. "She was very kind to me in the dressing-room at the ball. Oh! how I should like to j hear her sinr'." "Beware oí the glamour of the stage, j Dolores. " "Will you have a piece of the paste? It is so delicious," proffering a. morsel of the delicacy, coaxingly. "No, thanks. I am not fond of sugar," said tlie masculine votary of tobáceo. She glanced over her shoulder into the charnber, darted back, and peared with a small, golden orange in her ñngers. "I have nothing else," she said, with graceful depreciation. "If you would be so good as to accept it. I gathered il this morning." He received the gift in his outstretched hands. "Perhaps grandpapa was vexed ' cause I clnnbed on the chair, and told the knight about the ball, and the prince who spoke Spanish." continued Dolores. "Can he have locked the j door f or that reason?" "I do not understand his motive for locking the door. Dolores, I have so many things to teil you, and now I j must run away to the ship." She gave him a roguish glance beneatb her long eyelashes. "You cruel girl! You are laughing at me," he exclaimed, rueiully. "I jelieve you are glad to e a prisoner so that I cannot reach ye a.'' "Perhaps," she said, with bewitchmg gravity. "Ah, I should know how to punish you íor your naug-htiness if I could jain your side. I íear I miglit kiss you." 'Would yon?" with dimpling smiles. "Dolores, do you love me?" "I think so. How am I to help loving you - a little?" The moisture of unshed tears soítened the luster of the dark eyes. Then there was süence between them, a inute gaze eloquent of all unspoken possibilities, that rendered the brain of eacli a trifle giddy, and caused tumultuous heart tlirobbings. Space uo longer divided thein, and ( circled softly together amid the roseate clouds of a boundless imagination to the measure ot divine harmonies. Jacob Dealtry entered the gate. Lieut. Curzon turned to Mm, and insisted on shaking hands, aceremonyto which the oíd man submitted witli a singular limpness. ïhen the visitor repeated his invitation to the opera on Thursday evening. Jacob Dealtry listened without consent or refusal.his features remained vacant and abstracted, and he rubbed his fingers slowly together. "Would you like a stone slab, with atolerablv clear Phcenicianinscription carved on it?" he inquireS abruptly. "Oh! ürandpapa! What can au officer do with a tombstone on board ship?" cried Dolores, reproachfully, irom the window. "I should like the carved stone very much," said Arthur Curzon, seriously. "I could make a giftof it tothe Britisb. museum when I return home." "Eh! To be sure!" assented Jacob Dealtry, with animation. When the sailor walked back to the town he reflected, vith a certain element of satisfaetion, on the circumstance of the grandfatlier"s locking1 up Dolores in the Watch Tower on ttie occasion of his absence irom home. The place was suited to such Oriental espionaje of the female members of a family. Possibly the precaution was au evidence of his affection and care for his grand child. Was he not wise to thus protect her from the intrusión of ruthless mankind? He opened the orang-e and ate it with rare enjoyment. The spicy fragrance of the golden rinrl, the luscious sweetness and richness of flavor of the ripe pulp, seemed to him refreshing, incomparable. He had partaken of strange and tropical fruits in all portions of the -world, yet none like this tiny ball, whieh had garnered and transmuted sunshine to its own uses in the negleclnd garden of Jacob Dealtry. In the aromatic scent of the outer peel he inhaled the perfume of Dolores' beauty, and in the musky fruit he already taste d her caresses. He flung away the rind. The nest time they met he would surely win from the pouting, red lips a kiss. He looked no fnrther in advanoe on the path of life than that (TO BE COSTIMUBP.)