The Mystery Queen | Page 2

disordered dinner-table. She was a delicately
pretty girl of a fair fragile type, not yet twenty years of age, and
resembled a shepherdess of Dresden china in her dainty perfection.
With her pale golden hair, and rose-leaf complexion; arrayed in a
simple white silk frock with snowy pearls round her slender neck, she
looked like a wreath of faint mist. At least Dan fancifully thought so, as
he stole a glance at her frail beauty, or perhaps she was more like a
silver-point drawing, exquisitely fine. But whatever image love might
find to express her loveliness, Dan knew in his hot passion that she was
the one girl in the world for him. Lillian Halliday was a much better
name for her than Lillian Moon.
Dan himself was tall and slim, dark and virile, with a clear-cut,
clean-shaven face suggestive of strength and activity. His bronzed
complexion suggested an open-air life, while the eagle look in his dark
eyes was that new vast-distance expression rapidly being acquired by
those who devote themselves to aviation. No one could deny Dan's
good looks or clean life or daring nature, and he was all that a girl
could desire in the way of a fairy prince. But fathers do not approve of
fairy princes unless they come laden with jewels and gold. To bring
such to Lillian was rather like taking coals to Newcastle since her
father was so wealthy; but much desires more, and Sir Charles wanted a
rich son-in-law. Dan could not supply this particular adjective, and
therefore--as he would have put it in the newest slang of the newest
profession--was out of the fly. Not that he intended to be, in spite of Sir
Charles, since love can laugh at stern fathers as easily as at bolts and
bars.
And all this time Lillian stared at the door, and then at Dan, and then at
her plate, putting two and two together. But in spite of her feminine
intuition, she could not make four, and turned to her lover--for that Dan
was, and a declared lover too--for an explanation. "What does Dad
mean?"

Dan raised his handsome head and laughed as grimly as Sir Charles had
done earlier. "He means that I shan't be asked to dinner any more."
"Why? You have done nothing."
"No; but I intend to do something."
"What's that?"
Dan glanced at the closed door and seeing that there was no immediate
chance of butler or footmen entering took her in his arms. "Marry you,"
he whispered between two kisses.
"There's no intention about that," pouted the girl; "we have settled that
ever so long ago."
"So your father suspects, and for that reason he is warning Mrs.
Bolstreath."
"Warning the dragon," said Miss Moon, who used the term quite in an
affectionate way, "why, the dragon is on our side."
"I dare say your father guesses as much. For that reason I'll stake my
life that he is telling her at this moment she must never let us be
together alone after this evening. After all, my dear, I don't see why you
should look at me in such a puzzled way. You know well enough that
Sir Charles wants you to marry Curberry."
"Marry Lord Curberry," cried Lillian, her pale skin colouring a deep
rose hue; "why I told Dad I wouldn't do that."
"Did you tell Dad that you loved me?"
"No. There's no need to," said the girl promptly.
Dan coughed drily. "I quite agree with you," he said rising, "there's no
need to, since every time I look at you, I give myself away. But you
surely understand, darling, that as I haven't a title and I haven't money I
can't have you. Hothouse grapes are for the rich and not for a poor devil

like me."
"You might find a prettier simile," laughed Lillian, not at all
discomposed, although she now thoroughly understood the meaning of
her father's abrupt departure with Mrs. Bolstreath. Then she rose and
took Dan by the lapels of his coat, upon which he promptly linked her
to himself by placing both arms round her waist. "Dearest," she said
earnestly, "I shall marry you and you only. We have been brought up
more or less together, and we have always loved one another. Dad was
your guardian: you have five hundred a year of your own, and if we
marry Dad can give us plenty, and--"
"I know all that," interrupted Halliday, placing her arms round his neck,
"and it is just because Sir Charles knows also, that he will never
consent to our marriage. I guessed what was in the wind weeks ago,
darling heart, and every day I have been expecting what has occurred
to-night. For that reason, I have come here as often as possible