[Illustration: Cover art] [Frontispiece: "'My dear,' says Lady Etwynde to Lauraine, as she sits in the boudoir of the latter, 'your roses looked charming.'" (Chapter IX.)] TWO BAD BLUE EYES By "RITA" Author of "Joan and Mrs. Carr," "Darby and Joan," "Vivienne," etc. WARD, LOCK & CO., LIMITED LONDON, MELBOURNE AND TORONTO TWO BAD BLUE EYES CHAPTER I It is Lauraine Douglas' wedding-day. A delicious gleam of sunshine streams through the curtained windows--flickers over the dainty arrangements of the toilet-table, loses itself in the white wonders of lace, linen, and embroidery strewed about in different directions, and finally wanders to a dusky head on the pillows, and plays at hide and seek over the closed eyelids of a very lovely face. The eyelids open--quite suddenly, quite wakefully--not with any half-and-half preparation--any symptom of sleepiness. The inquisitive sunbeam has done its work, and retreats bashfully now as two white arms are thrown suddenly up and placed beneath the girl's head, and resting thus she takes a survey of the mysterious garments, the pretty room, the aspect of the weather, as promised by the wealth of prodigal sunlight, and, finally, the clock on the opposite chimney-piece. "My wedding-day!"--so ran her thoughts. "Only a few hours more and I am Lauraine Douglas no longer! Only a few hours and the old life and the things of it are done and past for ever--for ever. How strange it seems to think of that now! ... My wedding-day! ... How different I thought it would be once. How different I thought I should feel. Oh, Keith! Keith! what an old, far-away dream that looks. I suppose you have long ago forgotten it. And yet how we loved each other ... you and I! A boy-and-girl fancy, my mother calls it. Well, perhaps, it was; it is long enough since I heard from him, and I suppose he has long forgotten me. I wonder if he has made the fortune he spoke of yet? But what on earth makes me think of these things to-day, of all days? ... And so it really is my wedding-day at last! I wonder how most girls feel on their wedding-day! I can't say I feel in any way different--no stir, or flutter, or anticipation of any description. I am glad it is going to be fine, and how nice to be able to wear _real_ orange blossoms! Sir Francis was very good to send them. I wonder if I shall ever think of him and call him anything but _Sir_ Francis. Somehow I never can. I wish he was not so old--old, at least, for me, and I wish he did not love me in quite such a fierce, wild fashion. I seem to have been quite swept off my feet by the current of his passion and my mother's persuasions.... After all, I suppose one must be married some time or other ... only--only----" She breaks off with a sudden sigh, and sits up in the bed, pushing off the thick, dusky hair from her brows with an impatient gesture.