A Tardy Wooing.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXVIX, Issue 8125, 25 April 1906, Page 2

A Tardy Wooing.

CHAPTER X.— Continued. ] At last he contrived to escape bis ■persecutor, and followed bei to the window, by wbioh Hbe had seated herself, Eustace Leyland goodnaturedly carrying off Sir Jasp«r who had been gradually working himself into a rago, and becooiiug a patient auditor of his complaints. "Don't tell me, sir, that it's fair treatment 1" "I haven't told you anything, Sir Jasper," he was reminded. "Oh! I'm not blaming you, Mr Leyland: you were alway a bit of a favourite of mine, because you've a lot of sense in that head! of yours;" and I shouldn't have been sorry if the old gentleman had left the towers to-you; instead of the other. But I iuusn't Ja7 so in Uyrilla's hearing, and I oau't get at her to know whether I'm to resent it or not.'" "Resent what?" "Why, man alive, isn't it a fortnight since we've had any tidings of him, and have'nt known where he is nor what has become of him. Has this old doctor be talks about been keeping him cooped up for a daughter or niece of his own; and if not, what does he mean by walking in as J 000 l aa a cucumber, without making j an excuses for his silence,." J "It I may advise,"' said Eustace qoldly, "you will leave my uouain'a I punishment or forgiveness to Miss j Dartidon. She might object to any interference, even though it were her father's.' ' "But if you'd seen her at Dover, when she expeoted him and he didn't ( come! If you had beard how she—- —" and here Cryilla's father stopped short iu great confusion, remembering that she would be furious if she discovered that he had talked bo freely to a person whose aatriricai speeches made her dread him. Eustace smiled and shrugged his shoulders. "Ladies, fespeoially when young and beautiful, do notj like to feel themselves neglected; bat, as I faave already observed, Miss Dartison permits no one to usurp her privileges. That she will punish my cousin for all his errors of judgment, and make him, sooner or later, repent them in ; sackcloth and asbes, I have not a doubt—have you?" He did not wait for a reply, but went into the next room to say bis adieus to Lady Dartison, leaving Sir Jasper staring after him with his features oddly puckered up. "Drat the fellow! I have never know whioh way to take him! He's given me nome useful legal hints when I've wanted them, and done it gratis, too, but there's no one more difficult to understand than he is sometimes. However, he's right enough in one thing.. Cyrilla doesn't like to be meddled with, and I'd better keep out of sight till I know what course I am to take." Meantime, Harold sunned himself in the lady's glances. If he thought her the.loveliest of women when her gowns were often tawdry her boots country-made and her hats more abowy than fashionable how could be fail to be dazzled with charms that ere enhanced by a Parisian oostume and sundry lessons in deportment from a mistress in the graceful art? Toe guests began to disperse many of them having other engagements to fulfil; but Harold Outrara did not preceive it. He was descanting on all he had suffered during their separation; and Cyrilla gently fanning her peachy cheek and answering mpre £with sighs and eloquent glances than words permitted him to think that she bad been equally miserable and had been torn from him by ambition. "1 will ask for an iuterview with Sir Jaapor to-morrow," said Harold, his disdain of the parvenu audible in his voice," though ha tried hard to speak with respect of Cyrilla's parent. "I hope to be able to couvince him that my iucome is now large enough to satisfy his requirements." "Poor papa!" sighed the young lady; "do not be too hard upon him if his ovorweeuing fondness of poor me makes him j; rate'mo too highly." "And now tell me," she added, warned by the shadow on Harold's brow that he could not quite forget two or three insulting remarks anent his presumption which Sir ( >! Jasper had levelled at him—"and now tell me more particulars of your . accident. |.Do'fyou kuotv, sir, that mamma and 1 began to thiuU'you had forßaken your old friends. If you were* ill, why did you not come to us to bo nursed?" Harold smiled; deeply] in love though he was, ho had sufficient knowlodgo of the Durtisons to be well aware that he should not have been an acceptable visitor if he came in the character of an invalid. "Collieon is the best of fellows; he has talcon good care of me." "If you had joined us at Dover, you would haveescaped the collision, Cyrilla declared. Why did you not? "Why did I not?" Harold repeated drawing his hand across his forehead. I suppose it was because I expected to find you in town." "You supposed. How oddly you said that? Madame Lavalle was to have told you where you would And no U *---*••-«. us* CffMenßcrwrt 1 * r '* r " ' "Yes?" And Harold made another effort to recall the events connected ■with his arrival in England. "But if yoivjhnve been suffering, I must not scold you, only"—and now Cyrilla permitted her eyes to wear their tenderest expreisson—"only 1 cannot help chiding|you for letting us remain in ignorance. At first I thought papa might have been concealing it from me in mistaken kiudness, but uow I know that he was unconscious as myself that you wore near us and ill." "But, my dear Cyrilla, surely'it was you who so often tended me with the greatest tenderness and patience?"

By Charles W. Hatliaway. thor of *' Blarjorie's Sweetheart," "A bony Martyrdom," A llash Vow,\ " Joseph Dane's Diplomacy," etc., etc.

"When and where? I have never been iuside Dr Collisou's houBQ in my life. Perhaps he has a daughter?" "He is an old bachelor." "A sister, then," Cyrilla persisted, and Harold assented. "Yes, he has a sister who resides with him, but she is so aged and infirm that she seldom leaves her room. If you are sure that it was not you who came to me, 1 must have imagined it. Nothing is more probable," be went ou to say, brightening at the idea of having found a solution of the mystery, "you were my thoughts during my waking momenta, and when I slept your image—like my guardian angel—must have beea ever present in my dreams." With this explanation Cyxilla was satisfied, and b«r jealous fears subsided. While her fair friends waltzed and flirted and, envied her such an eligible lover and penniless younger sons declared that, "By George young Outrarn is a lucky ftllow" she listened behind her fan and consented to become Harold's bride at an early date. "I shall be with your father tomorrow early" be said aa he rose to depart. The glare of the lights or else the perfume of the flowers was bringing on the pains in hia bead, and feverish eensationa against whioh Dr Collison had warned him. And I shall bring with me the ling I shall ask you to wear as the seal of our engagement. What stones shall I ohopse fou you? You used to have a preference for opals." "But they are unluoky, and* ru bleu are loud; everyone s wears pearla and torquoises; and diamonds are not appropriate. I think I' '1 have no other pledge of your affection than the band of ohased gold you have always worn. 1 remember your telling me that it was your mother's." Was it to endear herself to her lover by letting him see how every word spoken by him had been treasured in her memory, that Cyrilla Dartison said this? Or had she perceived that the ring she craved was no longer on his hand? Harold appeared to notice this for the first time, for he felt in his pockets, and became seriously disconcerted. "Itbhall be yours,dearest Cyrilla," he had answered. You delight mo* by your preference for my mother's simple, old-faßhioned engagement ring, How proud she would havu been of such a beautiful, such a queenly daughter? What can I have done with the ring? , Did I not give it to you when——" But, recalling Cyrilla's positive assertion that she had not visited him during his illness, ho ohecked himself in great embarrassment." "Do not tell me that you have lost it." she criod, "■ "Impossible. It fitted my finger too tightly to fall off. I must have removed it when washing my hands, and neglected to replace it. I will make inauiries about it as soon as 1 return to my friend Collison.' Somewhat hastily for the circumstances had, disconcerted him Harold Outram said his adieus, and departed, but came back directly to draw Cyrilla aside, aud say to hei;, agitatedly: "Dearest are you quite sure that I have not already given you that ring?" (To be Continued).