Selina's Love Story.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXIX, Issue 8225, 31 August 1906, Page 2

Selina's Love Story.

f CHAPTER XIV. —Continued. 'Did I ever live here?' she asked herself, as she found herself alone in her room at last—not hor own well-loved room, but another and smaller one. 'WaB it all a dream? I feel as if 1 had been dead and forgotten, and in coming back could find no resting place.' Indeed, it was strange to be a guest where she had reigned. To find none of the old familiar faces to feel an atmosphere of ceremony wh«re all had teen m easy and unceremonious. Formerly, when they had been alone, neither she nor Sir George bad troubled to dress for dinner, To-night, when Selina went dowu. stairs, she found Dorothy wearing a handsome dinner gown—much too p}d and too grand for her— WAh jeiveJa on hor head, and throat, acu Waist, Selina ate her dinner in silence, though Lady Dumetone piled b?r with questions about London and L.a.SGp,m.he, and that other nrange, Strong intloehCd Beemed so far, far awby. She yearned for the sociability of her woman friend, and ene turned, to the thought of the man who loved her with a oraving which was far greater | than she imagined. She had expected her brother to Bay some word of affeaticu to her, but Sir George met her as they parted—coldly, unsympathetic. •They don*t want me. Why did they eetid for me?' asked poor Selina of herself when she crept into bed. _ She wept for a long time. Tears would not be denied. ' Aud sb& was was not whollyfselfiab in her grief. As she lay pondering and shedding tears, sbo brought back to herself word by word what St. John Delaval bad said ahout this marriage, and it seemed to her that he had read the situation very shrewdly, and that this marriage would not possibly work out happily; at any rate, for the man, and despite all that bad gone, despite her brother's coldness and hardness, and general air of indifference to herself, Selina could not uproot the old, clinging, adoring love she had given him. George had always been first with her, and be was still first. The morning brought with it renewed hope. She had two letters. One was from Mary Lascombe, and the other from Delaval. Miss Lascombe wrote only briefly, giving an nddreßS in Paris, and reiterating her loving desires that Selina should go to her if she found Unnecessary or advisable to leave the Gate House. St. John Delavals letter was brief, too; tut it was very sweet. It wae one long cry of love. It was love that pleaded; not the proud arrogance of love. It was sad, and beautifully worded, and it repeated the assurance that, when ebe said the word 'Come,' he would co to her, no matter what stretched between them. Then he urged ber to be happy, and to take care of herself. 'For,' he wrote *you are so precious to me.' Selina went downstairs with light ,in her eye and smile on her lip. It was only human nature that she should hide Delaval's letter in the bosom of her dress, while Mary Lascomte's was looked away in her drawer. She remembered nune of the unpleaasnt doubt which Mary Lascombe had expressed so openly. She f'".rgot all the conflicting feelings which had beset ber in the hours following that interview with him in the park. Only the sweetness of remembracoe was with her bow. I made ber heart stir to realise how much she was loved, and, when she remembered what kind of man it was that loved her, her face flushed and her pulses thrilled. It was impossble even for one so free of vanity and ho sensible an Selina was not to feel a natural sense of satisfaction in having been sought by a man of Delaval's calibre. **' She went out inco the garden, and, wandering about in the old haunts with the dogs at her heels, she almost drifted back into the old serenity of thought. She a while the Selina that ( sbo used to be. A good deal of this was swept away when Lady Durußtone joined her. It seemed to Selina that, if possible, Dorothy had grown more beautitul. The little matronly airs she gave herself were very pretty, but it gave Selina a sharp pang to remember the lonely woman who was making her way out to a far-off country, and who seemed to be so utterly forgotten by the child whose nlightest wish had been her life's duty to gratify. She longed to speak to Dorothy about her mother, but she did not dare; in fact, there was very little that they could talk about with any degree of pleasure, and it gradually dawned upon Selina that Dorothi 1 was jealous of her. 'How right Polly was!' she said to herself. 'She told me 1 should have a bitter experience in coming back hero, and I am sure she is right. Yet I must not go away again;. I wish 1 did not feel it, but ' I do. 1 'feel all the time that I may be needed here; that I may be of some good. I wish I could feel that Dorothy cnred for George. There is no mistake about his lovehe worships her—but Bhe ' And Selina ended with a 6igh. She hud been two or thiee days at the Gate House trying to fall in with the now 'regime,' when she met | Michael Silohoster. | She was out alone in the country lanus, with the dogs running briskly J about ber. when the high dogcart from the priory came bowling along. Michael was not driving' himself; bis arm was still bandaged across his breast, and be was sitting listlessly enough beside the groom when, i

By Effie Adelaide Rowlands. Author of "An Inherited Feud," " Brave Barbara," "A Splendid Heart," "Temptation of Mary Barr," "The Interloper," etc., etc.

all at onoe, his eyes were dazzled by the sight of Selina. He had insisted on going to the bank many days before Dr. Foster had intended hiai to do bo. He was driviug back from the bank now. He had not heard that Selina was back at the Uate House. In her quiet, gentle way Nelia Poster had resolved in keeping this little information to herself. She had been tempted to tell Mrs Silohester, but she had checked herself. She was quite convinced that the mother would not be atle to deny herself the pleasure of telling Michael this, and saying something disagreeable about SeJina at the same time. There was no immediate possibility 60 told herself, of Michael knowing" * hat Miss tinstone had returned. sue was waking feepelf very pleasant in these days, and", iii a deed, her oompanionstiip was a great solace to Michael; but, if £Jbe imagined that ebe was taking th'a"i6i*P Ja(,e of anotner in his th6lf§hts, wdte was - doomed to disappointment, JhQ OU9 would ever teplace gfillha. As he drove toward her now, Miohaol sat forward and looked with almost unbelieving eyes; then he put out his haud and made the groom pall op. As Selina turned and saw him getting out of the cart, not with out some diofflulty, she came toward him with something of her old, pleasant-greeting. 'Hello, Miobael! What's the matter with you?' she said. 'Have you been in the wsre?' . 4 I had a fall,' snid Miohael. 'lt was a stupid business, but it has Kept me shut op for I don't know hOiV long. I did not know you were back,' he said, with his voice uncertain and laden with a feeling that he could not repress. T came four days ago,' said Selina. She waß very sorry to see how pale he looked. He seemed to have grown thin; altogether he was very changed. Though she had girded at him so continually, Selina was really fond of Michael. She knew him to be so good, and staunch, nod true. 'Do you think you ought to walk?' she asked him. He nodded his head, aud then tuined and told the man to drive on to the priory. 'lt's so nice to move about a little bit,' be snid. He was looking at ber with his soul in his eyes. He notioed, on hi«j part, that she was thinner, and that she had lost the old brilliancy. His heart ached for her. •It is very nice to see yon again,' be said, suddenly, and Selina gave him a warm look. 'Thaak you, Michael,' fihe answered. '1 believe you mean that. Don't think me very mad,' ebe added, with a little laugh, 'but everybody seems a bit changed, so it woold not have been strange if you had been in the fashion.' '1 never change,' said Miohael, quietly, and then he caught his breath. 'I tell me a little bit about yourself, Selina. Were you happy in London? Did you have a good time? You never wrote to me,' he added, hurriedly. *X seemed to do bo much,' said Selina, apologetically. 'Polly kept me on the go all the time.' Then something urged her to speak the name that ' was so uppermost in her raiod. 'I saw a good deal of Mr Delaval,' she said. Michael's face clouded and something in his turn prompted him to speak openly to her. 'A little while ago, Selina,' he said, 'it would have given me so much pleasure to hear you say that, but now ' 'But now ■' repeated Selina, looking at him in a startled, halfangry way. 'Now,' said Michael Silchester, 'I am sorry. I reproach myself bitterly, indeed, that I introduced this man to you, for I know now that have been worshiping a false idol; I know now that St. John Delaval is ' Selina put out her hand. She had turned very, very pale. 'Stop, Michael.' she said. 'Before you say anything, 1 must tell you that Mr Delaval has asked me to marry him -that he loves me—-tnat'—-she pased an instant—'he ia the man 1 love!' (To be Continued.)