Selina's Love Story.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXIX, Issue 8226, 1 September 1906, Page 2

Selina's Love Story.

CHAPTER XV.

E DOROTHY REALISES THE POWER OP HER BEAUTF. Yes, the words were spoken, and she had deolared that she loved St. John Delaval; though till they escaped her lips Selina had not known that (0 great a secret was stored in her heart —had not realised that the yearning and the pleasure combined which remembrance of Delaval roused could signify so much. Michael Silchester closed his eyes for one instant. He felt ooJd in every limb, and there was an aobe in bis heart which would not leave it for many n day. 'Forgive re,' he said, when be spoke, 'hsd I known so much, of course, I should not have said what I have juat said.' Selina threw back her head proudly. '1 cannot forgive you, r Michaei,' she said; 'it seems to mo not right that any man should be attacked when be is not present to defend 'himself. In your case it is the more •strange becaufle it is the first time I have ever heard you speak in such ;a way of Mr Delaval." They walked on in silence for a moment, then Michael spoke again. 'I must ask you to forget what you have just heard, Selina,' he said. '1 can only repeat that I am aorry 1 said so muoh.' Selina turned on him. 'Sorry!' she said, hotly. But •don't you understand that is not enough? Yoa have cot to justify "what you have just said. Mr Delaval is not here, but I am here, and when IL tell you that be is the man I honour most—the man I love—then you must understand that 1 cannot permit you to make auch an aouusation without calling upon you to prove your words.' Michael caught bis breath. •I will anwser for what 1 have juat said to Delaval himself, but to no one «lse,' he said, and now his voice was cold, and he spoke aa proudly as she did. 'But for my accident 1 'should have gone to London days ago. I should have put certain matters before Mr Delaval which demanded hiq attention. As it is,' said Michael, 'I have written to him, and I have been waiting for his answer before seeking bim. It is his very silence whioh has, alas! provoked in me such a ohange of feel'Silenoe,' said Selina, with a little laugh. 'Mr Delaval is a busy man. It is possible that he may not even have had your letter yet. He is moving about. 1 should not havc : thought it was like you, Michael, to doubt so quickly.' 'Let us say no more about it now,' •said Michael, catching his breath in a painful tell you how deeply moved I amby the news you nave just given mo, Selina. Although you are angry with me, although of late you have cut me away from my old friendship and denied me my old place in your life, you tsannot all at once uproot the feelings whioh have been growing for auch a long, long time. Whatever this man may be, he at least is blessed with your love, and that gives him an honourable place in my estimation. From my heart I hope this love will bring you happiness, it would go very bard with me, Selina, if things went differently.' He held out his hand, and Selina put hers into it, though [a little reluctantly. They nad arrived at a crossroad, and, as he released her hand, Michael raised his hat and walked away from her. She was angry with him, and she was excited and nervous, swayed by pleasure and yet touched by sadness. She almost called him back. With a sudden revulsion of feeling she remembered bow staunch iand true he bad been; what a faithful comrade! Add with so muoh changed and made . new in the old house, with bitterness springing up to greet her almost every step she took in life, as it was now lived, there was something comforting, and even/ sweet, to ber about the remembrance uf Michael's friendship. But be had gone quickly, and, while tibe hecitated, he had turned a corner and wss lost to sight. Then there came back that quick rush of anger whioh hiß words had provoked. It was not remarkable that Selina should have felt startled by wLat Michael bad said. She had grown accustomed to hear him speak in glowing terms of St. Johu Delaval for such a long time past that his sudden change was almost incomprehensible. It pained Selina to remember, too, in this moment, Mary Lascombe's doubt of this man ebeloved; assuredly she had never expected that Mnhaei Silchester would not merely have agreed with Miss Lascombe, but would have gone more strongly against Delaval than ber woman fiieud bad done. 'I wish I bad kept him with me,' Selina mused; '1 should have maile him toll me exactly what be had in bis mind. I must say it is not a bit like Michael *o say disagreeable things of anybody. And he spoue so seriously, too.' The girl walked on for a little while lost in thought; tben suddenly hor faco cleared. 'Of course, how stupid 1 am. It must be Mrs Silchester who has made miscbeif. 1 expect she is furious because be'—she blushed even as abe thought of Delaval—'did not stay on at the priory. Aud if she has heard by chance that I have been seeing him in Loudon—well, of course, that explains everything. It will be quite enough to make ber hate him. She bates so easily. 1 have always felt,' Selina mused on, 'that Michael's mothor was jealous of bis attachment to Mr Delaval.'

By Sffie Adelaide Rowlands. Author of "An Inherited Feud," " Brave Barbara," (( A Splendid-, Heart," "Temptation of Mary Jiarr," "The Interloper," etc., etc.

And then Seljnn siabed. «Wbv dons everything change?'she asked to herself, almost fretfully. 'Putting myself out of the question alfcogther, I dou't like to thiuk that Michael should break such an old friendship. 1 wish ho had not spoken like that—l must see bim again—l must know more—l shall write to Michael to night and ask him to come and see me.' She was rather late in getting back to the Gate House, and Dorothy met ber in the garden and received ber fretfully. 'Where have you been?' she asked. *I wish you would not go off hy yourself in this way, Selina. 1 have wanted you ihis afternoon. Several people have been to call. They were all so stupidly stiff, so cold. lam sure 1 made a very bad impression. George was so annoyed that you were not with me.' bolina coloured. •My dew Dorothy,' she said, 'you told me you were going out mi iving. l had not the least idea that you wanted me. Of course, 1 should have stayed'if 1 bad known that.' Dorothy's ill-temper was thawed. She slipped ber hand through Selina's arm, and they strolled across the lawn together. 'I want George to have some people down here,' she said, restlessly. "Ibat is, if be won't take me to Lon Jon. But I think we ought to go to town for a little while, float' you? 1 am dyiDg to have a little bit of the London season. What is the use of/ having lovely frocks and jewels .and things if no one sees them.' 'I expect George wants to keep you all to himself,' Selina said. She tried to speak lightly, but, In truth, Dorothy's restlessness pained ber. There was such dissatisfaction, such a lack of pleasure in young Lady Durnstone's manner. Jl At first, although Dorothys changed demeanour to herself had given Selina a little pang, she h*& been relieved and delighted to set. what she supposed was a perfectly balanced situation between her brother and his wife. In fact, she had failed at first to understand why she had been sent for at all. There was no definite purpose that she seemed required to do, and Mary Lascombe's suggestion that she had only been recalled because she was necessary seemed to Selina to have been nothing but a little natuial vexation on the part of Miss Lasoombe; but, little by little, in some atray word, some look, Selina gathered that Mary Lasoombe had not been bo absolutely wrong. >,'Wby should this girl adore George?' so Miss Lasoombe had asked her when they had been discussing the marriage on one occasion. 'That he should fall madly in love with her is oompreheusible enough, for she is a very lovely young creatrue, and Jove is bound to come to a man sooner or later in his life. But in the first place—and you know I am a little clever at reading people—l don't think Dorothy is made of the frtuff that is capable of feeling or even understanding a great love. lam afraid there is a good deal more of her father, in ber j than her mother, and, of oourse, j she has been spoiled. It has been the force of oiroumatanoes that has driven her into her present position, and it will require immense taot and a good deal of unselfishness on the part of her husband to make things go evenly.' To this Selina had answered a little hotly: '1 dare say they might not have married in such a hurry if tbißgs had not happened to force the marriage on. But you seem to forget, Polly, that Dorothy was in love with Utiorge before that unhappy and miserable night. 1 spoke to you about this the day you arrived.' •Yes, 1 know,' Miss Lasoombe bad replied; 'but Dorothy as she was and Dorothy as she is now make two distinct persons. The whole girl's nature has been upset. Things about which she had not evendreamed have been thrust upon her knowledge in a rude and a most unhappy way. I cannot help regretting this hurried, marriage,' Miss Lascombe bad gone on; 'for every reason, George ought to have waited. In a sense you must forgive me for speaking so plainly, Selina; I think he took the girl at a disadvantage. There is bound to be a reaotion, |and I confess I don't feel very happy about it, either!' (To be Continued.)