Selina's Love Story.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXIX, Issue 8234, 11 September 1906, Page 2

Selina's Love Story.

CHAPTER XlX.—Continued, It was only natural that Lady • Durnstone sboold think in this fashion. Dorothy bad commenced, almost a« onoe, to taste all the sweetness of her power, and of many other things about which she had dreamed. From the moment she h£ d appeared at the opera she seemed to have startled society into giving her universal homage. _ Selina was admired, too, but in a less direct manner. Of course, there were a great many peojleto gossip and talk about what had happened m the long ago, but in the busy whirl of town no one gave the importance to Dorothy s early life that bad been given to it by George Durnstone's country neighbours. It waa nothing to these fashionable people who her mother was, nr what stories bad been written in the past. They took Lady Durnstone for what she was-a supremely beauti ful young woißfin, rich and amusjug. The world wants very little more than this. Sometimes Selina would sit and look at her sister-in-law in amazement. Once sna wrote in a letter to Mary Lasoombe:, '1 don't thnk you would recognise Dorothy now; she is marvellously beautiful. There is no woman here to compare with her. When I stop and think that it is only a month ago that she waß ai kind of sobool child, 1 flnl it difficult to believe that she cab be the same person! When are you coming back, Polly? I want to Bee you, I wont to see you very much! But Miss Lascombe did not answer this letter; she was wandering about the Continent, and the letter wandered after her. Half sadly she had settled in her uwn mind that Selina had no need of her. . . If she could only have imagined that she was really necessary to the girl, she would have turned away from her wanderings, delightful as they were, and gone back to London. ... But she seemed to have drifted a little away from Selina since that afternoon when they had spoken freely together—when the veil had dropped and Delaval Had been openly diaoussed between them. 'She will never forget me, 1 know that,' Mary Lasoomb t »said to herself, 'but lam powerless to do her any good. If I Jive to be a hundred I shall never cease regretting the day that brought the child in oontact with this man.' When shft wrote to Selina, which waa not very often, she never mentioned Delaval'a name. She wrote on generalities, and now and again she would put in a few words urging the girl to oome to her if she felt that way disposed. Though she said nothing openly, still Selina felt convinced that Miss Lasoombe regretted, as she did, Dorothy's early start in the world of fashion and frivolity. Mies Lasoomte's advice to George Durnstone 'would have been to have taken his wife abroad for at least six months, and then have introduced her to her home life, t By rushing back to the Gate House, resolved by forcing everyone to accept his will,.George Durnstone had done a disastrous thing for him""self, and no one knew that more truly than Selina. Ab the days went by in one long whirl of amusement, Selina's spirits grew more and more depressed. Sometimes she longed f"r her brother to oome; more often, however, she rejoioed that George was not there. 'Perhnps if she has all she wants now,' Selina mused at times, 'tne excitement will wear itself out, and she will be glad to go back to the country. There will be the novelty of the new house, and she can always havw people to stay with her. "There was scarcely a day that Delaval let pass without urging his own cause. But Selina always gave him the same answer. 'Don't let us speak yet. I want to find the proper time.* And though he grew impatient with her, he curbed his anger, for he was reading the signs of the situation far more clearly than she was. Everything, as a matter of faot, was working in his favour. As there came no second letter from Michael Shcbester, be de- J oided, withajshrugof his shoulders, that the other man had written so strangely merely out of pique and not for any furmidable reaeon. 'lt was one way of reminding me I suppose, that 1 have behaved rather badly in leaving the Priory so abruptly. 1 supcose he thought by the introduction uf his brother's name he wouici force home more freely my iniquity. Why else should he have written as he did?' Delaval asked himself, with a dArk look. 'lf he had been going to ask awkward questions he would have asked them sume time ago.' Though he fell seemingly into Selina's wishes, the real reason why Delaval postponed his departure was the luck of money. It was useless to go abroad unless he ooald do it in suoh a way as to make him independent of anything that might happen. With regard to this it waa rather a nuisance that Selina had no money. Yet be never swerved in his deter, minatiod to take the girl with him, for Selina had given him more trouble, more uncomfortable moments, than any other wnmen he had met, and this added to her obarm. Indeed, hurtful as it was to his vanity, the man put before himself very clearly the faot that though he exercised a spell over her, though

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

she now fully imagined she was in love with him, in reality she had never got over the first sense of fear. He had subdued her, but he had not wholly tamed her; and the longer sbe delayed in uoming to him the more satisfaction he promised himself when she should have passed wholly into his power. And so the days went by, and a month had been spent in London before Selina had time to settle herself down in her new surroundings. Life would have been very sad for her in these days save for the ourious half-sad joy which the knowledge of Delaval's love brought her. Dorothy and she bad drifted utterly apart again; indeed, Lady Drunstone made no seoret of her wish to 08 left without her'husband's sister as much as possible.' Selina had beeu useful at the first, but now she had no need ot ber. She had morewomeu frieuds that she knew how to count, and as she waa a married woman, of course it was ridiculous to suppose that she required a chaperon. When the news reached London of the death of the celebrated explorer and traveller, Sir Henry Dunworthy, Selina's Jfirst instinct was to take Dorothy away fom ourious eyes. But Lady Durnstone had no such scruples. She dined with a largo party and went to a ball the same night. Even when the news came through to her that her mother was out in that far-off land, and there was of her return, Dorothy Bhowed no sign of emotion. But she had learned enough of the world in so short a while to understand how muoh she was benefited by Sir Henry Dunworthy's death, for everything that, oould be left wup willed to her. Sornetimes;in driving through the crowded streets or psrk her carriage would meet a shabby hired brougham, n whiob sat the dark-eyed, miserable woman who bad so cruelly awakened her from her dream of innooenoe. Lady Durnstone woald laugh when she saw the face of her enemy, but such meetings did her no good. She wanted to forget everything that belonged to her in the beginning. The world permitted her to do this, and everything or anyone that reminded her of what she desired to forget was hateful to her. 'Why don't they lock her up in a lunatic asylum?' she said to Selina on one occasion, and Selina said nothing; her heart had been seared by the look of unutterable anguish in Lady Dunworthy's eyes. It was just after the news of Sir Henry a death, and there was no mistaking the tragedy that was written on that sallow faoe. It was about this time that Selina wrote to her brother. It was a very loving little letter, and a very tactful one. It suggested that the writer had need of him.

'Surely you oan leave the house for a little while to take oare of itself. Everything is so bright and gay just now, and we miss you so muoh. You ought to be here to share Dorothy's triumph. Do oome as soon as you oan.' At the end of the little Selina wrote hurriedly; «I want to have a little chat with you about myself.' She had little hope when she sent the letter that George would answer it in person, and her heart gave a leap of gladness when, on returning from a drive with Dorothy one afternoon, they found Sir George installed as master of the house. i

Dorothy weclomed him with shrill gayety. •How good of you, darling,' she said, 'to run up like this again so soon. You know 1 have been getting borriblyfjealous of those builders they have been taking up all your time.' Sir Georse smiled at her fondly, and kissed and caressed her as if she were a ohild. 'Well, now the house is going to take care of itself,' he said. *1 have come to be near you, my dearest.' Dorothy's head was lying on George's shoulder, so he could not see the expression on her faoe; but Selina saw it, and her heart contracted with a sudden and a horrible pain. (To be Continued.)