Selina's Love Story.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXIX, Issue 8234, 12 September 1906, Page 2

Selina's Love Story.

CHAPTER XlX.—Continued. When th u y had beeu togethnr at the Gate House it had seemed to her at times that Dorothy really was fond of bor husband —that she returned, though not, of course, in equal measure, the devotion he lavished ou her. Nuw she knew how false this supposition had keen. There was bot\i anger and dislike iu Dorothy's expression, and in that moment all tbo old tender affection which George Durnstone's indifference had chilled lushed back to Selina's Jtieart. Dorothy took herself away from her husband's arms, 'You are very naughtj,' she said, 'not to have let me know you were coming. I have an eveniug full of engagements, and I don't know 1)0w 1c in put them ofF.' 'Can't I come with yon? 1 suggested Sir George. His eyes wo re full of soft light; a tfJow came over his faco as he looked at his beautiful youn« wife. Dorothy pretended groat disappointment. 'I am afraid you cannot dine, she sari, 'or you will upset Lady 15eeBbot'OU«h'a table, and she is so fuggy—such an important person, you know, Hut you can meet mo afterwards. We are going to the play. I will telephone to you what theatre it i*?. It will be so nice to have you, darling.' Selina went slowly awny and left them together. It was a sort of anguish to her to watch her brother, to renlise how real everything was to him—to kfow how false everything was to Dorothy. She felt unutterably wettry when she left the room.

For the first time the remembrance of Dolaval and hia love tailed to bring lier jileaaure or comfort, ho seemed in this moment to belong to that jarrng element which now circled so closely about all that Dorothy did. She would have liked to ory, only that tears worn so useless. She was driven b.'iob as by the* force of some powerful wind to her o!d allegiance. In tbiß hoar nothing seemed so good or so true as her love for George. It seemed to her aa >f he had need of her protection and her sympathy. And all at once it flashed to her as an inspiration that it would be cruel if she were to go away and leave him when she felt so surely that the future was going to be hard auo bitter for him. It was in such a moment that Delaval's power over her seemed as naught. The mere suggestion of going out with him to another world filled her with dread and all the wealth of her heart went out in a great rush to those things that she had known all her life, and which she would lose forever if she left England with this man.

She roused from her thoughts by a knock at the door, and as she rose and unlocked it Dorothy entered. She was frowning, as if she were very angry. '1 have arranged with Georgo that he will dine with you here to-night, alone. He doea not seem to care for the theatre. Of course, you would much rather stay with him than go to twenty plays.' There was an unmistakable sneer in Lady Durnstone's voice. 'X shall be very glad to stay,' said Selina, and she spcke coldly. 'Well, as yuu sent for him,' said Dorothy, 'it is only right that you should be together.' Then her impatieuce and annoyance broke forth. 'I think you ought to have told me that you were writing to George,' she said. Selina laughed. 'My dear Dorothy, must I give you an account of all I do?' 'Yes,' said Dorothy, ooldly, when it ooncerns me. I tm very much annoyed that you should have written to George, letting him suppose that I—X was not well—and wanted him. X have made him tell me about your letter.' Selina passed her hand wearily over her brow. •'X don't know in the least why you should te vexed with me, Dorothy,' she said. 'When X wrote to George I wrote on my own behalf entirely. There are a great many things that I wish to disousß with him.' "Ihen you might have gone down to the Gate House,' said Lady Durnstone, 'and have talked these things over there.' Selina's hand droped to her side. 'lt is early days for you to speak like this,' she said, and her tone was so stern also, that Dorothy looked .a little frightened. 'I wish you would not be so theatrical Selina,' she said. 'You always see things from the wrong point of view. You are never tired of impressing on how much George hateß town; therefore it would have been a little more considerate if you had thcnght about him and not so much about yourself before you asked him t n come.' Selina turned away with a shrug of her shoulders. 'Don't you think you had better make haste and dress?' she said. 'You are dining very early to-night remember.' 'You're ho disagreeable,' Dorothy pouted. 'X never knew anyone so changed as you are. One can't eay a word now!' 'X don't think X am changed,' Selina said in a quiet, low voice. Lady Durnstone paused a moment; then shrugging, her shoulders in her turn shejwent out of the room. 'How is this going to end?' Helina asked herself, miserably. • And then the tears came with a rush. She wept uot for her own sake, bat because she felt so helpless, so impotent to stand and do any good ia her brother's life, and there was

By Efiie Adelaide Rowlands. Author of "An Inherited Feiid," " Brave Barbara," " A Splendid Heart, ■' " Temptation of Mary Barr," " The Interloperetcetc.

no one who could influence Dorothy unless it was herself. Instead of finding pleasure in the thought of being alone with George that evening she almost dreaded it. Of course, his sole topio of conversation would be Dorothy, and Selina was not good in playing a part. It would be so hard for her to have to fence with the truth, and yet infinitely harder to let Sir George gather even a suspicion of the trouble tbit was passing in her heart. And, somehow, Selina shrank absolutely from speaking about her own affairs, Though ahe had written to him that she wished to do 80, it fas imf-OBsible for her to speak of Delaval to her brother, and this, quite apart from the fact that in the last hour the position had changed in her own eyes. She was dressed and in the drawing room when Dorothy wont down the stairs arrayed like a queeu in all her glory. Sir George was waiting for her in the hall, and she drew him into one of the lower r n oms. 'Now, what do you think of me darling}' she asked him, as sue threw off her lace wrap and stood levealed in all her beauty. Sir George looked at her with his soul in his eyes. He could not speak. The expression of his faoe moved Dorothy a little. '1 only want to be beautiful for your sake,' she said, hurriedly; 'to let people know that I am worthy to be your wife.' Then she nestled close up to him. 'I wish 1 need not go out and leave you,' she murmuied, 'but I am so anixous to make all the friends I can, George, dear. And 1 am afraid I might give offence if I broke my engagements. To-morrow night we will dine alone—you and I—somewhere. Won't that be nioe? Now promise me to have a pleasant evening, and don't let Selina worry you.' Sir Georce took his wife* out to the carriage and let his hand linger in hers. He felt in this moment something like a reproaoh pass through him. Dorothy was so young, Buch a child compared tu himself, and things that made ner joy were tilings he had left behind many a year. Was be right to have linked thia bright, young life to his? All that had seemed so possible, nay, even imperative, just before their marriage, had a different aspect now. He even winced as he turned to go back into the bouse and recalled that memorable interview between himself and Caroline Baraldine. He bad imagined that he was doing a great act when he divided Dorothy from her mother. But all bis prejudice melted away as he realised in the most potent fashion that he was oat of date in his opinions, and that in making Dorothy Baraldine his wife the world would regard the matter differently; not that he had done a manly and a generous thing in marrying her, but that she had made a sacrifice in marrying him! Dinner paesed almost in silence between the brother and sister till the servents left them, and Sir George began to Bpeuk. 'Have you seen Michael Silobester?' be asked, abruptly. Selina looked at him in surprise, and a little colour came into her face. 'Miohael? No! I bad not the least idea he was in town. 1 'He has been up here a few days,' answered Sir George. 'He has not been near us,' Selina said. Sir George smoked for a little while in silenoe, then be said: '1 think Michael ia rather unhappy'. He has Jbegun to worry himself about his brother's death.' Selina turned colour, though really she hardly knew why. 'About Edward? Why should he trouble, George. If course, I know he fretted a great deal at the time, hut I thought- he had got over it. Has anything happened? 1 'Well,'said Sir George Durnstone, drinking his wine, 'I don't quite know, hut, nutting two and two together, 1 begin to fancy that Miohael has changed his opinion about that exploring fellow who was the means of getting Edward abroad -•what's bia name?—Delaval.' Selina turned very cold. 'What did he say to you, George?' she asked. > (To be Continued.)