Selina's Love Story.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXIX, Issue 8237, 15 September 1906, Page 2

Selina's Love Story.

CHAPTER XXl.—Continued. 'Why did she send for him?' asked Delavai, hardly cousoious in his rush of auger that he spoke these words aloud. lio had turned very pale when he heard of George Durnstone's arrival. Mo had been building bo much of late on working Selina into bis bands without reference to auy other person, and he had assured himself by this time that Sir George would notloavo the country, excent, perlmps, for b Uvine! visit. Dorothy answered his last question petulantly. 'Why did she send for bio:? Just to annoy me, I suppose.' It was euiious how frank she spoke to Delavai. With other's she played a part pretending regret at her husband's absence, tut with bim she made no suob pretense. She knew •bat ho knew she already deplored her nnniage. 'She said something ahmit wanting to see bim for herself, but 1 know that was only au excuse. You know,' said Dorothy, with a bitter smile, 'although Selinn seems so nice with me, she doesn't care for me. 1 was guod enough as a school friend, but not to to the wife of her wonderful brother! Oh! I am not a tool! I understand more than sho think*. She has beou constituting herself f. kind of watohiloe since we have been in London. 1 suppose I have beou doing something very wrong, and that's why she sent for George.' 'You are talking a lot of nonsense,' said Delavai, very coldly. 'Oh! let me speak freely to you, exclaimed Dorothy, almost pathetically. 'You are aborit the only person that I can toll the truth to, you know!' Dinner was announced at that moment, and Delavai moved away from her. He sat through the long meal in a sullen fashion. It infuriated him to think that Selina had sent for her brother. He knew perfectly well that she had be gun to feel that Dorothy was a great responsibility, but he also convinced himself tbat his hold on her must have slackened; otherwise, instead of sending and asking Durnatone to come, she would have worked to keep him away from her. His companion at the dinner table tried hard to make Mr Delavai talk, and she gave up the effort as a bad job after a wh'le. People, however, were used to Mr Delavai'a peculiarities. The marvel was that he was to be met at all in such conventional fashion. Indeed, he? did very rarely attend social functions, and the frequence with which he had been met of late bad not escaped notice, nor were there war-ting one or two to nod their heads significantly when they saw his intimacy with Lady Durnatone. The absence of Sir George, though accepted as natural by a good many, of course paved the way for gossip with others. It was generally conceded that Lady Dnrnatone was much too beautiful to be left so muob alone, although it was too early In the day to begin to spread gossip about her. Lady Beesborough would have been extremely surprised could she Jbave known that Delavai, who had at last accepted an invitation to dinner, was counting the minutes till be could leave the house. , He had originally arranged to go to the theatre, but that had been when be bad supprsed that Selina would be in the party. Now he had no intention of boring himself, and yet, as the moment drew near for eparture, a sudden idea came to him. So far all his efforts to obtain a large sum of money had been fruitless. The fact made him impatient almost to fury. In this moment, when he saw before him the future that he had sketched out for himself threatened, when his sharp intiution gathered something of what waa passing in Selina's heart, it enraged bim to feel that he waa checked by laok of means. It waa a chance word from one of the women in the party that put this sudden idea in to his mind. She was discussing Dorothy. 'Yes, she is really lovely,' she said. 'A luoky young person altogether, for I am told that she is quite extraordinary r»oh.' 'Yes,' answered her oompanion, 'she had plenty before Dunworthy died, and tow, of oouise, she will get all, or nearly all, his wea'tb, and that ought to bo a prettypenny. They used to tell tales about his cupboards and drawers being stuffed with jewels, and that the treasures in his houso were not to b9 calculated.' Delavai caught hia breath, ivool that he was, why had he not though of this before? While he bad been casting about in every direction to find some way, or some person, to put him in command of that money which he needed so muoh, here waa the person close to his haad all the time. He smiled to himself aa he pictured with what ease he would be able to manipulate Dorothy. He changed his plans at once, and went to the theatre instead of wandering off", as he had intended. 'ls your husband coming to join you?' he asked Lady Durustone. She ahcok her head. 'No! 1 fiball not he able to go on to supper, or to the duchess' danoe, as George said he would sit up for me. You see,' she added, fretfully, 'how dear beiina baa managed to upset all my arrangements.' Delavai smiled at her tenderly. 'Surely Sir Geroge is not going to be a tyrant,' he said, lightly. She coloured, fancying that in these words she read a reproach. 'Oh! George ia a dear, really,' she said. 'You must not run away with wrong ideas. His only one delight is knowing I am happy, Jin see-,

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

ing me enjoy myself. Selina would bo much mora of a tyrant, I can tell you.' r *' J - - Oelavai's bro va contracted the least little bit nfc this persistent abuse of Selina, but Dorothy did not observe this. Shfl had not, indeed, the veiy faintest idea that, whwuevor she meitiuned hor_ sister-in-law's name, she gave this man pleasure and yet annoyance. Sho naturally supposed that his friendship belonged to her and to herself alone; and Delavai, for bis own ends, worked to keep this supposition well to the fore. Hitherto, however, though, of oourae, bo had been on very easy terms with Dorothy, he had not paid are any serious attentions. Firstly because his whole heart had been engrossed with the curious spell that Selina had cast upon him, and then beoauso he had never realised until this night that Dorothy possessed any other attribute for him tbat her undoubted beauty, and tho knowledge that she was linked so closely to Caroline Uaral l'" p , » woman who had always claimed bis homage. But all at once Dorothy took a new place iu his regard. He bad not remembered till bo caught those chance words that she would pass into possession of nearly all tbat belonged toj Henry Dunworthy. He had very good reason to know to what an extent Henry Danworthy's curious career ht«d enriched the dead man. The stories of treasure and wealth which other rooplo spoke about so glibly wore all true. He bad some black pages turned down in his own life, but he had not as yet reached the dead man in mysterious dealings. As ho sat boside Dorothy in tho theatre this night, listening to the ripple of laughter and the music, Delavai' caught himself studying the beautiful young creature in a way he had£uevor studied her before. He saw in her qualities which he had never supposed could exist, which, indeed, no one probably could imagine would eixst in so fair a being. , And yet, how could it be otherwise?—he Waa she not the child of' Henry Dunworthy —tho man to whom human lives counted as nothing when it was a question of advancement or personal aggrandizement? Voluptuously beautiful as she 'was, napable of stirring passions and making the senses swoon with the spell of her soft and most womanly beauty, there must run beneath this at least a vein of that terrible cruelty which had been so largely a part of Henry Dunworthy's nature. , Her treatment of her mother proved this. Years ago Dunworthy had shown the same callousness in his dealings with Caroline Baraldine. She had been dearer to him than any woman he had ever known, but he had not scrupled to ruin her life, to out her away from all that was brilliant and splendid in it. She had been a sacrifice from the very moment that she had met Henry Dunworthy, and she would probably die a lonely and forgotten woman. Despite this element which he was convinced now lay dormant in Dorothy Durnstone's character, she was sufficiently ignorant of the value of her position, judged by worldly eyes. A year henae it would be a different matter. By then she would have learned the. power of her money, and she would probably have grown callous and oaieful, as is the habit of most rich people. Now was his moment to strike and to gain. He had never been so pleasant to Dorothy. His manner insinuated a sympathy which his words did not express. She felt that he condemned Selina as a tiresome, unnecessary person. The mere fact that bespoke so plehsantly about her haaband aaaured Dcrothy that, like herself, be regarded her marriage as « mistake. She was flattered beoause he refused to go to supper, or to show himaelf at one of the many entertainments in pr°gress that night. Her vanity read in this eomethiug that was very gratifying to her, and she drove home in almost a good temper. Aa ill luok would have it, she spoke Delavai'a name almost as soon as she got into tho house (To be Continued.