Selina's Love Story.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXIX, Issue 826, 28 September 1906, Page 2

Selina's Love Story.

CHAPTER XXVI. —Ooutiaued. 'But this ia all foolisbnes?,' tie said, 'Of coarse, I understand. It is your brother who baa set you against me. How poor a thing ia a ■woman's heart that it can te tossed about so' ligbfly by any chance person I Well, the matter has gone too far, my dear child, to be dismissed io this way. It is one that must be discussed between Sir George Durnstone nnd myself. lam sorry that I have spoken to you so roughly. You must forgive trie, Seliua. If I did not love you so much, if you were not the whole significance of life to me, do you think 1 should care? But you are more to me than all the test that the world can offer. Am I then going to give you up so lightly? Dear littlo girl, indeed you do not understand me.' Selina sat witth her hands resting id her rip. Tbe wrist that bo hud c."-ipr*d so tightly was throbbing and aching, but was another and a deeper ache in her heart. ft always b;irt Selina to feel that she hurt another person, and whan he feoobe, as he had juat ppoken, with an element of reproa'b, in biff voioe,he touched her far more surely than when he took a tone of oojqm&nd, and would have ordered her. She was silent for a while and then she looked round at bim. - 'I am deeply, deeply honoured,' she said, 'that you should oare sto much'for me. It surprises me very much. lam so different from all that belongs to my life.' He laughed softly. ; 'And you do not understand that it is that very difference that constitutes your great charm.' He reached out, and tuok ber hand again, this time tenderly, caressingly! He bent bis head, and pressed bis lips to the part that felt bruised. 'Ana 1 have hurt you,' he said, with reproaob. forgive me, for I am a brute.' ' She quivered as he kissed ber lips, and she drew her hand away from his.

'Will you not let as speak quite plainly?' sbe said. 'Just now you said yoa were going to my brother. 1 don't want you to do that. Nqt beoaußß lam afraid that he would be angry, for I myself have told him of—of your wish to make me your wife. My reascn in asking you not to go is beoause no other person can tell you so direotly as myself how utterly impossible is the future that you would have sketched out for us together. You have reproaohed me,' Selina said, her voice growing more Bteady, 'with having realized to the fall the strange position that has grown up between us; but, indeed, this is just where you wrong me. I don't think I can explain even to myself jus* how things have been allowed to dr ft to where they have driftedtut 1 have been very un • happy. All the current of my life has been changed in these last few months, and you have been very sweet and kind to me. It has been a great delight to me to have your friendship, but—though the dusk bad deepened be could see the flush that had crept to her oheeks— 4 I do npt want to marry Bnyone,' Selina eaid. 'I think when 1 marry Imust be prepared to give up everything for the man 1 marry, and I am uofc prepared to do that now.'

She oaugbt ber breath,' and her voice thrilled a little as she said: 'You know how 1 have always loved my brother, you know how 1 have suffered when I thought I had lost my plane in his heart. Well, all this baa been made right. I have seen that 1 misjudged George. He is not hard, nor cold, nor selfish, and he loves me, next to hia wife, as the dearest creature on earth.' Delaval stifled an oatb. The matter was taking a different shape for hitr; Gradually jealousy was taking possession of him. This confirmation of what he had supposed had happened, given to him by Selina berself, struck him like a blow. Jde oould have put his two hands about ber soft white throat, and pressed tbem there till she moaned for meroy, His passion for her was at fever heal cruelty the dominant aote. It was suob a humiliation [to him to hear her speak and deny so quietly \ bis right to urder her life. The sound that came into her voice When she spoke of her brother wae a sound that was absulotely absent when she spoke to him. Glancing around her, Selina saw that it whh growing dark. She got Mp quiokiyii B**s. dogs moved olosely beside hfcf'i U think I ttitiet fc)B goin& in,' she said. 'I ohis came out for a few minuttiß. George would not like me to ba Sere now, I know.' Delaval bit his lip. 'George!' he asid in a low find bitter voice. 'ls there no other oreaturein tbe world except George?' Then he stretched ont his hands. 'Oh! my dear one,' he said, 'don't take yourself away from me; doa*t destroy a chance of such happiness that come to few men. I don't know what they have told you aboiit toe. 1 dp re say nay it is none tob good. 1 have made many enemies s'd my strange, hard life, but tnis 1 will tell you, Selina—that if all Ibe world should have come to Me and. bare tried to poison my heart against you I would have driven them from me. I would have said, "She loves me; she believes in me. Shall I requit ber love by disloyalty." ' Selina trembled, and there were tears in her voice as she answered him. 'Oh! you make things very hard,' # sbe snid; 'harder than they need be. I do not wish to be dißloyal to "a living creature, neither would 1 give you a moment's pain it 1 could beiD it. 1 fim not responsible for this love that has come into your heart. It is'all ' so new; you have known the touob a Jfittle time.

By Efrie Adelaide Rowlands. Author of "An Inherited Feud," " Brave Barbara," "A Splendidllleart," "Temptation of Mary Barr," "The Interloperetc., etc.

It oannot. have taken deep root. Indeed, indeed, I am sure there must be a great happiness tor you in your future. I will always be your fr'end; I will always pray that your life may hnvb a blessing on it.' At that moment a man passed them, and looked at Selina iu a close, fixed way. As if conscious of this, the girl turned and recognized her brother's butler., She felt suddenly hot and miserable. 'Will you walk with me out of the Park?' she said. 'I really must go home. 'Suppose I say that I will not let you go home?' said Delaval, in a quiet and almost amused tone. 'Don't you see that this ia my opportunity? You propose to take yourself away from me. You do not wish me to approach your brother; rou want to shut the door from me. Why should I let you go? Though you choose to deny the right, you know in your heart of hearts that you belong to me. I don't think I can spare you just yet, Selina. Obanoe gave me this onportunity of speaking to you, and I must make the moat of it.' 'I will talk to you at some other time,' said Selina. felhe was looking at Martin, walking slowly away, and a sudden inspiration oame to her. 'That iq my brother's servant,' she said to Delaval, 'and he will escort me home.' Then, before the man could prevent her, she had called tbe butler aloud by name. Tbe servant turned at onoe and oame quickly towards her. Delaval gripped her wrist once again. 'I command you to stay with me!' he said; bis voice was low. She shook her head. '1 cannot stay, Mr Delaval. You have heard all I have to say. If you obooae to oome and see my brother, I oannot'stop that, but all tbe words in tbe vorld will not change me now. My future belongs to myself, and I dedicate that to my brother and to my brother's happiness.' - Delaval took bis band away from her. wrist,, and laughed a soft and unleaeant laugh. , 'Your brother's happiness,' he said; 'indeed yon will have a hard task. Your sacrifice, I fear, will be in vain.' Selina bad turned N from bim quickly and approached tbe butler. 'Martin,'she said, 'will yea please walk borne with me?' Then she turned to Delaval once more. 'GoodMr Delaval,' she said. '1 am glad *bat we mot, even for a little while, and I hope I may see you again before you leave England.' 'I am going out of the park,' asid Delaval, easily. 'We will go together.' The butlei dropped be bind, looking curiously at Delaval. Had Selina been any other sort of a girl be would have imagined that she had come into the park on purpose for tbis meeting, but he was convinced that it bad been brought about by accident. •If all's Jttue as one bears,' tbe servant iruaed, 'that gentleman's about as . bad a fellow as one could meet in a day's maroh. I thought it was her ladyship he was after. 1 hope it ain't MiBS Selina. She's a sight too good for a man like that.' They walked out of the park in silence, and when they parted Selina held out ber band onoe more. 'Don't let us quarrel,, she said. 'Ana don't be angry with me. Let us always be friends.' Delaval towed over ber hand. 'lt is "good-night,"' be said, 'hoe "good-bye." I shall see you again, Selina, very sooo.' Selina drew a sharp breath that was almost a pain, as he turned and went away. His manner, bis persistence, put a kind of fear< into ber heart; not a fear that be would do barm to herself, but a fear that one with his strange and cruel nature revenge would be more desirable than life itself. She knew now that be would never forgive her, and as ehe recalled bis words about ber brother's happiness a obillness fell upon her, a feeling of evil that was to come—a feelin that refused to be shaken off. (To be Otintinued.)