A HEART'S TRIUMPH.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 9131, 2 July 1908, Page 2

A HEART'S TRIUMPH.

CHAPTER XlL—Continued. When London was reached, it was in a state of November gloom and darkness The semi-fog added to the bursting sense of nervousness poor Cecil had suffered in her journey from Minchester to Waterloo Station. UJach moment seemed to bring the girl face tJ face with some new and terrifying experience. Pause, reader, and remember that she had never—not even once—passed beyond the boundarv of the White Abbey grounds," and then pause again, and realise what indescribable bewilderment must have beset a young, highly sensitive nature in such a journey —so ordinary and yet so very unusual! . What followed on her arrival passed to Cecil in one long, tumbled dream. Felix had experienced one pang of real feeling as he felt the tall, proud young creature turn and cling to him as to the only being in the world she knew and had faith in; after that he lost no time in taking advantage of the situation.

The maid—a London woman—was given liberty to go and amuse herself till-it was time to meet ande:corther mistress home. Felix ignored the woman's look of surprise. After to-day there would be no need of secrecy, and when they met the maid agam the game would have been won. He drove Cecil away in his brougham, first to the jeweller's .shop, where Dora Sedworth's wao flashed before her eyes, thenhe almost as pale and trembling as herself—they were driven to the registry office in the dingy, crowded neighbourhood that Felix had chosen as being a safe one. He said little to her as they went. He had succeeded marvellously, but even yet he might fail. He had to rouse himself as tbey drew nearer and nearer. Bending,, over her, he took her in his strong arms and kissed her. "Cecil, you love me?" he asked hoarsely. She lifted Iter eyes to his; she was trembling; she could find no words. She felt as though she were asleep, and presently would awaken and find this all a dream.

Felix did not press her to speak. "My poor darling, Cecil," he said. <<y eg _yes, indeed, I know you love rne, and you are* so good to me, how good you are, Cecil! I cannot live without you." t Once again his lips sought hers. She was bewildered overstrung, I thrilling in every limb. j He swept his words onward. He was more eloquent than he had ever been ! before, qtid each' word he spoke, in- | sincere, as it was, had power with ( him. When the carriage stopped he had drawn the girl half-dazed from her seat. He did not know whetheff« £he. had. understood anything "„'i wn at ti6 had said \ bafcQnf* Ining was very suite) &h& wGula net fail him. His heart U'at triumphantly as th2y entered the dingy, gaslit room, though outwardly he was calm. His strong will seemed to control the girl beside him as though it were laden with magnetic power. Marriage in a registry office is a very short affair, and Cecil had barely time* to realise that something strange had happened, when a nen was put in her hand and she was told to acknowledge the ceremony just passed with her signature.

A few moments later she was led down to the brougham waiting, pnd even then she did not realise that her short-lived independence was gone, and that she was Felix Bingham's wife.

If Cecil could only have peered j through the mystery and gloom of j the future, what. tears of blood j would she not have shed, for the young, wronged wife that by her own acf, she had made herself this day ! CHAPTER XIII. DORA HAS A ROD IN READINESS FOR FELIX BINGHAM. Cecil's wedding-present, duly despatched through Felix to the house of Dora Sedwo.-th, brought the girl, with a pang of new remembrance, to Paul Darnley's mind. He said nothing when Miss Sedworth showed him the jewel-case, with its flashing diamonds; but he was deeply touched by Cecil's thought, and he hoped that Dora would be touched also. As it so happened, if Cecil had worked purposely to win her way to Miss Sedworth's heart, she could not have found a better method of doing this than in sending so desirable a gift. The sight of these diamonds seemed to bring the Lacldyne wealth before Dora in a tangible way. She forgot her suspicions and vague jealousy in conjuring up the prospective advantages that might accrue to her from a close friendship with this very rich girl. After all, she told herself she had been unwise in objecting ta Paul's interest in Miss Lacldyne, as undoubtedly he was the one air! only person who by reason of his friendship with her father should have held the position of nearest friend to the daughter.

"And a3 same one irf bound, sooner or later, to have a great influence upon the girl," Miss Dora'mused shrewdly.'- "f don't see why Mhat some one should not be Paul Damley or Paul Darnley's wife. I doht' know why I did not think of this before; but.it will be very easy to change my opinion, and Paul will certainly fall in with my wishes at once." The outcome of Miss Sedworth's reflections was a complete change of attitude. She spoke very prettily about Cecil and her kindness in sending so handsome a weddingpresent. "I am quite sure you thought me horridly nasty—now, confess, Paul,

By Effle Adelaide Rowlands, Author o£ "Hugh Gretton's Secret," "A Splendid Heart," -'Brave Barbara," "The Temptation of Mary Barr/' "Selina's Love Story," etc.

didn't you 0 " she asked, with a laugh. "Well, you must make some allowances for jealousy, and for bad temper, too. Scotland has upset my temper completely this summer; it was the constant rain, I suppose. I am going to write a nice letter to Miss Lacklyne, and you must help me to compose it. Of course, I never meant any of the nasty things 1 said about her." Dora added, with her brilliant smile. "Poor girl! I ought to pity her, and I do, although she is so very, very rich. After we are settled down, I think we ought to ask her to come and stay with us. Do you think she would come, Paul?" It goes without saying that Paul with eager warmth embraced all his beloved said. "You dont' know how much I have hoped that you would be a friend to Cecil," he said, earnestly. "With a woman like you, Dora, to help and advise, she would be sure to have a good chance of a happy life. Thank you a thousand times, my darling, for your kind words. We will write the letter at once!"

And a charming little epistle, written in Dora's graceful handwriting, was despatched to the White Abbey. Had it not been for the fact that every moment of his time was occupied in these last few days of his bachelordom, Paul would have taken advantage of the change in Dora's feelings to run down and pay a flying visit the girl about whom he had thought so much of late. He wrote, instead, a letter full of affection and keen interest—a letter that somehow hurt Cecil when she read it, by reason of its very affection, for it seemed to have come, she knew not why exactly, a little too late.

And this was all Paul was able to do for the iroment. He had news indirectly, however, of the young mistress at the White Abbey, just on the very day preceding his marriage; for as he arrived in a hurry at his city office he met Michael Everest turning away from the door. To greet the young man cordially wns a pleasant task to Paul. He refused, pressed as he was for time, to let Michael go without a little chat. "I hear you called here some weeks ago. I was so sorry that I was away," he said, as he clasped Michael's hand most heartily. "I hope you have come to report some good news of yourself, Mr Everest." Michael smiled faintly. "I suppose it must b§ genjiderect good news, though I fear my mother hardly looks upon it in this light. I have been ctffered an appointment with a substantial Belgian firm, and I leave England the end of th ; " d week I thought I I your kmdncs* " and call upon you be _ * or6 going. I anticipate I may be out of England for some time, possibly a Couple of years."

"I am heartily glad you have come," Darnley assured him, as he led the way into his private room, "and I wish you every possible success in your new undertaking. You look less robust, I fancy, than you did when I saw you last. I hope you are well. Sit down and give me your news."

"Idleness always tires me," Michael said hurriedly; "and then it has cost me some mental trouble resolving whether to accept this appointment or not. I have only heistated on my mother's account, but eventually I felt that it would be folly to set aside a position which is really lucrative and promises to be more oo." Paul agreed to this. (To be Continued).